President of South Korea
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| President of the Republic of Korea |
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 Coat of arms of the Republic of Korea |
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| Incumbent: Lee Myung-bak Took office: February 25, 2008 |
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| Term length | Five years, not eligible for re-election |
| Inaugural | Syngman Rhee |
| Formation | April 10, 1919 |
| Website | (English) english.president.go.kr/ (Korean) www.president.go.kr/kr/index.php |
| South Korea |
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The President of the Republic of Korea is, according to the Constitution, head of state, chief executive of the government, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The Constitution and the amended Presidential Election Act of 1987 provide for election of the president by direct, secret ballot, ending sixteen years of indirect presidential elections under the preceding two governments. Presidential succession is for a single five-year term by direct election, which must be held at least thirty days before the incumbent president retires. If a presidential vacancy should occur, a successor must be elected within sixty days, during which time presidential duties are to be performed by the prime minister or other senior cabinet members in the order of priority as determined by law. While in office, the chief executive is exempt from criminal liability except for insurrection or treason.
The president of South Korea is directly elected to a single five-year term without any possibility of re-election
Since February 25, 2008, Lee Myung-bak has been the incumbent president.
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[edit] Powers of the president
The president may, at his own discretion, refer important policy matters to a national referendum, declare war, conclude peace and other treaties, appoint senior public officials, and grant amnesty (with the concurrence of the National Assembly). In times of serious internal or external turmoil or threat, or economic or financial crises, the president may assume emergency powers "for the maintenance of national security or public peace and order." Emergency measures may be taken only when the National Assembly is not in session and when there is no time for it to convene. The measures are limited to the "minimum necessary."
The 1987 Constitution removed the 1980 Constitution's explicit provisions that empowered the government to temporarily suspend the freedoms and rights of the people. However, the president is permitted to take other measures that could amend or abolish existing laws for the duration of a crisis. It is unclear whether such emergency measures could temporarily suspend portions of the Constitution itself. Emergency measures must be referred to the National Assembly for concurrence. If not endorsed by the assembly, the emergency measures can be revoked; any laws that had been overridden by presidential order regain their original effect. In this respect, the power of the legislature is more vigorously asserted than in cases of ratification of treaties or declarations of war, in which the Constitution simply states that the National Assembly "has the right to consent" to the president's actions. In a change from the 1980 Constitution, the 1987 Constitution stated that the president is not permitted to dissolve the National Assembly.
[edit] Related constitutional organs
The president works out of an official residence called the Blue House, so named because of the building's blue roof tiles. He is assisted by the staff of the Presidential Secretariat, headed by a cabinet-rank secretary general. Apart from the State Council, or cabinet, the chief executive relies on several constitutional organs.
These constitutional organs included the National Security Council, which provided advice concerning the foreign, military, and domestic policies bearing on national security. Chaired by the president, the council in 1990 had as its statutory members the prime minister, the deputy prime minister, the ministers for foreign affairs, home affairs, finance, and national defense, the director of the Agency for National Security Planning (ANSP, known as the Korean Central Intelligence Agency--KCIA--until December 1980), and others designated by the president. Another body was the Advisory Council for Peaceful Unification Policy, inaugurated in June 1981 under the chairmanship of the president. From its inception, this body had no policy role, but rather appeared to serve as a government sounding board and as a means to disburse political rewards by providing large numbers of dignitaries and others with titles and opportunities to meet periodically with the president and other senior officials.
The president also was assisted in 1990 by the Audit and Inspection Board. In addition to auditing the accounts of all public institutions, the board scrutinized the administrative performance of government agencies and public officials. Its findings were reported to the president and the National Assembly, which itself had broad powers to inspect the work of the bureaucracy under the provisions of the Constitution. Board members were appointed by the president.
One controversial constitutional organ was the Advisory Council of Elder Statesmen, which replaced a smaller body in February 1988, just before Roh Tae Woo was sworn in as president. This body was supposed to be chaired by the immediate former president; its expansion to eighty members, broadened functions, and elevation to cabinet rank made it appear to have been designed, as one Seoul newspaper said, to "preserve the status and position of a certain individual." The government announced plans to reduce the size and functions of this body immediately after Roh's inauguration. Public suspicions that the council might provide former President Chun with a power base within the Sixth Republic were rendered moot when Chun withdrew to an isolated Buddhist temple in self-imposed exile in November 1988.
[edit] Latest election
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Myung-bak (이명박) | Grand National Party | 11,492,389 | 48.7 |
| Chung Dong-young (정동영) | United New Democratic Party | 6,174,681 | 26.1 |
| Lee Hoi-chang (이회창) | Independent | 3,559,963 | 15.1 |
| Moon Kook-hyun (문국현) | Creative Korea Party | 1,375,498 | 5.8 |
| Kwon Young-ghil (권영길) | Democratic Labour Party | 712,121 | 3.0 |
| Lee In-je (이인제) | Centrist Reformists Democratic Party | 160,708 | 0.7 |
| Huh Kyung-young (허경영) | Economic Republican Party | 96,756 | 0.4 |
| Geum Min (금민) | Korea Socialist Party | 18,223 | 0.1 |
| Chung Kun-mo (정근모) | True Owner Coalition | 15,380 | 0.1 |
| Chun Kwan (전관) | Chamsaram Society Full True Act | 7,161 | 0.0 |
| Total (turnout 62.9%) | 23,732,854 | 100.0 | |
| Source: NEC (National Election Commission) | |||
[edit] List of heads of government of the Republic of Korea
To avoid confusion, all the names on this list follow the Eastern convention (family name first, given name second) for consistency.
Pre-Republic Government Independent
Liberal New Democratic Democratic Republican Party (DRP) Democratic Justice Party (DJP) Democratic Liberal Party (DLP)
Millennium Democratic Party (MDP) Uri Party / United New Democratic Party (YUP / UNDP) Grand National Party (GNP)
| # | T# | President | Took office | Left office | Political party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Picture | Romanized | Hangul | |||||
| Presidents of the Provisional Government1 | |||||||
| — | 01 |  |
Rhee Syngman | 이승만 | April 10, 1919 | 1925 | Provisional |
| — | 02 |  |
Park Eunsik | 박은식 | 1925 | 1925 | Provisional |
| — | 03 | |
Yi Sang-ryong | 이상룡 | 1925 | 1926 | Provisional |
| — | 04 | |
Hong Jin2 | 홍진 | 1926 | 1926 | Provisional |
| — | 05 | |
Yi Dong-nyung | 이동녕 | 1926 | 1927 | Provisional |
| — | 06 |  |
Kim Gu | 김구 | 1927 | July 20, 1948 | Provisional |
| Chairmen of the Interim Legislative Assembly | |||||||
| — | 01 | |
Kim Kyu-sik | 김규식 | 1946 | July 20, 1948 | Interim |
| — | 02 |  |
Rhee Syngman | 이승만 | July 20, 1948 | August 15, 1948 | Interim |
| Speaker of the Constituent Assembly | |||||||
| — | 01 | |
Rhee Syngman | 이승만 | July 20, 1948 | August 15, 1948 | Constituent |
| Presidents of the Republic of Korea | |||||||
| 01 | 01 | |
Rhee Syngman3 | 이승만 | August 15, 1948 | August 15, 1952 | Democratic ↓ Liberal |
| 02 | August 15, 1952 | August 15, 1956 | |||||
| 03 | August 15, 1956 | April 26, 1960 | |||||
| During this interval, was the Acting President. | |||||||
| 02 | 04 | |
Yun Po Sun4 | 윤보선 | August 13, 1960 | March 22, 1962 | Democratic ↓ New Democratic |
| During this interval, was the Acting President. | |||||||
| 03 | 05 |  |
Park Chung-hee | 박정희 | December 17, 1963 | July 1, 1967 | DRP |
| 06 | July 1, 1967 | July 1, 1971 | |||||
| 07 | July 1, 1971 | December 28, 1972 | |||||
| 08 | December 28, 1972 | December 28, 1978 | |||||
| 09 | December 28, 1972 | October 26, 1979 | |||||
| During this interval, was the Acting President. | |||||||
| 04 | 10 | |
Choi Kyu-hah | 최규하 | December 8, 1979 | August 16, 1980 | Independent |
| During this interval, was the Acting President. | |||||||
| 05 | 11 |  |
Chun Doo-hwan | 전두환 | September 1, 1980 | March 2, 1981 | DJP |
| 12 | March 3, 1981 | February 24, 1988 | |||||
| 06 | 13 |  |
Roh Tae-woo | 노태우 | February 25, 1988 | February 24, 1993 | DJP |
| 07 | 14 |  |
Kim Young-sam | 김영삼 | February 25, 1993 | February 24, 1998 | DLP |
| 08 | 15 |  |
Kim Dae-jung | 김대중 | February 25, 1998 | February 24, 2003 | NNP ↓ MDP |
| 09 | 16 |  |
Roh Moo-hyun | 노무현 | February 25, 2003 | March 12, 2004 | MDP ↓ YUP / UNDP |
| During this interval, Prime Minister Goh Kun (고건) was the Acting President. | |||||||
| 16 | |
Roh Moo-hyun | 노무현 | May 14, 2004 | February 24, 2008 | YUP / UNDP | |
| 10 | 17 | |
Lee Myung-bak | 이명박 | February 24, 2008 | Incumbent | GNP |
- Notes:
- The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was a government in exile based in Shanghai, China. Although the current South Korean constitution recognises its de jure sovereignty over the Korean people, the provisional government was not recognized by many international powers.
- Hong Jin is also known as Hong Myeon-hui (홍면희).
- Heo Jeong (허정) also headed a caretaker government for a brief time following the 1960 April Revolution which overthrew the First Republic.
- From 1961 to 1963, Park Chung-hee held the real power as chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction.
[edit] Order of succession
In the event of the president not being able to discharge the duties of his/her office, the order of succession to the position of acting president is governed by the section 71 of the Constitution of South Korea, and section 26 of the Government Organisation Act.
The current order of succession as of May 1, 2007 is:
The President of the Republic of Korea(Incumbent): Myung Bak Lee
- Prime Minister (Han Duck-soo)
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Economy (Kwon Okyu)
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education and Human Resources Development (Kim Shin-il)
- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Science and Technology (Kim Woo-sik)
- Minister of Unification (Lee Jea-Jung)
- Minister of Foreign Affairs (Song Min-soon)
- Minister of Justice (vacant)
- Minister of National Defense (Lee Sang-Hee)
- Minister of Government Administration and Home Affairs (Lee Yong-sup)
- Minister of Culture and Tourism (Kim Myung-gon)
- Minister of Agriculture and Forestry (Park Hong-soo)
- Minister of Commerce, Industry and Energy (Chung Sye-kyun)
- Minister of Information and Communication (Rho Jun-hyong)
- Minister of Health and Welfare (Byun Jae-jin)
- Minister of Environment (Lee Chi-beom)
- Minister of Labor (Lee Sang-soo)
- Minister of Gender Equality and Family (Jang Ha-jin)
- Minister of Construction and Transportation (Lee Young-seop)
- Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (Kim Sung-jin)
- Minister of Planning and Budget (Chang Byeon-wan)
[edit] Notes
- The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea was a government in exile based in Shanghai, China. Although the current South Korean constitution recognises its de jure sovereignty over the Korean people, the provisional government was not recognized by many international powers.
- Hong Jin is also known as Hong Myeon-hui (홍면희).
- Heo Jeong (허정) also headed a caretaker government for a brief time following the 1960 April Revolution which overthrew the First Republic.
- From 1961 to 1963, Park Chung-hee held the real power as chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction.
- From March 12 to May 14, 2004, Prime Minister Goh Kun (고건) was the acting president.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- Politics of South Korea
- Elections in South Korea
- Prime Minister of South Korea
- Rulers of Korea
- Governor-General of Korea
- List of Korea-related topics
