Minister of National Defense (South Korea)

(Redirected from Kim Yong-hyun (general))

The Minister of National Defense (Korean국방부장관) 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
Emblem of the Ministry of National Defense
Incumbent
Choi Byung-hyuk
since 5 December 2024
Ministry of National Defense
Member ofState Council of South Korea
Reports toPresident of South Korea
AppointerPresident
FormationAugust 15, 1948; 76 years ago (1948-08-15)
DeputyDeputy 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 [ko]
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 [ko]
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 [ko]
현석호
玄錫虎

(1907–1988)
23 August 1960 12 September 1960 20 days Civilian
10   Kwon Joong-don [ko]
권중돈
權仲敦

(1912–1985)
12 September 1960 30 January 1961 140 days Civilian
(9)   Hyun Suk-ho [ko]
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 [ko]
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 [ko]
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 [ko]
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 [ko]
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 [ko]
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 [ko]
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 [ko]
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 [ko]
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 [ko]
이상훈
李相薰

(1933–2023)
4 December 1988 8 October 1990 1 year, 308 days   Republic of Korea Army
27   Lee Jong-gu [ko]
이종구
李鐘九

(born 1935)
8 October 1990 20 December 1991 1 year, 73 days   Republic of Korea Army
28   Choi Se-chang [ko]
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 [ko]
김동진
金東鎭

(born 1938)
18 October 1996 3 March 1998 1 year, 136 days   Republic of Korea Army
33   Chun Yong-taek [ko]
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 [ko]
조성태
趙成台

(1942–2021)
24 May 1999 26 March 2001 1 year, 306 days   Republic of Korea Army
35 Kim Dong-shin [ko]
김동신
金東信

(born 1941)
26 March 2001 12 July 2002 1 year, 108 days   Republic of Korea Army
36   Lee Jun [ko]
이준
李俊

(born 1940)
12 July 2002 27 February 2003 230 days   Republic of Korea Army
37   Cho Yung-kil [ko]
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 [ko]
김용현
金龍顯

(born 1959 June 25)
6 September 2024 4 December 2024[2] 90 days   Republic of Korea Army

References

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  1. ^ "South Korea's defence minister resigns over martial law crisis". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  2. ^ "Yoon accepts defense minister's resignation amid martial law chaos". The Korea Times (English Version). 2024-12-04. Retrieved 2024-12-05.