AI-focused PM nominee faces confirmation test

Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook, who also serves as minister of SMEs and Startups, attends the launch ceremony of the K-Food Smart Manufacturing Alliance at Coex in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook is set to face a two-day confirmation hearing at the National Assembly next week, in what is shaping up to be an early test of President Lee Jae Myung’s governing agenda for his second year in office.

Lee has presented Han, a former Naver CEO and current minister of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, as the right person to lead Korea’s transition into the artificial intelligence (AI) era and drive a results-oriented government.

The opposition, meanwhile, has signaled that it will scrutinize her wealth, real estate holdings and corporate career.

The hearing, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, is expected to go beyond questions about Han’s personal qualifications and focus on Lee’s broader approach to appointments, which places greater emphasis on expertise and policy execution than political experience.

Han was nominated last week to succeed Prime Minister Kim Min-seok after serving for a year as SMEs minister. If confirmed, she would become the first former major tech company CEO to serve as prime minister.

Explaining the nomination, Lee said he wanted someone focused on getting things done.

“The conclusion was to choose someone who would simply work,” Lee said during a news conference marking the first anniversary of his inauguration.

Calling Han “a person who works extremely hard,” Lee said the government needed officials capable of delivering results rather than becoming absorbed in political considerations.

His remarks were widely seen as reflecting the administration’s emphasis on performance and practical problem-solving after a year in office.

Han has sought to frame her nomination around economic growth and technological change.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting earlier this week, she described the current period as “a time of AI transformation and geopolitical upheaval,” arguing that Korea needs innovation and bold policy responses to create new growth engines.

“If appointed prime minister, I will do my utmost to realize an irreplaceable Korea,” Han said. She also pledged to use her experience in both the private and public sectors to help open what she called a new era of innovation led by businesses, regions and citizens.

Opposition parties, however, are preparing to focus on a series of issues that have followed Han since her ministerial confirmation hearing last year.

Among the expected points of contention are her real estate holdings, the process through which she accumulated her wealth and her record as a top executive in the platform industry.

Critics have also questioned the decision to allow Han to retain her post as SMEs minister while preparing for her confirmation hearing.

The Prime Minister’s Office has defended the arrangement, saying it is intended to prevent disruptions in government operations and does not violate any law. Opposition lawmakers argue that it gives Han the advantages of incumbency during the confirmation process.

Business groups have largely welcomed the nomination. Major business organizations said Han’s experience in both industry and government could help promote regulatory reform and create a more business-friendly environment.

Lee, meanwhile, has described Han as a leader with both private sector experience and government credentials who can help carry out the administration’s AI-driven growth strategy.

In a request for parliamentary approval submitted to the Assembly on Tuesday, Lee said Han’s experience leading one of Korea’s largest digital companies and her record as SMEs minister made her well-suited to lead the government through what he called the era of AI transformation and broad-based growth.