Lee names Han Sung-sook as prime minister nominee

President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday named Han Sung-sook, the current minister of SMEs and Startups, as his nominee for prime minister to succeed Kim Min-seok.

If Han clears her confirmation hearing and takes office, she would become South Korea's first female prime minister in 20 years, since Han Myeong-sook held the post in 2006.

Kang Hoon-sik, chief of staff at Cheong Wa Dae, announced the nomination at a briefing at the Chunchugwan press hall Sunday. "Drawing on her experience as the head of an IT company and as minister of SMEs and Startups, she is expected to be the right person to complete the AI transformation — the defining challenge of our time — without a hitch, and to lead growth not for some of the people but for all of Korea," Kang said.

He added that Han "is a self-made figure who started out as an ordinary office worker and rose to lead one of the country's foremost digital companies." She "combines private-sector practicality with a spirit of innovation" and "understands better than anyone the need for an AI transformation in our society," he said.

Kang said Han "has worked as minister with an emphasis on speed, results and being on the ground, striving for the growth of all — small and medium-sized enterprises, venture businesses and small merchants alike." As a result, she delivered tangible outcomes, including record-high exports by small and medium-sized enterprises and a more vibrant startup ecosystem, he said.

He added that "if her innovative spirit and experience as minister of SMEs and Startups are combined with the opportunity of the prime ministership, she will be able to translate the growth of the Korean economy — driven by the semiconductor boom and rising exports — into growth for all citizens, including small businesses, small merchants and neighborhood commercial districts."

Han graduated from Uijeongbu Girls' High School and Sookmyung Women's University with a degree in English literature, and worked at IT firms including Empas and NHN. She became president and CEO of Naver in 2017 and led the company until 2022. In July last year, she took office as the inaugural minister of SMEs and Startups under the Lee Jae Myung administration.

sang@heraldcorp.com
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