Han Seong-sook, the first female Prime Minister from a business background in South Korea, is rapidly reshaping her cabinet just over a month after her inauguration on July 2.
According to government sources on August 4, Prime Minister Han has set a clear governance standard, stating, "The ultimate goal is to solve problems for the people," and is focusing on swift resolutions.
During her inauguration, she emphasized that the standard for a government of the people is solely based on the 'lives of the citizens,' vowing to earnestly address pressing public issues by heeding the voices of 52 million citizens.
Han, who previously served as the first female CEO of Naver, South Korea's largest portal, has generated high expectations since entering public office.
To accelerate the resolution of public issues, she is integrating innovative approaches developed over 30 years in the private sector into her cabinet.
Han stresses that few issues can be resolved by a single ministry alone. When policy goals span multiple departments, she reportedly convenes discussions with up to eight ministries to gather input and coordinate efforts.
In addition to setting priorities for quick problem-solving, she is known for providing detailed guidance on which issues should be addressed first to facilitate progress.
Han prefers a less formal approach to work, favoring emails over paperwork and discussing necessary materials in group chats. She opts for discussions involving multiple participants rather than one-on-one reports typical in public service. To save time traveling between Seoul and Sejong, she often holds discussions online.
To quickly grasp relevant issues, she frequently meets with external experts, field practitioners, and officials from other ministries, indicating a significant number of internal, non-public meetings.
Personnel changes are also crucial for enhancing the Prime Minister's Office's problem-solving capabilities. On July 11, former lawmaker Chae Yi-bae was officially appointed as the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, a position at the vice-ministerial level.
Chae has previously served as the secretary of the Economic Democracy Committee at the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, a research fellow at the Good Corporate Governance Research Institute, and a researcher at the Economic Reform Institute. He was elected as a proportional representative in the National Assembly through the People's Party, which was founded by lawmakers including Ahn Cheol-soo during the split of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (now the Democratic Party).
Chae reportedly left a strong impression on Han during a National Assembly audit with pointed questions regarding Naver.
Han places great importance on hearing directly from the public. Her field visits are far from mere photo opportunities; she always holds discussions or forums with stakeholders during these visits.
Based on feedback from these visits, she conducts internal discussions and encourages ongoing attention to issues until they are resolved.
In her first week, Han visited the Han River Flood Control Center (for flood checks), the Goyang Changneung area (for housing supply), the Hanaro Mart in Dobong District (for price checks), the flood-affected areas in Cheongju (for rain damage), and redevelopment sites in Jung-gu (for heatwave responses). On July 17, she held a meeting on heatwave measures in the Seoul Station goshiwon area, and on July 29, she engaged with officials at a youth entrepreneurship center for isolated and reclusive young people. On July 30, she visited the Daejeon Nano Convergence Technology Institute to discuss semiconductor collaboration and listen to concerns.
Han prioritizes efficiency. On July 29, she decided to hold the weekly emergency economic monitoring meetings only as needed, aiming to reduce the burden of attending various meetings for vice-ministerial officials so they can focus on pressing tasks.
The division of roles between the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister has also been clarified. Deputy Prime Minister Baek Kyung-hoon, who also serves as the Minister of Science and ICT, will focus on technology areas centered around artificial intelligence (AI), while Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol, who is also the Minister of Economy and Finance, will concentrate on economic issues, including responses to the Middle East conflict.
During her tenure as Minister of SMEs and Startups, Han led small and medium-sized enterprises to achieve record-high exports of $118.6 billion in 2025, despite a global economic slowdown. This achievement is attributed to her aggressive support for the overseas expansion of diversified small and venture businesses, moving away from a large enterprise-centered export structure.
According to government sources on August 4, Prime Minister Han has set a clear governance standard, stating, "The ultimate goal is to solve problems for the people," and is focusing on swift resolutions.
During her inauguration, she emphasized that the standard for a government of the people is solely based on the 'lives of the citizens,' vowing to earnestly address pressing public issues by heeding the voices of 52 million citizens.
Han, who previously served as the first female CEO of Naver, South Korea's largest portal, has generated high expectations since entering public office.
To accelerate the resolution of public issues, she is integrating innovative approaches developed over 30 years in the private sector into her cabinet.
Han stresses that few issues can be resolved by a single ministry alone. When policy goals span multiple departments, she reportedly convenes discussions with up to eight ministries to gather input and coordinate efforts.
In addition to setting priorities for quick problem-solving, she is known for providing detailed guidance on which issues should be addressed first to facilitate progress.
Han prefers a less formal approach to work, favoring emails over paperwork and discussing necessary materials in group chats. She opts for discussions involving multiple participants rather than one-on-one reports typical in public service. To save time traveling between Seoul and Sejong, she often holds discussions online.
To quickly grasp relevant issues, she frequently meets with external experts, field practitioners, and officials from other ministries, indicating a significant number of internal, non-public meetings.
Personnel changes are also crucial for enhancing the Prime Minister's Office's problem-solving capabilities. On July 11, former lawmaker Chae Yi-bae was officially appointed as the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, a position at the vice-ministerial level.
Chae has previously served as the secretary of the Economic Democracy Committee at the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, a research fellow at the Good Corporate Governance Research Institute, and a researcher at the Economic Reform Institute. He was elected as a proportional representative in the National Assembly through the People's Party, which was founded by lawmakers including Ahn Cheol-soo during the split of the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (now the Democratic Party).
Chae reportedly left a strong impression on Han during a National Assembly audit with pointed questions regarding Naver.
Han places great importance on hearing directly from the public. Her field visits are far from mere photo opportunities; she always holds discussions or forums with stakeholders during these visits.
Based on feedback from these visits, she conducts internal discussions and encourages ongoing attention to issues until they are resolved.
In her first week, Han visited the Han River Flood Control Center (for flood checks), the Goyang Changneung area (for housing supply), the Hanaro Mart in Dobong District (for price checks), the flood-affected areas in Cheongju (for rain damage), and redevelopment sites in Jung-gu (for heatwave responses). On July 17, she held a meeting on heatwave measures in the Seoul Station goshiwon area, and on July 29, she engaged with officials at a youth entrepreneurship center for isolated and reclusive young people. On July 30, she visited the Daejeon Nano Convergence Technology Institute to discuss semiconductor collaboration and listen to concerns.
Han prioritizes efficiency. On July 29, she decided to hold the weekly emergency economic monitoring meetings only as needed, aiming to reduce the burden of attending various meetings for vice-ministerial officials so they can focus on pressing tasks.
The division of roles between the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister has also been clarified. Deputy Prime Minister Baek Kyung-hoon, who also serves as the Minister of Science and ICT, will focus on technology areas centered around artificial intelligence (AI), while Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yun-cheol, who is also the Minister of Economy and Finance, will concentrate on economic issues, including responses to the Middle East conflict.
During her tenure as Minister of SMEs and Startups, Han led small and medium-sized enterprises to achieve record-high exports of $118.6 billion in 2025, despite a global economic slowdown. This achievement is attributed to her aggressive support for the overseas expansion of diversified small and venture businesses, moving away from a large enterprise-centered export structure.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.