List of presidents of South Korea

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Flag of the President of South Korea.svg
Seal of the President of the Republic of Korea.svg
Presidential standard and seal of the president of the Republic of Korea

The president of the Republic of Korea serves as the chief executive of the government of the Republic of Korea and the commander-in-chief of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.

Contents

The South Korean government constitutionally considers the Korean Provisional Government (KPG) to be its predecessor. [1] The KPG was established in 1919 as a government in exile in Shanghai during the Japanese occupation of Korea. It had nine different heads of state between September 1919 and August 1948.

The presidential term has been set at five years since 1988. It was previously set at four years from 1948 to 1972, six years from 1972 to 1981, and seven years from 1981 to 1988. Since 1981, the president has been barred from re-election. The president must be a South Korean citizen, at least 40 years old, who has lived in South Korea for 5 years.

The incumbent president is Yoon Suk Yeol, who assumed office on 10 May 2022. [2]

List of presidents

Political parties
   Liberal (current Democratic Party)
   Military
Status
  Denotes acting president
No.PortraitName
(Birth–Death)
Term of officePolitical partyElection
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Presidents of the First Republic
1 Rhee Syng-Man in 1948.jpg Syngman Rhee
이승만
李承晩

(1875–1965)
24 July 194826 April 196011 years, 277 days NARRKI
Liberal
1st (1948)
2nd (1952)
3rd (1956)
March 1960
Heo Jeong.png Ho Chong
허정
許政

(1896–1988)
Acting
27 April 196015 June 196050 days Independent
Presidents of the Second Republic
Kwak Sang Hoon.jpg Kwak Sang-hoon
곽상훈
郭尙勳

(1896–1980)
Acting
16 June 196023 June 19607 days Democratic
Heo Jeong.png Ho Chong
허정
許政

(1896–1988)
Acting
23 June 19607 August 196046 daysIndependent
baegnagjun yiweon.jpg Baek Nak-jun
백낙준
白樂濬

(1895–1985)
Acting
8 August 196012 August 19605 daysIndependent
2 yunboseon daetongryeong jonyeong2 (cropped).jpg Yun Po-sun
윤보선
尹潽善

(1897–1990)
13 August 196024 March 19621 year, 224 daysDemocratic
New Democratic
4th (August 1960)
Park Chung Hee (bagjeonghyi) Presidential Portrait.jpg General
Park Chung Hee
박정희
朴正熙

(1917–1979)
Chairman of the SCNR
24 March 196216 December 19631 year, 268 days Military
President of the Third Republic
3 Park Chung Hee (bagjeonghyi) Presidential Portrait.jpg Park Chung Hee
박정희
朴正熙

(1917–1979)
17 December 196326 December 19729 years, 10 days Democratic Republican 5th (1963)
6th (1967)
7th (1971)
Presidents of the Fourth Republic
(3) Park Chung Hee (bagjeonghyi) Presidential Portrait.jpg Park Chung Hee
박정희
朴正熙

(1917–1979)
27 December 197226 October 1979 [n 1] 6 years, 304 daysDemocratic Republican 8th (1972)
9th (1978)
Presidents of the Republic Of Korea (4261836786) Choi.jpg Choi Kyu-hah
최규하
崔圭夏

(1919–2006)
26 October 19796 December 197942 daysIndependent
46 December 197916 August 1980 [n 2] 255 days 10th (1979)
Park Choong-hoon  [ ko ]
박충훈
朴忠勳

(1919–2001)
Acting
16 August 198031 August 198015 daysDemocratic Republican
5 Chun Doo-hwan (jeonduhwan) Presidential Portrait.jpg Chun Doo-hwan
전두환
全斗煥

(1931–2021)
1 September 198024 February 1981177 daysMilitary 11th (1980)
President of the Fifth Republic
(5) Chun Doo-hwan (jeonduhwan) Presidential Portrait.jpg Chun Doo-hwan
전두환
全斗煥

(1931–2021)
25 February 198124 February 19887 years, 0 days Democratic Justice 12th (1981)
Presidents of the Sixth Republic
6 Roh Tae-woo - cropped, 1989-Mar-13.jpg Roh Tae-woo
노태우
盧泰愚

(1932–2021)
25 February 198824 February 19935 years, 0 daysDemocratic Justice
Democratic Liberal
Independent
13th (1987)
7 Kim Young-sam presidential portrait.jpg Kim Young-sam
김영삼
金泳三

(1927–2015)
25 February 199324 February 19985 years, 0 daysDemocratic Liberal
New Korea
Independent
14th (1992)
8 Kim Dae-jung presidential portrait.jpg Kim Dae-jung
김대중
金大中

(1924–2009)
25 February 199824 February 20035 years, 0 days National Congress
Millennium Democratic
Independent
15th (1997)
9 Roh Moo-hyun presidential portrait.jpg Roh Moo-hyun
노무현
盧武鉉

(1946–2009)
25 February 2003 [n 3] 24 February 20085 years, 0 daysMillennium Democratic
Independent
Uri
Independent
16th (2002)
10 Lee Myung-bak presidential portrait.jpg Lee Myung-bak
이명박
李明博

(born 1941)
25 February 200824 February 20135 years, 0 days Grand National
Saenuri
17th (2007)
11 Park Geun-hye presidential portrait.png Park Geun-hye
박근혜
朴槿惠

(born 1952)
25 February 201310 March 2017 [n 4] 4 years, 14 daysSaenuri
Liberty Korea
18th (2012)
Hwang Kyo-ahn December 2016.jpg Hwang Kyo-ahn
황교안
黃敎安

(born 1957)
Acting
9 December 20169 May 2017152 daysIndependent
12 Moon Jae-in, September 2019.jpg Moon Jae-in
문재인
文在寅

(born 1953)
10 May 20179 May 20225 years, 0 days Democratic 19th (2017)
13 South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol portrait.jpg Yoon Suk Yeol
윤석열
尹錫悅

(born 1960)
10 May 2022Incumbent2 years, 191 days People Power 20th (2022)

Timeline

Yoon Suk YeolMoon Jae-inHwang Kyo-ahnPark Geun-hyeLee Myung-bakGoh KunRoh Moo-hyunKim Dae-jungKim Young-samRoh Tae-wooChun Doo-hwanPark Choong-hoonChoi Kyu-hahPark Chung HeeYun Po-sunBaek Nak-junKwak Sang-hoonHo ChongSyngman RheeList of presidents of South Korea
Ideology#Time in officeName(s)
Conservative 921626 days [a] Choi Kyu-hah, Chun Doo-hwan, Kim Young-sam, Lee Myung-bak, Park Chung Hee, Park Geun-hye, Roh Tae-woo, Syngman Rhee, and Yoon Suk Yeol (incumbent)
Liberal 46067 days Kim Dae-jung, Moon Jae-in, Roh Moo-hyun, and Yun Po-sun
Timeline of South Korean governments
Yoon Suk YeolMoon Jae-inPark Geun-hyeLee Myung-bakRoh Moo-hyunKim Dae-jungKim Young-samRoh Tae-wooChun Doo-hwanChoi Kyu-hahPark Chung HeeYun Po-sunSyngman RheeSixth Republic of South KoreaFifth Republic of KoreaFourth Republic of KoreaThird Republic of KoreaSupreme Council for National ReconstructionSecond Republic of KoreaFirst Republic of KoreaUnited States Army Military Government in KoreaList of presidents of South Korea

See also

Notes

  1. As of 16 November 2024
  1. Died in office.
  2. Removed by coup d'état.
  3. From 12 March to 14 May 2004, Prime Minister Goh Kun served as an acting president. It was because of the National Assembly's motion to impeach him. He later returned to his post after the Constitutional Court refused to impeach him.
  4. Impeached and removed.

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References

  1. Myers, Brian Reynolds (21 February 2018). "Constitutional Reform and Inter-Korean Relations: Part 2". Sthele Press. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  2. "Profile - Yoon Suk Yeol - President of the Republic of Korea". Office of the President - Republic of Korea. Retrieved 23 February 2024.