Han Myeong-sook, named by South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun as Prime Minister, speaks during a news conference in Seoul on March 24. - REUTERS
SEOUL (Reuters):
SOUTH KOREA'S parliament approved the country's first woman prime minister yesterday, a former activist and feminist leader once jailed for pro-democracy protests.
Analysts said they expected Han Myeong-sook, 61, to use her position as a political moderate to patch up stormy relations between the government and opposition parties ahead of local elections in late May.
The single-chamber parliament voted by 182 to 77 to approve Han, who was first elected to parliament in 2000 and has served as environment minister and gender equality minister.
She replaces veteran legislator Lee Hae-chan, considered to have been one of the country's most powerful prime ministers. Lee quit last month in a hail of criticism after playing golf while a railway strike caused transport chaos.
FIGUREHEADS
South Korean prime ministers have been largely figureheads under strong presidents, although President Roh Moo-hyun gave Lee sweeping power on domestic policy.
It was unclear whether Han would wield similar authority.
The main opposition Grand National Party, itself headed by a woman, hailed Han's confirmation as a step forward in the country's political development. It said, however, that she must ensure neutrality in the coming local elections and answer questions about past ideological leanings.
Han, born in Pyongyang, fled to South Korea with her family when the Korean War broke out in 1950. She spent two years in prison at the end of the 1970s for her part in protests against the country's then authoritarian government.
Rising to become a leader in South Korea's feminist movement, she is known for her gentle touch in politics. Analysts said they expected her style to be in stark contrast to that of her confrontational predecessor.
In parliamentary hearings ahead of the vote, Han said her government would urge communist North Korea to be more forthcoming on the question of South Korean abductees held in the North, but insisted that it was important to let the North open up before reforms could take hold there.
2006-04-19 10:08:17 GMT (Reuters)
