South Korea cabinet to decide on June 3 presidential election date, Yonhap says

People attend a rally to celebrate the expulsion of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, April 5, 2025
| Photo Credit: Reuters

South Korea’s cabinet is expected to finalise a June 3 date for a presidential election following the removal of Yoon Suk Yeol last week for his short-lived martial law declaration, Yonhap news said on Monday (April 7, 2025).

Although not required by law, the cabinet will make the decision at a meeting on Tuesday (April 8, 2025), as it needs to approve a holiday for the event, Yonhap cited an unidentified government official as saying.

Mr. Yoon was removed by the Constitutional Court on grounds of having violated his official duty by issuing the martial law decree on December 3 and mobilising troops to halt parliamentary proceedings.

The law requires a new presidential election within 60 days if the incumbent dies or is removed from office.

An official of the National Election Commission said the date mentioned in media reports was not final and would not become official until declared by the acting president, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.