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) The Second Republic (1960–1961) Yun Po-sun (4th President) The Third Republic (1963–1972) Park Chung-hee (5th, 6th, 7th President) The Fourth Republic (1972–1980) Park Chung-hee (8th, 9th President) Choi Kyu-hah (10th President) Chun Doo-hwan (11th President) The Fifth Republic (1981–1988) Chun Doo-hwan (12th President) The Sixth Republic (1988–Present) Roh Tae-woo (13th President) Kim Young-sam (14th President) Kim Dae-jung (15th President) Roh Moo-hyun (16th President) Lee Myung-bak (17th President) Park Geun-hye (18th President) Moon Jae-in (19th President) Yoon Suk Yeol (20th President) Lee Jae-myung (21st President) 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: 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. AI 오디오 오버뷰 생성 Canvas