President Lee Names Han Seung-sook as New Prime Minister

President Lee Jae-myung has nominated Han Seung-sook, the current Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups, as the new Prime Minister. Han's appointment comes after she was previously recognized as a surprising choice for the role when she was first appointed as the Minister last June.

Initial expectations suggested that the next Prime Minister would likely be a politician with strong leadership skills. However, President Lee's decision to select a private sector leader indicates a shift in focus for the second year of his administration towards revitalizing the economy and advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and digital industries.

Han, a graduate of Sookmyung Women's University with a degree in English literature, began her career as a journalist for a computer magazine. She later served as the head of public relations at Nanum Technology and became a founding member of Empas in 1997. In 2007, she joined NHN, the predecessor of Naver, where she transformed the search engine into a content and commerce platform, eventually becoming the first female CEO of Naver in 2017, a position she held until 2022.

The Blue House clarified that the decision to appoint a female Prime Minister was not based solely on gender. Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Hoon-sik stated during a briefing that the government's personnel policy is focused on capability and merit, dismissing the notion that gender should be a primary consideration in 2026.

Kang described Han as a groundbreaking leader who rose from an ordinary employee to head a major digital company. He emphasized her practical and innovative approach, noting her understanding of the urgent need for AI transformation in society.

During her tenure as Naver's CEO, Han led initiatives in AI, cloud computing, and data center growth. From 2017 to 2021, she also served as the president of the Korea Internet Companies Association.

After stepping down as CEO in 2022, Han continued her work in Europe as the head of European business development and served as an advisor until her recent nomination.

As Minister of SMEs, Han has been credited with shifting the paradigm of small business policy from protection to growth. Last year, small and medium-sized enterprise exports reached a record high of $118.6 billion. In the first quarter of this year, exports continued to break records, marking two consecutive years of peak performance.

Her aggressive support for diversified small and venture businesses has helped move away from a large enterprise-centered export structure. Additionally, she initiated the 'Everyone's Startup' campaign, aiming to position South Korea as the leading startup nation. The program revitalized the stagnant self-employment and venture ecosystem, attracting over 63,000 applicants, setting a record for government competitions.

In a press conference marking her first anniversary as Minister, Han mentioned the government's declaration of a 'National Startup Era' and stated, "Now is the time to plan for 2045," pledging to create an environment conducive to entrepreneurship over the next 20 years.

Han's digital expertise from her private sector background has also enhanced administrative efficiency. She has led efforts to integrate various policy platforms within her ministry and reduced the complexity of application processes by over 50%, easing the administrative burden on small businesses.

Real estate holdings are expected to be a contentious issue during her confirmation hearing. Han reported assets worth approximately 22.3 billion won, including four properties: an apartment in Jamsil, Seoul, valued at 2.7398 billion won, an officetel in Yeoksam, Seoul, worth 2.0746 billion won, a house in Samcheong-dong, Jongno, valued at 1.5 billion won, and a house in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, where she owns about 10% due to inheritance. She recently sold her Jamsil apartment, reducing her holdings to three properties.

President Lee previously instructed that individuals with multiple properties should be excluded from housing policy discussions, emphasizing the need for transparency in real estate matters. Kang indicated that Han would provide detailed explanations regarding her property holdings during the confirmation process.