(LEAD) National Assembly passes confirmation motion for PM nominee

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SEOUL, June 30 (Yonhap) -- The National Assembly on Tuesday passed the confirmation motion for Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook, with lawmakers from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) boycotting the vote, calling her unfit for the position.

The Assembly, led by the ruling Democratic Party (DP), endorsed the confirmation motion for Han with support from other pro-government parties, including the Rebuilding Korea Party and the Progressive Party. Out of 167 lawmakers present, 166 voted in favor and one ballot was invalid.

Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook answers a question from a lawmaker from the main opposition People Power Party during her confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly in Seoul on June 26, 2026. (Yonhap)

With the approval, Han is set to take office as the country's 50th prime minister and the second prime minister of President Lee Jae Myung, 23 days after her nomination on June 7.

She will also become the second woman to serve as prime minister, 20 years after former Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook became the country's first female prime minister in 2006.

Han Seong-sook, a former chief executive of online portal giant Naver who spent most of her career in the internet industry, served as Lee's first minister of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Announcing the nomination, the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae described her as "the right person to lead the country through a major strategic transition amid intelligence innovation and complex global crises."

The PPP, however, had strongly opposed her appointment, citing controversies raised during the confirmation process, including a personal information leak linked to the government's audition-style startup incubation program during her tenure as SMEs minister.

Earlier Tuesday, the opposition also boycotted a meeting for the parliamentary confirmation hearing committee, leading the DP-led Assembly to adopt the confirmation report for the nominee in their absence.