Former Naver CEO Han Named South Korea PM Nominee

The President of South Korea, Lee Jae Myung, is counting on Han Seong Sook to capitalize on the strengths of the country’s technology sector to drive future economic development. Han’s appointment aligns with President Lee’s agenda of strengthening long-term economic growth and promoting the development of diverse industries across the nation.

Han will become the second woman to serve as Prime Minister of South Korea upon her expected approval by the country’s National Assembly.

Shifting from a technology leadership role to one of the nation’s highest political offices, she brings extensive executive experience to government. She currently serves as Minister of Small Medium Enterprises and Venture Capital. Prior to this, she led Naver Corporation before leaving the company in 2024.

The transition from political veteran Kim Min-seok to Han is expected to signal a new phase in governance. While Kim is anticipated to assume a leadership role within the ruling party, Han’s appointment represents a shift toward more technocratic and innovation-driven leadership.

Key Highlights:

• Former Naver CEO Han Seong Sook set to become South Korea’s first female PM in two decades
• She is expected to drive AI growth and economic expansion within the country
• Han’s PM nomination signals AI-led growth and greater female leadership in Korea

Her career combines media, entrepreneurship, and corporate leadership. Han began her professional journey as a technology journalist before advancing through South Korea’s technology sector and ultimately rising to lead Naver Corporation

At Naver, which is often referred to as South Korea’s Google and considered to be one of the pioneers of South Korea’s internet economy in today’s world, Han played a key role in expanding the company’s business model beyond search services into e-commerce, fintech, and content platforms.

Under her leadership, there were many successes at Naver that included a rise in stock prices due to high demand for the services it offered amidst the pandemic. Although she led a successful career, Han’s time at the company did face a lot of controversies. Solving them responsibly, she did conduct internal investigation into workplace issues such as bullying and heavy workload among other things.

According to a statement from the Presidential Blue House, Han’s experience leading a major technology company when combined with her government service, makes her well suited to oversee South Korea’s transition toward artificial intelligence and digital innovation.

An affirmation of Han’s candidacy would result in the appointment of the country’s first female premier in nearly two decades, since former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook served under President Roh Moo-hyun. The development would highlight the growing presence of women in South Korea’s highest political offices, despite their broader representation in leadership positions remaining below that of many developed economies.

Park Geun-hye previously made history as South Korea’s first female president, serving from 2013 to 2017.

In accordance with the ruling Democratic Party, Han’s nomination presents an opportunity to broaden economic participation by ensuring that the benefits generated by South Korea’s technology, semiconductor, and export sectors extend to local businesses and small enterprises.

The party also believes Han can help advance the government’s artificial intelligence agenda while supporting more inclusive and balanced economic growth across the country.