Prime Minister Han Seong-sook took office Wednesday, succeeding Kim Min-seok, who is returning to the National Assembly as a lawmaker after completing his one-year term as prime minister.
Han, 59, is the first female prime minister of South Korea in about two decades, and the second in South Korea's modern history.
On her way to the office at the Government Complex Seoul, Han stressed a need for shared prosperity in South Korea.
"The government will serve as a stepping stone for South Korea where the fruits of growth are shared with small- and medium-sized enterprises and back alleys, so that everyone can strive to realize their potential," Han told reporters Wednesday,
She also pledged to ease regulations and clear hurdles for technology innovation to enable the country to boldly invest in artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technologies. The fruits of the AI boom will be shared with the public and used to encourage the youth to leap forward, Han added.
Han's inauguration came shortly after the National Assembly on Tuesday voted to confirm her as the prime minister with 166 votes in favor and one vote deemed invalid.
There are 300 lawmakers at the National Assembly, and the Democratic Party occupies a majority of seats. The main opposition People Power Party's lawmakers boycotted the plenary session Tuesday to put Han's confirmation to vote.
President Lee Jae Myung finalized her appointment later on Tuesday, less than a month after Lee nominated her as the next prime minister. Han received a letter of appointment from Lee Wednesday morning.
Han was a journalist-turned-entrepreneur with expertise in information technology, having served in senior positions in companies such as web portal operators Empas and Naver.
She was the first female chief executive officer of Naver, having served in the top position from 2017 to 2021.
Leaving behind her decadeslong career as the tech entrepreneur, Han joined the Cabinet in 2025 to serve as the first Minister of SMEs and Startups in the liberal Lee administration.
Meanwhile, outgoing Kim said in a farewell speech Wednesday before some 300 civil servants that he would continue to devote himself to improving the youth's quality of life and spurring regional growth, if he returns to the National Assembly.
"I will run with a profound commitment in this new chapter to support the success of the Lee Jae Myung administration and usher in the new era," Kim said.
The four-term lawmaker is one of the potential contenders for Democratic Party chair in the upcoming national convention in August.
Before quitting from the Prime Minister post, Kim delivered a remark directed at his rival Rep. Jung Chung-rae, who seeks to rerun for the post after serving for one year from August until late June.
"It is hard to find the need for Jung to serve again while maintaining his way of doing his job," Kim said in an interview with OhMyTV on Tuesday. "Now is the time for a new leadership with different style, capacity and style compared with the past year."
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