Unemployment rate during each president's tenure
Every president since 1991, ranked by how the unemployment rate changed from their first day in office. Politare shows what happened during a tenure; it does not claim the office-holder caused it.
| # | President | In office | Total | Per year | Chart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DP Kim Young-sam | 25 Feb 1993 – 25 Feb 1998 | +1.3 pp Jan 1993 → Jan 1998 | +0.3 pp/yr | |
| 2 | LKP Park Geun-hye | 25 Feb 2013 – 9 Dec 2016 | +0.5 pp Jan 2013 → Nov 2016 | +0.1 pp/yr | |
| 3 | LKP Lee Myung-bak | 25 Feb 2008 – 25 Feb 2013 | +0.2 pp Jan 2008 → Jan 2013 | 0.0 pp/yr | |
| 4 | PPP Yoon Suk Yeol | 10 May 2022 – 4 Jun 2025 | −0.1 pp Apr 2022 → May 2025 | 0.0 pp/yr | |
| 5 | DPK Lee Jae Myung | 4 Jun 2025 – now | −0.1 pp May 2025 → Sep 2026 | −0.1 pp/yr | |
| 6 | DP Roh Moo-hyun | 25 Feb 2003 – 25 Feb 2008 | −0.3 pp Jan 2003 → Jan 2008 | −0.1 pp/yr | |
| 7 | DP Kim Dae-jung | 25 Feb 1998 – 25 Feb 2003 | −0.8 pp Jan 1998 → Jan 2003 | −0.2 pp/yr | |
| 8 | DPK Moon Jae-in | 10 May 2017 – 10 May 2022 | −1.0 pp Apr 2017 → Apr 2022 | −0.2 pp/yr |
Sorted by total, highest first. Every row is indexed to the last month complete before the first day in office ("from" marks a start that had to move because that period had no data, or because the period cut it); Levels are per cent changes, rates are differences in pp; "per year" compounds levels and divides rates. Tenures with under 12 months, or under three observations, are left out. % of labour force · Statistics Korea labour force survey via the OECD (infra-annual labour statistics), 15 and over, seasonally adjusted · South Korea data · as of Sep 2026.