# Commandant of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps

The Commandant of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps (Korean: 대한민국의 해병대사령관) is the head of the South Korean marines. The current commandant is Ju Il-Seok, starting from 6 December 2024.

## History

The first commandant was Shin Hyun-joon, serving from April 1949 to October 1953. The billet of commandant was disbanded in 1973 and re-established in 1987. The commandant typically holds the rank of lieutenant general (Korean: 중장).

## List

| No. | Commandant of the Marine Corps | Took office | Left office | Time in office |
| Commandant of the Marine Corps |||||||
| 1 | Major General Shin Hyun-joon (1915–2007) | 15 April 1949 | 15 October 1953 | 4 years, 183 days |
| 2 | Major General Kim Seok-beom (1915–1998) | 15 October 1953 | 4 September 1957 | 3 years, 324 days |
| 3 | Lieutenant General Kim Dae-shik (1918–1999) | 4 September 1957 | 24 June 1960 | 2 years, 294 days |
| 4 | Lieutenant General Kim Seung-un (1918–1999) | 24 June 1960 | 1 July 1962 | 2 years, 7 days |
| 5 | Lieutenant General Kim Du-chan | 1 July 1962 | 11 July 1964 | 2 years, 10 days |
| 6 | Lieutenant General Gong Jeong-sik (1925–2019) | 11 July 1964 | 1 July 1966 | 1 year, 355 days |
| 7 | General Gang Gicheon (1927–2019) | 1 July 1966 | 1 July 1969 | 3 years, 0 days |
| 8 | General Jeong Gwang-ho (1922–2020) | 1 July 1969 | 1 July 1971 | 2 years, 0 days |
| Second Vice Chief of Naval Operations |||||||
| 9 | Lieutenant General Kim Yeon-sang | 10 October 1973 | 10 July 1975 | 1 year, 273 days |
| 10 | Lieutenant General Lee Dong-yong | 10 July 1975 | 31 August 1977 | 2 years, 52 days |
| 11 | Lieutenant General Jeong Tae-seok | 31 August 1977 | 26 September 1979 | 2 years, 26 days |
| 12 | Lieutenant General Kim Jeong-ho (1931–2013) | 26 September 1979 | 16 March 1981 | 1 year, 171 days |
| 13 | Lieutenant General Choi Ki-duk (1930–2016) | 16 March 1981 | 28 December 1982 | 1 year, 287 days |
| 14 | Lieutenant General Park Hee-jae (1932–2020) | 28 December 1982 | 4 September 1984 | 1 year, 251 days |
| 15 | Lieutenant General Seong Byeong-mun | 4 September 1984 | 3 September 1986 | 1 year, 364 days |
| 16 | Lieutenant General Park Koo-il (1934–2020) | 3 September 1986 | 31 October 1987 | 1 year, 58 days |
| Commandant of the Marine Corps |||||||
| (16) | Lieutenant General Park Koo-il (1934–2020) | 31 October 1987 | 3 September 1988 | 308 days |
| 17 | Lieutenant General Choi Gap-jin | 3 September 1988 | 3 September 1990 | 2 years, 0 days |
| 18 | Lieutenant General Jo Gi-yeop | 3 September 1990 | 30 June 1992 | 1 year, 301 days |
| 19 | Lieutenant General Lim Jong-rin | 30 June 1992 | 30 June 1994 | 2 years, 0 days |
| 20 | Lieutenant General Lee Sang-mu | 30 June 1994 | 29 June 1996 | 1 year, 365 days |
| 21 | Lieutenant General Jeon Do-bong (born 1942) | 29 June 1996 | 8 April 1998 | 1 year, 283 days |
| 22 | Lieutenant General Lee Gap-jin | 8 April 1998 | 18 October 1999 | 1 year, 193 days |
| 23 | Lieutenant General Kim Myung-hwan | 18 October 1999 | 11 October 2001 | 1 year, 358 days |
| 24 | Lieutenant General Lee Chul-woo | 11 October 2001 | 22 April 2003 | 1 year, 193 days |
| 25 | Lieutenant General Kim In-sik | 22 April 2003 | 2 May 2005 | 2 years, 10 days |
| 26 | Lieutenant General Kim Myung-gyun | 2 May 2005 | 28 April 2006 | 361 days |
| 27 | Lieutenant General Lee Sang-ro | 28 April 2006 | 8 April 2008 | 1 year, 346 days |
| 28 | Lieutenant General Lee Hong-hee | 8 April 2008 | 23 June 2010 | 2 years, 76 days |
| 29 | Lieutenant General Yoo Nak-jun | 23 June 2010 | 18 October 2011 | 1 year, 117 days |
| 30 | Lieutenant General Lee Ho Yeon | 18 October 2011 | 28 September 2013 | 1 year, 345 days |
| 31 | Lieutenant General Lee Yeong-ju (born 1957) | 28 September 2013 | 13 April 2015 | 1 year, 197 days |
| 32 | Lieutenant General Lee Sang-hoon (born 1959) | 13 April 2015 | 13 April 2017 | 2 years, 0 days |
| 33 | Lieutenant General Jun Jin-goo (born 1962) | 13 April 2017 | 12 April 2019 | 1 year, 364 days |
| 34 | Lieutenant General Lee Seung-doo | 12 April 2019 | 13 April 2021 | 2 years, 1 day |
| 35 | Lieutenant General Kim Tae-seong (born 1966) | 13 April 2021 | 7 December 2022 | 1 year, 238 days |
| 36 | Lieutenant General Kim Gye-hwan (born 1968) | 7 December 2022 | 6 December 2024 | 1 year, 365 days |
| 37 | Lieutenant General Ju Il-seok (born 1969) | 6 December 2024 | | 27 days |

## Notelist

* 1 2 Later promoted to lieutenant general.