The politics of South Korea take place in the framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is the head of state, and of a multi-party system. To ensure a separation of powers, the Republic of Korea Government is made up of three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The government exercises executive power and legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature and comprises a Supreme Court, appellate courts, and a Constitutional Court.
The president of the Republic of Korea, also known as the president of Korea, is both the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Korea. The president is directly elected by the citizens of the Republic of Korea and pledges to execute the duties of their office, chief among others "to defend the State, pursue peaceful unification of the homeland." The president leads the State Council, is the chief of the executive branch of the national government and the commander-in-chief of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.
Han Duck-soo is a South Korean diplomat, economist, and politician who served as acting president of South Korea from 14 to 27 December 2024 and the 48th prime minister of South Korea from 2022. Since 27 December 2024, Han has been suspended from his presidential and prime ministerial powers following his impeachment by the National Assembly of Korea.
The Office of the President of the Republic of Korea assists the President of South Korea. Chief of Staff to the President is the head of the Office of the President and is a ministerial-level official. Cheong Wa Dae or Blue House was often used as a metonym for the Presidential Secretariat because of its location before President Yoon Suk Yeol moved the office and residency of the President out of Blue House in May 2022. The Presidential Secretariat is an important part of the executive branch of the South Korean government.
Yoon Suk Yeol is a South Korean politician and former prosecutor who served as the 13th and current president of South Korea since 2022. A member of the People Power Party (PPP), Yoon previously served as the prosecutor general of South Korea from 2019 to 2021 under his presidential predecessor, Moon Jae-in. Since 14 December 2024, Yoon has been suspended from his presidential powers following his impeachment by the National Assembly of Korea. The Constitutional Court of Korea is in the process of determining whether he is permanently removed or restored to office.
The People Power Party, formerly known as the United Future Party, is a conservative and right-wing political party in South Korea. It controls the South Korean presidency and is the second-largest party in the National Assembly. The PPP, along with its historic rival, the Democratic Party, make up the two largest political parties in South Korea.
Presidential elections were held in South Korea on 9 March 2022. Under the South Korean constitution, presidents are restricted to a single five-year term, meaning that incumbent president Moon Jae-in was ineligible to run for a second term. Opposition candidate Yoon Suk Yeol of the People Power Party won the election, defeating candidate Lee Jae-myung of the incumbent Democratic Party.
Kim Keon-hee is a South Korean businesswoman who has served as the First Lady of South Korea since 2022 as the wife of President Yoon Suk Yeol. Since 2009, she has been the chief executive officer and president of the art exhibition company Covana Contents.
Choo Kyung-ho is a South Korean government official and politician. He was the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance under the Yoon Suk Yeol government. He has been serving as the Member of the National Assembly for Dalseong since 2016.
Han Dong-hoon is a South Korean politician and prosecutor who served as the 69th Minister of Justice from May 2022 to December 2023 under the cabinet of Yoon Suk Yeol. He was a leader of People Power Party from July to December 2024. Before joining politics, Han played a key role as an anti-corruption prosecutor alongside Yoon Suk Yeol in convicting former presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, Samsung executive Lee Jae-yong, and family members of former minister of justice Cho Kuk. Han served as a principal deputy when Yoon held senior positions in the Supreme Prosecutors' Office of Korea.
Lee Sang-min is a South Korean lawyer and a former judge. From 2022 to 2024, he served as the Minister of the Interior and Safety in the Cabinet of President Yoon Suk-yeol. He resigned in the aftermath of the 2024 South Korean martial law incident.
Park Soon-ae is a South Korean former Education Minister who served under President Yoon Suk-yeol for in July 2022 to August 2022.
Cho Kyoo-hong is a South Korean government official who has served as Minister of Health and Welfare in the Cabinet of Yoon Suk Yeol since 5 October 2022. As the first deputy health minister, Cho served as acting minister after former Minister Kwon Deok-cheol left office in May. He was the third person appointed by President Yoon to fill the position after the first two nominees were forced to step down amid controversy.
Han Wha-jin is a South Korean researcher serving as the current South Korean Environment Minister. She was appointed by President Yoon Suk-Yeol. She previously served as an honorary researcher at the Korea Environment Institute, where she specialized in air pollution and climate change.
Cho Hee Dae is a South Korean judge who has served as the 17th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Korea since his appointment by President Yoon Suk Yeol in December 2023.
Choi Sang-mok is a South Korean politician who has served as the acting president and acting prime minister of South Korea since 27 December 2024 following the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol and Han Duck-soo. He has also served as the deputy prime minister and minister of Economy and Finance since December 2023.
The next South Korean presidential election was originally scheduled for 2027. However, following the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol on 14 December 2024, an early election in 2025 is likely. According to the South Korean constitution, if President Yoon Suk Yeol resigns or is removed from office by the Constitutional Court, a snap presidential election must be held within 60 days.
Kim Yong-hyun is a South Korean former lieutenant general and politician who served as the Minister of National Defense from 6 September 2024 until his resignation on 5 December 2024 for his involvement in the 2024 South Korean martial law. On 8 December 2024, he was arrested on suspicion of committing insurrection by advising President Yoon Suk Yeol to declare martial law and sending troops into the National Assembly to seize the legislature.
