Han Duck-soo

His Excellency

Han Duck-soo
한덕수
Han in 2022
Acting President of South Korea
In office
24 March 2025 – 1 May 2025
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded byChoi Sang-mok (acting)
Succeeded byLee Ju-ho (acting)
In office
14 December 2024 – 27 December 2024
Prime MinisterHimself
Preceded byYoon Suk Yeol
Succeeded byChoi Sang-mok (acting)
38th & 48th Prime Minister of South Korea
In office
21 May 2022 – 1 May 2025
PresidentYoon Suk Yeol
Himself (acting)
Choi Sang-mok (acting)
Himself (acting)
Deputy
Preceded byKim Boo-kyum
Choo Kyung-ho (acting)
Succeeded byLee Ju-ho (acting)
Kim Min-seok (designate)
In office
2 April 2007 – 29 February 2008
PresidentRoh Moo-hyun
Preceded byHan Myeong-sook
Succeeded byHan Seung-soo
Acting
16 March 2006 – 19 April 2006
PresidentRoh Moo-hyun
Preceded byLee Hae-chan
Succeeded byHan Myeong-sook
South Korean Ambassador to the United States
In office
9 March 2009 – 17 February 2012
PresidentLee Myung-bak
Preceded byLee Tae-sik
Succeeded byChoi Young-jin
Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Economy and Finance
In office
14 March 2005 – 18 July 2006
Prime Minister
Preceded byLee Hun-jai
Succeeded byKwon O-kyu
Personal details
Born (1949-06-18) 18 June 1949 (age 77)
Jeonju, South Korea
Political partyIndependent
Spouse(s)Choi Ah-young
Education
Scientific career
FieldsEconomics
ThesisExternal shocks, adjustments, and growth: Korean case (1984)
Doctoral advisor
Signature
Military service
AllegianceSouth Korea
Branch/serviceRepublic of Korea Army
RankSergeant
Korean name
Hangul
한덕수
Hanja
韓悳洙
Revised RomanizationHan Deoksu
McCune–ReischauerHan Tŏksu

Han Duck-soo (한덕수; born 18 June 1949) is a South Korean politician. He was the acting president of South Korea in December 2024 and from March 2025 until May 2025. He was the 44th Prime Minister of South Korea from 2022 until 2025. He was prime minister before in 2006 and from 2007 until 2008.

Han was the ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2013. He was Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association from 2012 to 2015. He briefly ran for president in the 2025 snap presidential election.

Prime Minister of South Korea

When he became prime minister again in 2022 at aged 72, Han became the oldest person to be prime minister.

On 10 April 2024, Duck-soo offered his resignation following his party's defeat in that year's legislative elections.

Han became the acting President of South Korea following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol on 14 December 2024.

Han was impeached by all 192 present MPs on 27 December 2024, and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok became acting president and prime minister.

On 24 March 2025, the Constitutional Court dismisses the impeachment of Han, letting him return as acting president.

2025 presidential campaign

In May 2025, Han announced his resignation as both the acting president and the prime minister while also announcing his candidacy for president in the 2025 snap election. A few days later, his independent campaign was merged with the People Power Party after the party cancelled Kim Moon-soo's campaign in favor for Han's. However that same day, members of the PPP voted to make Kim the nominee again. Han apologized for the candidacy dispute and withdrew from the election soon afterwards.

Notes

  1. ↑ Yoon's powers and duties were suspended due to his impeachment and were later officially removed from office on 4 April 2025. Han assumed Yoon's powers and duties as acting president on 14 December 2024, but was impeached himself and had his powers and duties suspended between 27 December 2024 and 24 March 2025, when his impeachment was overturned.
  2. ↑ Choi Sang-mok served as acting prime minister while Han's powers and duties were suspended from 27 December 2024 to 24 March 2025.

References

  1. ↑ "Former Chairmen of the Korea International Trade Association". Archived from the original on 2022-02-23. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  2. ↑ "Former Prime Minister Han Duk-soo Appointed as the Next KITA Chairman". Archived from the original on 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2022-04-07.
  3. ↑ "Han Duck-soo appointed prime minister after rocky confirmation process". koreajoongangdaily.joins.com. Retrieved 2022-07-10.
  4. ↑ "South Korea: PM offers to resign after election defeat". dw.com. 2024-04-10. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  5. ↑ "Yoon Impeached". BBC. 14 December 2024. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
  6. ↑ Smith, Josh (14 December 2024). "South Korea opposition will not seek to impeach acting president over martial law". Reuters. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  7. ↑ "South Korea votes to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo". BBC News. 27 December 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  8. ↑ Joyce, Lee; Jihoon, Lee (24 March 2025). "South Korean court reinstates impeached PM Han Duck-soo as acting president". Reuters. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
  9. ↑ 김승욱안용수. "韓대행 "중책 내려놓고 더 큰 책임 지겠다"…사실상 대선출마". n.news.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  10. ↑ So-yeon, Yoon. "PPP to remove Kim Moon-soo as presidential candidate, replace him with Han Duck-soo". Korean JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  11. ↑ 기자, 양지혜. "김문수 "국민의힘 후보 자격 불법 박탈…법적·정치적 대응"". Chosun. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  12. ↑ Oh, Seok-min. "Former PM Han apologizes for conservative party's presidential candidacy disarray". Yonhap. Retrieved 10 May 2025.