[Anchor]
The National Assembly confirmation hearing for Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won is being held today (the 15th) without any witnesses. While the Democratic Party has set out to protect nominee Kim, it has been revealed that the controversial new drug was administered to 93 people during the clinical trial process.
[Reporter] Ha Jeongyeon reports.
[Reporter]
Yesterday, a day ahead of the National Assembly confirmation hearing, Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won repeatedly gave the following response to reporters on his way to work:
[Kim Seung-won / Justice Minister Nominee (Yesterday): (How do you plan to explain the allegations of improper solicitation at the hearing?) I will explain everything tomorrow. Perhaps if I say various things now....]
While Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hye-in stepped down voluntarily the day before yesterday, the People Power Party pressured that nominee Kim's nomination be withdrawn even now.
[Jang Dong-hyeok / People Power Party Leader: Are you trying to present the public before Chuseok with a 'complete set of crimes'? Even now, the nomination of Kim Seung-won must be immediately withdrawn.]
The Democratic Party dismissed this as groundless false propaganda and vowed to "protect nominee Kim."
[Han Byung-do / Democratic Party Floor Leader: Even if you repeat 'mud-slinging' allegations 100 times, false propaganda cannot become verification.]
The core issue in verifying nominee Kim is the 'allegation of improper solicitation to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.'
The controversy centers on whether nominee Kim's act of requesting a 'fast-track processing' regarding the approval of Genencel's new drug clinical trial plan to then-Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Minister Kim Kang-lip back in 2021 was appropriate.
There is a sharp clash between the suspicion of 'improper solicitation' and the counterargument that it was 'conveying a public interest civil complaint.'
It was also additionally revealed that after Genencel's new drug received approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the new drug or a placebo was administered to 93 COVID-19 patients during clinical trials in 2022.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety stated that no serious adverse drug reaction cases have been reported to date, but as Genencel faces suspicions of omitting or fabricating data during the approval process, controversies surrounding the safety of human clinical trials are expected to grow.
The fact that nominee Kim employed the son of Judge Jeong, who dismissed the arrest warrant for the founder of Genencel, as a legislative assistant is also a key issue.
Due to the Democratic Party's refusal to adopt witnesses, today's hearing will proceed without witnesses, and attention is focused on how much the suspicions raised against nominee Kim will be clarified.
(Video by: Kim Yong-woo | Video Editing by: Seunghee Lee | Design: Hwang Se-yeon)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.