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List of presidents of South Korea facts for kids

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Presidential standard and seal of the President of the Republic of Korea
  • Top left: Rhee Syng-man became the first president of the Republic of Korea in 1948.
  • Top right: Park Chung-hee was the longest-serving president, taking power during the 1961 coup d'etat, sometimes named the Tiger of Yushin Constitution in the 1970s.
  • Bottom left: Kim Dae-jung was elected during the 1997 presidential election. This was the first peaceful transfer of power in South Korean history.
  • Bottom right: Yoon Suk-yeol, the incumbent officeholder, has held office since 2022.

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 in 1948.jpg 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
Heo Jeong.png 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.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 46 days Independent
Baek nak jun.JPG Paik Nak-chun
백낙준
白樂濬

(1895–1985)
Acting
8 August 1960 12 August 1960 5 days Independent
2 Yun Bo-seon.jpg 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)
Park Chung-hee.jpg 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.jpg 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.jpg 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)
19700408崔圭夏.jpg 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)
Flag of the President of South Korea.svg Park Choong-hoon [ko]
박충훈
朴忠勳

(1919–2001)
Acting
16 August 1980 31 August 1980 15 days Democratic Republican
5 Chun Doo-hwan 1983 (cropped).JPEG 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 1983 (cropped).JPEG 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 - cropped, 1989-Mar-13.jpg 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 presidential portrait.jpg 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 presidential portrait.jpg 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 presidential portrait.jpg 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 presidential portrait.jpg 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 presidential portrait.png 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 December 2016.jpg Hwang Kyo-ahn
황교안
黃敎安

(born 1957)
Acting
10 March 2017 9 May 2017 61 days Independent
12 Moon Jae-in (2017-10-01) cropped.jpg Moon Jae-in
문재인
文在寅

(born 1953)
10 May 2017 9 May 2022 5 years, 0 days Democratic 19 (2017)
13 South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol portrait.jpg 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
Yoon Suk-yeolMoon Jae-inPark Geun-hyeLee Myung-bakRoh Moo-hyunKim Dae-jungKim Young-samRoh Tae-wooChun Doo-hwanChoi Kyu-hahPak Chŏng HŭiYun PosunRhee Syng-manSouth KoreaFifth Republic of KoreaFourth Republic of KoreaThird Republic of KoreaSupreme Council for National ReconstructionSecond Republic of KoreaFirst Republic of 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 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
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