office_contested south korean presidential election
The ___MASK85___ of the Republic of Korea (  /  , " Gungmuchongni ") is appointed by the ___MASK95___ , with the National Assembly ' s approval . The officeholder is not required to be a member of the National Assembly . The ___MASK85___ is not the head of government but rather serves in a role similar to that of a vice - president . Roh Moo - hyun ( 1 September 1946  23 May 2009 ) was the ninth ___MASK53___ of the Republic of Korea ( 2003  2008 ). Roh ' s pre - presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for student activists in South Korea . His electoral career later expanded to a focus on overcoming regionalism in South Korean politics , culminating in his election to the presidency . He achieved a large following among younger internet users , particularly at the website OhMyNews , which aided his success in the presidential election . Lee Hoi - chang ( born June 2 , 1935 ) is a South Korean politician and lawyer who served as the 26th ___MASK85___ of South Korea from 1993 to 1994 . He was a presidential candidate in the 15th , 16th and 17th presidential elections of South Korea . Prior to his presidential campaigns , Lee served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Korea . The 16th South Korean Presidential Election took place on 19 December 2002 . The election was won by Roh Moo - Hyun of the ruling Millennium Democratic Party , who defeated Lee Hoi - chang of the Grand National Party by just over half a million votes .