Overview
The Republic of Korea has had 13 presidents since its establishment in 1948. This article covers all presidents from the first president Syngman Rhee to the present.
List of Presidents
| No. | President | Term | Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Syngman Rhee | 1948.8.15-1960.4.26 | Liberal Party | Resigned after April Revolution |
| 4 | Yun Posun | 1960.8.13-1962.3.24 | Democratic Party | Lost power after military coup |
| 5-9 | Park Chung-hee | 1963.12.17-1979.10.26 | DRP | Assassinated (Oct 26 Incident) |
| 10 | Choi Kyu-hah | 1979.12.6-1980.8.16 | Independent | Resigned after Dec 12 coup |
| 11-12 | Chun Doo-hwan | 1980.9.1-1988.2.24 | DJP | Fifth Republic |
| 13 | Roh Tae-woo | 1988.2.25-1993.2.24 | DJP | First directly elected president |
| 14 | Kim Young-sam | 1993.2.25-1998.2.24 | DLP | Civilian government |
| 15 | Kim Dae-jung | 1998.2.25-2003.2.24 | NCNP | Nobel Peace Prize (2000) |
| 16 | Roh Moo-hyun | 2003.2.25-2008.2.24 | MDP | Participatory Government |
| 17 | Lee Myung-bak | 2008.2.25-2013.2.24 | GNP | |
| 18 | Park Geun-hye | 2013.2.25-2017.3.10 | Saenuri | First female president, impeached |
| 19 | Moon Jae-in | 2017.5.10-2022.5.9 | Democratic | |
| 20 | Yoon Suk-yeol | 2022.5.10-present | PPP | Impeached Dec 2024 |
Notable Presidents
Park Chung-hee (5th-9th, 1963-1979)
Led South Korea's rapid industrialization ("Miracle on the Han River") but also criticized for authoritarian rule under the Yushin Constitution.
Kim Dae-jung (15th, 1998-2003)
Symbol of democratization movement. Held the first inter-Korean summit in 2000 and won the Nobel Peace Prize. Overcame the IMF financial crisis.
Park Geun-hye (18th, 2013-2017)
First female president of South Korea. Daughter of Park Chung-hee. Impeached and removed from office due to corruption scandal.