Han Myeong-sook

In thisKorean name,the family name isHan.

Her Excellency Han Myeong-sook
한명숙
Han in 2006
Chairperson of theDemocratic United Party
In office 16 January 2012 – 12 April 2012
Preceded by	Won Hye-young Lee Yong-sun (acting)
Succeeded by	Moon Sung-keun
37thPrime Minister of South Korea
In office 19 April 2006 – 7 March 2007
President	Roh Moo-hyun
Preceded by	Han Duck-soo(Acting)
Succeeded by	Kwon O-kyu(Acting) Han Duck-soo
Minister for Environment
In office 27 February 2003 – 16 February 2004
Prime Minister	Goh Kun
Preceded by	Kim Myung-ja
Succeeded by	Kwak Kyul-ho
Minister for Gender Equality
In office 29 January 2001 – 26 February 2003
Prime Minister	Lee Han-dong Chang Sang(Acting) Jeon Yun-churl(Acting) Chang Dae-hwan(Acting) Kim Suk-soo
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Ji Eun-hee
Personal details
Born	(1944-03-24)24 March 1944 Heijō,Korea, Empire of Japan (now Pyongyang,North Korea)
Political party	National Congress for New Politics(Before 2000) Millennium Democratic Party(2000–2003) Uri Party(2003–2007) United New Democratic Party(2007–2008) Democratic Party(2008–2011) Democratic United Party(2011–2014) Minjoo Party(2014–2015) Independent(2015–present)
Spouse	Park Seong-jun
Alma mater	Ewha Womans University
Signature
Korean name
Hangul	한명숙
Hanja	HànMinhThục
Revised Romanization	Han Myeong-suk
McCune–Reischauer	Han Myŏngsuk
Korean royal family (Cheongju Han clan)

Han Myeong-sook(born March 24, 1944;Korean:한명숙[hanmjʌŋsʰuk]) is a South Korean politician who served as theprime minister of South Koreafrom April 2006 to March 2007. She is South Korea's first female prime minister (second female prime minister overall if the acting premiership ofChang Sangis included). She was from theUnited New Democratic Party(UNDP) as a member of theKorean National Assembly(representative) forIlsan-gab, and is a graduate ofEwha Womans UniversityinSeoulwith a degree inFrench literature.She resigned as prime minister on March 7, 2007, and declared herpresidential candidacy.But she did not succeed in the nominations. In 2008 she ran for parliament, but was not elected. However, in January 2012 she was elected leader of the main oppositionalDemocratic United Party(DUP) before the April legislative elections and became a member of parliament. But the liberals did not manage to defeat the rulingSaenuri Partyand Han stepped down as party leader in April 2012.In August 2015, Han was convicted of receiving illegal donations and sentenced to two years in prison. Han has maintained her innocence. In 2021, she was granted special amnesty by the government and her constitutional rights were restored.

Pre-Prime Ministerial career

She was imprisoned from 1979 to 1981 after she confessed to teaching pro-Communistideas to workers, farmers and low-income women, but it is now accepted she was imprisoned for pro-Democratic activities.A government committee exonerated her of any wrongdoing in 2001, ruling her confession was elicited throughtorture.

In 1999, she joined the National Congress for New Politics, and entered politics. In 2000, she was elected as a member of the 16th Korean National Assembly (for Proportional representation). In 2004, she ran for a member of the National Assembly inIlsanofGoyangand was elected.

Han was the first Minister ofGender Equality,serving from 2001 to 2003. She served as the Minister ofEnvironmentfrom 2003 to 2004.

Appointment

On 24 March 2006, following the resignation of Prime MinisterLee Hae-chan,PresidentRoh Moo-hyunnominated Hanto become the first female Prime Minister of South Korea.Han is only the second woman to be nominated for the Prime Ministership.On 20 April 2006, Han Myeong-Sook was sworn in, becoming the first femalePrime Minister of South Korea.

Prime Ministership

Libya-South Korea relations

Han visitedLibyaon 19 September 2006 and 20 September 2006.

South Korea-United Arab Emirates relations

Han went to theUnited Arab Emirateson 24 September and held high level talks withPrime MinisterMohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.Han said she wanted to cultivate "the potential for bilateral cooperation in... trade, investment, IT and tourism." According to Han, "around 50 South Korean companies of global competitiveness have established headquarters of theMiddle Eastregion inDubai."UAE companies invested $8 billion in South Korea from 2002–2006, but South Korea total investment in the UAE is only $25 million.

Han was interviewed by Gulf News in September 2006. She expressed a desire to increase South Korean investment in the UAE and sign aFree Trade Agreementwith theGulf Cooperation Council.When asked aboutgender equalityin the UAE, she expressed interest inMuslimwomen, and commended the fact that the "status ofwomen in Islamis a historic and religious outcome that is regulated by theQuranandHadith."She pointed to the efforts ofShaikha Fatima,the mother of the UAE, the appointment of ShaikhaLubna Khalid Al Qasimi,the first appointment of a female minister, as the Minister of Economy, and the February 2006 appointment ofMariam Al Roumias the Minister of Social Affairs as positive signs of the UAE's adapting to social changes. She rejected the idea of "imposing a U.S. orWestern-style democracy on theArab world"saying," the values of democracy are not to be imposed. "Han expressed her friendship towardsLebanonandIsraeland her support forUN Security Council Resolution 1701,UNIFIL,United Nations Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan's efforts at securing peace, and Foreign Minister Ban's candidacy to be the next Secretary General.-

Kazakhstan-South Korea relations

Han met withDaniyal Akhmetov,thePrime Minister of Kazakhstan,on 23 September 2006 inAstana,Kazakhstan.They signed several bilateral agreements enhancing economic ties. TheGovernment of South Koreaagreed to invest an additional $2 billion in joint projects in the energy, uranium-extraction, construction, transportation, and banking sectors. Akhmetov offered South Korea the option of participating in developing a new type ofnuclear reactor.South Korean investors have stakes in more than 300 Kazakhstan-based companies. Han was in Kazakhstan until 24 September. She then traveled toUzbekistan.

Han invitedPresidentNazarbayevto visit South Korea in 2007 on behalf of President Roh,and on 25 September, after talking to Nazarbayev, she announced to the press that he had accepted and expressed hope that the trip would help to increase cooperation in the petrochemical industry, information technology and education/

South Korea-Uzbekistan relations

Han andShavkat Mirziyoyev,thePrime Minister of Uzbekistan,met inTashkent,Uzbekistan on 25 September 2006. They signed several agreements, including one deal in which Uzbekistan will send 300 tons of Uzbekuraniumore to South Korea every year from 2010 to 2014. The deal bypasses U.S. companies that acted previously as middlemen for South Korean imports of Uzbek uranium ore. Han also met withPresidentIslam Karimovand parliament speakerErkin Xalilov.Han and Mirziyoyev boosted cooperation in the energy, agriculture, construction, architecture, and information technology sectors. Trade between South Korea and Uzbekistan increased by nearly 40% between 2005 and 2006, to $565 million.

Resignation

Han resigned from her position as prime minister on March 7, 2007, amidst speculation that she would run in the December 2007 presidential elections. After the informal meeting with former justice ministerKang Kum-Siljust before her resignation, Han said she would continue as a legislator and think about running for president.

Post-Prime Ministerial career

In 2007, Han ran for the party presidential candidacy but did not succeed in the nominations. She endorsedChung Dong-young. In 2008, she ran for re-election to parliament, but was defeated by a candidate ofGrand National Party. In 2010, she declared to run for Seoul's Mayor position, but was very narrowly defeated byOh Se-hoonofGNPby less than one percentage point.

On the first congress of theDemocratic United Partyon 15 January 2012, Han was voted chairwoman of the supreme council of the party with 24.5 per cent support rate. The liberal party was created by a merger of theDemocratic Partywith the minor Citizens Unity Party, and is South Korea's main oppositional force.Han was elected to parliament in the April legislative elections, but the liberals did not manage to oust the ruling party and Han stepped down as DUP head on 16 April 2012. For three months the leaders of the two major Korean parties were women: Park Geun-hye of the Grand National Party and Han Myeong-sook for the DUP.

Further reading

• Skard, Torild (2014) "Han Myung-sook" inWomen of power - half a century of female presidents and prime ministers worldwide,Bristol: Policy Press,ISBN978-1-44731-578-0

External links

• Official website of Korean Prime Minister