President of South Korea

The president of the Republic of Korea (Korean: 대한민국 대통령), also known as the president of South Korea (한국 대통령), is the head of state and head of government of South Korea. The president directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander-in-chief of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. The Constitution of South Korea 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 authoritarian governments. The president is directly elected to a five-year term, with no possibility of re-election. 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. The president is exempt from criminal liability (except for insurrection or treason) during their term. The President of South Korea wields significant power with limited checks and balances, a system often dubbed as an "imperial presidency," which renders it prone to abuse of power and corruption. However, the single-term presidency frequently results in a lame-duck government, where, as the president's influence wanes, investigative and prosecutorial agencies can more readily gather evidence to initiate charges against the president. This dynamic contributes to the emergence of the so-called "Blue House" Curse. On 3 June 2025, Lee Jae Myung of the Democratic Party was elected as president of South Korea. Due to the previous president's impeachment and expulsion from office, Lee was sworn in immediately the next day.