President of South Korea
| President of the Republic of Korea
대한민국 대통령 大韓民國大統領 | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Executive branch of the Government of South Korea Office of the President | |
| Style |
|
| Status | |
| Member of | |
| Residence | Presidential Residence of South Korea |
| Seat | Seoul |
| Appointer | Direct popular vote |
| Term length | Five years, Non renewable |
| Constituting instrument | Constitution of South Korea (1948) |
| Precursor | President of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea |
| Formation | 24 July 1948 |
| First holder | Syngman Rhee |
| Unofficial names | President of South Korea |
| Deputy | Prime Minister of South Korea |
| Salary | ₩240,648,000/USD$ 165,084 annually (2024)[1] |
| Website | Official website (in English) Official website (in Korean) |
.jpg)
The President of the Republic of Korea is the head of state, leader of the executive of the South Korean government and the commander-in-chief of the South Korean Armed Forces.
The president is directly elected by the people to a five-year term, with no possibility of re-election.[2] While in office, the chief executive lives in Cheong Wa Dae (the "Blue House").
If the National Assembly votes against a presidential decision, it will be declared void immediately.
Powers and duties of the president
[change | change source]The president is required to:
- uphold the Constitution
- preserve the safety and homeland of South Korea
- work for the peaceful reunification of Korea, typically act as the Chairperson of the National Unification Advisory Council
List of presidents
[change | change source]Living former presidents
[change | change source]As of February 2026, four former presidents are alive:
| Image | Name | Term of office | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Lee Myung-bak | 2008–2013 | 84 years, 55 days |
_(cropped).jpg) |
Park Geun-hye | 2013–2017 | 74 years, 10 days |
.jpg) |
Moon Jae-in | 2017–2022 | 73 years, 31 days |
.jpg) |
Yoon Suk Yeol | 2022–2025 | 65 years, 56 days |
The longest-lived President was Yun Bo-seon, who died on July 18, 1990 (at the age of 92 years, 326 days).
The most recent President to die was Chun Doo-hwan, who died on November 23, 2021.
References
[change | change source]- ↑ Executive Order: 공무원보수규정(제31380호)(20210105) / (별표 32) 고정급적 연봉제 적용대상 공무원의 연봉표(제35조 관련) (in Korean)
- ↑ Article 70 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea.
Other websites
[change | change source]- Official Website of the President of the Republic of Korea Archived 2006-10-14 at the Wayback Machine
