Han Seong-sook tapped as next prime minister... "The right person for the AI transformation" [Han Seong-sook named as new prime minister]

President Lee Jae-myung on the 7th nominated Han Seong-sook, the Minister of SMEs and Startups, as his new prime minister candidate. If Han is appointed after a National Assembly confirmation hearing, she would become the country's first female prime minister in about 20 years, since former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook in 2006.
Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff to the President, held a personnel briefing at Chunchugwan, the press briefing room at Cheong Wa Dae, and said, "President Lee Jae-myung today nominated Minister Han Seong-sook of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups as prime minister candidate."
Kang described Han as "the right person to carry out the era's key task of a full-scale AI transformation without disruption, based on her experience as a leader of an IT company and as minister of SMEs and Startups." He added, "She is a trailblazing leader who rose from an ordinary office worker to head one of the country's leading digital companies," and said she combines private-sector pragmatism with innovation. He also noted that she understands better than anyone the need for an AI transformation in Korean society. Kang said Han delivered results as minister by advancing support policies for small businesses, startups and self-employed owners, while also helping expand exports by small and medium-sized enterprises and energizing the startup ecosystem.
Born in 1967, Han previously served as chief executive officer of Naver, one of South Korea's leading platform companies. She began her career as a journalist at an IT magazine, then went on to serve as Naver's head of services and later as its first female CEO. Since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, she has led the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, pushing policies to support young entrepreneurs and small business owners.
However, property issues are likely to emerge as a major point of debate during the National Assembly confirmation hearing. As Lee had previously said that multi-home owners should be excluded from real estate policy duties, the opposition is expected to attack Han over allegations that she owns multiple homes. According to the regular asset disclosure released in March by the Public Service Ethics Committee in the Government under the Ministry of Personnel Management, Han owns an apartment in Asia Players' Village Apartment in Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, an officetel in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, and a detached house in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Han has said she intends to sell three of those properties in line with the president's stance.
If the confirmation process for Han is completed, she is expected to be formally appointed in early to mid-next month.
west@fnnews.com Seong Seok-woo Reporter