🇰🇷 South Korea
Presidential republicLiberal democracy
Lee Jae-myung
President · 453 days in office · 1,371 days remaining
How the political system works in South Korea
South Koreans elect their president directly for one five-year term. Re-election is not allowed, so every president serves once and steps down.
Next election: 2030 — Next South Korean presidential election, expected 2030.
Tenure records
Longest-serving
Park Chung-hee
6,423 days · 3 terms
Shortest-serving
Hwang Kyo-ahn
152 days
Average tenure
1,553 days
Lee Jae-myung: 71% below average
Recent presidents by days in office
Is a leader's tenure getting longer or shorter in South Korea?
Across 18 completed terms, the average president of South Korea has served 1,553 days (about 4.3 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 1,267 days. The last leader to beat the average was Moon Jae-in, who left office in 2022.
One completed term Average tenure per decade
All presidents of South Korea
| # | Name | Took office | Left office | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 |  Lee Jae Myung | Jun 4, 2025 | Incumbent | 453 |
| 18 |  Yoon Suk Yeol | May 10, 2022 | Apr 4, 2025 | 1,060 |
| 17 |  Moon Jae-in | May 10, 2017 | May 9, 2022 | 1,825 |
| 16 | Hwang Kyo-ahn | Dec 9, 2016 | May 10, 2017 | 152 |
| 15 |  Park Geun-hye | Feb 25, 2013 | Mar 10, 2017 | 1,474 |
| 14 |  Lee Myung-bak | Feb 25, 2008 | Feb 24, 2013 | 1,826 |
| 13 |  Roh Moo-hyun | Feb 25, 2003 | Feb 24, 2008 | 1,825 |
| 12 |  Kim Dae-jung | Feb 25, 1998 | Feb 24, 2003 | 1,825 |
| 11 |  Kim Young-sam | Feb 25, 1993 | Feb 24, 1998 | 1,825 |
| 10 |  Roh Tae-woo | Feb 25, 1988 | Feb 24, 1993 | 1,826 |
| 9 |  Chun Doo-hwan | Feb 25, 1981 | Feb 24, 1988 | 2,555 |
| 8 | Chun Doo-hwan | Aug 27, 1980 | Feb 25, 1981 | 182 |
| 7 |  Choi Kyu-hah | Dec 26, 1979 | Aug 16, 1980 | 234 |
| 6 | Choi Kyu-hah | Oct 26, 1979 | Dec 6, 1979 | 41 |
| 5 |  Park Chung-hee | Dec 27, 1972 | Oct 26, 1979 | 2,494 |
| 4 | Park Chung-hee | Dec 17, 1963 | Dec 26, 1972 | 3,297 |
| 3 | Park Chung-hee | Mar 24, 1962 | Dec 16, 1963 | 632 |
| 2 |  Yun Po-sun | Aug 13, 1960 | Mar 24, 1962 | 588 |
| 1 |  Syngman Rhee | Jul 24, 1948 | Apr 27, 1960 | 4,295 |
Officeholder history via Wikidata. Multiple rows for one person indicate separate terms.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is the President of South Korea?
- Lee Jae-myung has been President of South Korea since Jun 4, 2025.
- How is the leader of South Korea chosen?
- South Koreans elect their president directly for one five-year term. Re-election is not allowed, so every president serves once and steps down.
- Who is the longest-serving President of South Korea?
- Park Chung-hee, with 6,423 days in office across 3 terms.
- Are leaders serving longer or shorter terms in South Korea?
- Across 18 completed terms, the average president of South Korea has served 1,553 days (about 4.3 years). Terms are getting shorter: the last five completed terms averaged just 1,267 days. The last leader to beat the average was Moon Jae-in, who left office in 2022.