Lee Jae Myung nominates Han Seong-sook for prime minister to lead South Korea's AI growth

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has nominated Han Seong-sook, the minister for SMEs and startups and a former chief executive of Naver, to become prime minister, putting a veteran technology executive at the center of his push to accelerate artificial intelligence-led growth. If confirmed, Han would also become South Korea’s first female prime minister in nearly two decades, a symbolic break in a post that has long been dominated by men.

According to reporting from Bloomberg and local coverage carried by The Star, Lee is betting that Han’s background in the technology sector will help South Korea turn its deep expertise in semiconductors, software and digital platforms into broader economic gains. The presidential office said her experience in information technology and her work overseeing small and medium-sized businesses made her a strong fit to help drive the country’s AI transformation.

The nomination underscores how central AI has become to Lee’s economic agenda. South Korea is already a global powerhouse in advanced chips and electronics, but the administration wants those strengths to feed into wider growth across the economy, including benefits for smaller firms and local businesses. Officials have said Han’s role would be to help ensure that the gains from the country’s tech sector are spread more broadly.

Han’s nomination comes as Lee begins building out his government and choosing people he believes can execute his policy priorities. Bloomberg reported that Han was one of Lee’s early Cabinet picks and that her elevation reflects confidence in both her private-sector experience and her record in public office. As a former CEO of Naver, one of South Korea’s biggest internet companies, she brings high-profile industry credentials to a role that often sits at the intersection of politics and economic planning.

Her appointment is not yet final. According to The Star, the nomination must still go through a parliamentary confirmation hearing and then a vote in the plenary session. That means lawmakers will now have the chance to scrutinize both her qualifications and the broader direction of Lee’s AI-focused economic strategy.

If approved, Han’s appointment would be politically and historically significant. It would make her the country’s first female prime minister nominee in almost two decades, according to The Star, and signal that Lee intends to place technology policy near the top of his governing agenda as South Korea tries to convert its industrial strengths into the next phase of growth.