Key facts
- Han Seong-sook was confirmed as Prime Minister of South Korea.
- 166 out of 167 lawmakers present voted in favor of Han Seong-sook's confirmation.
- Lawmakers from the People Power Party boycotted the confirmation vote.
- The People Power Party deemed Han Seong-sook unfit for the position.
- Han Seong-sook is the former CEO of Naver.
- Han Seong-sook previously served as minister for small and medium enterprises.
- Han Seong-sook faces scrutiny over a data leak scandal and property sales.
- The ruling Democratic Party plans to unilaterally elect 11 committee chiefs.
- The Democratic Party will elect the chair of the legislation and judiciary committee.
- South Korea will implement facial recognition for new mobile phone registrations next month.
- Facial recognition for mobile phone registration will be optional.
- Raw facial images will be discarded immediately after verification.
South Korea's National Assembly has confirmed Han Seong-sook as Prime Minister following a motion passed with 166 out of 167 lawmakers present voting in favor. The main opposition People Power Party boycotted the confirmation vote, with lawmakers deeming Han unfit for the position. Han, who previously served as the CEO of Naver and as minister for small and medium enterprises, faces scrutiny over a data leak scandal and property sales.
In parallel, the National Assembly, controlled by the ruling Democratic Party, elected chiefs for 11 parliamentary committees. This move followed a failure by the ruling and main opposition parties to agree on the formation of parliamentary standing committees. The Democratic Party intends to unilaterally elect these committee chiefs, including the chair of the legislation and judiciary committee, at a plenary session. The People Power Party criticized this action, boycotting the session and vowing non-cooperation.
Separately, South Korea is set to implement facial recognition technology for new mobile phone registrations beginning next month. This measure aims to enhance identity verification and prevent illegal activities such as identity theft. The use of facial recognition will be optional, and raw facial images will be discarded immediately after verification is completed.
The confirmation of Han Seong-sook and the election of committee chairs highlight ongoing political tensions between the ruling Democratic Party and the opposition People Power Party. The opposition's boycott of key parliamentary proceedings signals potential future gridlock and challenges for the new administration.