South Korea’s National Assembly Approves Han Seong-sook as Prime Minister After Democratic Party Push

South Korea’s National Assembly processed the appointment consent motion for Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook on June 30, with the Democratic Party of Korea pushing through the approval while the People Power Party boycotted the vote.

The motion passed with 166 votes in favor and 1 invalid vote out of 167 attending lawmakers, and President Lee Jae Myung ratified Han’s appointment in the evening with the appointment date set for July 1.

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Yonhap said the Assembly passed the confirmation motion for Han with lawmakers from the People Power Party boycotting and calling her unfit for the position, while the Democratic Party endorsed the motion with support from the Rebuilding Korea Party and the Progressive Party.

Yonhap also said the approval came 23 days after President Lee nominated Han on June 7, and that Han would take office as the country’s 50th prime minister and the second prime minister of Lee Jae Myung.

After leaving the plenary session, People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig told reporters, “The party deems Han, the prime minister nominee, unqualified,” and added, “we will not participate in the approval vote.”

The People Power Party had earlier stated that Han was “unqualified in terms of ability and morality,” and Yonhap said the opposition opposed her appointment citing controversies raised during the confirmation process.

Aju Press

Yonhap reported that the PPP cited a personal information leak linked to the government’s audition-style startup incubation program during Han’s tenure as SMEs minister, and it said the opposition boycotted a meeting for the parliamentary confirmation hearing committee.

Seoul Economic Daily said the vote was driven by pro-government parties including the Democratic Party, the Rebuilding Korea Party, and the Progressive Party, while the People Power Party boycotted the motion brought to the floor.

Aju Press said President Lee approved Han Seong-sook as prime minister, describing her as the second woman in the role, and it reported the appointment date as July 1.

“In a significant political move, South Korea's parliament has confirmed the appointment of Han Seong-sook as the country's new prime minister”

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Yonhap said Han will become the second woman to serve as prime minister, 20 years after former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook became the country’s first female prime minister in 2006.

The Korea Times reported that Han’s parliamentary confirmation hearing committee approved a report clearing Han as qualified, and it said she was nominated on June 7 and was “now just one step away from officially taking office.”

The Korea Times also quoted political science professor Shin Yul saying, “Under the circumstances, it is only natural that expectations will run high for Han to put her expertise and know-how to innovative and effective use,” as it framed the expectations around accelerating South Korea’s AI transformation.