Second female PM

Han Seong-sook, nominee for prime minister, speaks to reporters, Monday, in front of her preparatory office in Jongno District, Seoul. Yonhap

Timing is often an unruly thing. Many pundits have stressed the importance of timing in life. What I mean to say is, it is high time that Korea usher in another woman into a higher government office. The nation produced its first female president, Park Geun-hye, who served from 2013 until her disgraceful removal from office in 2017, and its first female prime minister, Han Myeong-sook, who served in the Roh Moo-hyun administration from 2006-07.

Han Seong-sook, the current minister of SMEs and startups, has been tapped to become the next prime minister by President Lee Jae Myung. If she passes muster at the parliamentary hearings — which she did once before assuming the small and medium-sized enterprises ministership by promising, among other things, to sell off some of her real estate — she will become the second woman to become prime minister in Korean history.

Kim Ji-soo

As Korea shifts gears to go headlong into the era of artificial intelligence (AI), Han's earlier career at IT company Naver is key. Her business background is different from the two women, Park and Han Myeong-sook who were political veterans, before her. Major business organizations in Korea, always attentive to the government's regulatory direction, immediately welcomed her for her "significant" business background. This was not only from large conglomerates but also included small and medium-sized enterprises as well. A graduate of English literature from Sookmyung Women's University, the 59-year-old worked as a journalist before joining Naver. There she rose to an executive level, serving for five years as CEO starting in 2017.

Coincidentally, a group called the Korea Women’s Parliamentary Network said that among the 4,226 offices selected through the June 3 local elections, 33.1 percent or 1,398 were filled by women. That figure represents an improvement where 27.9 percent or 1,180 women were elected in the 2022 local elections.

Just a few days prior, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that the number of women in local governments reached 10,000 for the first time, accounting for 10,518 of the 27,138 civil servants at Grade 5 or above.

Relatedy, women account for about 21 percent of all legislators in the current National Assembly, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union's tally.

These are improvements that Korean women have sought for decades. Although we may be living in an era where gender-based affirmative action programs have received pushback, we cannot disregard the socioeconomic message and effect of diversified representation, as well as the presence of more women in the workforce.

However, the timing of the announcement of Han's nomination has spurred speculation that she was nominated in response to the civic anger brewing over the June 3 election ballot shortage controversy. When asked if her gender was a factor, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik curtly responded, "Our criteria was based strictly on ability and merit. Asking why a woman was nominated does not seem like an appropriate question in 2026." Kang went on to describe her as a legendary figure who rose through the rank-and-file to become a company CEO.

On the other hand, since the prime minister is regarded largely as a figurehead title in Korea, some political watchers see Han's nomination as signaling President Lee Jae Myung's intent to strengthen his grip on governance as he enters the second year of his tenure. The administration, through Han's nomination, seeks to carry on "pragmatic" governance.

Han, for her part, has said she feels a "heavy sense of duty and responsibility" regarding her nomination. If appointed as prime minister, she added, "I will devote all of my efforts to overcoming the urgent situation regarding people's economic livelihoods," while also focusing on accelerating innovation and AI transformation "in the context of industrial restructuring amid global uncertainties."

Han said she would ensure that the resulting benefits would "lead to opportunity and growth forall citizens." Her words align with the president’s pledge to accelerate the nation into becoming a top competitor in advanced technologies, with benefits shared by all people, as noted during his press conference held Monday, marking his first year in office. Han's task now is to translate these words into action by bringing her business expertise into the governance realm to deliver on the administration's policy goals.

The writer is a member of The Korea Times editorial board.