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PSS prepares for novel protection duties of prospective winner once election result is obvious

Published: 03 Jun. 2025, 23:09

The Presidential Security Service opens its training session up to the press for the first time ahead of the June 4 presidential inauguration at the Security Service Training Center in Gangseo District, western Seoul, on May 27. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Before the result is called and well ahead of the official declaration of a winner, Korea’s next president may already be traveling under head-of-state-level security.

As vote counting continues in the country’s snap presidential election — triggered by the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol — the Presidential Security Service (PSS) is preparing to swing into action the moment a winner becomes clear. According to the agency, protection for the presumed president-elect could begin as early as midnight Tuesday or in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

While the National Election Commission (NEC) won’t formally certify the results until Wednesday, Korea’s three major broadcasters are expected to project a definitive winner by midnight. The PSS says it will not wait for bureaucratic formalities if the outcome is evident.

Under the Presidential Security Act, once a president-elect is identified — formally or informally — they and their immediate family are entitled to full security protection, including their spouse and direct relatives.

In a country where transitions are typically orderly and ceremonial, this election marks a rare anomaly. The new president will be sworn in the same day the NEC certifies the result, with an inauguration slated for Wednesday at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]