A feminist and former political dissident was picked yesterday to become South Korea's first woman prime minister, officials said.
Han Myung-sook, a lawmaker from the ruling Uri Party, was nominated for the vacant post by President Roh Moo-hyun, a move hailed as a step forward for women in male-dominated South Korea.
Han, known as the "godmother" of South Korean feminism, is a two-term lawmaker who served as minister of gender equality in 2001 and environment minister in 2003.
Han, 61, cut her political teeth as a dissident fighting South Korea's military dictators in the 1970s and 1980s. She was jailed for two years for pro-democracy activities in 1979.
She was selected for the top Cabinet post over Kim Byong-joon, a former politics professor currently serving as policy planner on Roh's presidential staff.
"She has worked for more than 30 years to improve women's rights, environment protection and democracy," presidential secretariat chief Lee Byung-wan said.
"She has also accumulated experience in state administration by serving as minister of gender equality and minister of environment," Lee added.
The appointment requires approval from parliament but Han is widely regarded as a bipartisan choice as she is respected by members of the conservative opposition Grand National Party, who were irked by her predecessor's brusque and partisan style.
Suggesting that Han would adopt a more compromising attitude, Lee said that she would operate with "soft" leadership.
"The government expects the prime minister, as the country's first female prime minister, will carry out state tasks smoothly with a soft leadership," he said.
Han is married to a university professor who was also jailed in the past for pro-democracy activism. They have one son.
Women's groups have hailed Han's appointment as a momentous shift that would encourage women to strive for recognition in South Korea's male-dominated political and government circles.
"Han is the best choice as she is broad-minded and excellent in mediation. The epochal appointment will also raise the social standing of women," said Kim Hwa-joong, head of the Korean National Council of Women.
CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORT: A new committee would investigate a backlog of US weapons sales to Taiwan, said its chairman, US Representative Mike Gallagher The US should formally recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, and end its outdated and counterproductive “one China” policy, US Representative Tom Tiffany and 18 other US lawmakers wrote in a petition. “It is time to change the status quo and recognize the reality denied by the US government for decades: Taiwan is an independent nation,” Tiffany told the Epoch Times. “As our long-standing and valued partner, correctly acknowledging their independence from communist China is long overdue.” The resolution also asks the administration of US President Joe Biden to support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations and to negotiate a bilateral free-trade
The Pentagon is preparing for US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy to visit Taiwan later this year, Punchbowl News reported on Monday, citing an official directly involved in the talks. US administration officials anticipate McCarthy would visit Taiwan some time in the spring, the report said. McCarthy had previously pledged to visit Taiwan if he became House speaker. He was elected speaker earlier this month. He had also said that he would have liked to join then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi’s delegation when she visited Taiwan in August last year. Pelosi’s 19-hour visit to Taipei marked the first time in 25 years
GUT FEELING: In the leaked memo, US Air Force General Mike Minihan urged mobile command personnel to go to a firing range, shoot at a target and ‘aim for the head’ A four-star US Air Force general has warned of a conflict with China as early as 2025 — most likely over Taiwan — and urged his commanders to push their units to achieve maximum operational battle readiness this year. In an internal memorandum that first emerged on social media on Friday, and was later confirmed as genuine by the Pentagon, Air Mobility Command Commander General Mike Minihan said that the main goal should be to deter “and, if required, defeat” China. “I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me we will fight in 2025,” Minihan said. Minihan said that Taiwan’s presidential election
Taiwan’s Chou Chieh-yu (周婕妤) was crowned the Kamui WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Champion after shutting out British pool titan Allison Fisher 9-0 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the organizers said on Sunday. Following the championship win at Harrah’s Resort and Casino Atlantic City, Chou pocketed US$30,000 and became the first female competitor to hold both the 9-ball and 10-ball world titles since Briton Kelly Fisher in 2012. Chou, 36, won the Predator World Women’s 10-Ball Championship in Austria in September last year after clinching a silver medal at last year’s World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, in July. “I’m very excited and it’s like
RSS