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List of presidents of South Korea

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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.

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

[edit]
Political parties
Status
  Denotes acting president
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Political party Election
Took office Left office Time in office
Presidents of the First Republic
1 Rhee Syngman
이승만
李承晩

(1875–1965)
24 July 1948 26 April 1960 11 years, 277 days NARRKI
Liberal
1st (1948)
2nd (1952)
3rd (1956)
March 1960
Ho Chong
허정
許政

(1896–1988)
Acting
27 April 1960 15 June 1960 50 days Independent
Presidents of the Second Republic
Kwak Sang-hoon
곽상훈
郭尙勳

(1896–1980)
Acting
16 June 1960 23 June 1960 7 days Democratic
Ho Chong
허정
許政

(1896–1988)
Acting
23 June 1960 7 August 1960 46 days Independent
Baek Nak-jun
백낙준
白樂濬

(1895–1985)
Acting
8 August 1960 12 August 1960 5 days
2 Yun Po-sun
윤보선
尹潽善

(1897–1990)
13 August 1960 24 March 1962 1 year, 224 days Democratic
New Democratic
4th (August 1960)
General
Park Chung Hee
박정희
朴正熙

(1917–1979)
Chairman of the SCNR
24 March 1962 16 December 1963 1 year, 268 days Military
President of the Third Republic
3 Park Chung Hee
박정희
朴正熙

(1917–1979)
17 December 1963 26 December 1972 9 years, 10 days Democratic Republican 5th (1963)
6th (1967)
7th (1971)
Presidents of the Fourth Republic
(3) Park Chung Hee
박정희
朴正熙

(1917–1979)
27 December 1972 26 October 1979[n 1] 6 years, 304 days Democratic Republican 8th (1972)
9th (1978)
Choi Kyu-hah
최규하
崔圭夏

(1919–2006)
26 October 1979 6 December 1979 42 days Independent
4 6 December 1979 16 August 1980[n 2] 255 days 10th (1979)
Park Choong-hoon
박충훈
朴忠勳

(1919–2001)
Acting
16 August 1980 31 August 1980 15 days Democratic Republican
5 Chun Doo-hwan
전두환
全斗煥

(1931–2021)
1 September 1980 24 February 1981 177 days Military 11th (1980)
President of the Fifth Republic
(5) Chun Doo-hwan
전두환
全斗煥

(1931–2021)
25 February 1981 24 February 1988 7 years, 0 days Democratic Justice 12th (1981)
Presidents of the Sixth Republic
6 Roh Tae-woo
노태우
盧泰愚

(1932–2021)
25 February 1988 24 February 1993 5 years, 0 days Democratic Justice
Democratic Liberal
Independent
13th (1987)
7 Kim Young-sam
김영삼
金泳三

(1927–2015)
25 February 1993 24 February 1998 5 years, 0 days Democratic Liberal
New Korea
Independent
14th (1992)
8 Kim Dae-jung
김대중
金大中

(1924–2009)
25 February 1998 24 February 2003 5 years, 0 days National Congress
Millennium Democratic
Independent
15th (1997)
9 Roh Moo-hyun
노무현
盧武鉉

(1946–2009)
25 February 2003[n 3] 24 February 2008 5 years, 0 days Millennium Democratic
Independent
Uri
Independent
16th (2002)
10 Lee Myung-bak
이명박
李明博

(born 1941)
25 February 2008 24 February 2013 5 years, 0 days Grand National
Saenuri
17th (2007)
11 Park Geun-hye
박근혜
朴槿惠

(born 1952)
25 February 2013 10 March 2017[n 4] 4 years, 14 days Saenuri
Liberty Korea
18th (2012)
Hwang Kyo-ahn
황교안
黃敎安

(born 1957)
Acting
9 December 2016 9 May 2017 152 days Independent
12 Moon Jae-in
문재인
文在寅

(born 1953)
10 May 2017 9 May 2022 5 years, 0 days Democratic 19th (2017)
13 Yoon Suk Yeol
윤석열
尹錫悅

(born 1960)
10 May 2022 Incumbent 2 years, 210 days People Power 20th (2022)

Timeline

[edit]
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 ChongRhee Syngman
Ideology # Time in office Name(s)
Conservative 9 21645 days[a] Choi Kyu-hah, Chun Doo-hwan, Kim Young-sam, Lee Myung-bak, Park Chung Hee, Park Geun-hye, Roh Tae-woo, Rhee Syngman, and Yoon Suk Yeol (incumbent)
Liberal 4 6067 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 Korea

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ As of 5 December 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.

References

[edit]
  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.