Seung-soo Han served as Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea from 2008 to 2009. He previously served as President of the 56th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (2001-2002), Korea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (2001-2002), Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (1996-1997), Chief of Staff to the President of Korea (1994-1995), Korean Ambassador to the United States (1993-1994), and Minister of Trade and Industry (1988-1990). Dr. Han also served three terms in Korea’s National Assembly, where he represented his hometown of Chuncheon in Gangwon Province (1988-2004). From 2007-2008, Dr. Han served as Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on Climate Change, and he currently sits on the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation.
Before entering politics in 1988, Dr. Han had a distinguished academic career as a professor of economics at Seoul National University (1970-1988). He received his BA from Yonsei University, his MPA from Seoul National University, and his Ph.D. from the University of York, England. Dr. Han received the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the UN in 2001 and was awarded an honorary knighthood (KBE) from Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in 2004.