All Korean Presidents. K‑Society & Economy Series
All Korean Presidents
K‑Society & Economy Series
Welcome to KOREA Inside: You NEVER seen before!!
Have you noticed that South Korea is in its 21st presidential term, but only 14 people have served as president? Today we're look why this is happen in South Korea.
Join me as we explore the complete journey—from the founding of the nation to today—one by one.
🧭 Why 21 Terms, But Only 14 Presidents?
This is because there have been many instances where one president served a long term in office!!!
In fact:
Rhee Syngman held office as the 1st through 4th president
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Park Chung‑hee served as the 5th through 9th president
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Chun Doo‑hwan was both the 11th and 12th president
Result: 21 terms but only 14 actual presidents.
🏛️ Presidents, Then and Now
1–3. Rhee Syngman (1948–1960)
1) Party: Democratic Party
2) Age at Inauguration: 73
3) Notable: First president, led during the Korean War, implemented land reform
4) Controversies: Four terms through rigged elections, authoritarian practices
5) Departure: Forced resignation after the April Revolution
4. Yun Posun (1960–1962)
1) Party: Democratic Party
2) Age at Inauguration: 63
3) Notable: Served as a ceremonial head of state during the Second Republic—Korea’s only parliamentary system era
4) Controversies: Held minimal power; overthrown by Park’s military coup
5) Departure: Resigned in 1962 following the 1961 coup
5–9. Park Chung‑hee (1963–1979)
1) Party: Democratic Republican Party
2) Age at Inauguration: 45
3) Notable: Architect of Korea’s industrial boom (“Miracle on the Han River”), ruled five consecutive terms
4) Controversies: Imposed Yusin Constitution, stifled democracy, ruled as dictator
5) Departure: Assassinated by his own intelligence chief in 1979
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10. Choi Kyu‑hah (1979–1980)
1) Interim president after Park’s death; quickly overtaken by military coup led by Chun Doo‑hwan
2) Age at Inauguration : 60
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11–12. Chun Doo‑hwan (1980–1988)
1) Party: Democratic Justice Party
2) Age at Inauguration: 49
3) Notable: Took power via coup, led under the Fifth Republic
4) Accomplishments: Continued economic development
5) Controversies: Gwangju Uprising crackdown, authoritarian rule
6) Departure: Resigned under public pressure; later convicted, then pardoned
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13. Roh Tae‑woo (1988–1993)
1) Party: Democratic Justice Party
2) Age at Inauguration: 55
3) Notable: First directly elected president after democratization; hosted 1988 Seoul Olympics; opened relations with the Soviet Union and China
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14. Kim Young‑sam (1993–1998)
1) Party: Democratic Liberal Party
2) Age at Inauguration: 65
3) Notable: First civilian leader in 30 years; introduced real-name banking, prosecuted former presidents; led Korea into OECD
4) Controversies: Faced the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997
15. Kim Dae‑jung (1998–2003)
1) Party: Millennium Democratic Party
2) Age at Inauguration: 73
3) Notable: Promoted Sunshine Policy with North Korea, led recovery from IMF crisis, awarded Nobel Peace Prize
16. Roh Moo‑hyun (2003–2008)
1) Party: Uri Party
2) Age at Inauguration: 56
3) Notable: Expanded civic participation and welfare, supported Korea–US FTA negotiations
4) Departure: Passed away during investigation after presidency
17. Lee Myung‑bak (2008–2013)
1) Party: New Korea Party
2) Age: 66
3) Notable: Former business executive; hosted G20 Summit, invested in infrastructure projects (4 Rivers Restoration Plan)
4) Controversies: Accused of corruption post-presidency
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18. Park Geun‑hye (2013–2017)
1) Party: Saenuri Party
2) Age: 60
3) Notable: First female president; expanded welfare
4) Controversies: Impeached due to corruption scandal, removed from office
19. Moon Jae‑in (2017–2022)
1) Party: Democratic Party
2) Age: 64
3) Notable: Human rights lawyer; led peace diplomacy, welfare expansion, and 4) COVID-19 crisis management
4) Controversies: Struggled with surging real estate prices
20. Yoon Suk‑yeol (2022–2025)
1) Party: People Power Party
2) Age: 61
3) Notable: Former Prosecutor General; focused on law enforcement and conservative policies
4) Controversies: Attempted martial law → Impeachment and removal
21. Lee Jae‑myung (2025–present)
1) Party: Democratic Party
2) Age: 61
3) Notable: Labor and human rights lawyer; launched emergency economic task force on Day 1; balances ties with the U.S., China, Japan, and North Korea
4) Controversies: Facing legal scrutiny over assets and campaign, shifting from populism to pragmatism
🎯 What’s Next?
Korea’s political landscape has evolved dramatically—beginning with war and state-building, through authoritarian rule, democratization, and now a new era of balanced economic and foreign diplomacy.
Understanding the term numbering helps you grasp how different constitutional eras shaped presidential leadership.
🌟 Up Next: We’ll dive into how each constitutional republic affected Korea’s democracy, and what those changes meant for elections, institutions, and governance.
대한민국은 현재 제21대 대통령(이재명)이지만, 실제 대통령직을 수행한 인물은 14명에 불과합니다.
이는 이승만·박정희·전두환 대통령 등 일부가 중도에 걸쳐 여러 재임기를 채웠기 때문입니다.
1-3대 대통령 이승만에서 4대 대통령 윤보선, 5-9대 대통령 박정희, 10대 대통령 최규화, 11-12대 대통령 전두환, 13대 대통령 노태우, 14대 대통령 김영삼, 15대 대통령 김대중, 16대 대통령 노무현, 17대 대통령 이명박, 18대 대통령 박근혜, 19대 대통령 문재인, 20대 대통령 윤석열, 21대 현재 대통령 이재명까지 대한민국 역대 대통령들에 대해 알아보았습니다!!!
방문해 주셔서 감사합니다! 😊
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