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Seoul (dpa) - South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun on Friday nominated a former minister for gender equality to become the country's first woman prime minister.
"Han has devoted herself to the causes of women's rights, environment and democracy over the past 30 years," a spokesman for Roh said in Seoul.
Han, 62, a member of the governing Uri party, is experienced in the administration and was also minister for the environment from 2003 and 2004 under Roh. In 2001, she became the first minister for gender equality under the former, authoritarian regime.
If Han's nomination is approved by parliament, she would replace Lee Hae Chan, who resigned last week amid growing criticism over his decision on March 1 to play golf instead of tending to a nationwide rail strike.
Local women's groups and political parties welcomed Han's nomination.
The conservative Great National Party (GNP), which is the largest opposition party, called on Han to leave her party before communal elections in late May party chied Park Geun Hye urging her to prove her "political neutrality". Han rejected the call, according to Yonhap news agency reports.
Han is the second South Korean woman to be nominated for the post of prime minister.
Four years ago, parliament rejected the nomination of university head Chang Sang. The power of South Korea's prime minister is limited under the country's presidential system and the most important government decisions are made by the president.
Lee was considered the most influential prime minister so far as Roh had ceded a large part of government functions to him.
Copyright 2006 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
