The Minister of National Defense (Korean: 국방부장관) is the leader and chief executive of the Ministry of National Defense. The minister is responsible for implementing South Korea's National Defense policy.
| Minister of National Defense | |
|---|---|
.svg) Emblem of the Ministry of National Defense | |
 Incumbent since 6 September 2024Kim Yong-hyun | |
| Ministry of National Defense | |
| Member of | State Council of South Korea |
| Reports to | President of South Korea |
| Appointer | President |
| Formation | August 15, 1948 |
| Deputy | Deputy Minister of National Defense |
The current Minister of National Defense is Kim Yong-hyun, who took office in September 2024.[1]
List of ministers
edit Denotes acting minister
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Defence branch | President | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||
| 1 | 
|
Lee Beom-seok 이범석 李範奭 (1900–1972) |
15 August 1948 | 20 March 1949 | 217 days |  Korean Liberation Army
|
 Syngman Rhee |
| 2 | 
|
Shin Song-mo 신성모 申性模 (1891–1960) |
21 March 1949 | 5 May 1951 | 2 years, 45 days |  Republic of Korea Navy
| |
| 3 | 
|
Lee Ki-poong 이기붕 李起鵬 (1896–1960) |
7 May 1951 | 29 March 1952 | 327 days | Civilian | |
| 4 | 
|
Shin Tae-young 신태영 申泰英 (1891–1959) |
29 March 1952 | 30 June 1953 | 1 year, 93 days |  Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 5 | 
|
Sohn Won-yil 손원일 孫元一 (1909–1980) |
30 June 1953 | 26 May 1956 | 2 years, 331 days | Republic of Korea Navy
| |
| 6 |
|
Kim Yong-woo 김용우 金用雨 (1912–1985) |
26 May 1956 | 6 July 1957 | 1 year, 41 days | Civilian | |
| 7 | 
|
Kim Chung-yul 김정렬 金貞烈 (1917–1992) |
6 July 1957 | 2 May 1960 | 2 years, 301 days |  Republic of Korea Air Force
| |
| 8 | 
|
Lee Jong-chan 이종찬 李鐘贊 (1916–1983) |
2 May 1960 | 23 August 1960 | 113 days | Republic of Korea Army
|
 Yun Bo-seon |
| 9 |
|
Hyun Suk-ho 현석호 玄錫虎 (1907–1988) |
23 August 1960 | 12 September 1960 | 20 days | Civilian | |
| 10 |
|
Kwon Joong-don 권중돈 權仲敦 (1912–1985) |
12 September 1960 | 30 January 1961 | 140 days | Civilian | |
| (9) |
|
Hyun Suk-ho 현석호 玄錫虎 (1907–1988) |
30 January 1961 | 18 May 1961 | 108 days | Civilian | |
| 11 | 
|
Chang Do-yong 장도영 張都暎 (1923–2012) |
20 May 1961 | 6 June 1961 | 17 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| — |
|
Shin Eung-gyun 신응균 申應均 (1921–1996) Acting |
6 June 1961 | 12 June 1961 | 6 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 12 | 
|
Song Yo-chan 송요찬 宋堯讚 (1918–1980) |
12 June 1961 | 10 July 1961 | 28 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 13 | 
|
Park Byung-kwon 박병권 朴炳權 (1920–2005) |
10 July 1961 | 16 March 1963 | 1 year, 249 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
 Park Chung-hee (acting) | |||||||
| 14 |
|
Kim Sung-eun 김성은 金聖恩 (1924–2007) |
16 March 1963 | 27 February 1968 | 4 years, 348 days |  Republic of Korea Marine Corps
| |
| Park Chung-hee | |||||||
| 15 | 
|
Choi Young-hee 최영희 崔榮喜 (1921–2006) |
28 February 1968 | 5 August 1968 | 159 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 16 |
|
Im Chung-sik 임충식 任忠植 (1922–1974) |
5 August 1968 | 10 March 1970 | 1 year, 217 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 17 |
|
Chung Rae-hyuk 정래혁 丁來赫 (1926–2022) |
10 March 1970 | 25 August 1971 | 1 year, 168 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 18 | 
|
Yu Jae-hung 유재흥 劉載興 (1921–2011) |
25 August 1971 | 3 December 1973 | 2 years, 100 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 19 |
|
Seo Jong-chul 서종철 徐鐘喆 (1924–2010) |
3 December 1973 | 20 December 1977 | 4 years, 17 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 20 | 
|
Roh Jae-hyun 노재현 盧載鉉 (1926–2019) |
20 December 1977 | 14 December 1979 | 1 year, 359 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 21 | 
|
Joo Young-bok 주영복 周永福 (1927–2005) |
14 December 1979 | 21 May 1982 | 2 years, 158 days | Republic of Korea Air Force
|
_Choi.jpg) Choi Kyu-hah |
.JPEG) Chun Doo-hwan | |||||||
| 22 | 
|
Yoon Sung-min 윤성민 尹誠敏 (1926–2017) |
21 May 1982 | 8 January 1986 | 3 years, 232 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 23 |
|
Lee Ki-paik 이기백 李基百 (1931-2019) |
8 January 1986 | 14 July 1987 | 1 year, 187 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 24 | Chung Ho-yong 정호용 鄭鎬溶 (born 1932) |
14 July 1987 | 25 February 1988 | 226 days | Republic of Korea Army
| ||
| 25 |
|
Oh Ja-bok 오자복 吳滋福 (1930–2017) |
25 February 1988 | 4 December 1988 | 283 days | Republic of Korea Army
|
 Roh Tae-woo |
| 26 | 
|
Lee Sang-hoon 이상훈 李相薰 (1933–2023) |
4 December 1988 | 8 October 1990 | 1 year, 308 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 27 |
|
Lee Jong-gu 이종구 李鐘九 (born 1935) |
8 October 1990 | 20 December 1991 | 1 year, 73 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 28 |
|
Choi Se-chang 최세창 崔世昌 (born 1934) |
20 December 1991 | 26 February 1993 | 1 year, 68 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 29 |
|
Kwon Young-hae 권영해 權寧海 (born 1937) |
26 February 1993 | 22 December 1993 | 299 days | Republic of Korea Army
|
 Kim Young-sam |
| 30 |
|
Lee Byung-tae 이병태 李炳台 (born 1937) |
22 December 1993 | 24 December 1994 | 1 year, 2 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 31 |
|
Lee Yang-ho 이양호 李養鎬 (1937-2020) |
24 December 1994 | 18 October 1996 | 1 year, 299 days | Republic of Korea Air Force
| |
| 32 |
|
Kim Dong-jin 김동진 金東鎭 (born 1938) |
18 October 1996 | 3 March 1998 | 1 year, 136 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 33 | 
|
Chun Yong-taek 천용택 千容宅 (born 1937) |
3 March 1998 | 24 May 1999 | 1 year, 82 days | Republic of Korea Army
|
 Kim Dae-jung |
| 34 | .jpg)
|
Cho Song-tae 조성태 趙成台 (1942–2021) |
24 May 1999 | 26 March 2001 | 1 year, 306 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 35 | Kim Dong-shin 김동신 金東信 (born 1941) |
26 March 2001 | 12 July 2002 | 1 year, 108 days | Republic of Korea Army
| ||
| 36 | .jpg)
|
Lee Jun 이준 李俊 (born 1940) |
12 July 2002 | 27 February 2003 | 230 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 37 | _General_Cho_Yung-kil_%EC%9C%A1%EA%B5%B0%EB%8C%80%EC%9E%A5_%EC%A1%B0%EC%98%81%EA%B8%B8_(DF-SD-01-07141).jpeg)
|
Cho Yung-kil 조영길 曺永吉 (born 1940) |
27 February 2003 | 29 July 2004 | 1 year, 153 days | Republic of Korea Army
|
 Roh Moo-hyun |
| 38 | 
|
Yoon Kwang-ung 윤광웅 尹光雄 (born 1942) |
29 July 2004 | 24 November 2006 | 2 years, 118 days | Republic of Korea Navy
| |
| 39 | _(cropped).jpg)
|
Kim Jang-soo 김장수 金章洙 (born 1948) |
24 November 2006 | 29 February 2008 | 1 year, 97 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 40 | 
|
Lee Sang-hee 이상희 李相憙 (born 1945) |
29 February 2008 | 22 September 2009 | 1 year, 206 days | Republic of Korea Army
|
 Lee Myung-bak |
| 41 | 
|
Kim Tae-young 김태영 金泰榮 (born 1949) |
23 September 2009 | 4 December 2010 | 1 year, 72 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 42 | 
|
Kim Kwan-jin 김관진 金寬鎭 (born 1949) |
4 December 2010 | 30 June 2014 | 3 years, 208 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
 Park Geun-hye | |||||||
| 43 | 
|
Han Min-goo 한민구 韓民求 (born 1951) |
30 June 2014 | 13 July 2017 | 3 years, 13 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 44 | _(cropped).jpg)
|
Song Young-moo 송영무 宋永武 (born 1949) |
13 July 2017 | 21 September 2018 | 1 year, 70 days | Republic of Korea Navy
|
 Moon Jae-in |
| 45 | .jpg)
|
Jeong Kyeong-doo 정경두 鄭景斗 (born 1960) |
21 September 2018 | 18 September 2020 | 1 year, 363 days | Republic of Korea Air Force
| |
| 46 | _Lieutenant_General_Suh_Wook_%EC%9C%A1%EA%B5%B0%EB%8C%80%EC%9E%A5_%EC%84%9C%EC%9A%B1_(UNC-CFC-USFK_photo_IMG_7352).jpg)
|
Suh Wook 서욱 徐旭 (born 1963) |
18 September 2020 | 10 May 2022 | 1 year, 234 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 47 | 
|
Lee Jong-sup 이종섭 李鐘燮 (born 1960) |
10 May 2022 | 6 October 2023 | 1 year, 149 days | Republic of Korea Army
|
 Yoon Suk Yeol |
| 48 | _Minister_of_National_Defense_Shin_Won-sik_in_Seoul,_Republic_of_Korea_on_November_12,_2023_-_(cropped).jpg)
|
Shin Won-sik 신원식 申源湜 (born 1958) |
7 October 2023 | 5 September 2024 | 334 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |
| 49 |
|
Kim Yong-hyun 김용현 金龍顯 (born 1959 June 25) |
6 September 2024 | Incumbent | 89 days | Republic of Korea Army
| |