Han Duck-soo
Overview
Han Duck-soo (한덕수, born June 18, 1949) is a South Korean politician and former economic official who served as Prime Minister twice, under the Roh Moo-hyun administration and the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. He has held positions including Minister of Finance and Economy, Ambassador to the United States, and Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, and is regarded as a leading expert in trade and fiscal affairs. After the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol in December 2024, he served as acting president, and in March 2025 returned to the office of Prime Minister after the Constitutional Court dismissed the impeachment.
Key Details
Life and Education
He was born in 1949 in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do. After graduating from Gyeonggi High School and Seoul National University's Department of Economics, he earned a master's and doctorate in economics from Harvard University in the United States. This educational background became the foundation for his expertise in international trade and macroeconomic policy overall.
Bureaucratic Career
He entered public service in 1972 after passing the Higher Civil Service Examination, and worked mainly at the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Finance and Economy. He held key posts including Senior Secretary to the President for Economic Affairs in the Presidential Secretariat, Vice Minister of Finance and Economy, Head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, and Minister of Finance and Economy and Deputy Prime Minister. Although he came from a bureaucratic background, he was active on the international economic stage, participating in trade negotiations related to the OECD and WTO, and played a key role in the negotiation process for the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Tenure as Prime Minister (2007–2008)
In 2007, in the latter half of the Roh Moo-hyun administration, he was appointed Prime Minister and served until 2008. During his term, he took on tasks including supporting ratification of the Korea-U.S. FTA, various regulatory reforms, and coordination of economic policy.
Private Sector and Diplomatic Career
After leaving the premiership, he served as Ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2012, working to strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance and economic cooperation. Afterwards, he served as Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association, working at the forefront of private-sector economic diplomacy. In addition, he concurrently engaged in various national policy advisory and international organization-related activities.
Tenure as Prime Minister (2022–2024)
In 2022, he was appointed again as the first Prime Minister of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. He performed roles such as responding to economic crises, managing trade issues, and coordinating state affairs, and served as a channel for policy communication amid a National Assembly situation marked by severe ruling-opposition confrontation.
2024 Emergency Martial Law and Acting Presidency
After President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law on December 3, 2024, and the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo assumed the role of acting president from December 14. Under the acting presidency system, he focused on maintaining continuity in diplomacy, security, and the economy.
Impeachment and Return (2025)
On December 27, 2024, the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against Acting President Han Duck-soo, resulting in an unprecedented impeachment of an acting president, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok took over as acting president. On March 24, 2025, the Constitutional Court dismissed the impeachment of Han Duck-soo, and he returned to the duties of Prime Minister and the position of acting president.
Recent Developments
On April 4, 2025, with the Constitutional Court's decision to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, Han Duck-soo again served as acting president, and led the acting presidency system until President Lee Jae-myung took office following the presidential election on June 3. Afterwards, he continued to serve as Prime Minister coordinating overall state affairs, and based on his experience in economic and trade fields, sought to restore external trust and respond to major pending issues. In the process of moving between the premiership and acting presidency twice, his political stature and influence came to the fore, and discussions continue over his future course and role.
Related Topics
- [[Prime Minister of South Korea]]
- [[Acting President of South Korea]]
- [[Yoon Suk Yeol]]
- [[Roh Moo-hyun]]
- [[Korea–United States Free Trade Agreement]]