Han Duck-soo

Han Duck-soo (Korean: 한덕수; born 18 June 1949) is a South Korean diplomat, economist, and politician who served as the acting president of South Korea in December 2024 and from March to May 2025 and as the prime minister of South Korea from 2007 to 2008 and from 2022 to 2025.

Born in Jeonju, Han is the fifth person to hold the prime minister's office twice, having served under Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Yoon Suk Yeol. He also held office as the minister of economy and finance from 2005 to 2006, the ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2012, and the chairman of the Korea International Trade Association from 2012 to 2015.

After the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol on 14 December 2024, Han became the acting president of South Korea. Thirteen days later, Han himself was also impeached by the National Assembly of South Korea due to his refusal to promulgate two special counsel bills that sought to investigate the impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee, along with failing to appoint three National Assembly-designated candidates for the Constitutional Court of Korea. This ended his role as acting president and suspended his powers as prime minister, with both duties being transferred to Choi Sang-mok.

However, Han was reinstated as both acting president and prime minister on 24 March 2025, following a 7–1 vote from the court. After Yoon's removal from office in April 2025, Han was initially expected to serve as acting president until the 2025 presidential election, but he resigned on 1 May to launch an independent bid for president, and was briefly the People Power Party candidate while Kim Moon-soo's nomination was suspended and then restored on 10 May.

In August 2025, Han was indicted by special prosecutors investigating Yoon's 2024 martial law declaration. On 21 January 2026, Han was found guilty and sentenced to 23 years in prison for his role in the martial law declaration, on charges of aiding and abetting in insurrection, perjury, falsifying and destroying official documents.

Han was born on 18 June 1949 in Jeonju, South Korea, as the fifth son of six sons and three daughters to Han Byeong-ho and Jeonju Choi. He served in the South Korean Army and was discharged as a sergeant. Han graduated from Seoul National University with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1971. He received a master's degree in economics in 1979 and a doctorate in economics in 1984 from Harvard University.

Han started his political career at the National Tax Service in 1970 and joined the Economic Planning Board four years later. In 1982, he moved to what is now the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, where he eventually became Vice Minister. He held the office from 1997 to 1998, during which the 1997 Asian financial crisis took place. After Han left the position, he was Minister of Trade Affairs from 1998 to 2000, where his primary role was handling trade negotiations with foreign governments.^{[citation needed]}

Han became Minister of Finance in March 2005. Later, he briefly served as Acting Prime Minister from 14 March 2006 to 19 April 2006. He resigned as Finance Minister in July 2006 and became a special presidential advisor for free trade agreement affairs.