Han was Naver's first female CEO since the company's founding

'Candidate who understands business concerns better than anyone'

'We expect her to craft balanced policies'

Prime minister nominee Han Sung-sook attends the first meeting of her confirmation hearing preparation team at the Financial Supervisory Service training center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Monday. [Yonhap]
Prime minister nominee Han Sung-sook attends the first meeting of her confirmation hearing preparation team at the Financial Supervisory Service training center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Monday. [Yonhap]

South Korea's six major business groups, led by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, welcomed President Lee Jae Myung's nomination of Han Sung-sook, minister of SMEs and startups, as the new prime minister candidate on Monday.

The five groups joining the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry are the Federation of Korean Industries, the Korea International Trade Association, the Korea Federation of SMEs, the Korea Employers Federation and the Korea Middle Market Enterprise Federation.

The six groups said they found the nomination especially meaningful given that Han is a business leader who has directly led companies on the front lines of corporate management.

Han is a first-generation expert in South Korea's information technology industry and served as Naver's first female CEO since the company's founding. She also previously led the Korea Internet Enterprises Association and has served as the inaugural minister of SMEs and startups under the current administration.

"She is a candidate who understands business concerns and the language of the market better than anyone," the groups said, expressing hope that her experience would translate into balanced policymaking and implementation.

The groups went on to say that the Korean economy now stands at a critical juncture where it must find new growth engines amid the AI transformation, global supply chain restructuring, shifts in the trade environment, and the burden of a low birth rate and aging population. They added that Han "understands the changes on the industrial front better than anyone and has directly driven the digital and AI transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners, making her the right person to lead both innovation and growth."

The groups called on the new prime minister nominee to spearhead regulatory reform and the creation of a business-friendly environment through open communication with industry, laying the groundwork for active corporate investment and job creation. "The business community will do its utmost as a responsible partner to ensure those results translate into growth for all citizens," they added.


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com