KOREA WHO
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Former Prime Minister of Republic of Korea(South Korea)
Han Duck-soo
From Power Broker to Presidency Bid—Han Duck-soo’s Meteoric Rise Ends in Defeat
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Last Updated on May 13, 2025
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Former Prime Minister of Republic of Korea(South Korea)
Life Summary
Han Duck-soo is a former Prime Minister of South Korea.
Before the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, he served as Prime Minister and assisted the president. During the impeachment proceedings and after Yoon’s dismissal, Han governed as acting president.
Following the president's dismissal, a “Han Duck-soo for President” movement rapidly gained momentum within the conservative bloc. As a result, Han resigned from the prime minister position and officially announced his presidential bid.
He competed in a unification race against Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party’s official candidate selected through the party primary, but ultimately failed to secure the nomination.
He was born on June 18, 1949, in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.
He graduated from Kyunggi High School and the College of Commerce at Seoul National University (Department of Economics). He then obtained both a master’s and a doctoral degree in economics from Harvard University in the United States.
While in his third year of college, he passed the 8th administrative exam and entered public service.
He mainly held positions in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, focusing on external economic cooperation, and served as the Chief Negotiator for Trade at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Senior Economic Secretary to the President during the Kim Dae-jung administration.
He briefly left public office after being dismissed from the post of economic secretary following the controversy over the “Korea-China garlic negotiations,” which eased China's restrictions on Korean mobile phones in exchange for Korea relaxing restrictions on Chinese garlic imports.
During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, he returned to public service as the Chief Coordinator for the Prime Minister’s Office, served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy, and led the Korea-US FTA negotiations as the chairman of the support committee, eventually being appointed Prime Minister.
In the Lee Myung-bak administration, he served as the South Korean Ambassador to the United States, and during the Park Geun-hye administration, he was President of the Korea International Trade Association.
He is known as a traditional bureaucrat who has followed an elite career path, recognized for his meticulous yet affable personality and his rational handling of affairs.
#HanDuckSoo #PrimeMinister #ActingPresident #Impeachment #PresidentialBid #PeoplePowerParty #Harvard #KoreaUSFTA #GarlicDeal #Bureaucrat #KoreanPolitics #EconomicPolicy #Diplomat #PublicService
Before the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, he served as Prime Minister and assisted the president. During the impeachment proceedings and after Yoon’s dismissal, Han governed as acting president.
Following the president's dismissal, a “Han Duck-soo for President” movement rapidly gained momentum within the conservative bloc. As a result, Han resigned from the prime minister position and officially announced his presidential bid.
He competed in a unification race against Kim Moon-soo, the People Power Party’s official candidate selected through the party primary, but ultimately failed to secure the nomination.
He was born on June 18, 1949, in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.
He graduated from Kyunggi High School and the College of Commerce at Seoul National University (Department of Economics). He then obtained both a master’s and a doctoral degree in economics from Harvard University in the United States.
While in his third year of college, he passed the 8th administrative exam and entered public service.
He mainly held positions in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, focusing on external economic cooperation, and served as the Chief Negotiator for Trade at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Senior Economic Secretary to the President during the Kim Dae-jung administration.
He briefly left public office after being dismissed from the post of economic secretary following the controversy over the “Korea-China garlic negotiations,” which eased China's restrictions on Korean mobile phones in exchange for Korea relaxing restrictions on Chinese garlic imports.
During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, he returned to public service as the Chief Coordinator for the Prime Minister’s Office, served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy, and led the Korea-US FTA negotiations as the chairman of the support committee, eventually being appointed Prime Minister.
In the Lee Myung-bak administration, he served as the South Korean Ambassador to the United States, and during the Park Geun-hye administration, he was President of the Korea International Trade Association.
He is known as a traditional bureaucrat who has followed an elite career path, recognized for his meticulous yet affable personality and his rational handling of affairs.
#HanDuckSoo #PrimeMinister #ActingPresident #Impeachment #PresidentialBid #PeoplePowerParty #Harvard #KoreaUSFTA #GarlicDeal #Bureaucrat #KoreanPolitics #EconomicPolicy #Diplomat #PublicService