SEOUL, March 24 (UPI) -- South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun Friday nominated Uri Party lawmaker Han Myeong-sook as South Korea's first female prime minister.
If her appointment is ratified by the National Assembly, Han, 61, will become the government's second-highest official, The Korea Herald reported.
Two-term lawmaker Han served as minister of gender equality in 2001 and environment minister in 2003.
The post of prime minister was vacated after Lee Hae-chan stepped down in disgrace last week, apologizing for playing golf on March 1, the first day of a crippling national railway strike.
"The appointment of a woman prime minister would offer a golden opportunity to reform the corrupt political community," said Kim Kum-ok, secretary general of the Korea Women's Associations United.
If she becomes prime minister, it could herald sweeping changes in the country's male-dominated political arena, the newspaper reported.
