Did He Text the Minister for a "Quick Approval"? Controversy Surrounds Ministerial Nominee's Alleged Lobbying

[Anchor]

Nominee for Minister of Justice Kim Seung-won received a suspension of indictment two years ago regarding allegations that he lobbied the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety at the request of an acquaintance to help gain clinical approval for a new COVID-19 drug. The conservative opposition bloc is questioning whether the nominee actually sent text messages soliciting favors to the former head of the Food and Drug Safety ministry at the time, and is demanding his resignation, arguing he is unfit for the position.

Reporter Park Chan-beom has the details.

[Reporter]

This is a text message that Nominee for Minister of Justice Kim Seung-won sent yesterday (the 1st) to Representative Seo Young-kyo of the Democratic Party of Korea, who chairs the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, while inside the National Assembly plenary chamber.

It contains explanations addressing the "suspicion of soliciting the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety," stating that "even the court handling the relevant case denied any quid pro quo nature regarding the mediation."

In December 2024, Nominee Kim, who was an opposition lawmaker at the time, received a suspension of indictment over allegations that he conveyed lobbying requests to Kim Gang-lip, former Minister of Food and Drug Safety, regarding the approval of clinical trials for a new drug.

Back in October 2021, a new drug development company was pushing to get its COVID-19 treatment approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

According to relevant rulings, a company official surnamed Kang asked an acquaintance surnamed Yang to help secure clinical trial approval, and Yang sought help from Nominee Kim, whom he was acquainted with. The allegation is that Nominee Kim then asked then-Minister Kim Gang-lip to process the approval.

Independent lawmaker Handong publicly questioned today whether Nominee Kim had indeed sent a text message to the former minister containing lobbying requests, mentioning the company's name and asking him to "please ask the working-level staff in charge to process it rather quickly."

The first-instance ruling concerning Kang, the company official, also states that Yang sent a text message to Nominee Kim asking him to "please ask the relevant division at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to process the work fairly quickly."

Yang and Nominee Kim were also photographed together at an event in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, in 2023.

The People Power Party demanded the resignation of Nominee Kim.

[Park Chung-kwon / Senior Spokesperson, People Power Party: It has now been revealed that he used his position to lobby in an improper manner. He is an individual unfit for the role of Minister of Justice.]

When the suspension of indictment became belatedly known in February of last year, Nominee Kim filed a constitutional complaint, stating, "It was merely relaying a civil petition, and I have never received any money."

[Kim Seung-won / Nominee for Minister of Justice (February of last year): I will fight to the end against clumsy legal maneuvering and the politicized schemes of prosecutors, and correct the falsehoods.]

In response to SBS inquiries regarding the allegations, Nominee Kim's side stated, "Please ask questions starting tomorrow when the personnel hearing preparation team becomes operational." Meanwhile, Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chairperson Seo Young-kyo defended Nominee Kim, saying, "The prosecution should have dropped the matter with a non-indictment disposition, yet they instead brazenly issued a suspension of indictment."

(Photo: Kookmin Ilbo | Video Reporter: Lee Seung-hwan, Shin Dong-hwan | Video Editing: Oh Young-taek, Design: Kim Han-gil)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.