Key facts
- New Prime Minister Han Seong-sook aims to align government policy with the private sector's pace.
- Han, an IT expert, will focus on fostering investment in AI and high-tech industries.
- She plans to remove regulatory obstacles to innovation.
- Outgoing PM Kim Min-seok urged a focus on the vulnerable and people's lives.
SEOUL, July 1 (Yonhap) -- New Prime Minister Han Seong-sook stated on her first day in office Wednesday that she will strive to ensure the government keeps pace with the rapidly changing private sector and implements necessary policies at the opportune moment. Han, who has a background as an information technology expert, expressed her understanding of both the private and public sectors. "The status of our country is changing from a nation chasing the great upheaval to a country leading that upheaval," Han told reporters. "To keep up with this, the government should move more swiftly, and I will make my best efforts to ensure necessary policies are implemented at the right time." She added, "The languages of the public and private sectors should go together and both sides should keep pace with each other." Han believes her role is to synchronize the government's movements, given her brief experience in the public sector and her prior understanding of industries. She plans to support increased investment in artificial intelligence and other high-tech sectors, while also working to eliminate regulatory hurdles to innovation. The goal is to ensure these advancements benefit citizens and create opportunities for younger generations. Earlier, outgoing Prime Minister Kim Min-seok bid farewell, imploring civil servants to prioritize the lives of the people and the socially vulnerable. "I think politics is to see the future through the eyes of the weak," Kim stated during his departure ceremony, referencing his prime ministerial tie's sheep pattern as a symbol of inclusivity. He urged them to maintain the attitude of putting people's lives and the vulnerable first, especially during economic recovery and growth.