황교안 黃敎安
Former public-security prosecutor who served as Minister of Justice, Prime Minister and acting President of South Korea
| Life | 1957 |
| Era | 현대 |
| Clan | 창원 황씨 |
Life & career
Hwang Kyo-ahn (黃敎安, born 14 May 1957) is a South Korean lawyer, former prosecutor and politician. He belongs to the Changwon Hwang clan, and the Namuwiki describes him as a 24th-generation descendant of the Anak-gong branch of the Gonghui-gong line, with the generation character 'Gyo'. Born in Seogye-dong, Yongsan, Seoul, as the youngest of six children of Hwang Dae-bok and Jeon Chil-rye, whose families came from Yeonbaek and Haeju in Hwanghae and moved to Seoul after taking refuge on Ganghwa's Gyodong island during the Korean War. He graduated from Gyeonggi High School and studied law at Sungkyunkwan University.
He passed the 23rd bar examination in 1981, completed the 13th class at the Judicial Research and Training Institute and became a prosecutor. As head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office public security division and of the Seoul District Prosecutors' public security department, he became known as a 'public-security prosecutor' and was regarded as an expert on ideology and national security, having written a commentary on the National Security Act. He served as chief prosecutor in Changwon (2009), Daegu and Busan, retired in 2011 and worked as an adviser at the law firm Bae, Kim & Lee.
He became the 63rd Minister of Justice in 2013, taking the lead in the petition to dissolve the Unified Progressive Party and expanding the village lawyer program for areas without lawyers. He took office as the 44th Prime Minister on 18 June 2015 and, after the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye on 9 December 2016, served as acting President until 9 May 2017. He joined the Liberty Korea Party in 2019 and became its leader, then led the United Future Party in 2020 and resigned after its election defeat. On 12 July 2025 he founded the Freedom and Innovation party. Views on him differ sharply, including over his statements on elections, so this entry sticks to his public career.
As Minister of Justice he led the petition to dissolve the Unified Progressive Party and created and expanded the village lawyer system. He was elected leader of the Liberty Korea Party at its convention on 27 February 2019 and led the United Future Party from 17 February to 15 April 2020. Assessments of his politics vary widely depending on one's support, so readers are encouraged to consult several sources for the controversies and evaluations.
Prosecutor Career
After passing the bar in 1981 he worked as a prosecutor, serving as head of public security at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and Seoul District. He was chief prosecutor in Changwon in 2009 and retired from Busan High Prosecutors' Office in 2011.
Minister and Prime Minister
He was Minister of Justice in 2013 and Prime Minister in 2015, and acted as President from December 2016 to May 2017 after the impeachment of Park Geun-hye.
Party Politics
He led the Liberty Korea Party in 2019 and the United Future Party in 2020, and founded Freedom and Innovation in 2025.