Lee Jae Myung Nominates Ex-Naver CEO Han Seong-sook as Prime Minister to Drive AI Growth
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 7
Lee Jae Myung Nominates Ex-Naver CEO Han Seong-sook as Prime Minister to Drive AI Growth
3 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 7
Summary
Han Seong-sook, South Korea’s SME and Startup Minister and former Naver CEO, was nominated by President Lee Jae Myung to serve as prime minister.
Lee’s office said Han was picked to lead the country’s AI transformation and growth, citing her IT background and experience running the SME ministry.
Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik announced the nomination in a televised YTN briefing, framing it as an early signal that Lee wants tech policy at the center of his government.
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South Korea’s Digital Leap: Han Seong-sook’s Historic Prime Minister Nomination and the Push for AI-Driven Inclusive Growth
Overview
President Lee Jae Myung nominated Han Seong-sook, the current Minister of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, as South Korea’s next prime minister on June 7, 2026. This comes as the Lee administration marks its first year in office and current Prime Minister Kim Min-seok steps down to pursue party leadership. Han’s nomination sets the stage for a crucial parliamentary confirmation process. If approved by the National Assembly, she would become the first female prime minister under the Lee government and only the second woman ever to hold this position in South Korea, marking a historic moment for the nation’s leadership.