Complete List Of Presidents Of South Korea

This is the complete list of all the presidents of South Korea from 1948 till now, Including the acting presidents, their respective terms, and party affiliations:

No.	Name	Term Start	Term End	Party
1	Syngman Rhee (이승만)	24 July 1948	26 April 1960	Liberal
2	Ho Chong (허정)	27 April 1960	15 June 1960	Independent
3	Kwak Sang-hoon (곽상훈)	16 June 1960	23 June 1960	Democratic
4	Ho Chong (허정)	23 June 1960	7 August 1960	Independent
5	Baek Nak-jun (백낙준)	8 August 1960	12 August 1960	Independent
6	Yun Po-sun (윤보선)	13 August 1960	24 March 1962	Democratic New Democratic
7	Park Chung-hee (박정희)	24 March 1962	16 December 1963	Military
8	Park Chung-hee (박정희)	17 December 1963	26 December 1972	Democratic-Republican
9	Park Chung-hee (박정희)	27 December 1972	26 October 1979	Democratic-Republican
10	Choi Kyu-hah (최규하)	26 October 1979	6 December 1979	Independent
11	Park Choong-hoon (박충훈)	6 December 1979	16 August 1980	Democratic-Republican
12	Chun Doo-hwan (전두환)	1 September 1980	24 February 1981	Military
13	Chun Doo-hwan (전두환)	25 February 1981	24 February 1988	Democratic Justice
14	Roh Tae-woo (노태우)	25 February 1988	24 February 1993	Democratic Justice
15	Kim Young-sam (김영삼)	25 February 1993	24 February 1998	Democratic Liberal
16	Kim Dae-jung (김대중)	25 February 1998	24 February 2003	National Congress
17	Roh Moo-hyun (노무현)	25 February 2003	24 February 2008	Millennium Democratic
18	Lee Myung-bak (이명박)	25 February 2008	24 February 2013	Grand National
19	Park Geun-hye (박근혜)	25 February 2013	10 March 2017	Saenuri
20	Hwang Kyo-ahn (황교안)	9 December 2016	9 May 2017	Independent
21	Moon Jae-in (문재인)	10 May 2017	9 May 2022	Democratic
22	Yoon Suk Yeol (윤석열)	10 May 2022	Incumbent	People Power

How Many Presidents Have Been In Korea?

Since the Republic of Korea was established in 1948, there have been a total of 13 presidents, excluding the acting presidents who served briefly.

The first president was Syngman Rhee, having served from July 1948 until April 1960. He was very important in South Korea’s early years and led the country through the Korean War.

After Rhee, several acting presidents served for short times due to political instability. Ho Chong served briefly in 1960, followed by Kwak Sang-hoon and then another term for Ho Chong. The second elected president was Yun Po-sun.

He served from August 1960 to March 1962. After him, Park Chung-hee became president. He was a very prominent leader in South Korea’s history, serving from 1963 until 1979.

Park’s time in office included significant economic development for the country. After Park Chung-hee, Choi Kyu-hah served briefly in late 1979.

Then Chun Doo-hwan became president, serving from 1980 to 1988. His presidency was seen by strong military control and major political unrest. Roh Tae-woo succeeded Chun and served from 1988 to 1993.

He was followed by Kim Young-sam, who was president from 1993 to 1998. Then Kim Dae-jung took office from 1998 to 2003. Kim Dae-jung was known for his “Sunshine Policy” towards North Korea.

Roh Moo-hyun served as president from 2003 to 2008. After him, Lee Myung-bak was in office from 2008 to 2013. Park Geun-hye, the first female president of South Korea, served from 2013 until her impeachment in 2017. After Park Geun-hye, Moon Jae-in took office in May 2017 and served until May 2022.

Who Was The Famous President Of South Korea?

The most famous president of South Korea was Park Chung-hee. He was a military general who came into power through a coup in 1961. Park ruled South Korea until he was assassinated in 1979.

During Park Chung-hee’s time as president, South Korea changed a lot. Before he came into power, South Korea was a poor country that mostly depended on farming.

However, under his leadership, South Korea became very successful. Park Chung-hee introduced a series of plans called “five-year economic development plans.”

These plans focused on making products to sell to other countries. This helped South Korea grow in terms of industry and economy.

Park’s policies supported South Korea’s growth so fast that it was called one of the “Asian Tigers” because of its strong economic progress.

Major companies like Samsung, Hyundai, and LG, which are now famous worldwide, started during Park’s time in office.

The money he invested in education and building infrastructure, like roads and factories, was a big part of this success.

However, Park Chung-hee’s time in office was not only about economic growth. He ruled in a very strict and controlling way.

That said, he did not allow much political opposition and limited people’s freedoms. He changed the constitution so he could stay in power longer.

His rule was also observed by human rights abuses, such as imprisoning people who disagreed with him and controlling what people could say and read.

Still, Park Chung-hee is remembered as a major figure in South Korea’s history because of the huge economic changes he made, but his rule also had many problems, especially concerning personal freedoms and human rights.

How Many South Korean Presidents Went To Jail?

Two former presidents of South Korea have gone to jail.

1. Park Geun-hye (2013-2017)

Park Geun-hye was the first female president of South Korea. She served from 2013 until 2017. In 2017, she was impeached by the National Assembly because of a big corruption scandal.

Park was accused of working with her close friend, Choi Soon-sil, to extort money from businesses and interfere in government matters. After being removed from office, Park was arrested and charged with bribery, abuse of power, and coercion.

In 2018, she was sentenced to 24 years in prison. Later, her sentence was reduced to 20 years on appeal. She is currently serving her sentence in a detention center.

2. Chun Doo-hwan (1980-1988)

Chun Doo-hwan was a military general who took power in a coup in 1979 and ruled South Korea during the 1980s. His rule was known for being authoritarian, and he cracked down on pro-democracy activists.

After he left office in 1988, Chun was arrested and charged with mutiny, treason, and corruption. He was accused of leading the 1979 coup and ordering the military to suppress pro-democracy protests in Gwangju in 1980, which led to many deaths.

In 1996, Chun was found guilty of mutiny, treason, and bribery. He was sentenced to death, but the sentence was later changed to life imprisonment.

Chun served 2 years in prison before being pardoned by President Kim Young-sam in 1997. He was also ordered to pay a large fine of $200 million for his crimes.

Who Is The Current South Korean President?

The current president of South Korea is Yoon Suk Yeol. He started his term on May 10, 2022. Yoon is part of the People Power Party, which is known for its conservative views in South Korea.

He has also served as the Attorney General of South Korea, and he is well-known for his strong views on law and order. Yoon Suk Yeol was born on December 18, 1960.

He grew up in a middle-class family and went to Seoul National University, where he studied law. After finishing his studies, he began his career as a prosecutor.

Then, he worked his way up in the legal system and earned a reputation for being tough on crime and corruption. This reputation helped him become famous and eventually led to his role as president.

During his campaign, Yoon promised to focus on several key issues. He wanted to improve South Korea’s economy, create more jobs, and strengthen the country’s defense against North Korea.

Also, he aimed to build better relations with the United States and other nations. Since he took office, Yoon has faced many challenges. One of the biggest issues is North Korea’s ongoing threats and missile tests.

Yoon has said that he will take a strong approach to protect South Korea. He believes working closely with the United States is important to counter North Korea’s actions.

Yoon Suk Yeol is also focused on making South Korea’s economy grow. He wants to support small businesses and create more opportunities for young people.