The Minister of National Defense (Korean: 국방부장관) of South Korea is the leader and chief executive of the Ministry of National Defense. The minister is responsible for implementing South Korea's national defense policy, and is a member of the State Council. The minister of national defense is appointed by the president and is confirmed upon a hearing by the National Assembly.
Under the principle of civil control, Article 87 of the South Korean Constitution mandates that no current member of the armed forces can become a member of the State Council. However, South Korean law does not instate a required period of hiatus between retirement from military service and appointment to the position of defense minister, resulting in a majority of past ministers being 'quasi-civilians' who were appointed after recent relief from active duty.
The current minister of national defense is Ahn Gyu-back, who was appointed by president Lee Jae Myung on June 24, 2025. He succeeded former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, who resigned on 5 December 2024 following his involvement in the 2024 South Korean martial law crisis. Ahn is considered the first civilian defence minister since the May 16 coup in 1961.