Kim Seung-won's Different Commute After Notice Refutes Suspicions

[Anchor]

While suspicions regarding nominee for Minister of Justice Kim Seung-won's lobbying of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety are growing, Kim offered no detailed explanation, stating he will address the matter at the hearing. The police have assigned the complaint regarding Kim's alleged lobbying to a frontline police station and begun reviewing whether to reinvestigate.

Our first report comes from reporter Shin Yong-il.

[Reporter]

Nominee for Minister of Justice Kim Seung-won arrives at the personnel hearing preparation office in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

Unlike the previous day (the 7th), when he systematically refuted reporters' questions point by point, Kim gave a brief response stating he would explain at the hearing before heading into the office.

[Kim Seung-won / Nominee for Minister of Justice: I will explain thoroughly and in detail at the hearing. (To check the reasons for the review delay...) I will speak well at the hearing.]

As suspicions spread, the case regarding Kim's alleged lobbying, recently filed by civic groups and others, has been assigned to the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station.

Since prosecutors issued a suspension of indictment in 2024, the police are expected to decide whether to reinvestigate once they finish reviewing the contents of the complaint and legal principles.

Today, the personnel hearing preparation team continued to refute the allegations through an official notice.

Regarding the fact that the new drug lobbied for to the Minister of Food and Drug Safety was a shingles treatment rather than a COVID-19 treatment, they explained, "There was no mention at all that it was a shingles treatment in the materials provided to nominee Kim, so he had no way of knowing this."

They reiterated their stance that "he perceived that the necessary procedures were underway for the approval of the COVID-19 treatment," and that neither illegal lobbying nor promises of quid pro quo were recognized through the prosecution's investigation and court rulings.

In addition, as suspicions grew with the release of phone call transcripts involving a broker known as Mr. Yang and Genencell founder Mr. Kang, Kim's side stated they would correct exaggerated claims by releasing two transcripts totaling four A4 pages of conversations between Kim and Mr. Yang, and between Mr. Yang and Mr. Kang, respectively.

(Camera & Video: Bae Moon-san | Video Editing: Choi Jin-hwa | Design: Jang Seong-beom)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.