# Presidential elections in South Korea

Since the establishment of the First Republic in 1948, there have been 21 elections for president of South Korea (including the March 1960 election, whose results were invalidated after the April Revolution).
Prior to the Presidential Election Act of 1987, the elections were indirect. Since 1987, the president is elected directly by the public using plurality-with-primaries in a single, non-renewable five-year term.

## Procedure (1987–present)

The presidential election rules are defined by the South Korean Constitution and the Public Official Election Act.

### Election campaign

The election campaign period, as set by the Election Law, is short – 23 days. According to the book Internet Election Campaigns in the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, the election campaign periods in Korea (23 days for presidential elections and 14 days for National Assembly elections) were made intentionally short in order to "prevent excessive campaign spending for long-running election campaigns and harmful effects from overheated elections", but, on the downside, "this works against new candidates who are not well known".

### Popular vote

The president is elected by direct popular vote, It is conducted in a single round on a first-past-the-post basis.

## Summary of past presidential elections

Winning party ideology: Conservative · Liberal · Independent
| | # | Year | Winner | 2nd | 3rd | Notes |
| First Republic |||||||
| President and vice president elected indirectly by the National Assembly |||||||
| | 1 | 1948 | Syngman Rhee NARRKI (91.8%) | Kim Koo Korea Independence (6.7%) | | In the vice-presidential election, Yi Si-yeong (NARRKI) won over Kim Koo by 57.4% to 33.0%. |
| President and vice president elected by popular vote |||||||
| | 2 | 1952 | Syngman Rhee Liberal (74.6%) | Cho Bong-am Independent (11.4%) | Yi Si-yeong Democratic Nationalist (10.9%) | The election took place during the Korean War. In the vice-presidential election, independent Ham Tae-young won the election with 41.3%, defeating Liberal candidate Lee Beom-seok (25.5%) and Democratic Nationalist Chough Pyung-ok (8.1%). |
| | 3 | 1956 | Syngman Rhee Liberal (70.0%) | Cho Bong-am Independent (30.0%) | | In the vice-presidential election, Democratic Party candidate Chang Myon defeated Lee Ki-poong (Liberal) by 46.4% to 44.0%. |
| | – | Mar 1960 | Syngman Rhee Liberal (100%) | | | Rhee re-elected unopposed due to the death of his Democratic Party opponent Chough Pyung-ok. In the vice-presidential election, Lee Ki-poong (Liberal) won with 79.2% over Chang Myon (Democratic) with 17.5%. The results of both elections were annulled as fraudulent after the April Revolution. |
| Second Republic |||||||
| President elected indirectly by both houses of the National Assembly; Vice Presidency abolished |||||||
| | 4 | Aug 1960 | Yun Posun Democratic (82.2%) | Kim Chang-sook Independent (11.5%) | | The only presidential election of the Second Republic. |
| Third Republic |||||||
| President elected by popular vote |||||||
| | 5 | 1963 | Park Chung-hee Democratic Republican (46.6%) | Yun Posun Civil Rule (45.1%) | | First election after the May 16 coup. |
| | 6 | 1967 | Park Chung-hee Democratic Republican (51.4%) | Yun Posun New Democratic (40.9%) | | |
| | 7 | 1971 | Park Chung-hee Democratic Republican (53.2%) | Kim Dae-jung New Democratic (45.3%) | | |
| Fourth Republic |||||||
| President elected by the National Council for Reunification |||||||
| | 8 | 1972 | Park Chung-hee Democratic Republican (100%) | | | First election after the October Yushin. Park re-elected unopposed. |
| | 9 | 1978 | Park Chung-hee Democratic Republican (100%) | | | Park re-elected unopposed. |
| | 10 | 1979 | Choi Kyu-hah Independent (100%) | | | First election after the assassination of Park Chung-hee. Acting President Choi elected as President unopposed. |
| | 11 | 1980 | Chun Doo-hwan Independent (100%) | | | First election after the coup d'état of December Twelfth. Chun elected unopposed. |
| Fifth Republic |||||||
| President elected indirectly |||||||
| | 12 | 1981 | Chun Doo-hwan Democratic Justice (90.2%) | Yu Chi-song Democratic Korea (7.7%) | | The only presidential election of the Fifth Republic. |
| Sixth Republic |||||||
| President elected by popular vote |||||||
| | 13 | 1987 | Roh Tae-woo Democratic Justice (36.6%) | Kim Young-sam Reunification Democratic (28.0%) | Kim Dae-jung Peace Democratic (27.0%) | First free and fair direct presidential election in South Korean history. Also the first election to feature a female candidate. |
| | 14 | 1992 | Kim Young-sam Democratic Liberal (42.0%) | Kim Dae-jung Democratic (33.8%) | Chung Ju-yung Unification National (16.3%) | |
| | 15 | 1997 | Kim Dae-jung National Congress (40.3%) | Lee Hoi-chang Grand National (38.7%) | Lee In-je National New (19.2%) | |
| | 16 | 2002 | Roh Moo-hyun Millennium Democratic (48.9%) | Lee Hoi-chang Grand National (46.6%) | | |
| | 17 | 2007 | Lee Myung-bak Grand National (48.7%) | Chung Dong-young United New Democratic (26.1%) | Lee Hoi-chang Independent (15.1%) | |
| | 18 | 2012 | Park Geun-hye Saenuri (51.6%) | Moon Jae-in Democratic United (48.0%) | | First female president elected in South Korean history. |
| | 19 | 2017 | Moon Jae-in Democratic (41.1%) | Hong Jun-pyo Liberty Korea (24.0%) | Ahn Cheol-soo People's (21.4%) | Held after the impeachment and removal of Park Geun-hye. |
| | 20 | 2022 | Yoon Suk Yeol People Power (48.6%) | Lee Jae-myung Democratic (47.8%) | | |