Han Duck-soo

**Han Duck-soo** (; born 18 June 1949) is a South Korean politician. He was the acting president of South Korea in December 2024 and from March 2025 until May 2025. He was the 44th Prime Minister of South Korea from 2022 until 2025. He was prime minister before in 2006 and from 2007 until 2008.

Han was the ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2013. He was Chairman of the Korea International Trade Association from 2012 to 2015. He briefly ran for president in the 2025 snap presidential election.

## Prime Minister of South Korea

When he became prime minister again in 2022 at aged 72, Han became the oldest person to be prime minister.

On 10 April 2024, Duck-soo offered his resignation following his party's defeat in that year's legislative elections.

Han became the acting President of South Korea following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol on 14 December 2024.

Han was impeached by all 192 present MPs on 27 December 2024, and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok became acting president and prime minister.

On 24 March 2025, the Constitutional Court dismisses the impeachment of Han, letting him return as acting president.

## 2025 presidential campaign

In May 2025, Han announced his resignation as both the acting president and the prime minister while also announcing his candidacy for president in the 2025 snap election. A few days later, his independent campaign was merged with the People Power Party after the party cancelled Kim Moon-soo's campaign in favor for Han's. However that same day, members of the PPP voted to make Kim the nominee again. Han apologized for the candidacy dispute and withdrew from the election soon afterwards.

## Infobox (scientist)

- **embed**: yes
- **field**: Economics
- **thesis title**: External shocks, adjustments, and growth: Korean case
- **thesis url**: https://www.proquest.com/docview/303301905/
- **thesis year**: 1984


## Infobox (korean name)

- **child**: yes
- **hangul**: 한덕수
- **hanja**: 韓悳洙
- **rr**: Han Deoksu
- **mr**: Han Tŏksu


## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: Excellency, His Excellency
- **name**: Han Duck-soo
- **native name lang**: ko
- **image**: Han Duck-soo 2022.jpg
- **caption**: Han in 2022
- **order**: Acting
- **office**: President of South Korea
- **primeminister**: _Himself_
- **term start**: 24 March 2025
- **term end**: 1 May 2025
- **predecessor**: Choi Sang-mok (acting)
- **successor**: Lee Ju-ho (acting)
- **term start1**: 14 December 2024
- **term end1**: 27 December 2024
- **predecessor1**: Yoon Suk Yeol
- **primeminister1**: _Himself_
- **successor1**: Choi Sang-mok (acting)
- **order2**: 38th & 48th
- **office2**: Prime Minister of South Korea
- **president2**: Yoon Suk Yeol
_Himself_ (acting)
Choi Sang-mok (acting)
_Himself_ (acting)
- **term start2**: 21 May 2022
- **term end2**: 1 May 2025
- **predecessor2**: Kim Boo-kyum
Choo Kyung-ho (acting)
- **successor2**: Lee Ju-ho (acting)
Kim Min-seok (politician), Kim Min-seok (designate)
- **president3**: Roh Moo-hyun
- **term start3**: 2 April 2007
- **term end3**: 29 February 2008
- **predecessor3**: Han Myeong-sook
- **successor3**: Han Seung-soo
- **term label4**: Acting
- **term start4**: 16 March 2006
- **term end4**: 19 April 2006
- **president4**: Roh Moo-hyun
- **predecessor4**: Lee Hae-chan
- **successor4**: Han Myeong-sook
- **office5**: List of ambassadors of South Korea to the United States, South Korean Ambassador to the United States
- **president5**: Lee Myung-bak
- **term start5**: 9 March 2009
- **term end5**: 17 February 2012
- **predecessor5**: Lee Tae-sik
- **successor5**: Choi Young-jin
- **office6**: Deputy Prime Minister of South Korea, Deputy Prime Minister and
Ministry of Economy and Finance (South Korea), Minister of Economy and Finance
- **term start6**: 14 March 2005
- **term end6**: 18 July 2006
- **predecessor6**: Lee Hun-jai
- **successor6**: Kwon O-kyu
- **birth place**: Jeonju, First Republic of Korea, South Korea
- **party**: Independent politician, Independent
- **signature**: Han Duck-soo signature.svg
- **spouse**: Choi Ah-young
- **allegiance**: South Korea
- **branch**: Republic of Korea Army
- **rank**: Comparative military ranks of Korea, Sergeant