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SME Minister Nominee Han to Divest 68,934 Naver Shares and Family Stakes

The former Naver CEO is selling about 17.4 billion won of stock to meet ethics rules requiring officials to shed holdings above 30 million won within two months of taking office.

Han Seong-sook, the nominee for minister of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups, speaks to reporters upon arrival at her office in Seoul on June 24, 2025. (Yonhap)
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Overview

  • Han Seong-sook has pledged to divest a total of 68,934 Naver shares, including exercised options, valued at approximately 17.4 billion won.
  • She will also sell 2.56 billion won in Hyundai Motor and Samsung Electronics shares held by her mother.
  • Under South Korea’s ethics regulations, high-ranking officials must sell or blind-trust any stock holdings exceeding 30 million won within two months of appointment.
  • Opposition figures had estimated her combined assets—including US stocks, crypto and real estate—at around 44 billion won.
  • Han served as Naver CEO from 2017 to 2022, earning substantial stock options that now fall under mandatory divestment requirements.