The South Korean government's structure is determined by the Constitution of the Republic of Korea.

This document has been revised several times since its first promulgation in 1948 (for details, see History of South Korea).

However, it has retained many broad characteristics; with the exception of the short-lived Second Republic of South Korea, the country has always had a relatively independent chief executive in the form of a president.

The National Assembly is charged with deliberating and passing legislation, auditing the budget and administrative procedures, ratifying treaties, and approving state appointments.

The Assembly is also responsible for auditing accounts of past expenditures, which must be submitted at least 120 days before the start of the fiscal year.

These sessions are open-door by default but can be closed to the public by majority vote or by decree of the Speaker.

[5][6] The president is vested with the power to declare war, and can also propose legislation to the National Assembly.

[7][8] The president can also declare a state of emergency or martial law, subject to the Assembly's subsequent approval.

The president is assisted in his or her duties by the Prime Minister of South Korea as well as the Presidential Secretariat.

[14] If they are suspected of serious wrongdoing, the president and cabinet-level officials are subject to impeachment by the National Assembly.

[16] The State Council is the highest body and national cabinet for policy deliberation and resolution in the executive branch of the Republic of Korea.

Also, as many government agencies have moved out of Seoul into other parts of the country since 2013,[19] the need to hold Cabinet meetings without having to convene in one place at the same time has been growing, and therefore the law has been amended to allow Cabinet meetings in a visual teleconference format.

[20] Although not the official members of the Cabinet, the chief presidential secretary (대통령비서실장; 大統領祕書室長), the Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination (국무조정실장; 國務調整室長), the Minister of Government Legislation (법제처장; 法制處長), the Minister of Food and Drug Safety (식품의약품안전처장; 食品醫藥品安全處長), the Chairperson of Korea Fair Trade Commission (공정거래위원장; 公正去來委員長), the Chairperson of Financial Services Commission (금융위원장; 金融委員長), the Mayor of Seoul, and other officials designated by law or deemed necessary by the Chairperson of the Cabinet can also attend the Cabinet meetings and speak in front of the Cabinet without the right to vote on the matters discussed in the meetings [21] The Mayor of Seoul, although being the head of a local autonomous region in South Korea and not directly related to the central executive branch, has been allowed to attend the Cabinet meeting considering the special status of Seoul (Special City) and its mayor (the only cabinet-level mayor in Korea).

Each affiliated agency is headed by a vice-minister-level commissioner except Prosecution Service which is led by a minister-level Prosecutor General.

[50] Local autonomy was established as a constitutional principle of South Korea beginning with the First Republic.

Local magistrates and assemblies are elected in each of the primary and secondary administrative divisions of South Korea, that is, in every province, metropolitan or special city, and district.

Officials at lower levels, such as eup and dong, are appointed by the city or county government.

It also does not yet extend to many other areas, including fire protection and education, which are managed by independent national agencies.

Local governments also have very limited policy-making authority; generally, the most that they can do is decide how national policies will be implemented.

Contract servants are typically paid higher wages and hired for specific jobs.

Civil servants' base salary makes up less than half of their annual pay; the remainder is supplied in a complex system of bonuses.

Contract civil servants are paid on the basis of the competitive rates of pay in the private sector.