Mr Han is a veteran politician who has headed several ministries

President-elect Lee Myung-bak proposed Han Seung-soo for the country's second-highest job.

Mr Han, 72, is a career diplomat and lawmaker currently serving as a UN special envoy on climate change.

He served as foreign minister from 2001-2002 and has also held both the finance and commerce portfolios.

Mr Lee made the announcement in a televised news conference.

"Han is best qualified to achieve our goal of reinvigorating the economy and also for trade and energy diplomacy," he told journalists.

Parliament will vote on his nomination on 26 February, one day after the new president takes office.

Mr Lee won a landslide victory in general elections in December, returning the conservative Grand National Party to power for the first time in a decade.