Lee Jae Myung nominates tech executive Han Seong-sook as South Korea’s next prime minister

AI-focused PM nominee faces confirmation test

Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook is set to face a two-day confirmation hearing at the National Assembly next week, in what is shaping up to be an early test of President Lee Jae Myung’s governing agenda for his second year in office. Lee has presented Han, a former Naver CEO and current minister of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, as the right person to lead Korea’s transition into the artificial intelligence (AI) era and drive a results-oriented government. The opposition, meanwhile, has signaled that it will scrutinize her wealth, real estate holdings and corporate career. The hearing, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, is expected to go beyond questions about Han’s personal qualifications and focus on Lee’s broader approach to appointments, which places greater emphasis on expertise and policy execution than political experience. Han was nominated last week to succeed Prime Minister Kim Min-seok after serving for a year as SMEs minister. If confirmed, she would become the first former major tech company CEO to serve as prime minister. Explaining t

2 hours ago

SMEs Minister Han Seong-sook tapped as new PM

President Lee Jae Myung nominated Han Seong-sook, the current minister of small and medium-sized enterprises and startups and a former Naver chief executive, to serve as Korea’s next prime minister. The nomination places one of the country’s most prominent tech executives at the center of the Lee administration’s efforts to promote innovation-led growth and accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across the economy. Before entering government, Han built her career in the tech sector. Born in 1967, Han graduated from Sookmyung Women's University with a degree in English language and literature and began her career as a journalist for an IT publication. She joined portal site Empas as a founding member in 1997. She went on to hold a series of leadership positions at NHN and Naver — including head of the search business division and head of Naver's service division — before becoming Naver's first female CEO in 2017. During her five years at the helm, Han is credited with driving the company’s growth by expanding Naver’s business beyond its traditional search e

4 days ago

SME minister Han Seong-sook tapped as new PM

President Lee Jae Myung nominated Han Seong-sook, the current minister of small and medium-sized enterprises and startups and a former Naver chief executive, to serve as Korea’s next prime minister. The nomination places one of the country’s most prominent technology executives at the center of the Lee administration’s efforts to promote innovation-led growth and accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across the economy. Before entering government, Han built her career in the technology sector, serving as chief executive officer of Naver, one of Korea’s largest internet companies. She also held positions as senior vice president overseeing services at Naver and head of the search business division at Empas. Han graduated from Sookmyung Women's University with a degree in English language and literature. Announcing the nomination, Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-shik described Han as a leader capable of delivering growth that benefits the entire nation. “We expect her to be the right person to lead growth not for only part of the population, but for all of

4 days ago

SKorea’s Lee Nominates Tech Guru Han as PM to Lead AI Growth

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung nominated SME and Startup Minister Han Seong-sook as prime minister, betting the tech industry veteran will help the country realize its artificial intelligence ambitions.

4 days ago