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List of presidents of South Korea facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Flag of the President of South Korea
Seal of the President of the Republic of Korea
The President's flag and seal for South Korea
  • Top left: Syngman Rhee became South Korea's first president in 1948.
  • Top right: Park Chung Hee was president for the longest time, starting after a coup in 1961.
  • Bottom left: Roh Tae-woo was the first president directly chosen by voters under the democratic rules in 1987.
  • Bottom right: Lee Ju-ho is currently the acting president.

The President of South Korea is like the main leader of the government and the commander-in-chief (top boss) of the South Korean military.

The Start of the Presidency

The current South Korean government sees the Korean Provisional Government (KPG) as its early beginning. The KPG was set up in 1919 in Shanghai as a government-in-exile (a government operating from outside its country) when Japan ruled Korea. It had nine different leaders between 1919 and 1948.

How Presidents Are Chosen and Their Terms

Under the 1988 Constitution, a president serves for five years and cannot be re-elected. To become president, a person must be a South Korean citizen, at least 40 years old, and have lived in South Korea for at least five years.

The rules for how long a president serves and if they can be re-elected have changed over time:

  • In the First Republic (1948-1960), a president served four years and could only serve two terms. This two-term limit was removed in 1954.
  • During the Second Republic (1960-1963), the president's role became more ceremonial, chosen by lawmakers for five-year terms.
  • The Third Republic (1963-1972) brought back direct elections for a four-year term, and the two-term limit was removed again in 1969.
  • Under the Yushin Constitution of the Fourth Republic (1972-1981), presidents were chosen indirectly for six-year terms, with no limits on how many times they could be re-elected.
  • The Fifth Republic (1981-1988) changed the term to seven years, still with indirect elections, but only one term was allowed.

Presidents Through History

As of 2024, thirteen people have served as the full president of South Korea since the office officially began on July 24, 1948, when Syngman Rhee took office.

Park Chung Hee was the longest-serving president, holding the office for 18 years from a military takeover in 1961 until his death in 1979. He ruled with a firm hand during this time.

The first and only woman to be president was Park Geun-hye, who was elected in 2012. She was later removed from office in 2017 after a legal process called impeachment was confirmed by the Constitutional Court of Korea.

Yoon Suk Yeol became president on May 10, 2022. His powers were suspended on December 14, 2024, after the National Assembly started an impeachment process following his declaration of martial law. The Constitutional Court confirmed his removal on April 4, 2025.

During the suspension of his powers, the Prime Minister acted as president. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was also suspended from acting president duties on December 27, 2024, and was replaced by deputy prime minister Choi Sang-mok, who became acting president. Han Duck-soo was reinstated on March 24, 2025, but resigned on May 1, and deputy prime minister Lee Ju-ho took over as acting president. The next president will be chosen in an election on June 3, 2025.

Who Has Been President?

Here's a list of the presidents of South Korea. Sometimes, an "acting" president steps in temporarily if the president can't do their job.

Political Parties

     Conservative (like the current People Power Party)      Liberal (like the current Democratic Party)      Military      Independent (not part of a major party)

Status
     Means "acting" president
No. Picture Name
(Born–Died)
Time in Office Political Party Election
Started Finished How long
Leaders during the United States Army Military Government in Korea
1 Rhee Syng-Man in 1948.jpg Syngman Rhee
이승만
李承晩

(1875–1965)
24 July 1948 15 August 1948 22 days NARRKI 1st (1948)
Presidents of the First Republic
(1) Rhee Syng-Man in 1948.jpg Syngman Rhee
이승만
李承晩

(1875–1965)
15 August 1948 27 April 1960 11 years, 256 days NARRKI
Liberal
2nd (1952)
3rd (1956)
March 1960
Heo Jeong.png Ho Chong
허정
許政

(1896–1988)
Acting
27 April 1960 15 June 1960 49 days Independent
Presidents of the Second Republic
Heo Jeong.png Ho Chong
허정
許政

(1896–1988)
Acting
15 June 1960 15 June 1960 0 days Independent
Kwak Sang Hoon.jpg Kwak Sang-hoon
곽상훈
郭尙勳

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

(1896–1988)
Acting
23 June 1960 7 August 1960 45 days Independent
백낙준 의원.jpg Baek Nak-jun
백낙준
白樂濬

(1895–1985)
Acting
8 August 1960 12 August 1960 4 days
2 Yun Po-sun (3x4 cropped).jpg Yun Po-sun
윤보선
尹潽善

(1897–1990)
13 August 1960 16 May 1961 276 days Democratic 4th (August 1960)
Leaders under the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction (SCNR)
(2) Yun Po-sun (3x4 cropped).jpg Yun Po-sun
윤보선
尹潽善

(1897–1990)
16 May 1961 24 March 1962 312 days Democratic
New Democratic
Park Chung Hee (박정희) Presidential Portrait.jpg General
Park Chung Hee
박정희
朴正熙

(1917–1979)
Acting
24 March 1962 17 December 1963 1 year, 268 days Military
Democratic Republican
President of the Third Republic
3 Park Chung Hee (박정희) Presidential Portrait.jpg Park Chung Hee
박정희
朴正熙

(1917–1979)
17 December 1963 21 November 1972 8 years, 340 days Democratic Republican 5th (1963)
6th (1967)
7th (1971)
Presidents of the Fourth Republic
(3) Park Chung Hee (박정희) Presidential Portrait.jpg Park Chung Hee
박정희
朴正熙

(1917–1979)
21 November 1972 26 October 1979 6 years, 339 days Democratic 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 1979 6 December 1979 41 days Independent
4 6 December 1979 16 August 1980 255 days 10th (1979)
Park Choong-hoon
박충훈
朴忠勳

(1919–2001)
Acting
16 August 1980 1 September 1980 16 days Democratic Republican
5 Chun Doo-hwan (전두환) Presidential Portrait.jpg Chun Doo-hwan
전두환
全斗煥

(1931–2021)
1 September 1980 24 February 1981 176 days Military
(Hanahoe)
Democratic Justice
(Hanahoe)
11th (1980)
President of the Fifth Republic
(5) Chun Doo-hwan (전두환) Presidential Portrait.jpg Chun Doo-hwan
전두환
全斗煥

(1931–2021)
25 February 1981 24 February 1988 6 years Democratic Justice
(Hanahoe)
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 1988 24 February 1993 4 years Democratic Justice
(Hanahoe)
Democratic Liberal
(Hanahoe)
Independent
(Hanahoe)
13th (1987)
7 Kim Young-sam presidential portrait.jpg Kim Young-sam
김영삼
金泳三

(1927–2015)
25 February 1993 24 February 1998 4 years Democratic Liberal
New Korea
Independent
14th (1992)
8 Kim Dae-jung presidential portrait.jpg Kim Dae-jung
김대중
金大中

(1924–2009)
25 February 1998 24 February 2003 4 years 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 12 March 2004 1 year, 16 days Millennium Democratic
Independent
16th (2002)
대한민국 총리 고건 서울종합방재센터 방문90 (cropped).jpg Goh Kun
고건
高建

(born 1938)
Acting
12 March 2004 14 May 2004 63 days Millennium Democratic
(9) Roh Moo-hyun presidential portrait.jpg Roh Moo-hyun
노무현
盧武鉉

(1946–2009)
14 May 2004 24 February 2008 3 years, 286 days Uri
Independent
10 Lee Myung-bak presidential portrait.jpg Lee Myung-bak
이명박
李明博

(born 1941)
25 February 2008 24 February 2013 4 years Grand National
Saenuri
17th (2007)
11 Park Geun-hye presidential portrait.png Park Geun-hye
박근혜
朴槿惠

(born 1952)
25 February 2013 10 March 2017 4 years, 13 days Saenuri
Liberty Korea
18th (2012)
Hwang Kyo-ahn December 2016.jpg Hwang Kyo-ahn
황교안
黃敎安

(born 1957)
Acting
9 December 2016 9 May 2017 151 days Independent
12 -UNGA (48784859817) (cropped) (2).jpg Moon Jae-in
문재인
文在寅

(born 1953)
10 May 2017 9 May 2022 4 years Democratic 19th (2017)
13 South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol portrait.jpg Yoon Suk Yeol
윤석열
尹錫悅

(born 1960)
10 May 2022 4 April 2025 2 years, 329 days People Power 20th (2022)
Prime Minister of South Korea HAN Duck-soo 20240516.jpg Han Duck-soo
한덕수
韓悳洙

(born 1949)
Acting
14 December 2024 27 December 2024 13 days Independent
Choi Sang-mok 20240816.jpg Choi Sang-mok
최상목
崔相穆

(born 1963)
Acting
27 December 2024 24 March 2025 87 days Independent
Prime Minister of South Korea HAN Duck-soo 20240516.jpg Han Duck-soo
한덕수
韓悳洙

(born 1949)
Acting
24 March 2025 1 May 2025 38 days Independent
President Lee Ju-ho.jpg Lee Ju-ho
이주호
李周浩

(born 1961)
Acting
2 May 2025 Incumbent 32 days Independent

Timeline of South Korean Presidents

Lee Ju-ho Choi Sang-mok Han Duck-soo Yoon Suk Yeol Moon Jae-in Hwang Kyo-ahn Park Geun-hye Lee Myung-bak Goh Kun Roh Moo-hyun Kim Dae-jung Kim Young-sam Roh Tae-woo Chun Doo-hwan Park Choong-hoon Choi Kyu-hah Park Chung Hee Yun Po-sun Baek Nak-jun Kwak Sang-hoon Ho Chong Syngman Rhee
Political Group # Time in office Name(s)
Conservative 9 21765 days 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
Liberal 4 6067 days Kim Dae-jung, Moon Jae-in, Roh Moo-hyun, and Yun Po-sun
Timeline of South Korean governments
Yoon Suk Yeol Moon Jae-in Park Geun-hye Lee Myung-bak Roh Moo-hyun Kim Dae-jung Kim Young-sam Roh Tae-woo Chun Doo-hwan Choi Kyu-hah Park Chung Hee Yun Po-sun Syngman Rhee Sixth Republic of South Korea Fifth Republic of Korea Fourth Republic of Korea Third Republic of Korea Supreme Council for National Reconstruction Second Republic of Korea First Republic of Korea United States Army Military Government in Korea

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Presidentes de Corea del Sur para niños

  • Government of South Korea
  • Lifespan timeline of presidents of South Korea
  • List of monarchs of Korea
  • List of presidents of South Korea by time in office
  • List of presidents of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
  • List of prime ministers of South Korea
  • Presidential elections in South Korea
  • Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
  • Vice President of South Korea
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