List of presidents of South Korea

This is a list of the presidents of South Korea.

Since the creation of the Government of the Republic of Korea which is commonly known as South Korea in 1948, twelve people have served nineteen terms as President of South Korea. The president is the country's head of state as well as its head of government. The president is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.

Presidents

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party
Presidents of the First Republic
1		Rhee Syng-man 이승만 李承晩 (1875–1965)	1948	24 July 1948	26 April 1960	11 years, 278 days	NARRKI → Liberal
			1952
			1956
			March 1960
—		Ho Chong 허정 許政 (1896–1988) Acting president	—	27 April 1960	15 June 1960	50 days	Independent
Presidents of the Second Republic
—		Kwak Sang-hoon [ko] 곽상훈 郭尙勳 (1896–1980) Acting president	—	16 June 1960	23 June 1960	8 days	Democratic
—		Ho Chong 허정 許政 (1896–1988) Acting president	—	23 June 1960	7 August 1960	46 days	Independent
—		Paik Nak-chun 백낙준 白樂濬 (1895–1985) Acting president	—	8 August 1960	12 August 1960	5 days	Independent
2		Yun Po-sun 윤보선 尹潽善 (1897–1990)	August 1960	13 August 1960	24 March 1962	1 year, 224 days	Democratic → New Democratic
—		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)	1963	17 December 1963	26 December 1972	9 years, 10 days	Democratic Republican
			1967
			1971
Presidents of the Fourth Republic
(3)		Park Chung-hee 박정희 朴正熙 (1917–1979)	1972	27 December 1972	26 October 1979^{[n 1]}	6 years, 304 days	Democratic Republican
(3)		Park Chung-hee 박정희 朴正熙 (1917–1979)	1978	27 December 1972	26 October 1979^{[n 1]}	6 years, 304 days	Democratic Republican
—		Choi Kyu-hah 최규하 崔圭夏 (1919–2006)	—	26 October 1979	6 December 1979	42 days	Independent
4		Choi Kyu-hah 최규하 崔圭夏 (1919–2006)	1979	6 December 1979	16 August 1980^{[n 2]}	255 days	Independent
—		Park Choong-hoon [ko] 박충훈 朴忠勳 (1919–2001) Acting president	—	16 August 1980	31 August 1980	16 days	Democratic Republican
5		Chun Doo-hwan 전두환 全斗煥 (1931–2021)	1980	1 September 1980	24 February 1981	177 days	Independent
President of the Fifth Republic
(5)		Chun Doo-hwan 전두환 全斗煥 (1931–2021)	1981	25 February 1981	24 February 1988	7 years, 0 days	Democratic Justice
Presidents of the Sixth Republic
6		Roh Tae-woo 노태우 盧泰愚 (1932–2021)	1987	25 February 1988	24 February 1993	5 years, 0 days	Democratic Justice → Democratic Liberal → Independent
7		Kim Young-sam 김영삼 金泳三 (1927–2015)	1992	25 February 1993	24 February 1998	5 years, 0 days	Democratic Liberal → New Korea → Independent
8		Kim Dae-jung 김대중 金大中 (1924–2009)	1997	25 February 1998	24 February 2003	5 years, 0 days	National Congress → Millennium Democratic → Independent
9		Roh Moo-hyun 노무현 盧武鉉 (1946–2009)	2002	25 February 2003^{[n 3]}	24 February 2008	5 years, 0 days	Millennium Democratic → Independent → Uri → Independent
10		Lee Myung-bak 이명박 李明博 (born 1941)	2007	25 February 2008	24 February 2013	5 years, 0 days	Grand National → Saenuri
11		Park Geun-hye 박근혜 朴槿惠 (born 1952)	2012	25 February 2013	10 March 2017^{[n 4]}	4 years, 14 days	Saenuri → Liberty Korea
—		Hwang Kyo-ahn 황교안 黃敎安 (born 1957) Acting president	—	10 March 2017	9 May 2017	61 days	Independent
12		Moon Jae-in 문재인 文在寅 (born 1953)	2017	10 May 2017	9 May 2022	5 years, 0 days	Democratic
13		Yoon Suk-yeol 윤석열 尹錫悅 (born 1960)	2022	10 May 2022	Incumbent (Term end on 10 May 2027)	2 years, 212 days	People Power

↑ Died in office.
↑ Removed by coup d'état.
↑ 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.
↑ Impeached and removed.

[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.

[n 1]

[n 2]

[n 3]

[n 4]