President Lee Jae Myung has nominated Han Seong-sook, the incumbent minister of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as the next prime minister, a senior presidential official said Sunday. File photo: President Lee Jae Myung (left) poses with Minister of SMEs and Startups Han Seong-sook after presenting her with a letter of appointment on July 28, 2025. The presidential office announced Sunday that Han had been nominated as prime minister. (Yonhap) If confirmed by the National Assembly, Han would become the Lee government's first female prime minister and South Korea's second female prime minister since Han Myeong-sook, who served in the post from 2006-2007.Current Prime Minister Kim Min-seok is stepping down, reportedly to run for the leadership of the ruling Democratic Party at its convention in August or September. (Yonhap)