<Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Previously the first President of the Provisional Government 1919 - 1925 before being impeached . The Speaker of the Constituent Assembly 1948 . The first President of South Korea 1948 - 1960 . </Td> </Tr> <P> Conservative Centrist Liberal Military Independent </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> No . </Th> <Th> Portrait </Th> <Th> Name (Birth--Death) </Th> <Th> Term </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Term of Office </Th> <Th> Electoral mandate </Th> <Th> Political party </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> President of the First Republic </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1, 2, 3 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Rhee Syng - man I (Yi) Seungman 이승만 李 承晩 (1875--1965) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 24 July 1948 </Td> <Td> 14 August 1952 </Td> <Td> 1948--91.8% </Td> <Td> NARRKI (1948--1951) Liberal (1951--1960) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> 15 August 1952 </Td> <Td> 14 August 1956 </Td> <Td> 1952--74.6% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> 15 August 1956 </Td> <Td> 27 April 1960 </Td> <Td> 1956--70.0% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1960--100.0% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The only President of the First Republic of Korea . Previously the President (1919 - 1925) and the Chairman of the State Council (1947 - 1948) of the Provisional Government . The Speaker of the Constituent Assembly (1948). The first Korean to earn a Ph. D from a University of the Western World (Princeton) in 1910 . The Korean War from 1950 to 1953 . Forced to resign in the April Revolution of 1960 and died in exile in Hawaii in 1965 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> During this interval, Minister of Foreign Affairs Heo Jeong (허정 / 許 政) was Acting President . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> President of the Second Republic </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> During this interval, Speaker of National Assembly (House of Commons) Gwak Sang - hun (곽상훈 / 郭尙勳) was Acting President . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> During this interval, Prime Minister Heo Jeong (허정 / 許 政) was Acting President . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> During this interval, Speaker of National Assembly (Senate) Paek Nak - jun (백낙준 / 白 樂 濬) was Acting President . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Yun Bo - seon Yun Boseon 윤보선 尹潽善 (1897--1990) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 12 August 1960 </Td> <Td> 24 March 1962 </Td> <Td> 1960--82.2% </Td> <Td> Democratic (1960--1962) New Democratic (1962) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The only President of the Second Republic of Korea . Park Chung - hee took de facto control over the country through the May 16 coup in 1961 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> Chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td>--</Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Park Chung - hee Bak Jeonghui 박정희 朴正熙 (1917--1979) </Td> <Td>--</Td> <Td> 24 March 1962 </Td> <Td> 17 December 1963 </Td> <Td> Acting President </Td> <Td> Military </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> Park Chung - hee was de facto leader of the country after leading the May 16 coup in 1961, which effectively overthrew the Second Republic of Korea . Park also became Acting President after Yun Bo - seon's resignation in 1962 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> President of the Third Republic </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5, 6, 7 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Park Chung - hee Bak Jeonghui 박정희 朴正熙 (1917--1979) </Td> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> 17 December 1963 </Td> <Td> 30 June 1967 </Td> <Td> 1963--46.6% </Td> <Td> Democratic Republican </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> 1 July 1967 </Td> <Td> 30 June 1971 </Td> <Td> 1967--51.4% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> 1 July 1971 </Td> <Td> 26 December 1972 </Td> <Td> 1971--53.2% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The only President of the Third Republic of Korea . Successfully industrialized South Korea and improved the economy significantly . He also proposed a range of significant policies, movements, and diplomatic pacts that contributed to constructing modern South Korea . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> Presidents of the Fourth Republic </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8, 9 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Park Chung - hee Bak Jeonghui 박정희 朴正熙 (1917--1979) </Td> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> 27 December 1972 </Td> <Td> 26 December 1978 </Td> <Td> 1972--99.9% </Td> <Td> Democratic Republican </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> 27 December 1978 </Td> <Td> 26 October 1979 </Td> <Td> 1978--99.9% </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The first President of the Fourth Republic of Korea . Assassinated by Kim Jae - kyu, the director of Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA). </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> During this interval, Prime Minister Choi Kyu - hah (최규하 / 崔圭夏), was Acting President . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Choi Kyu - hah Choe Gyuha 최규하 崔圭夏 (1919--2006) </Td> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> 6 December 1979 </Td> <Td> 16 August 1980 </Td> <Td> 1979--96.7% </Td> <Td> Independent </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The second President of the Fourth Republic of Korea . Chun Doo - hwan took de facto control over the country by leading Coup d'état of December Twelfth in 1979 . Presided at the time of the Gwangju Democratization Movement in 1980 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> During this interval, Acting Prime Minister Pak Choong - hoon (박충훈 / 朴忠勳), was Acting President . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Chun Doo - hwan Jeon Duhwan 전두환 全 斗煥 (1931--) </Td> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> 1 September 1980 </Td> <Td> 25 February 1981 </Td> <Td> 1980--99.9% </Td> <Td> Democratic Justice </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The third President of the Fourth Republic of Korea . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> President of the Fifth Republic </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Chun Doo - hwan Jeon Duhwan 전두환 全 斗煥 (1931--) </Td> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> 25 February 1981 </Td> <Td> 25 February 1988 </Td> <Td> 1981--90.2% </Td> <Td> Democratic Justice </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The only President of the Fifth Republic of Korea . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="8"> Presidents of the Sixth Republic </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Roh Tae - woo No Taeu 노태우 盧 泰愚 (1932--) </Td> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> 25 February 1988 </Td> <Td> 25 February 1993 </Td> <Td> 1987--36.6% 8,282,738 </Td> <Td> Democratic Justice (1987--1990) Democratic Liberal (1990--1992) Independent (1992 - 1993) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The first Administration of the Sixth Republic of South Korea and the first president after the introduction of direct free and fair elections . Roh remained committed to democratic reforms, and also hosted the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul . Formerly served as a ROK Army general, an ally and friend of the previous President of the Fifth Republic Chun Doo - hwan . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Kim Young - sam Gim Yeongsam 김영삼 金 泳三 (1929--2015) </Td> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> 25 February 1993 </Td> <Td> 25 February 1998 </Td> <Td> 1992--42.0% 9,977,332 </Td> <Td> Democratic Liberal (1993--1995) New Korea (1995--1997) Independent (1997 - 1998) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The second Administration of the Sixth Republic of South Korea . The first democratic activist to be elected president . Kim further attempted to reform the government and economy . He had former President Chun Doo - hwan and Roh Tae - woo arrested on charges of corruption and treason, winning convictions against both, but later pardoned them on the advice of then President - elect Kim Dae - jung . Kim Young - sam also granted amnesty to thousands of political prisoners, and removed the criminal convictions of pro-democracy protesters who had been arrested during the Gwangju massacre in the aftermath of the Coup d'état of December Twelfth . Led an anti-corruption campaign, requiring government and military officials to publish their financial records, precipitating the resignation of several high - ranking officers and cabinet members . Presided over the International Monetary Fund bailout of South Korea following the financial crisis of 1997 . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Kim Dae - jung Gim Daejung 김대중 金大中 (1924--2009) </Td> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> 25 February 1998 </Td> <Td> 25 February 2003 </Td> <Td> 1997--40.3% 10,326,275 </Td> <Td> NCNP (1998--2000) New Millennium Democratic (2000--2002) Independent (2002 - 2003) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The third Administration of the Sixth Republic of South Korea . The second democratic activist President of South Korea . Kim formulated and implemented the Sunshine Policy of engagement with North Korea, and became the first South Korean president to visit North Korea in 2000, meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong - il in Pyongyang . Nobel Peace Prize recipient in 2000 "for his work for democracy and human rights in South Korea and in East Asia in general, and for peace and reconciliation with North Korea in particular ." Co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with the neighboring country of Japan . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Roh Moo - hyun No Muhyeon 노무현 盧武鉉 (1946--2009) </Td> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> 25 February 2003 </Td> <Td> 25 February 2008 </Td> <Td> 2002--48.91% 12,014,277 </Td> <Td> Millennium Democratic (2003) <P> Uri (Opened Our) (2004--2007) Independent (2007 - 2008) </P> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> From 12 March 2004 until 14 May 2004, Prime Minister Goh Kun (고건 / 高 建) served as an Acting President for Roh Moo - hyun . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The fourth Administration of the Sixth Republic of South Korea . The second liberal / centrist President of the Sixth Republic . Roh maintained the existing Sunshine Policy of engagement towards North Korea . The first President of the Sixth Republic to be tried for impeachment . Roh's planned to the create an administrative capital, but he was set back by the Constitutional Court's ruling that the relocation of the capital was unconstitutional . Instead Roh opted for an administrative center . Served as Member of the National Assembly for Dong District, Busan (1988--1992). </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Lee Myung - bak I (Yi) Myeongbak 이명박 李 明博 (1941--) </Td> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> 25 February 2008 </Td> <Td> 25 February 2013 </Td> <Td> 2007--48.7% 11,492,389 </Td> <Td> Grand National (2008--2012) Saenuri (New World) (2012--2013) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The fifth Administration of the Sixth Republic of South Korea . Lee implemented a tougher policy with regard to North Korea, through the MB Doctrine . Reversed the U.S. beef import arrangement in 2008, triggering a series of anti--U.S. beef import protests . Attempted to scale down the development of Sejong into a hub of education, science and business rather than a national administrative center, with the support and backing of the former Prime Minister Chung Un-chan . Growing conflicts with North Korea resulted in the ROKS Cheonan sinking and bombardment of Yeonpyeong. Lee also became the first South Korean president to visit Dokdo, which further escalated tensions with Japan in 2012 before the end of his term . Served as Member of the National Assembly for Jongno District (1996--1998), Mayor of Seoul (2002--2006). </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Park Geun - hye Bak Geunhye 박근혜 朴槿惠 (1952--) </Td> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> 25 February 2013 </Td> <Td> 10 March 2017 </Td> <Td> 2012--51.6% 15,773,128 </Td> <Td> Saenuri (New World) (2013--2017) Liberty Korea (2017) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="4"> From 9 December 2016 until 10 March 2017, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo - ahn (황교안 / 黃敎安) served as an Acting President for Park Geun - hye . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The sixth Administration of the Sixth Republic of South Korea . Park is a daughter of former President Park Chung - hee, and she was the first female President of South Korea . She was the second president to be tried for impeachment and the first president to be successfully impeached following a unanimous (8 - 0) vote on 10 March 2017 by the Constitutional Court to remove her from office . Served as Member of the National Assembly for Dalseong County (1998--2012), and as a party list member (2012). </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="9"> During this interval, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo - ahn (황교안 / 黃敎安) was Acting President . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Moon Jae - in Mun Jaein 문재인 文 在 寅 (1953--) </Td> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> 10 May 2017 </Td> <Td> Incumbent </Td> <Td> 2017--41.1% 13,423,800 </Td> <Td> Democratic </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="5"> The seventh President of the Sixth Republic of South Korea . The third left - wing President of South Korea . Assumed the office immediately upon election on 10 May 2017, following the impeachment of Park Geun - hye . Served as Member of the National Assembly for Sasang (2012--2016). </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> No . </Th> <Th> Portrait </Th> <Th> Name (Birth--Death) </Th> <Th> Term </Th> <Th_colspan="2"> Term of Office </Th> <Th> Electoral mandate </Th> <Th> Political party </Th> </Tr>

Who became the president of south korea in 1998