Genencel CEO: "'Drain on National Wealth' Was Yang's Expression; I've Never Met Kim Seung-won"

[Anchor]

We met directly with the CEO of the pharmaceutical development company Genencel, a key figure in the suspicions surrounding Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won and his alleged lobbying of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The CEO claimed that he has never met nominee Kim and never used the phrase "drain on national wealth."

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, yesterday (September 8).

Kang claimed that back in 2021, he mentioned to an acquaintance named Yang, whom he regularly knew, that the approval of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's clinical trial plan was being delayed, and received such a suggestion.

[CEO Kang / Genencel : They said, "There is a lawmaker named Kim Seung-won, so perhaps we could at least talk about it." I only asked them to follow the regulations according to the schedule.]

He claims that he contacted Justice Minister nominee Kim only once through Yang, and that he has never actually met him.

[CEO Kang / Genencel : (You've never met lawmaker Kim Seung-won at the time?) I have never met him, nor have I ever spoken to him on the phone directly.]

He stated that the remark made by nominee Kim to the then-Minister of Food and Drug Safety expressing concern that "a drain on national wealth is worrying" was actually the expression of the messenger, Yang.

[CEO Kang / Genencel : The expression "drain on national wealth" wasn't something I used. Since Representative Yang works in marketing, he used and expressed such a magnificent word.]

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.

[CEO Kang / Genencel : Why is it a poison? People in India already took it during clinical trials and saw results, and it's a safe drug that completed Phase 1 clinical trials (in Korea). Why is it a poison? It's facing severe misunderstandings.]

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

[CEO Kang / 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 saying, "Please do it just this once for my sake," so I said okay.]

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

(Video reporting: Lee Chan-su, Video editing: Jeon Min-gyu)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.