Han Myeong-sook

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This is a Korean name; the family name is Han.
Han Myeong-sook

In office
April 20, 2006 – March 7, 2007
Preceded by Lee Hae-chan
Succeeded by Han Duck-soo

Born March 24, 1944 (1944-03-24) (age 63) (age 63)
Pyongyang
Political party UNDP
Spouse Park Seong-jun
Han Myeong-sook
Hangul 한명숙
Hanja 韓明淑
Revised Romanization Han Myeong-suk
McCune-Reischauer Han Myŏng-suk

Han Myeong-sook (born March 24, 1944) (pronounced[help] [hanmjʌŋsuk̚]) was the Prime Minister of South Korea from April 2006 to March 2007. She is from the UNDP as a member (representative) for Ilsan-gab, and is a graduate of Ewha Womans University in Seoul with a degree in French literature.[1] She resigned as Prime Minister on March 7, 2007. She declared her presidential candidacy on June 17, 2007.

Contents

She was imprisoned from 1979 to 1981 after she confessed to teaching pro-Communist ideas to workers, farmers and low-income women, but it is now accepted she was imprisoned for pro-Democratic activities.[2]. A government committee exonerated her of any wrongdoing in 2001, ruling her confession was elicited through torture.[3]

Han was the first Minister of Gender Equality, serving from 2001 to 2003. She served as the Minister of Environment from 2003 to 2004.[1]

On 24 March 2006, following the resignation of Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan, President Roh Moo-hyun nominated Han[1] to become the first female Prime Minister of South Korea[3]. Han is only the second woman to be nominated for the Prime Ministership[2]. On 20 April 2006, Han Myeong-Sook was officially sworn in, becoming the first female Prime Minister of South Korea.[1]

Han visited Libya on 19 and 20 September, 2006[4].

Han went to the United Arab Emirates on 24 September and held high level talks with Prime Minister Mohammed 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 the Middle East region in Dubai." UAE companies invested $8 billion in South Korea from 2002-2006, but South Korea total investment in the UAE is only $25 million.[5]

Han was interviewed by Gulf News in September 2006. She expressed a desire to increase South Korean investment in the UAE and sign a Free Trade Agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council. When asked about gender equality in the UAE, she expressed interest in Muslim women, and commended the fact that the "status of women in Islam is a historic and religious outcome that is regulated by the Holy Quran and Hadith." She pointed to the efforts of Shaikha Fatima, the mother of the UAE, the appointment of Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, the first appointment of a female minister, as the Minister of Economy, and the February 2006 appointment of Mariam Al Roumi as 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. or Western-style democracy on the Arab world" saying, "the values of democracy are not to be imposed." Han expressed her friendship towards Lebanon and Israel and her support for UN Security Council Resolution 1701, UNIFIL, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan's efforts at securing peace, and Foreign Minister Ban's candidacy to be the next Secretary General.[5]

Han met with Daniyal Akhmetov, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, on 23 September, 2006 in Astana, Kazakhstan. They signed several bilateral agreements enhancing economic ties. The Government of South Korea agreed 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 of nuclear reactor. South Korean investors have stakes in more than 300 Kazakhstan-based companies. Han was in Kazakhstan until 24 September. She then traveled to Uzbekistan.[6]

Han invited President Nazarbayev to visit South Korea in 2007 on behalf of President Roh[6], 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[7].

Han and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, met in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 25 September, 2006. They signed several agreements, including one deal in which Uzbekistan will send 300 tons of Uzbek uranium ore 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 with President Islom Karimov and parliament speaker Erkin 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.[8]

Han resigned from her position as prime minister on March 7, 2007, amidst speculation that she will run in the December 2007 presidential elections. After the informal meeting with former justice minister Kang Kum-Sil just before her resignation, Now Ms.Han stated that she would continue as a legislator and think about running for president. [9]

Preceded by
Lee Haechan
Prime Minister of South Korea
2006-2007
Succeeded by
Han Duck-soo


Prime Ministers of South Korea
Yi Beomseok • Shin Sung Mo* • Chang Myon • Yi Yun Yong* • Chang Taek Sang • Paik Too Chin • Pyun Yung Tai • post abolished • Heo Jeong • Chang Myon • Chang Do Yung† • Song Yo Chan† • Park Chung-hee† • Kim Hyun Chul† • Choi Doo Sun • Chung Il-kwon • Paik Too Chin • Kim Jong-pil • Choi Kyu-hah • Shin Hyon Hwak • Park Choong Hoon* • Nam Duck Woo • Yoo Chang Soon • Kim Sang Hyup • Chin Iee Chong • Lho Shin Yong • Lee Han Key* • Kim Chung Yul • Lee Hyun Jae • Kang Young Hoon • Ro Jai Bong • Shin Hyon Hwak* • Chung Won Shik • Hyun Soong Jong • Hwang In Sung • Lee Hoi-chang • Lee Yung Duk • Lee Hong Koo • Lee Soo Sung • Goh Kun • Kim Jong-pil • Park Tae Joon • Lee Hun Jai* • Lee Han Dong • Chang Sang* • Jeon Yun Churl* • Chang Dae Whan* • Kim Suk Soo • Goh Kun • Lee Hun Jai* • Lee Hae Chan • Han Duck-soo* • Han Myeong-sook* • Han Duck-soo
*denotes acting     †military
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