As this is a website for the Institute for Basic Science, this page will strive to avoid politics and be as neutral as possible. Even if you don't follow politics, it is a good to have a general idea as to some general information. There are two primary political parties and five smaller political parties. While it would be useful to tell you the names of the parties, their names change every few years as they frequently rebrand themselves and sometimes join other parties or split. South Korea is headed by a president with a five-year term. The president lives in the Blue House, named this as the roof is blue. Usually Romanized as Cheongwadae (청와대, 靑瓦臺), the presidential estate is located in central Seoul, directly behind Gyeongbokgung (AKA Gyeongbok Palace, 경복궁, 景福宮) which was the primary palace for the Joseon Dynasty, the last dynasty in Korea. The Blue House is open to the public for tours. You can register for a tour here and get useful information about the tour by clicking here.

The next presidential election will be held in March of 2022 with inauguration in May. The next local elections will be in June 2022. Election days are holidays.

The president appoints a prime minister with approval of the National Assembly. The National Assembly has 300 elected officials who serve four-year terms. Of these 300 individuals, 246 are elected from electoral districts and 54 are from proportional representation. Elections for the National Assembly will happen next in April 2020 with inauguration in May.

Republics

After the Second World War, Korea was split and the government in the south was the United States Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK) from 1945 until August 15, 1948. The Constitution of South Korea was put into effect July 17, 1948. Significant revisions have occurred five times, each signifying a new republic. The most recent of these major revisions was on October 29, 1987.

Ministries

Starting from 2008, the ministries of Korea change when the president of the nation changes. IBS is under the Ministry of Science and ICT. As IBS was founded in 2011, it has been under three ministries, which explains why the ministry name differs depending upon which year you read a publication or press release. Here are the science ministries:

Ministry of Science and ICT (2017 - current)
Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (2013 - 2017)
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2008 - 2013)
Ministry of Science and Technology (1969 - 2008)

And another example following transportation:

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (2017 - current)
Ministry of Land and Transport (2013 - 2017)
Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (2008 - 2013)
Ministry of Construction and Transportation (1948 - 2008)

Previously located in Gyeonggi Province, the Ministry of Science and ICT relocated to Sejong City in 2019 and will move into a new government complex within the city in 2021. This move has brought the Ministry to within a 45-minute drive from IBS HQ.

Political Involvement

Only Korean citizens, with one rare exception, are allowed to vote in political elections. The F-5 visa allows individuals who have held that visa type for more than three years to vote in local elections. But all visa types are not allowed to participate in political activities in any other way, shape, or form. This includes, but is not limited to participating in political protests, speaking at political rallies, or holding placards about election candidates.