The winner of South Korea’s Jun. 3 presidential election will officially assume office on Jun. 4, immediately after the National Election Commission (NEC) certifies the result. As the vote is a by-election prompted by the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, there will be no presidential transition period. Instead, the president-elect will be required to complete in a single day the responsibilities typically handled during the standard two-month transition, including key inaugural duties.
The new presidential term will begin the moment the NEC chair formally announces the result during a plenary session scheduled between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Jun. 4. Rho Tae-ak, chief of the NEC, is expected to strike the gavel while declaring, “The president-elect of the 21st presidential election is [name],” marking the official start of the administration. A representative of the president-elect will receive the certificate of election on their behalf. “Depending on the progress of the vote count, the meeting could begin as early as 7 a.m. or as late as 9 a.m.,” an NEC official said. “The session usually lasts no more than 10 minutes, so the new term will begin that morning.”
In the previous presidential by-election held in 2017, the NEC convened at 8 a.m. on May 10, the day after the vote. At 8:09 a.m., the chair declared Moon Jae-in the 19th president of South Korea, initiating his term.
Once the new president’s term begins, command authority—including both administrative and operational control of the military—will be transferred immediately. In regular elections, this shift typically takes place at midnight on inauguration day. But in a by-election, authority is conferred the moment the NEC certifies the outcome. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) will report the transfer via encrypted communication, providing the president with updates on military readiness and North Korean developments.
The president is expected to begin their first official duty with a visit to the Seoul National Cemetery. Former presidents Roh Moo-hyun, Lee Myung-bak, Park Geun-hye, Moon Jae-in, and Yoon Suk-yeol all visited the cemetery on the morning of their inauguration day before attending the official ceremony.
The inauguration, which will mark the formal launch of the new administration, is scheduled to take place around noon at the Rotunda Hall of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. The event is expected to be held in a scaled-down format.
During the ceremony, the new president will take the oath of office in the presence of the heads of the five branches of government, leaders of major political parties, and Cabinet members. The president is also expected to deliver an inaugural address outlining the administration’s policy agenda and governance priorities.
According to officials, the ceremony is being organized with reference to the 2017 inauguration of the 19th president.
