Han Seung-soo enters the office of President-elect Lee Myung-bak's transition team in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, Monday. Lee nominated Han as his incoming government's prime minister. / Korea Times

By Yoon Won-sup
Staff Reporter

Prime Minister-nominee Han Seung-soo, 72, has had a far-reaching career in government, having served as minister or prime minister in four administrations.

Han entered government for the first time as commerce minister while he was an economics professor at Seoul National University under the Roh Tae-woo administration.

He then served as presidential chief of staff and vice prime minister in charge of the nation's economy under the Kim Young-sam administration.

Under the Kim Dae-jung government, he became president of the U.N. General Assembly in 2001 and built up an international network. However, his presidency was controversial because of his experience in the authoritarian Chun Doo-hwan administration.

One of his achievements was his diplomatic success as commerce minister in 1989 when Korean avoided a U.S. retaliatory trade measure dubbed ``Super 301.''

He also learned politics as three-term lawmaker. Since being elected a lawmaker of the 13th National Assembly in 1988, he has secured his seat in the 15th and 16th Assemblies.

In addition, Park Geun-hye, the former chairwoman of the main opposition Grand National Party, is a relative of Han.
Before entering the political arena, he served as financial adviser to Venezuela and Jordan and economic adviser to the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

Han's international experience is the main reason Lee picked him as his first premier to conduct what he calls ``resource diplomacy.''

Lee, a former business executive, often said that he wanted a prime minister with an international background to use energy diplomacy to find resources around the world.

Han also said Monday, ``Resources are indispensable for our economy. For example, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao traveled all around the world practicing resource diplomacy.''

Han pledged to actively solve the dearth of natural resources in Korea.

A native of Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, Han has a huge network of contacts there. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was chief secretary of Han when he was president of the U.N. General Assembly. Currently, Han serves as a special envoy on climate change for Ban.

He has also served as ambassador to the United States, foreign minister, and chairman of the nation's committee to bid for the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games.

He is married with a son and a daughter.

yoonwonsup@koreatimes.co.kr