On March 10^th, the 20^th presidential election of the Republic of Korea will be held. Some students may have experience voting in a presidential election and for some this may be their first time. In fact, there are several interesting facts and rules about the presidential election system and how it had been held throughout history. Let's find out about them with CAH!

1. What You Need to Know About the Presidential Election

a. Term of Office and Qualifications for President

The term of office of the president is exactly five years. In the case of current President Moon Jae-in, the 19^th president, the term of office was from May 10^th, 2017, to May 10^th, 2022. All citizens over the age of 40 who have lived in Korea for 5 years or more as of the election date are eligible to run for president. In addition, if a person has been sentenced to imprisonment or heavier punishment and the sentence has not been revoked, they are ineligible to run. Also, if the candidate is running for office without a political party, he or she must have at least 3,500 recommendations from the voters.

b. How Is the Presidential Election Date Set?

According to Article 34 of the Public Official Election Act, under the assumption that the election is by the expiration of the term of office, the presidential election will be held on the 1^st Wednesday from the 70^th day before the expiration of the current president's term of office. If the set election day precedes or follows a public holiday, it will be held on the Wednesday of the following week. The day the president is elected is also designated as a public holiday. Since the president is the head of the executive branch and the head of the nation, presidential election has a great meaning toward the whole country. By setting the election date as a holiday, it naturally affects the turnout of the voters and widen the chance for people to have plenty of time to participate voting.

c. Who and How Will It Be Voted?

Who can vote and how will the voting take place? Any Korean citizen who is 18 years of age or older as of Election Day can participate in voting. For this 20^th presidential election, people born on, or before, March 10^th, 2004, can participate in the presidential election. If you have a resident registration card, driver's license, passport, or other ID issued by a government office or public institution that can verify your identity at a designated polling place, you can easily exercise your right to vote. As stipulated in the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, voting takes place under the four principles of the universal, equal, direct, and secret election. Various types of voting methods such as overseas voting stations, advance voting, shipboard voting, and residence voting[1] are also available for overseas citizens, travelers, or those unable to vote at a polling place on election day due to special conditions. Shipboard voting was first introduced in the 18^th presidential election.

2. The History of Presidential Elections in Korea

a. Overall History of Presidential Elections in Korea

The first presidential election in Korea was conducted through an indirect election system. The indirect election system is a system in which the voters elect the mid-term electors as representatives, and the mid-term electors ultimately elect the president. As a result, President Syngman Rhee was elected as the first president of the Republic of Korea with a 92.3% approval rating against Kim Gu. Afterwards, the 2^nd and 3^rd presidential elections were conducted through corrupt elections led by President Syngman Rhee. This fact was later revealed in the 4^th presidential election, and the election of President Syngman Rhee was nullified. Afterward, the elections were held in a way in which the president and prime minister were elected using a mixture of the cabinet system and the parliamentary election system, and as a result, President Yun Po-sun took office as the 4^th president. Afterwards, the presidential election was again amended to a direct system through the 5.16 Military Coup and Korea went through the years as a military dictatorship passed through President Park Chung-hee (5^th to 9^th), President Choi Kyu-hah (10^th), and President Chun Doo-hwan (11^th).

The Korean presidential election took its present form after the constitutional amendment on October 29^th, 1987. As a result of the democratic uprising in June of the same year, the ‘direct presidential system’ and ‘five-year single term system’, in which the people directly elect the president through voting, has been established since the 13^th presidential election. This is where the modern democratic elections have begun. This system was established to prevent the mistakes of previous presidents who had previously tried to extend their term and maintain power by amending the constitution. Since then, since the 13^th presidential election, Roh Tae-woo, Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Lee Myung-bak, and Park Geun-hye were elected directly by direct election to form the government of the Republic of Korea.

b. Changes in the 19^th Presidential Election

The 19^th presidential election had several major changes. On March 10^th, 2017, former president Park Geun-hye was impeached by the consent of all eight judges of the Constitutional Court. Since the 19^th presidential election was held on May 9^th, the presidential election of the Republic of Korea, which had traditionally been held in mid-December, changed significantly with the 19^thpresidential election. The meaning of the 19^th presidential election is special in that it was an” election due to a vacancy.”

3. What Voters Should Check on 20^th Presidential Election

This election is the first “normally held election” since the 19^th presidential election, which was a special election. One difference is that, starting with the 21^st National Assembly election held in April 2020, the voting age has been lowered to 18. In this 20^thpresidential election, all citizens over 18 have the right to vote in Korea. As a result, this election would be the first election that citizen over 18 could participate as a voter. In addition, the presidential election shows a trend of more widely differing opinions and commitments from candidates on real estate, economy, security, and society than ever before. Such examples include real estate policy (relaxation of supply and loan regulations), deployment of THAAD, the existence of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, and reform of the pension system. It is a valuable opportunity for the people who have felt very tired from the ongoing COVID-19 and pandemic situation to express their opinions on the current government through their voting rights and to fulfill their duties and responsibilities as a citizen through the election of the next president.

“I solemnly swear before the people to abide by the Constitution, to defend the country, strive for the peaceful reunification of the country, promote freedom and welfare of the people, promote national culture, and faithfully perform my duties as president.” On March 10^th, the person elected as the 20^th president will take this oath and promise to fulfill the duties of the president. As the head of state and the head of the executive branch, and as the representative of a country who commands the army and maintains public order, the president is the most important person who will lead the future of the Republic of Korea. Let’s keep an eye on the 20^th presidential election and exercise your precious voting rights.