Exclusive: Genencel CEO Says 'National Wealth Leakage Was Yang's Expression, Never Met Kim Seung-won'

[Anchor]

We met CEO Kang of the new drug development company Genencel, a key figure in the alleged lobbying of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety involving Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, today (September 8). Kang claimed that he merely asked for the review to be handled according to regulations through businessman Mr. Yang, and stated that he has never even met nominee Kim. He also added that the phrase "leakage of national wealth," which nominee Kim reportedly mentioned to the head of the food and drug safety ministry, was an expression used by Mr. Yang.

This is an exclusive report by reporter Son Hyeong-an.

[Reporter]

SBS reporting teams met with Kang, the CEO of COVID-19 treatment developer Genencel, today.

Kang claimed that in 2021, he mentioned to an acquaintance, Mr. Yang, that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's approval for clinical trial plans was being delayed, and received the following suggestion.

[Mr. Kang / CEO of Genencel: He said, 'There is a lawmaker named Kim Seung-won, so I might be able to talk to him about that.' We didn't ask for anything other than to follow the schedule and handle it according to the regulations.]

He maintains that he reached out to Justice Minister nominee Kim only once through Mr. Yang, and has never actually met him.

[Mr. Kang / CEO of Genencel: (You've never met then-Lawmaker Kim Seung-won?) I've never met him, and I've never spoken to him on the phone directly.]

He stated that nominee Kim's remark to the then-head of the food and drug safety ministry that he was "concerned about the leakage of national wealth" originated from the messenger, Mr. Yang.

[Mr. Kang / CEO of Genencel: The expression about national wealth leakage wasn't mine. Since Director Yang works in marketing, he used such a grandiose term.]

Kang also raised his voice, asserting that calling the new drug developed by himself and Genencel executives and employees a "poison" is a misunderstanding and an insult.

[Mr. Kang / CEO of Genencel: Why is it a poison? People in India already took it in clinical trials and it showed effects, and it's a safe drug that completed Phase 1 clinical trials (in South Korea). Why is it a poison? We are receiving a lot of misunderstandings.]

Kang claimed that his attempt to donate to nominee Kim was due to a request from Mr. Yang, and not as a reward for lobbying.

[Mr. Kang / CEO of Genencel: Because he had a relationship and was close with Lawmaker Kim Seung-won, he said, 'I don't have money, so could you do it for me?' He emailed me asking, 'Please do it just this once for my sake,' and I said okay.]

Kang stated that he has not communicated with Mr. Yang since 2023, when the prosecution's investigation began in earnest, and has not received any contact from nominee Kim's side recently.

(Video by Lee Chan-su | Video Editing by Seunghee)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.