Minister of Foreign Affairs (South Korea)

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 (1948-08-25)
Deputy	Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

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.

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

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	350 days