Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook presides over a meeting in her temporary office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Monday. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald) Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook said Monday she would focus on spurring wider adoption of artificial intelligence technologies and shared growth if she is approved as deputy head of the government."I will spur the country's AI transformation and focus on accelerating innovation, amid industrial restructuring accelerated by AI and a complex global crisis," said the 59-year-old on her way to her temporary office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to prepare for a confirmation hearing.Cheong Wa Dae motivations behind selecting Han as the prime minister nominee, cited Sunday, were similar.Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said Han's background in technology would enable her to lead the country's AI transition and the shared growth of all Koreans.Before entering politics in 2025, Han worked at Naver from 2007 to 2025 and served as the company's CEO from 2017 to 2022.The confirmation hearing is expected later this month. The exact date of the hearing has yet to be announced as of press time, as well as who in the 300-member National Assembly would join the special committee for the hearing.If her appointment is confirmed, Han said she would devote herself to boosting "a structural transformation where the fruits (of AI transformation) lead to shared opportunities and growth for all citizens."Han has been the incumbent Minister of Startups and SMEs since July. She is the first Startups Minister of the liberal Lee Jae Myung administration.During Han's term, the Startups Ministry led data-driven transition projects to reduce administrative paperwork by taking advantage of over 8 million units of data related to small and mid-sized enterprises.Han said administrative simplification, "that is felt and visible to citizens," would be necessary across the public sector. Prime Minister nominee Han Seong-sook speaks to reporters in front of her temporary office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on Monday. (Lee Sang-sub/The Korea Herald) Han also told reporters she would "faithfully cooperate with the request from the National Assembly" when asked about controversies surrounding her ownership of real estate assets.President Lee has repeatedly warned against speculative buying of real estate and multiple-home ownership, saying such practices would be subject to heavier taxes.According to Han's mandatory asset declarations in March, she owns multiple houses in Seoul, but she had reportedly been in the process of selling all her properties except for one since the disclosure.Her alleged gift tax evasion, by having her mother live in a house she owned without charging rent, could also be a focal point in the confirmation hearing.If Han gets the final approval for her post, following the parliamentary special committee's approval after the confirmation hearing at the National Assembly, she will succeed Kim Min-seok, who had offered to quit the post on Sunday.Asked how her lack of political career, compared with the four-term lawmaker and outgoing Prime Minister Kim, could be overcome, Han said she would "focus on what is required of me."