# Minister of National Defense (South Korea)

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.
The current acting Minister of National Defense is Kim Seon-ho since 5 December 2024, after the previous minister, Kim Yong-hyun, suggested to president Yoon Suk Yeol on 3 December that he impose martial law, which failed and resulted in the resignation of the minister. The president has since nominated Choi Byung-hyuk to be the next minister of defense.

## List of ministers

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Defence branch | President |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | President |
| 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 | Syngman Rhee |
| 3 | | Lee Ki-poong 이기붕 李起鵬 (1896–1960) | 7 May 1951 | 29 March 1952 | 327 days | Civilian | Syngman Rhee |
| 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 | Syngman Rhee |
| 5 | | Sohn Won-yil 손원일 孫元一 (1909–1980) | 30 June 1953 | 26 May 1956 | 2 years, 331 days | Republic of Korea Navy | Syngman Rhee |
| 6 | | Kim Yong-woo 김용우 金用雨 (1912–1985) | 26 May 1956 | 6 July 1957 | 1 year, 41 days | Civilian | Syngman Rhee |
| 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 | Syngman Rhee |
| 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 | Yun Bo-seon |
| 10 | | Kwon Joong-don [ko] 권중돈 權仲敦 (1912–1985) | 12 September 1960 | 30 January 1961 | 140 days | Civilian | Yun Bo-seon |
| (9) | | Hyun Suk-ho [ko] 현석호 玄錫虎 (1907–1988) | 30 January 1961 | 18 May 1961 | 108 days | Civilian | Yun Bo-seon |
| 11 | | Chang Do-yong 장도영 張都暎 (1923–2012) | 20 May 1961 | 6 June 1961 | 17 days | Republic of Korea Army | Yun Bo-seon |
| — | | Shin Eung-gyun [ko] 신응균 申應均 (1921–1996) Acting | 6 June 1961 | 12 June 1961 | 6 days | Republic of Korea Army | Yun Bo-seon |
| 12 | | Song Yo-chan 송요찬 宋堯讚 (1918–1980) | 12 June 1961 | 10 July 1961 | 28 days | Republic of Korea Army | Yun Bo-seon |
| 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 | Yun Bo-seon |
| 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 (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 | Park Chung-hee |
| 16 | | Im Chung-sik 임충식 任忠植 (1922–1974) | 5 August 1968 | 10 March 1970 | 1 year, 217 days | Republic of Korea Army | Park Chung-hee |
| 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 | Park Chung-hee |
| 18 | | Yu Jae-hung 유재흥 劉載興 (1921–2011) | 25 August 1971 | 3 December 1973 | 2 years, 100 days | Republic of Korea Army | Park Chung-hee |
| 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 | Park Chung-hee |
| 20 | | Roh Jae-hyun 노재현 盧載鉉 (1926–2019) | 20 December 1977 | 14 December 1979 | 1 year, 359 days | Republic of Korea Army | Park Chung-hee |
| 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 |
| 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 | 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 | Chun Doo-hwan |
| 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 | Chun Doo-hwan |
| 24 | | Chung Ho-yong 정호용 鄭鎬溶 (born 1932) | 14 July 1987 | 25 February 1988 | 226 days | Republic of Korea Army | Chun Doo-hwan |
| 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 | Roh Tae-woo |
| 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 | Roh Tae-woo |
| 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 | Roh Tae-woo |
| 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 | Kim Young-sam |
| 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 | Kim Young-sam |
| 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 | Kim Young-sam |
| 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 | Kim Dae-jung |
| 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 | Kim Dae-jung |
| 36 | | Lee Jun [ko] 이준 李俊 (born 1940) | 12 July 2002 | 27 February 2003 | 230 days | Republic of Korea Army | Kim Dae-jung |
| 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 | Roh Moo-hyun |
| 39 | | Kim Jang-soo 김장수 金章洙 (born 1948) | 24 November 2006 | 29 February 2008 | 1 year, 97 days | Republic of Korea Army | Roh Moo-hyun |
| 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 (1949-2025) | 23 September 2009 | 4 December 2010 | 1 year, 72 days | Republic of Korea Army | Lee Myung-bak |
| 42 | | Kim Kwan-jin 김관진 金寬鎭 (born 1949) | 4 December 2010 | 30 June 2014 | 3 years, 208 days | Republic of Korea Army | Lee Myung-bak |
| 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 | Park Geun-hye |
| 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 | Moon Jae-in |
| 46 | | Suh Wook 서욱 徐旭 (born 1963) | 18 September 2020 | 10 May 2022 | 1 year, 234 days | Republic of Korea Army | Moon Jae-in |
| 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 | Yoon Suk Yeol |
| 49 | | Kim Yong-hyun 김용현 金龍顯 (born 1959) | 6 September 2024 | 5 December 2024 | 181 days | Republic of Korea Army | Yoon Suk Yeol |
| — | | Kim Seon-ho 김선호 金善鎬 (born 1964) | 5 December 2024 | Incumbent | 91 days | Republic of Korea Army | Yoon Suk Yeol |