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 | |
---|---|
Incumbent since 5 December 2024Choi Byung-hyuk | |
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 Choi Byung-hyuk, who was nominated on 5 December 2024. The previous minister, Kim Yong-hyun, suggested to president Yoon Suk Yeol on 2 December that he impose martial law, which failed and resulted in the resignation of the minister.[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 Kyu-hah | |
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 | 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 | Lee Jun 이준 李俊 (born 1940) |
12 July 2002 | 27 February 2003 | 230 days | Republic of Korea Army | ||
37 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 4 December 2024[2] | 90 days | Republic of Korea Army |
References
edit- ^ "South Korea's defence minister resigns over martial law crisis". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
- ^ "Yoon accepts defense minister's resignation amid martial law chaos". The Korea Times (English Version). 2024-12-04. Retrieved 2024-12-05.