On June 3, 2025, Lee Jae-myung was elected the 21st President of South Korea in a by-election. Following the impeachment of the former president, his term began immediately the next day. This raises a common question: With President Lee Jae-myung being the 21st president, does that mean South Korea has had 21 different presidents?
The short answer is no. While Lee Jae-myung is the 21st president, he is the 14th individual to hold the office. This is because several presidents have served multiple terms.
Below is a brief overview of the presidents of the Republic of Korea, from the First Republic to the present, including their terms and key election details.
The First Republic (1948–1960)
Syngman Rhee (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th President)
- 1st Presidential Election (July 20, 1948)
- Election Method: Indirect election (by the National Assembly).
- Key Details: The first presidential election held by the Constituent Assembly, three years after liberation.
- Result: Syngman Rhee elected (180 votes).
- 2nd Presidential Election (August 5, 1952)
- Election Method: Direct election (88.1% turnout).
- Key Details: Held after a constitutional amendment (the “Balchwe Gaebyeon”) introduced a direct presidential election system.
- Result: Syngman Rhee re-elected (74.6% of the vote).
- 3rd Presidential Election (May 15, 1956)
- Election Method: Direct election (94.4% turnout).
- Key Details: Held after forcibly passing a constitutional amendment to abolish presidential term limits.
- Result: Syngman Rhee secured a long-term hold on power (70% of the vote).
- 4th Presidential Election (March 15, 1960)
- Election Method: Direct election (97.0% turnout).
- Key Details: Characterized by widespread election fraud by the ruling Liberal Party and the government.
- Result: Syngman Rhee won (100% of the vote) but resigned due to the April 19 Revolution.
The Second Republic (1960–1961)
Yun Po-sun (4th President)
- 4th Presidential Election (August 12, 1960)
- Election Method: Indirect election (by a joint session of the House of Commons and the House of Councillors).
- Key Details: Held under a parliamentary system following the April 19 Revolution. Prime Minister Chang Myon held an executive power, making this the only period of a parliamentary system in South Korean history.
- Result: Yun Po-sun elected (208 votes) but his term was cut short by the May 16 military coup.
The Third Republic (1963–1972)
Park Chung-hee (5th, 6th, 7th President)
- 5th Presidential Election (October 15, 1963)
- Election Method: Direct election (85.0% turnout).
- Key Details: Marked the launch of the Third Republic after a constitutional amendment for direct presidential elections was adopted by the leaders of the May 16 coup.
- Result: Park Chung-hee elected (46.6% of the vote).
- 6th Presidential Election (May 3, 1967)
- Election Method: Direct election (83.6% turnout).
- Result: Park Chung-hee re-elected (51.5% of the vote).
- 7th Presidential Election (April 27, 1971)
- Election Method: Direct election (79.8% turnout).
- Key Details: Held after a constitutional amendment allowing a third presidential term.
- Result: Park Chung-hee elected (53% of the vote).
The Fourth Republic (1972–1980)
Park Chung-hee (8th, 9th President)
- 8th Presidential Election (December 23, 1972)
- Election Method: Indirect election (by the National Conference for Unification).
- Key Details: Following the establishment of the Yushin Constitution, the president was elected by the National Conference for Unification.
- Result: Park Chung-hee elected (99.9% support).
- 9th Presidential Election (July 6, 1978)
- Election Method: Indirect election (by the National Conference for Unification).
- Key Details: Elected with overwhelming support but was assassinated on October 26, 1979.
- Result: Park Chung-hee elected (99.8% support).
Choi Kyu-hah (10th President)
- 10th Presidential Election (December 6, 1979)
- Election Method: Indirect election (by the National Conference for Unification).
- Key Details: Acting President Choi Kyu-hah was elected following the assassination of President Park. The Coup d’état of December Twelfth occurred just six days later.
- Result: Choi Kyu-hah elected.
Chun Doo-hwan (11th President)
- 11th Presidential Election (August 27, 1980)
- Election Method: Indirect election (by the National Conference for Unification).
- Key Details: Elected after the new military group seized control of the government.
- Result: Chun Doo-hwan elected.
The Fifth Republic (1981–1988)
Chun Doo-hwan (12th President)
- 12th Presidential Election (February 25, 1981)
- Election Method: Indirect election (by a presidential electoral college).
- Key Details: Held after a constitutional revision that established a single seven-year presidential term and an indirect election system, often criticized as being similar to the “gymnasium elections” of the Yushin era.
- Result: Chun Doo-hwan elected (90.1% support).
The Sixth Republic (1988–Present)
Roh Tae-woo (13th President)
- 13th Presidential Election (December 16, 1987)
- Election Method: Direct election (89.2% turnout).
- Key Details: Following the June Democratic Struggle and the June 29 Declaration, the constitution was amended to a single five-year presidential term with direct elections.
- Result: Roh Tae-woo elected (36.7% of the vote).
Kim Young-sam (14th President)
- 14th Presidential Election (December 18, 1992)
- Election Method: Direct election (81.9% turnout).
- Key Details: Held after the creation of the Democratic Liberal Party through a three-party merger.
- Result: Kim Young-sam elected (42.0% of the vote).
Kim Dae-jung (15th President)
- 15th Presidential Election (December 18, 1997)
- Election Method: Direct election (80.7% turnout).
- Key Details: Marked the first peaceful transfer of power to an opposition party in South Korean history.
- Result: Kim Dae-jung elected (40.3% of the vote).
Roh Moo-hyun (16th President)
- 16th Presidential Election (December 19, 2002)
- Election Method: Direct election (70.8% turnout).
- Result: Roh Moo-hyun elected (48.9% of the vote).
Lee Myung-bak (17th President)
- 17th Presidential Election (December 19, 2007)
- Election Method: Direct election (63.03% turnout).
- Result: Lee Myung-bak elected (48.67% of the vote).
Park Geun-hye (18th President)
- 18th Presidential Election (December 19, 2012)
- Election Method: Direct election (75.84% turnout).
- Key Details: South Korea’s first female president and the first instance of a president being the child of a former president.
- Result: Park Geun-hye elected (51.55% of the vote).
Moon Jae-in (19th President)
- 19th Presidential Election (May 9, 2017)
- Election Method: Direct election (77.23% turnout).
- Key Details: A by-election held following the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye.
- Result: Moon Jae-in elected (41.08% of the vote).
Yoon Suk Yeol (20th President)
- 20th Presidential Election (March 9, 2022)
- Election Method: Direct election (77.1% turnout).
- Result: Yoon Suk Yeol elected (48.56% of the vote).
Lee Jae-myung (21st President)
- 21st Presidential Election (June 3, 2025)
- Election Method: Direct election (79.38% turnout).
- Key Details: A by-election held following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
- Result: Lee Jae-myung elected (49.42% of the vote).
Conclusion: Lee Jae-myung is the 14th President of South Korea
To summarize, the list of individuals who have served as President of the Republic of Korea is:
- Syngman Rhee (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th)
- Yun Po-sun (4th)
- Park Chung-hee (5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th)
- Choi Kyu-hah (10th)
- Chun Doo-hwan (11th, 12th)
- Roh Tae-woo (13th)
- Kim Young-sam (14th)
- Kim Dae-jung (15th)
- Roh Moo-hyun (16th)
- Lee Myung-bak (17th)
- Park Geun-hye (18th)
- Moon Jae-in (19th)
- Yoon Suk Yeol (20th)
- Lee Jae-myung (21st)
Therefore, there have been a total of 14 presidents up to the 21st presidential term. South Korea’s political history shows a clear progression from indirect elections and long-term rule to a stable, direct presidential election system with a single five-year term, which has been firmly established since the Sixth Republic.
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