Constitution

Republic of Korea 1948 Constitution (reviewed 1987)

Table of Contents

SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS

Article 1

This Constitution shall enter into force as of the twenty-fifth day of February, anno Domini Nineteen hundred and eighty-eight: except that, the enactment or amendment of laws necessary to implement this Constitution, the elections of the President and the National Assembly under this Constitution and other preparations to implement this Constitution may be carried out prior to the entry into force of this Constitution.

Article 2

  1. The first presidential election under this Constitution shall be held not later than forty days before this Constitution enters into force.
  2. The term of office of the first President under this Constitution shall commence on the date of its enforcement.

Article 3

  1. The first elections of the National Assembly under this Constitution shall be held within six months from the promulgation of this Constitution. The term of office of the members of the first National Assembly elected under this Constitution shall commence on the date of the first convening of the National Assembly under this Constitution.
  2. The term of office of the members of the National Assembly incumbent at the time this Constitution is promulgated shall terminate the day prior to the first convening of the National Assembly under Paragraph (1).

Article 4

  1. Public officials and officers of enterprises appointed by the Government, who are in office at the time of the enforcement of this Constitution, shall be considered as having been appointed under this Constitution: except that, public officials whose election procedures or appointing authorities are changed under this Constitution, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection shall remain in office until such time as their successors are chosen under this Constitution, and their terms of office shall terminate the day before the installation of their successors.
  2. Judges attached to the Supreme Court who are not the Chief Justice or Justices of the Supreme Court and who are in office at the time of the enforcement of this Constitution shall be considered as having been appointed under this Constitution notwithstanding the proviso of Paragraph (1).
  3. Those provisions of this Constitution which prescribe the terms of office of public officials or which restrict the number of terms that public officials may serve shall take effect upon the dates of the first elections or the first appointments of such public officials under this Constitution.

Article 5

Laws, decrees, ordinances and treaties in force at the time this Constitution enters into force shall remain valid unless they are contrary to this Constitution.

Article 6

Those organizations existing at the time of the enforcement of this Constitution which have been performing the functions falling within the authority of new organizations to be created under this Constitution shall continue to exist and perform such functions until such time as the new organizations are created under this Constitution.