Election officials sort ballots at a local election counting station in Seoul on June 3, 2026. (Photo by Pedro Pardo/AFP via Getty Images)
Pedro Pardo | AFP | Getty Images
South Korea’s presidential office announced on Sunday that President Lee Jae-myung has selected Han Sung-suk, Minister of State for Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups, as prime minister.
If approved by Congress, Han will become South Korea’s first female prime minister in 20 years.
Kang Heung-sik, South Korea’s chief of staff to the president, said at a press conference that Han, who also previously served as CEO of South Korean internet giant Naver, is expected to lead the country’s AI transformation.
“Mr. Han will be able to transform South Korea’s economic growth, driven by a semiconductor boom and increased exports, into inclusive growth that reaches everyone, including small and medium-sized enterprises,” Mr. Kang said.
In South Korea’s presidential system, the role of the prime minister is primarily ceremonial and administrative.
