[Anchor]
Meeting with reporters on his way to work yesterday (the 8th), nominee Kim Seung-won offered no detailed explanation and merely repeated that he would clear up the matter at the hearing. The case regarding nominee Kim's alleged lobbying of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has been assigned to the Yeongdeungpo Police Station.
Reporter Shin Yong-il has the details.
[Reporter]
Minister of Justice nominee Kim Seung-won arrived at the confirmation hearing preparation office in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
To questions from reporters, nominee Kim briefly answered that he would explain everything at the hearing before heading into the office.
[Kim Seung-won/Minister of Justice Nominee: I will explain everything in detail at the hearing. (To check the reasons for the delay in the screening...) I will speak thoroughly at the hearing.]
As suspicions grow, the case regarding nominee Kim, which was recently filed for a complaint by civic groups and others, has been assigned to the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station.
Since the prosecution issued a suspension of indictment in 2024, the police are expected to decide whether to reinvestigate after reviewing the contents of the complaint and relevant legal principles.
The confirmation hearing preparation team continued to refute the allegations through an official notice.
Regarding the fact that the new drug lobbied to the Minister of Food and Drug Safety was a shingles treatment rather than a COVID-19 treatment, they explained, "There was no mention whatsoever of a shingles treatment in the materials provided to nominee Kim, so he was unaware of this."
Maintaining their stance that "he was under the impression that necessary procedures were underway for the approval of a COVID-19 treatment," they reiterated that neither illicit lobbying nor any promise of quid pro quo was recognized through the prosecution's investigation and court ruling.
Furthermore, as suspicions intensified following the public release of phone call transcripts involving a broker known as Mr. Yang and Genencell founder Mr. Kang, nominee Kim's side released two transcripts totaling four A4 pages—one of a call between nominee Kim and Mr. Yang, and another between Mr. Yang and Mr. Kang—stating they would rectify exaggerated claims.
(Video by: Bae Moon-san | Video Editing by: Choi Jin-hwa | Design by: Jang Sung-beom)
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