First Female Prime Minister Wins Approval from Parliament in South Korea

Replacing Lee Hae-chan

The South Korean parliament today voted to endorse the nomination of the former political dissident and feminist Han Myung-Sook as the country's first female prime minister. The national assembly voted 182 to 77 in favour of the ruling party lawmaker, which constitutes a relatively strong endorsement well in excess of the 132 votes required for confirmation of the nomination. Han replaces one of South Korea's most powerful prime ministers, Lee Hae-chan, who resigned last month following severe criticism against him over his implication in a controversial golf scandal, which obstructed him from overseeing the government's response to the paralysis of the nation's public transportation system during a major railway strike. The parliamentary endorsement follows a gruelling two-day hearing after which the ruling Uri Party accorded formal approval to its candidate, with the opposition Grand National Party (GNP) leadership giving its members a free hand in the vote. Political observers have pointed to the fact that no major problems were found during the parliamentary confirmation hearings regarding Han's 'ability to manage state affairs' or her 'moral qualities', according to the Korea Herald. Han is to officially take up the post on Thursday.

A Progressive Choice

Pyongyang-born Han is a two-term lawmaker, who has previously served as South Korea's first Minister of Gender Equality in 2001 and Environment Minister in 2003. Han has studied French literature and language at the Ewha Womans University in Seoul, from where she has a master's degree in women's studies. She also holds a master's degree in theology from Hanshin University in Osan, Gyeonggi province. Han is known as the leader of Korea's women's movement, and before entering politics she was a renowned feminist activist and a pro-democracy fighter, leading to her two-year imprisonment for her fight against the military dictatorship of Park Chung-hee in the 1970s. Her appointment has been widely hailed by politicians and women's groups as a major step forwards for women in the male-dominated society and a remarkable achievement of Korean politics. Han is the second woman to be appointed to the position as prime minister, with former president Kim Dae-jung having nominated Chang Sang, dean of Ewha Women's University in 2002, who was subsequently rejected by parliament over controversial real estate deals and the U.S. citizenship of her son.

Shoring Up Uri Party Cohesiveness Ahead of Crucial Local Elections

President Roh Moo-hyun's nomination of Han to the premiership reflects his desire to maintain smooth relations with his party and the opposition Grand National Party (GNP). Han is widely regarded as a bipartisan choice, having earned the respect of large segments of the GNP due to her leadership style, which provided a moderate alternative to Lee Hae-chan. Roh has expressed that she is expected to manage state affairs smoothly with her compromising approach and a 'soft leadership style.' Her replacement of Lee is a move to shore up public support for the Uri Party ahead of crucial local elections on 31 May, which will be of great importance to the embattled party, with the opposition GNP having gained control of most of the country's local government seats at successive local elections last year, including the influential position of mayor of Seoul. In this context Han's first task will be to maintain political neutrality in the government's management of the local elections.

Outlook and Implications

As a pointer to future policy, Han stressed at the parliamentary hearings that the government should urge Communist North Korea to take a more forthcoming approach on the question of South Korean abductees held in the North, while, however, emphasising the importance of letting the North open up before reforms are implemented there. However, the prime ministers' job has traditionally been of a largely ceremonial character in South Korea, with most of the political power resting with the president. Nevertheless, President Roh delegated unprecedented powers to his ally, former prime minister Lee, leaving him with sweeping powers for the implementation of domestic policy in order to allow Roh to focus on his top-priority policy goals of easing socioeconomic polarisation in society and sealing a high-profile free-trade agreement with the United States. As such it remains to be seen how much power President Roh will delegate to the new prime minister. In the short term Han can be expected to use her position as a political moderate to patch up the troubled relationship between the government and opposition parties ahead of the crucial local elections in late May. However, the departure of the influential former prime minister is likely to have significant ramifications for President Roh's remaining two years in office, as Lee held great responsibility for domestic policy. Lee's replacement by Han therefore calls for a major adjustment in the power-sharing set-up of the cabinet, which may complicate Roh's success in pushing his key policy priorities for the remainder of his tenure.