The Minister of Foreign Affairs (Korean: 외교부장관; RR: Oegyobujanggwan) is the leader and chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The minister is responsible for implementing South Korea's foreign policy.
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the Government of Republic of Korea | |
.jpg) | |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs | |
| Member of | State Council of South Korea |
| Reports to | President of South Korea |
| Appointer | President |
| Formation | August 25, 1948 |
| Deputy | Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs |
The current minister for foreign affairs is Cho Tae-yeol, who took office in January 2024.[1]
List of ministers of foreign affairs
edit| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | President | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 | 
|
Jang Taek-sang 장택상 (1893–1969) |
15 August 1948 | 24 December 1948 | 131 days |  Syngman Rhee |
| 2 | 
|
Ben C. Lim 임병직 (1893–1976) |
25 December 1948 | 15 April 1951 | 2 years, 111 days | |
| 3 | 
|
Byun Young-tae 변영태 (1892–1969) |
16 April 1951 | 28 July 1955 | 4 years, 103 days | |
| 4 | 
|
Cho Chung-whan 조정환 (1893–1976) |
29 July 1955 | 21 December 1959 | 4 years, 145 days | |
| — | _Choi.jpg)
|
Choi Kyu-hah 최규하 (1919–2006) |
22 December 1959 | 24 April 1960 | 124 days | |
| 5 | 
|
Her Chung 허정 (1896–1988) |
25 April 1960 | 19 August 1960 | 116 days |  Yun Bo-seon |
| 6 | 
|
Chung Il-hyung 정일형 (1904–1982) |
23 August 1960 | 20 May 1961 | 270 days | |
| 7 | 
|
Kim Hong-il 김홍일 (1898–1980) |
21 May 1961 | 21 July 1961 | 61 days | |
| 8 | 
|
Song Yo-chan 송요찬 (1918–1980) |
22 July 1961 | 10 October 1961 | 80 days | |
| 9 |
|
Choi Duk-shin 최덕신 (1914–1989) |
11 October 1961 | 15 March 1963 | 1 year, 155 days | |
 Park Chung Hee (acting) | ||||||
| 10 | circa1974.png)
|
Kim Yong-shik 김용식 (1913–1995) |
16 March 1963 | 16 December 1963 | 275 days | |
| 11 | 
|
Chung Il-kwon 정일권 (1917–1994) |
17 December 1963 | 24 July 1964 | 220 days | Park Chung Hee |
| 12 | 
|
Lee Tong-won 이동원 (1926–2006) |
25 July 1964 | 26 December 1966 | 2 years, 154 days | |
| (11) |
|
Chung Il-kwon 정일권 (1917–1994) |
27 December 1966 | 29 June 1967 | 184 days | |
| 13 | 
|
Choi Kyu-hah 최규하 (1919–2006) |
30 June 1967 | 3 June 1971 | 3 years, 338 days | |
| (10) |
|
Kim Yong-shik 김용식 (1913–1995) |
4 June 1971 | 2 December 1973 | 2 years, 181 days | |
| 14 |
|
Kim Dong-jo 김동조 (1918–2004) |
3 December 1973 | 18 December 1975 | 2 years, 15 days | |
| 15 | .png)
|
Pak Tongjin 박동진 (1922–2013) |
19 December 1975 | 1 September 1980 | 4 years, 257 days | |
| Choi Kyu-hah | ||||||
| 16 | 
|
Lho Shin-yong 노신영 (1930–2019) |
2 September 1980 | 1 June 1982 | 1 year, 272 days | .JPEG) Chun Doo-hwan |
| 17 | Lee Bum-suk 이범석 (1925–1983) |
2 June 1982 | 9 October 1983 | 1 year, 129 days | ||
| 18 | 
|
Lee Won-kyung 이원경 (1922–2007) |
15 October 1983 | 26 August 1986 | 2 years, 315 days | |
| 19 |
|
Choi Kwang-soo 최광수 (1935– 2021) |
26 August 1986 | 5 December 1988 | 2 years, 101 days | |
 Roh Tae-woo | ||||||
| 20 |
|
Choi Ho-joong 최호중 (1930–2015) |
5 December 1988 | 27 December 1990 | 2 years, 22 days | |
| 21 |
|
Lee Sang-ock 이상옥 (born 1934) |
27 December 1990 | 26 February 1993 | 2 years, 61 days | |
| 22 | 
|
Han Sung-joo 한승주 (born 1940) |
26 February 1993 | 24 December 1994 | 1 year, 301 days |  Kim Young-sam |
| 23 |
|
Gong Ro-myung 공로명 (born 1932) |
24 December 1994 | 7 November 1996 | 1 year, 319 days | |
| 24 |
|
Yoo Chong-ha 유종하 (born 1936) |
7 November 1996 | 3 March 1998 | 1 year, 116 days | |
| 25 |
|
Park Chung-soo 박정수 (1932–2003) |
3 March 1998 | 4 August 1998 | 154 days |  Kim Dae-jung |
| 26 |
|
Hong Soon-young 홍순영 (1937–2014) |
4 August 1998 | 14 January 2000 | 1 year, 163 days | |
| 27 | 
|
Lee Joung-binn 이정빈 (born 1937) |
14 January 2000 | 26 March 2001 | 1 year, 71 days | |
| 28 | 
|
Han Seung-soo 한승수 (born 1936) |
26 March 2001 | 4 February 2002 | 315 days | |
| 29 |
|
Choi Sung-hong 최성홍 (born 1938) |
4 February 2002 | 27 February 2003 | 1 year, 23 days | |
| 30 | 
|
Yoon Young-kwan 윤영관 (born 1951) |
27 February 2003 | 17 January 2004 | 324 days |  Roh Moo-hyun |
| 31 | 
|
Ban Ki-moon 반기문 (born 1944) |
17 January 2004 | 10 November 2006 | 2 years, 297 days | |
| 32 | 
|
Song Min-soon 송민순 (born 1948) |
10 November 2006 | 29 February 2008 | 1 year, 111 days | |
| 33 | 
|
Yu Myung-hwan 유명환 (born 1948) |
29 February 2008 | 4 September 2010 | 2 years, 188 days |  Lee Myung-bak |
| 34 | .jpg)
|
Kim Sung-hwan 김성환 (born 1953) |
8 October 2010 | 11 March 2013 | 2 years, 154 days | |
| 35 | _Cropped.jpg)
|
Yun Byung-se 윤병세 (born 1953) |
11 March 2013 | 18 June 2017 | 4 years, 99 days |  Park Geun-hye |
| 36 | _(cropped).jpg)
|
Kang Kyung-wha 강경화 (born 1955) |
18 June 2017 | 8 February 2021 | 3 years, 235 days |  Moon Jae-in |
| 37 | 
|
Chung Eui-yong 정의용 (born 1946) |
9 February 2021 | 12 May 2022 | 1 year, 92 days | |
| 38 | _(cropped)_(cropped).jpg)
|
Park Jin 박진 (born 1956) |
12 May 2022 | 10 January 2024 | 1 year, 243 days |  Yoon Suk-yeol |
| 39 | 
|
Cho Tae-yul 조태열 (born 1955) |
11 January 2024 | incumbent | 317 days | |