List of presidents of South Korea facts for kids
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 South Korean Armed Forces.
Prior to the establishment of the First Republic in 1948, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea established in Shanghai in September 1919 as the continuation of several governments proclaimed in the aftermath of March 1st Movement earlier that year coordinated Korean people's resistance against Japan during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The legitimacy of the Provisional Government has been recognised and succeeded by South Korea in the latter's original Constitution of 1948 and the current Constitution of 1988. Nine people have served twenty-four terms as heads of state (with varying titles) of the Provisional Government 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 reelection. The president must be a South Korean citizen, at least 40 years old, who has lived in South Korea for 5 years.
List of presidents
Political parties |
---|
Conservative (current People Power Party) Liberal (current Democratic Party) Military Independent |
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 Syng-man 이승만 李承晩 (1875–1965) |
24 July 1948 | 26 April 1960 | 11 years, 277 days | NARRKI Liberal |
1 (1948) 2 (1952) 3 (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 | — | |
— | Paik Nak-chun 백낙준 白樂濬 (1895–1985) Acting |
8 August 1960 | 12 August 1960 | 5 days | Independent | — | |
2 | Yun Po-sun 윤보선 尹潽善 (1897–1990) |
13 August 1960 | 24 March 1962 | 1 year, 224 days | Democratic New Democratic |
4 (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 | 5 (1963) 6 (1967) 7 (1971) |
|
Presidents of the Fourth Republic | |||||||
(3) | Park Chung-hee 박정희 朴正熙 (1917–1979) |
27 December 1972 | 26 October 1979 | 6 years, 304 days | Democratic Republican | 8 (1972) 9 (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 | 255 days | 10 (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 | Independent | 11 (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 | 12 (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 |
13 (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 |
14 (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 |
15 (1997) | |
9 | Roh Moo-hyun 노무현 盧武鉉 (1946–2009) |
25 February 2003 | 24 February 2008 | 5 years, 0 days | Millennium Democratic Independent Uri Independent |
16 (2002) | |
10 | Lee Myung-bak 이명박 李明博 (born 1941) |
25 February 2008 | 24 February 2013 | 5 years, 0 days | Grand National Saenuri |
17 (2007) | |
11 | Park Geun-hye 박근혜 朴槿惠 (born 1952) |
25 February 2013 | 10 March 2017 | 4 years, 14 days | Saenuri Liberty Korea |
18 (2012) | |
— | Hwang Kyo-ahn 황교안 黃敎安 (born 1957) Acting |
10 March 2017 | 9 May 2017 | 61 days | Independent | — | |
12 | Moon Jae-in 문재인 文在寅 (born 1953) |
10 May 2017 | 9 May 2022 | 5 years, 0 days | Democratic | 19 (2017) | |
13 | Yoon Suk-yeol 윤석열 尹錫悅 (born 1960) |
10 May 2022 | Incumbent | 1 year, 324 days | People Power | 20 (2022) |
Timeline
Ideology | # | Years | Name(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | 9 | 54 years, 59 days | Rhee Syng-man, Park Chung-hee, Choi Kyu-hah, Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, Kim Young-sam, Lee Myung-bak, Park Geun-hye, Yoon Suk-yeol | |
Liberal | 4 | 16 years, 225 days | Yun Po-sun, Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in |
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Presidentes de Corea del Sur para niños
- Government of South Korea
- Lifespan timeline of presidents of South Korea
- List of presidents of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
- List of presidents of South Korea by time in office
- List of prime ministers of South Korea
- List of monarchs of Korea
- Presidential elections in South Korea
- Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea
- Vice President of South Korea