New president to take office hours after polls close

No transition, no time to spare: New leader to be sworn in June 4 with full powers immediately transferred

Staff members prepare for the presidential inauguration ceremony inside the Rotunda Hall of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of June 3, 2025, the day of South Korea’s 21st presidential election./News1

South Korea’s next president won’t get a transition — just a gavel strike.

With the country’s June 3 presidential by-election triggered by the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, the president-elect will assume office less than 24 hours after polls close, bypassing the usual two-month transition period.

The National Election Commission (NEC) is set to certify the result early on the morning of June 4, with a brief plenary session scheduled between 7 and 9 a.m. NEC chair Rho Tae-ak is expected to formally announce, “The president-elect of the 21st presidential election is [name],” marking the start of the new administration. A representative of the incoming president will accept the certificate of election on their behalf.

“Depending on how fast the counting wraps up, the meeting could begin as early as 7 a.m.,” said one NEC official. “It usually takes less than 10 minutes, which means the new term will begin that same morning.”

South Korea has seen this before: After the 2017 by-election following the ouster of Park Geun-hye, the NEC convened at 8 a.m. the next day, and Moon Jae-in was declared president by 8:09 a.m.

Unlike regular elections where the transfer of command authority occurs at midnight on inauguration day, the by-election format means power—including military operational control—transfers immediately after the NEC certifies the result. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) will notify the president of the command handover via encrypted communication, including updates on military readiness and developments in North Korea.

The new president is expected to begin their first official day with a visit to the Seoul National Cemetery—an inauguration morning ritual upheld by every South Korean president from Roh Moo-hyun to Yoon Suk-yeol. The formal swearing-in ceremony is set for around noon at the National Assembly’s Rotunda Hall in Yeouido and is expected to be a modest affair.

The president will take the oath of office in front of the heads of South Korea’s five branches of government, party leaders, and Cabinet members. An inaugural address will follow, laying out the administration’s policy vision and governance goals.

Officials say the ceremony will draw inspiration from the 2017 inauguration—minus the time to prepare.