Rival Parties Clash over Allegations of Solicitation Involving Rep. Kim Seung-won and Genencell

[Anchor]

The National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's parliamentary audit of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety erupted into conflict over allegations involving Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won and Genencell. The audit was suspended just 30 minutes after it began before resuming.

Reporter Go Jeong-hyeon reports.

[Reporter]

The National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee's parliamentary audit of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety was tense from the outset over protest signs set up by People Power Party lawmakers.

The Democratic Party called on the opposing party to remove the signs and stop focusing solely on political offensives, while the People Power Party argued that the witnesses they demanded were not adopted.

[Kim Gyo-heung / Member, National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee (Democratic Party): I cannot understand why they are turning a standing committee dedicated to the health and welfare of the public into a political battleground. I hope the signs are taken down soon.]

[Baek Jong-hean / Member, National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee (People Power Party): Instead of being uncomfortable with the picket signs, the Democratic Party should be uncomfortable with a parliamentary audit that lacks key witnesses.]

The rival parties subsequently traded barbs over allegations that Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won, who withdrew his nomination for justice minister, exerted improper influence over then-Food and Drug Safety Minister Kim Gang-lip during the clinical trial approval process for Genencell.

The People Power Party demanded the submission of additional materials and the adoption of related individuals as witnesses, arguing that Genencell had submitted an animal testing report to the ministry with unfavorable details omitted and that clinical trial plan approval was granted based on it.

[Cho Bae-sook / Member, National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee (People Power Party): Lawmaker Kim Seung-won's solicitation and the resulting inflation of Sejong Medical's stock price, which ultimately led to its delisting, caused significant damage.]

In contrast, the Democratic Party fired back, arguing that court proceedings confirmed the submission of false reports was Genencell's fault, and accusing the People Power Party of targeting a fellow lawmaker simply to politicize the matter.

[Seo Young-seok / Member, National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee (Democratic Party): Because the false submission was the fault of the company in question, there was no intention whatsoever on the part of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to cover it up or deceive.]

As the clashes between both sides intensified, the Health and Welfare Committee meeting was suspended just 30 minutes after it began before later resuming.

(Video by Oh Young-chun, Kim Yong-woo | Video Editing by Yoo Mi-ra)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.