# Minister of Foreign Affairs (South Korea)

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.
The current minister for foreign affairs is Cho Tae-yeol, who took office in January 2024.

## List of ministers of foreign affairs

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | President |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | President |
| 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 | Syngman Rhee |
| 3 | | Byun Young-tae 변영태 (1892–1969) | 16 April 1951 | 28 July 1955 | 4 years, 103 days | Syngman Rhee |
| 4 | | Cho Chung-whan 조정환 (1893–1976) | 29 July 1955 | 21 December 1959 | 4 years, 145 days | Syngman Rhee |
| — | | Choi Kyu-hah 최규하 (1919–2006) | 22 December 1959 | 24 April 1960 | 124 days | Syngman Rhee |
| 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 | Yun Bo-seon |
| 7 | | Kim Hong-il 김홍일 (1898–1980) | 21 May 1961 | 21 July 1961 | 61 days | Yun Bo-seon |
| 8 | | Song Yo-chan 송요찬 (1918–1980) | 22 July 1961 | 10 October 1961 | 80 days | Yun Bo-seon |
| 9 | | Choi Duk-shin 최덕신 (1914–1989) | 11 October 1961 | 15 March 1963 | 1 year, 155 days | Yun Bo-seon |
| 9 | | Choi Duk-shin 최덕신 (1914–1989) | 11 October 1961 | 15 March 1963 | 1 year, 155 days | Park Chung Hee (acting) |
| 10 | | Kim Yong-shik 김용식 (1913–1995) | 16 March 1963 | 16 December 1963 | 275 days | Park Chung Hee (acting) |
| 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 | Park Chung Hee |
| (11) | | Chung Il-kwon 정일권 (1917–1994) | 27 December 1966 | 29 June 1967 | 184 days | Park Chung Hee |
| 13 | | Choi Kyu-hah 최규하 (1919–2006) | 30 June 1967 | 3 June 1971 | 3 years, 338 days | Park Chung Hee |
| (10) | | Kim Yong-shik 김용식 (1913–1995) | 4 June 1971 | 2 December 1973 | 2 years, 181 days | Park Chung Hee |
| 14 | | Kim Dong-jo 김동조 (1918–2004) | 3 December 1973 | 18 December 1975 | 2 years, 15 days | Park Chung Hee |
| 15 | | Pak Tongjin 박동진 (1922–2013) | 19 December 1975 | 1 September 1980 | 4 years, 257 days | Park Chung Hee |
| 15 | | 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 | Chun Doo-hwan |
| 17 | | Lee Bum-suk 이범석 (1925–1983) | 2 June 1982 | 9 October 1983 | 1 year, 129 days | Chun Doo-hwan |
| 18 | | Lee Won-kyung 이원경 (1922–2007) | 15 October 1983 | 26 August 1986 | 2 years, 315 days | Chun Doo-hwan |
| 19 | | Choi Kwang-soo 최광수 (1935– 2021) | 26 August 1986 | 5 December 1988 | 2 years, 101 days | Chun Doo-hwan |
| 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 | Roh Tae-woo |
| 21 | | Lee Sang-ock 이상옥 (born 1934) | 27 December 1990 | 26 February 1993 | 2 years, 61 days | Roh Tae-woo |
| 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 | Kim Young-sam |
| 24 | | Yoo Chong-ha 유종하 (born 1936) | 7 November 1996 | 3 March 1998 | 1 year, 116 days | Kim Young-sam |
| 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 | Kim Dae-jung |
| 27 | | Lee Joung-binn 이정빈 (born 1937) | 14 January 2000 | 26 March 2001 | 1 year, 71 days | Kim Dae-jung |
| 28 | | Han Seung-soo 한승수 (born 1936) | 26 March 2001 | 4 February 2002 | 315 days | Kim Dae-jung |
| 29 | | Choi Sung-hong 최성홍 (born 1938) | 4 February 2002 | 27 February 2003 | 1 year, 23 days | Kim Dae-jung |
| 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 | Roh Moo-hyun |
| 32 | | Song Min-soon 송민순 (born 1948) | 10 November 2006 | 29 February 2008 | 1 year, 111 days | Roh Moo-hyun |
| 33 | | Yu Myung-hwan 유명환 (born 1948) | 29 February 2008 | 4 September 2010 | 2 years, 188 days | Lee Myung-bak |
| 34 | | Kim Sung-hwan 김성환 (born 1953) | 8 October 2010 | 11 March 2013 | 2 years, 154 days | Lee Myung-bak |
| 35 | | Yun Byung-se 윤병세 (born 1953) | 11 March 2013 | 18 June 2017 | 4 years, 99 days | Park Geun-hye |
| 36 | | 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 | Moon Jae-in |
| 38 | | 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 | 325 days | Yoon Suk-yeol |