South Korea's parliament approved the country's first woman prime minister on Wednesday, a former activist and feminist leader once jailed for pro-democracy protests.
Analysts said they expected Han Myeong-sook, 61, to use her position as a political moderate to patch up stormy relations between the government and opposition parties ahead of local elections in late May.
The single-chamber parliament voted by 182 to 77 to approve Han, who was first elected to parliament in 2000 and has served as environment minister and gender equality minister.
She replaces veteran legislator Lee Hae-chan, considered to have been one of the country's most powerful prime ministers. Lee quit last month in a hail of criticism after playing golf while a railway strike caused transport chaos.
South Korean prime ministers have been largely figureheads under strong presidents, although President Roh Moo-hyun gave Lee sweeping power on domestic policy.
It was unclear whether Han would wield similar authority.
The main opposition Grand National Party, itself headed by a woman, hailed Han's confirmation as a step forward in the country's political development. It said however that she must ensure neutrality in the coming local elections and answer questions about past ideological leanings.
Han, born in Pyongyang, fled to South Korea with her family when the Korean War broke out in 1950. She spent two years in prison at the end of the 1970s for her part in protests against the country's then authoritarian government.
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