Minister of Foreign Affairs (South Korea)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs (Korean: 외교부장관; RR: Oegyobujanggwan) is the leader and chief executive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The minister is responsible for implementing South Korea's foreign policy.

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Emblem of the Government of Republic of Korea
Incumbent Cho Tae-yul since 11 January 2024
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Member of	State Council of South Korea
Reports to	President of South Korea
Appointer	President
Formation	August 25, 1948; 76 years ago (1948-08-25)
Deputy	Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

The current minister for foreign affairs is Cho Tae-yeol, who took office in January 2024.^[1]

List of ministers of foreign affairs

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			President
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Jang Taek-sang 장택상 (1893–1969)	15 August 1948	24 December 1948	131 days	Syngman Rhee
2		Ben C. Lim 임병직 (1893–1976)	25 December 1948	15 April 1951	2 years, 111 days
3		Byun Young-tae 변영태 (1892–1969)	16 April 1951	28 July 1955	4 years, 103 days
4		Cho Chung-whan 조정환 (1893–1976)	29 July 1955	21 December 1959	4 years, 145 days
—		Choi Kyu-hah 최규하 (1919–2006)	22 December 1959	24 April 1960	124 days
5		Her Chung 허정 (1896–1988)	25 April 1960	19 August 1960	116 days	Yun Bo-seon
6		Chung Il-hyung 정일형 (1904–1982)	23 August 1960	20 May 1961	270 days
7		Kim Hong-il 김홍일 (1898–1980)	21 May 1961	21 July 1961	61 days
8		Song Yo-chan 송요찬 (1918–1980)	22 July 1961	10 October 1961	80 days
9		Choi Duk-shin 최덕신 (1914–1989)	11 October 1961	15 March 1963	1 year, 155 days
						Park Chung Hee (acting)
10		Kim Yong-shik 김용식 (1913–1995)	16 March 1963	16 December 1963	275 days
11		Chung Il-kwon 정일권 (1917–1994)	17 December 1963	24 July 1964	220 days	Park Chung Hee
12		Lee Tong-won 이동원 (1926–2006)	25 July 1964	26 December 1966	2 years, 154 days
(11)		Chung Il-kwon 정일권 (1917–1994)	27 December 1966	29 June 1967	184 days
13		Choi Kyu-hah 최규하 (1919–2006)	30 June 1967	3 June 1971	3 years, 338 days
(10)		Kim Yong-shik 김용식 (1913–1995)	4 June 1971	2 December 1973	2 years, 181 days
14		Kim Dong-jo 김동조 (1918–2004)	3 December 1973	18 December 1975	2 years, 15 days
15		Pak Tongjin 박동진 (1922–2013)	19 December 1975	1 September 1980	4 years, 257 days
						Choi Kyu-hah
16		Lho Shin-yong 노신영 (1930–2019)	2 September 1980	1 June 1982	1 year, 272 days	Chun Doo-hwan
17		Lee Bum-suk 이범석 (1925–1983)	2 June 1982	9 October 1983	1 year, 129 days
18		Lee Won-kyung 이원경 (1922–2007)	15 October 1983	26 August 1986	2 years, 315 days
19		Choi Kwang-soo 최광수 (1935– 2021)	26 August 1986	5 December 1988	2 years, 101 days
						Roh Tae-woo
20		Choi Ho-joong 최호중 (1930–2015)	5 December 1988	27 December 1990	2 years, 22 days
21		Lee Sang-ock 이상옥 (born 1934)	27 December 1990	26 February 1993	2 years, 61 days
22		Han Sung-joo 한승주 (born 1940)	26 February 1993	24 December 1994	1 year, 301 days	Kim Young-sam
23		Gong Ro-myung 공로명 (born 1932)	24 December 1994	7 November 1996	1 year, 319 days
24		Yoo Chong-ha 유종하 (born 1936)	7 November 1996	3 March 1998	1 year, 116 days
25		Park Chung-soo 박정수 (1932–2003)	3 March 1998	4 August 1998	154 days	Kim Dae-jung
26		Hong Soon-young 홍순영 (1937–2014)	4 August 1998	14 January 2000	1 year, 163 days
27		Lee Joung-binn 이정빈 (born 1937)	14 January 2000	26 March 2001	1 year, 71 days
28		Han Seung-soo 한승수 (born 1936)	26 March 2001	4 February 2002	315 days
29		Choi Sung-hong 최성홍 (born 1938)	4 February 2002	27 February 2003	1 year, 23 days
30		Yoon Young-kwan 윤영관 (born 1951)	27 February 2003	17 January 2004	324 days	Roh Moo-hyun
31		Ban Ki-moon 반기문 (born 1944)	17 January 2004	10 November 2006	2 years, 297 days
32		Song Min-soon 송민순 (born 1948)	10 November 2006	29 February 2008	1 year, 111 days
33		Yu Myung-hwan 유명환 (born 1948)	29 February 2008	4 September 2010	2 years, 188 days	Lee Myung-bak
34		Kim Sung-hwan 김성환 (born 1953)	8 October 2010	11 March 2013	2 years, 154 days
35		Yun Byung-se 윤병세 (born 1953)	11 March 2013	18 June 2017	4 years, 99 days	Park Geun-hye
36		Kang Kyung-wha 강경화 (born 1955)	18 June 2017	8 February 2021	3 years, 235 days	Moon Jae-in
37		Chung Eui-yong 정의용 (born 1946)	9 February 2021	12 May 2022	1 year, 92 days
38		Park Jin 박진 (born 1956)	12 May 2022	10 January 2024	1 year, 243 days	Yoon Suk-yeol
39		Cho Tae-yul 조태열 (born 1955)	11 January 2024	incumbent	1 year, 129 days