The Koreas | Politics | East Asia

South Korea Gets a New PM as Ruling Party Leadership Race Heats up

The outgoing premier is expected to seek the ruling Democratic Party’s chairship amid mounting friction between the presidential office and the DP. 

South Korea’s former prime minister, Kim Min-seok, speaks at a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, June 22, 2026. Kim left office on June 30 and is widely expected to run for the DP chair position.

On June 30, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung approved the appointment of Han Sung-sook as prime minister, making her South Korea’s second female prime minister after Han Myeong-sook, who held the post from 2006 to 2007. Han Sung-sook takes office July 1 as the 50th prime minister and the second under the Lee administration.

The National Assembly passed Han’s confirmation motion the same day by a vote of 166 in favor to one invalid ballot, out of 167 lawmakers present. The main opposition People Power Party did not participate, citing unresolved allegations over illegal building extensions at Han’s property. The party had also boycotted the earlier vote to adopt Han’s confirmation hearing report. 

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik announced Han’s nomination on June 7, describing her as suited to lead South Korea through an era of rapid artificial intelligence transformation given her background as a technology executive and her year as the country’s first minister of SMEs and startups. Kang also credited outgoing premier Kim Min-seok with the government’s record so far, a remark that took on added weight once Kim’s own political plans became clear. 

Although he has not yet announced his bid officially, it’s widely believed that Kim offered his resignation after the June 3 local elections in order to run for chair of the ruling Democratic Party at its August convention. On June 8, marking his own first anniversary in office, Lee said it seemed more appropriate for Kim to take on another role, a comment many took as support for Kim’s bid to run for the chairship of DP. 

The campaign now sets up a three-way contest for the August 17 convention among Kim, veteran lawmaker Song Young-gil, and Jung Chung-rae – the outgoing DP chair whose stint as party leader has consistently been questioned by the core supporters of Lee. Last week, Jung stepped down as party leader in what was seen as a step toward seeking another term. 

Behind the personnel change lies a broader frustration inside the presidential Blue House over the pace of legislation. During a senior secretaries’ meeting on June 15, Kang said that 569 of 782 bills tied to the government’s policy agenda – nearly three-quarters of its legislative wishlist – remained stuck in the National Assembly. This is despite the DP having a massive majority in the legislature. Kang also said 41 tasks were running behind schedule and 11 of them delayed more than six months, urging his staff to identify where interagency friction was slowing the work. Lee has voiced similar impatience in public remarks about this issue. 

Kang and Lee’s frustration did not target the main opposition party. The DP controls the........

© The Diplomat