Kim Seung-won, nominee for Minister of Justice, arrived at his personnel hearing preparation office for the first time today.
Regarding his past case of requesting the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to swiftly process clinical trials for a COVID-19 treatment, for which he received a suspension of indictment, Kim argued, "A non-prosecution disposition was appropriate, but it was unjust that a suspension of indictment was issued based on a partial action."
He emphasized that he would clear his name through a constitutional petition.
In response to suspicions raised by independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon that the judge who reviewed the warrant related to this case had a personal connection with nominee Kim, Kim replied as follows:
[Kim Seung-won / Nominee for Minister of Justice: It was neither an illicit solicitation nor the provision of favors. Because the approval process proceeded normally and it was concluded that there were no other judicial problems, a non-prosecution disposition was reached.]
Regarding his past record of defending a minor sex offender, Kim apologized, saying, "I humbly reflect on the parts that did not meet the public's expectations."
[Kim Seung-won / Nominee for Minister of Justice: I humbly reflect on the parts that did not meet the public's expectations.]
Meanwhile, lawmaker Han Dong-hoon newly raised suspicions today regarding the creation of a slush fund while nominee Kim served as the chairperson of the Democratic Party's Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter.
Through social media, lawmaker Han claimed, "During the period when nominee Kim served as the chairperson of the Democratic Party's Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter, the provincial chapter additionally paid various party officials an extra 2 million won per month on top of their actual salaries under the guise of wages."
He then publicly questioned, "Did you or did you not create and use a slush fund by having that money rebated through a method where it was continuously and repeatedly transferred to an account held by a specific party official as the depositor, rather than the Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter's political fund expenditure account reported to the National Election Commission?"
Nominee Kim was elected as the chairperson of the Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter with a two-year term in August 2024, and the nominee's side has not yet released a position on the new suspicions raised by lawmaker Han.
(Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Lee Eui-sun | Graphics by Yook Do-hyun | Produced by SBS Digital News)
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