Chief of Staff of the Air Force (South Korea)

Chief of Staff of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF)
대한민국 공군참모총장
Flag Chief of Staff of the Air Force
Incumbent General Lee Young-su since 31 October 2023
Ministry of National Defense
Member of	Joint Chiefs of Staff
Reports to	Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Appointer	The President
Formation	1 October 1949
First holder	Lieutenant General Kim Chung-yul

The Chief of Staff of the Republic of Korea Air Force (Korean: 대한민국 공군참모총장, Hanja: 大韓民國空軍參謀總長), is the professional head of the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) since its foundation in 1949, originally held by a Lieutenant General,^[1] then by a Four-star General since 1968.^[2][3]

The duty of the Chief of Staff is to direct and supervise the Air Force (not including operation units) by order of the Minister of National Defense according to Article 10, Act on the Organization of National Armed Forces.^[4]

The appointment of the Chief of Staff, along with the Chiefs of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is referred to the State Council of South Korea for deliberation according to Article 89, Constitution of South Korea.^[5]

No.	Portrait	Chief of Staff of the Air Force	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Lieutenant General Kim Chung-yul (1917–1992)	1 October 1949	14 November 1952	3 years, 44 days
2		Lieutenant General Choi Yong-duk (1898–1969)	1 December 1952	19 November 1954	1 year, 353 days
3		Lieutenant General Kim Chung-yul (1917–1992)	1 December 1954	1 December 1956	2 years, 0 days
4		Lieutenant General Jang Duk-chang (1903–1972)	1 December 1956	1 December 1958	2 years, 0 days
5		Lieutenant General Kim Chang-kyu (1920–2020)	1 December 1958	25 July 1960	1 year, 237 days
6		Lieutenant General Kim Shin (1922–2016)	1 August 1960	1 August 1962	2 years, 0 days
7		Lieutenant General Chang Sung-hwan (1920–2015)	1 August 1962	1 August 1964	2 years, 0 days
8		Lieutenant General Park Won-Seok (1923–2015)	1 August 1964	1 August 1966	2 years, 0 days
9		Lieutenant General Chang Chi-ryang (1924–2015)	1 August 1966	1 August 1968	2 years, 0 days
10		General Kim Sung-yong (1926–2002)	1 August 1968	1 August 1970	2 years, 0 days
11		General Kim Too-man (born 1927)	1 August 1970	24 August 1971	1 year, 23 days
12		General Ock Man-ho (1927–2011)	25 August 1971	1 August 1974	2 years, 341 days
13		General Choo Young-bock (1927–2005)	1 August 1974	13 April 1979	4 years, 255 days
14		General Yoon Ja-jung (1929–2017)	18 April 1979	10 March 1981	1 year, 326 days
15		General Lee Hee-kun (born 1929)	10 March 1981	5 June 1982	1 year, 87 days
16		General Kim Sang-tae (born 1930)	5 June 1982	5 June 1984	2 years, 0 days
17		General Kim In-ki (1933–2013)	5 June 1984	5 June 1987	3 years, 0 days
18		General Suh Dong-yul (1931–2022)	5 June 1987	5 June 1989	2 years, 0 days
19		General Chung Yong-hoo (1934–2004)	5 June 1989	8 September 1990	1 year, 95 days
20		General Han Chu-sok (born 1936)	8 September 1990	8 September 1992	2 years, 0 days
21		General Lee Yang-ho (1937–2020)	8 September 1992	27 May 1993	261 days
22		General Cho Kun-hae (1937–1994)	27 May 1993	3 March 1994	280 days
23		General Kim Hong-rae (1939–2022)	8 March 1994	8 March 1996	2 years, 0 days
24		General Lee Kwang-hak (born 1939)	8 March 1996	6 March 1998	1 year, 363 days
25		General Park Chun-taek (born 1939)	6 March 1998	3 March 2000	1 year, 363 days
26		General Lee Eok-soo (born 1943)	3 March 2000	2 March 2002	1 year, 364 days
27		General Kim Dae-wook (1944–2007)	2 March 2002	11 October 2003	1 year, 223 days
28		General Lee Han-ho (born 1946)	11 October 2003	7 October 2005	1 year, 361 days
29		General Kim Sung-il (born 1948)	10 October 2005	13 April 2007	1 year, 185 days
30		General Kim Eun-ki (born 1952)	13 April 2007	2 October 2008	1 year, 172 days
31		General Lee Gye-hoon (born 1952)	2 October 2008	30 September 2010	1 year, 363 days
32		General Park Jong-heon (born 1954)	30 September 2010	18 April 2012	1 year, 201 days
33		General Sung Il-hwan (born 1954)	18 April 2012	11 April 2014	1 year, 358 days
34		General Choi Cha-kyu (born 1956)	11 April 2014	17 September 2015	1 year, 159 days
35		General Jeong Kyeong-doo (born 1960)	17 September 2015	11 August 2017	1 year, 328 days
36		General Lee Wang-keun (born 1961)	11 August 2017	16 April 2019	1 year, 248 days
37		General Won In-choul (born 1961)	16 April 2019	23 September 2020	1 year, 160 days
38		General Lee Seong-yong (born 1964)	23 September 2020	10 June 2021	260 days
39		General Park In-ho (born 1964)	2 July 2021	27 May 2002	329 days
40		General Jung Sang-hwa (born 1964)	27 May 2022	31 October 2023	1 year, 157 days
41		General Lee Young-su (born 1967)	31 October 2023	Incumbent	1 year, 80 days