Choi was born into a yangban (upper class) family; his grandfather had been a scholar at the Sungkyunkwan.

Choi was the sole candidate in an election on 6 December for the balance of Park's term, becoming the country's fourth president.

In December 1979, Major General Chun Doo-hwan and close allies within the military staged a coup d'état against Choi's government.

In May, Chun declared martial law and dropped all pretense of civilian government, becoming the de facto ruler of the country and reducing Choi to a figurehead.

Persuaded by Kim Chung-yul,[1] Choi was forced to resign, stating he wished to "leave behind a precedent of peaceful transfer of power.