Prime Minister of South Korea

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (국무총리 / 國務總理, Gungmuchongni) is appointed by the President of South Korea, with the National Assembly's approval. The officeholder is not required to be a member of the National Assembly. The Prime Minister is not the head of government but is similar to that of a vice president.

The Sino-Korean word gungmu (/) means "state affairs" and chongni (/) means "prime minister", "premier" or "chancellor", so the full title in Korean means literally "Prime Minister for State Affairs", but it is not used as official English title. The short title in Korean is just Chongni.

 List of prime ministers 
 Political parties Status

  Portrait Name Term of office Political party President Took office Left office Time in office Prime minister under the United States Army Military Government in Korea 1 80px Lee Beom-seok 31 July 1948 15 August 1948  Independent 60pxRhee Syng-man Prime ministers of the First Republic (1) 80px Lee Beom-seok 15 August 1948 20 April 1950  Independent 60pxRhee Syng-man — 80px Shin Song-mo 21 April 1950 22 November 1950  Independent 2 80px Chang Myon 23 November 1950 23 April 1952  Liberal — 80px Yi Yun-yong 24 April 1952 5 May 1952  Independent 3 80px Chang Taek-sang 6 May 1952 5 October 1952  Independent 4 80px Paik Too-chin 9 October 1952 17 June 1954  Independent 5 80px Pyon Yong-tae 27 June 1954 28 November 1954  Independent Post abolished (28 November 1954 – 15 June 1960) Prime ministers of the Second Republic 6 80px Ho Chong 15 June 1960 18 August 1960  Independent 60pxYun Posun 7(2) 80px Chang Myon 19 August 1960 17 May 1961  Democratic Chief Cabinet Ministers of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction — 80px Jang Do-young 20 May 1961 2 July 1961  Military 60pxYun Posun — 80px Song Yo-chan 3 July 1961 15 June 1962  Military — 80px Park Chung Hee 18 June 1962 9 July 1962  Military 60pxPark Chung Hee — 80px Kim Hyun-chul 10 July 1962 16 December 1963  Independent Prime ministers of the Third Republic 8 80px Choi Tu-son 17 December 1963 9 May 1964  Independent 60pxPark Chung Hee 9 80px Chung Il-kwon 10 May 1964 20 December 1970  Independent 10(4) 80px Paik Too-chin 21 December 1970 3 June 1971  Democratic Republican 11 80px Kim Jong-pil 4 June 1971 20 November 1972  Democratic Republican Prime ministers of the Fourth Republic 11 80px Kim Jong-pil 21 November 1972 18 December 1975  Democratic Republican 60pxPark Chung-hee 12 80px Choi Kyu-hah 19 December 1975 5 December 1979  Independent 13 80px Shin Hyun-hwak 13 December 1979 21 May 1980  Democratic Republican 60pxChoi Kyu-hah — Park Choong-hoon 22 May 1980 1 September 1980  Democratic Republican 14 80px Nam Duck-woo 2 September 1980 2 March 1981  Independent 60pxChun Doo-hwan Prime ministers of the Fifth Republic 14 80px Nam Duck-woo 3 March 1981 3 January 1982  Independent 60pxChun Doo-hwan 15  Yoo Chang-soon 4 January 1982 24 June 1982  Independent 16  Kim Sang-hyup 25 June 1982 14 October 1983  Independent 17 Chin Iee-chong 15 October 1983 18 February 1985  Democratic Justice —  11 November 1984 18 February 1985  Democratic Justice 18 80px Lho Shin-yong 19 February 1985 25 May 1987  Democratic Justice —  26 May 1987 13 July 1987  Independent 19 80px Kim Chung-yul 14 July 1987 24 February 1988  Independent Prime ministers of the Sixth Republic 20 80px Lee Hyun-jae 25 February 1988 4 December 1988  Independent 60pxRoh Tae-woo 21 Kang Young-hoon 5 December 1988 26 December 1990  Democratic Justice →Democratic Liberal 22 Ro Jai-bong 27 December 1990 23 May 1991  Democratic Liberal 23 Chung Won-shik 24 May 1991 7 October 1992  Independent 24 80px Hyun Soong-jong 8 October 1992 24 February 1993  Independent 25  Hwang In-sung 25 February 1993 16 December 1993  Democratic Liberal 60pxKim Young-sam 26 80px Lee Hoi-chang 17 December 1993 21 April 1994  Independent 27 Lee Yung-dug 22 April 1994 16 December 1994  Independent 28 80px Lee Hong-koo 17 December 1994 17 December 1995  Independent 29 80px Lee Soo-sung 18 December 1995 4 March 1997  New Korea 30 80px Goh Kun 5 March 1997 2 March 1998  New Korea →Grand National 31(11) 80px Kim Jong-pil 3 March 1998 12 January 2000  United Liberal Democrats 60pxKim Dae-jung 32 Park Tae-joon 13 January 2000 18 May 2000  United Liberal Democrats — Lee Hun-jai 19 May 2000 22 May 2000  Independent 33  Lee Han-dong 23 May 2000 10 July 2002  United Liberal Democrats — 80px Chang Sang 11 July 2002 31 July 2002  Independent —  31 July 2002 9 August 2002  Independent — 80px Chang Dae-whan 9 August 2002 10 September 2002  Independent 34 80px Kim Suk-soo 10 September 2002 26 February 2003  Independent 35(30) 80px Goh Kun 27 February 2003 24 July 2004  Independent 60pxRoh Moo-hyun — Lee Hun-jai 25 July 2004 30 July 2004  Independent 36 80px Lee Hae-chan 30 July 2004 15 March 2006  Uri — 80px Han Duck-soo 16 March 2006 19 April 2006  Independent 37 80px Han Myeong-sook 20 April 2006 6 March 2007  Uri —  7 March 2007 2 April 2007  Independent 38 80px Han Duck-soo 2 April 2007 29 February 2008  Independent 39 80px Han Seung-soo 29 February 2008 28 September 2009  Grand National 60pxLee Myung-bak 40 80px Chung Un-chan 29 September 2009 11 August 2010  Independent — 80px Yoon Jeung-hyun 11 August 2010 1 October 2010  Grand National 41 80px Kim Hwang-sik 1 October 2010 26 February 2013  Independent 42 80px Chung Hong-won 26 February 2013 16 February 2015  Independent 60pxPark Geun-hye 43 80px Lee Wan-koo 17 February 2015 27 April 2015  Saenuri — 80px Choi Kyoung-hwan 27 April 2015 18 June 2015  Saenuri 44 80px Hwang Kyo-ahn 17 June 2015 11 May 2017  Independent 60pxHwang Kyo-ahn — 80px Yoo Il-ho 11 May 2017 31 May 2017  Liberty Korea 60pxMoon Jae-in 45 80px Lee Nak-yon 31 May 2017 14 January 2020  Democratic 46 80px Chung Sye-kyun 14 January 2020 16 April 2021   Democratic — 80px Hong Nam-ki 16 April 2021  13 May 2021  Independent 47 80px Kim Boo-kyum 14 May 2021 11 May 2022  Democratic — 80px Choo Kyung-ho 12 May 2022 20 May 2022  People Power 60pxYoon Suk Yeol 48(38) 80px Han Duck-soo 24 March 2025 1 May 2025  Independent — 80px Lee Ju-ho 2 May 2025 3 July 2025  Independent 60pxLee Ju-ho 49 80px Kim Min-seok 3 July 2025 Incumbent  Democratic 60pxLee Jae-myung

Notes

 References 

Other websites
 Prime Minister's Office 
 South Korea at worldstatesmen.org