Minister of National Defense (South Korea)
| Minister of National Defense | |
|---|---|
Flag of the Minister of National Defense | |
since 25 July 2025 | |
| Ministry of National Defense | |
| Member of | State Council of South Korea |
| Reports to | President of South Korea |
| Appointer | President |
| Formation | August 15, 1948 |
| Deputy | Deputy Minister of National Defense |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 국방부 장관 |
| Hanja | 國防部長官 |
| RR | Gukbangbu janggwan |
| MR | Kukpangbu changgwan |
The Minister of National Defense (Korean: 국방부 장관) is the leader and chief executive of the Ministry of National Defense. The minister is responsible for implementing South Korea's National Defense policy.
The current acting Minister of National Defense is Kim Seon-ho since 5 December 2024, after the previous minister, Kim Yong-hyun, suggested to president Yoon Suk Yeol on 3 December that he impose martial law, which failed and resulted in the resignation of the minister. The president has since nominated Choi Byung-hyuk to be the next minister of defense.