With Yoon Suk Yeol’s presidency abruptly ending two years early following his dismissal by the Constitutional Court, South Korea is preparing for a new presidential election likely to be held in early June, as reported by The Korea Herald.

Although the date has yet to be finalised, Acting President Han Duck-soo must declare it within ten days, as stipulated by national law governing presidential succession in cases of removal from office.

The Constitution mandates that a new leader must be elected within 60 days of a vacancy being confirmed. Correspondingly, the Public Official Election Act requires that the election date be officially announced no fewer than 50 days prior to the vote, placing the latest possible announcement on April 14 and the latest voting day on June 3.

This situation mirrors the 2017 scenario, when Park Geun-hye was impeached on 10 March, with the election following exactly 60 days later on May 9. Notably, while presidential elections are usually held on Wednesdays, this rule applies only when the presidency ends at the completion of a term. In Park’s case, the vote occurred on a Tuesday, a precedent confirmed by the National Election Commission (NEC).

Candidates are expected to emerge from party primaries in late April. Registration occurs across two days beginning 24 days before the election. Campaigning starts the following day and ends one day before voting.

Normally, public officials must resign 90 days in advance to contest; however, in cases like this, they may still run if they step down at least 30 days before the election—a rule confirmed during the 2017 proceedings. Sitting lawmakers may participate without resigning, though some have voluntarily done so in past elections.