The minister of education () of South Korea is the leader and chief executive of the Ministry of Education and a member of the State Council. The president nominates the minister of education upon the recommendation of the prime minister. All minister nominees are required to undergo congressional confirmation hearings, though the consent of the National Assembly is only necessary for the Prime Minister.
In January 2001, the Ministry of Education was reformed into the ; in February 2008, it was merged with the Ministry of Science & Technology to form the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology. In March 2013, the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology was split into the current Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.
In South Korea, the offices of the two deputy prime ministers are held by a member of the State Council. The minister of education and human resources development held the position of deputy prime minister from 2001 to 2008, during the Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun administrations. From 2014 to 2025, during the Park Geun-hye, Moon Jae-in, and Yoon Suk Yeol administrations, the minister of education held the position of deputy prime minister.
List Minister of Education (1948–2001) Portrait Name Term of office PresidentTook officeLeft officeTime in office13 August 19483 May 1950Syngman Rhee2Baek Nak-jun4 May 195029 October 1952330 October 195220 April 19544Lee Seon-geun21 April 19547 June 195658 June 195626 November 19576Choi Jae-yu27 November 195727 April 19607Yi Pyong Do28 April 196022 August 1960Yun Po-sun823 August 19602 May 196193 May 196119 May 196110Mun Hui-seok20 May 196118 January 196211Kim Sang-hyup19 January 196214 October 1962Park Chung Hee (acting)1215 October 196215 March 19631316 March 196316 December 19631417 December 196310 May 1964Park Chung Hee1511 May 196426 August 19651627 August 196525 September 196617 Moon Hong-joo26 September 196620 May 196818Gwon O-byeong21 May 196810 April 19691911 April 19693 June 1971204 June 197117 September 197421Ryu Ki-chun18 September 19743 December 1976224 December 197619 December 19772320 December 197713 December 197924Kim Ok-gil14 December 197921 May 1980Choi Kyu-hah 2522 May 198014 October 1983Chun Doo-hwan2615 October 198318 February 19852719 February 198513 July 19872814 July 198724 February 19882925 February 19884 December 1988Roh Tae-woo30Chung Won-shik5 December 198826 December 19903127 December 199022 January 199232Jo Wan-kyu23 January 199225 February 19933326 February 199321 December 1993Kim Young-sam3422 December 199311 May 19953516 May 199520 December 19953621 December 19955 August 1997376 August 19972 March 199838Lee Hae-chan3 March 199823 May 1999Kim Dae-jung39Kim Deok-jung24 May 199913 January 20004014 January 20005 August 200041Song Ja7 August 200029 August 20004231 August 200028 January 2001
Minister of Education & Human Resources Development (2001–2008) Portrait Name Term of office PresidentTook officeLeft officeTime in office4329 January 200128 January 2002Kim Dae-jung4429 January 20025 March 2003457 March 200323 December 2003Roh Moo-hyun4624 December 20034 January 200547Lee Ki-jun5 January 200510 January 200548Kim Jin-pyo28 January 200520 July 200649Kim Byong-joon21 July 20068 August 2006509 August 200628 February 2008
Minister of Education, Science, and Technology (2008–2013) Portrait Name Term of office PresidentTook officeLeft officeTime in office5129 February 20085 August 2008Lee Myung-bak52Ahn Byong-man6 August 200830 August 201053Lee Ju-ho30 August 201010 March 20135411 March 201322 March 2013Park Geun-hye
Minister of Education (2013–present) Portrait Name Term of office PresidentTook officeLeft officeTime in office55Seo Nam-soo23 March 20137 August 2014Park Geun-hye56Hwang Woo-yea8 August 201412 January 201657Lee Joon-sik13 January 20164 July 201758Kim Sang-gon5 July 20172 October 2018Moon Jae-in59Yoo Eun-hae2 October 20189 May 202260Park Soon-ae5 July 20228 August 2022Yoon Suk-yeol61Lee Ju-ho7 November 202229 July 202562Choi Kyo-jin11 September 2025incumbentLee Jae Myung
See also
Ministry of Education (South Korea)
References