Kim Seung-won Denies COVID-19 Treatment Lobbying Allegations, Citing Public Interest Grievance

Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, countered allegations today (the 3rd) regarding his suspected involvement in lobbying for a COVID-19 treatment, stating, "It was not illegal lobbying, but a simple forwarding of a public interest grievance explicitly permitted under the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act for lawmakers."

Kim's confirmation hearing preparation team stated through a media announcement today, "This was a request made during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that the clinical trial procedures for a domestic small and medium-sized enterprise were not unfairly delayed."

The preparation team added, "We did not demand treatment approval, priority review, relaxed standards, or procedural exemptions," and noted, "Even prosecutors did not conclude that the act of forwarding a grievance itself was unlawful."

The preparation team explained that prosecutors judged it difficult to view the request—solely asking for expedited processing of the clinical trial plan approval considering the pandemic situation at the time—as illegal lobbying.

They also pointed out that no exceptional regulations or manual violations occurred during the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) review process, and that seven relevant MFDS officials also testified there were no separate directives or special reports from then-MFDS Minister Kim Gang-lip.

At the same time, they emphasized, "Nominee Kim has never actually received political donations, money, or entertainment."

Kim faced allegations that in 2021, after receiving a request to expedite the clinical trial approval for a specific company's COVID-19 treatment, he sent a message to that effect to then-Minister Kim Gang-lip.

According to the sentencing ruling by the Seoul Western District Court, university professor Kang, who was pushing to develop a COVID-19 treatment, spoke to businesswoman Yang, who had political connections, on October 6, 2021, expressing concern over delays in clinical trial approval.

In response, Yang sent text messages containing treatment-related materials to Nominee Kim, with whom she had a prior acquaintance, asking him to "ask the relevant division at the MFDS to process the work a bit faster."

Kim, who was a ruling Democratic Party freshman lawmaker at the time, reportedly replied "Okay" to Yang's request.

According to information disclosed by independent lawmaker Handong, Kim contacted former Minister Kim on October 12 after receiving Yang's request, stating, "Work is divided among three areas: the Herbal Medicine Product Division, the Clinical Trial Policy Division, and the Statistical Analysis Team. Please ask the working-level personnel in charge to handle it a bit quickly. The company is A. I brought this up out of concern that national wealth might leak."

That same day, former Minister Kim reportedly replied, "I will instruct the working-level staff to take good care of the matter you expressed concern about," and Kim is known to have forwarded the dialogue with former Minister Kim to Yang.

Two weeks later, on the 26th of the same month, the MFDS approved the phase 2 and 3 clinical trial plans for the treatment.

Yang reportedly asked Kang for a 5-million-won donation for Kim, who "worked hard" for them, referring to Kim as "oppa" and stating, "He is part of the Lee Jae-myung line, but since we cannot repay him properly, it is hard to ask again."

Kim also previously represented Yang in a Labor Standards Act violation case in 2013 involving an entertainment establishment operated by Yang.

When Yang asked for a donation account number, Kim reportedly replied "Thank you" and provided the account.

However, because the maximum limit for political donations had already been reached, the transfer did not take place, and Yang reportedly testified in court that Kim declined by saying, "I will just take your heart for it."

The Seoul Western District Court, which investigated the case at the time, issued a suspended indictment against Kim in December 2024, taking into consideration that there was no direct transfer of money between Kim and Kang, and that it was difficult to conclude the solicitation was illegal.

A suspended indictment is a type of non-prosecution disposition where criminal charges are recognized, but the case is concluded without sending the suspect to trial based on various circumstances such as the suspect's previous record, reflection, and the degree of damage suffered by the victim.

Nominee Kim Seung-won filed a constitutional complaint in May of last year, claiming that the factual and legal premise of the disposition was wrong.

Kim's side emphasized that sufficient related investigations were conducted under the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration, and that there was no prosecutor-granted "get-out-of-jail-free card" aligned with the impeachment phase of former President Yoon Suk Yeol following the December 3 emergency martial law.

The preparation team stated, "Under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, about 11 prosecutors were deployed for roughly three years to investigate Nominee Kim's case. The investigation took place under the leadership of Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon and Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok, and the suspended indictment was also issued under the prosecution leadership appointed by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Claims that it was a 'lenient disposition' riding on the coattails of the impeachment political situation have no objective basis."

On his way to work for the first time at the confirmation hearing preparation office this morning, Nominee Kim also asserted, "Since 2021, prosecutors mobilized around 10 prosecutors for three years to conduct an intensive investigation, yet they reached a non-prosecution disposition. Because a dismissal of charges was appropriate, I consider the suspended indictment based on certain actions to be unfair."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.