"Lobbied Through Kim Seung-won and Paid 600 Million Won to Broker"... Taken into Custody in Court

[Anchor]

Kang Se-chan, a key figure in the new drug lobbying allegations involving Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won, who was once a candidate for Minister of Justice, was sentenced to four years in prison—heavier than his first-instance sentence—and taken into legal custody. The court ruled it clear that Kang had made requests to the Minister of Food and Drug Safety through Lawmaker Kim, a development expected to impact ongoing investigations and trials related to Lawmaker Kim.

This is reporter Jang Hun-gyeong.

[Reporter]

Kang Se-chan, the founder of Genenexel and a central figure in the allegations surrounding Democratic Party Lawmaker Kim Seung-won's lobbying of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, attended his appellate sentencing hearing.

[Kang Se-chan / Founder of Genenexel: (Do you still maintain your position that you never lobbied Lawmaker Kim?) ......]

Yesterday (September 30), the appellate court overturned the first-instance ruling that had given him a suspended prison sentence, instead sentencing him to four years in prison and a fine of 40 million won, while ordering him taken into legal custody.

In particular, the court overturned the first-instance verdict which had acquitted broker Yang, who directly approached Lawmaker Kim for lobbying, of the charges concerning the quid pro quo nature of the 600 million won received from Kang.

The court ruled that "it is evident that Kang requested approval for clinical trials handled by the Minister of Food and Drug Safety through Lawmaker Kim, and paid 600 million won to broker Yang in return."

Lawmaker Kim's side has consistently denied the allegations of lobbying the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, citing the first-instance ruling that the 600 million won in question could not be definitively concluded as compensation for lobbying.

[Kim Dong-ah / Democratic Party Lawmaker (at last month's confirmation hearing): (The first-instance) verdict has sorted all of that out. No content explicitly promising compensation for mediation of lobbying was found.]

[Kim Seung-won / Democratic Party Lawmaker (former nominee for Minister of Justice, at last month's confirmation hearing): It confirmed that there were no violations or matters of that sort.]

With this appellate ruling, the core rationale behind these explanations has vanished.

Although this ruling does not directly address Lawmaker Kim's criminal liability, its impact on ongoing investigations and trials appears inevitable.

This is because the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station is currently investigating the complaint regarding Lawmaker Kim's alleged new drug lobbying, and the Seoul Western District Court is holding trials concerning charges that Kang and broker Yang requested Lawmaker Kim to expedite a review by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and promised a 5 million won political donation.

In particular, the Western District Court delayed its sentencing hearing, which was originally set for the 15th, to November, stating it would review the results of this appellate decision.

(Camera Reporter: Kang Si-woo | Video Editor: Kim Jong-mi)

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