Independent Lawmaker Han Dong-hoon claimed today (Sept. 3) that the Democratic Party's Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter, led by Justice Minister Nominee Kim Seung-won as its chairperson, is suspected of creating a slush fund by inflating staff salaries and taking back a portion of the money.

Lawmaker Han made the claim in a Facebook post earlier today.

Mentioning Nominee Kim by name, Han asked, "While serving as the chairperson of the Democratic Party's Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter, did the Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter continuously and repeatedly 'pay back' and create a slush fund by adding 2 million won per month on top of actual salaries to various party officials under the guise of wages, and then having that money transferred—not to the Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter's political fund expenditure account reported to the National Election Commission—but to a bank account held by a specific party official?"

Nominee Kim was elected as the chairperson of the Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter in August 2024 for a two-year term.

Meanwhile, regarding Nominee Kim's alleged "lobbying for the approval of a COVID-19 treatment clinical trial," Lawmaker Han also raised the issue of whether there was collusion with the court's warrant judge at the time.

Han asked Nominee Kim, "Is it true that the head of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Planning and Coordination Department visited the deputy head of the National Court Administration in person, carrying a private letter, to request the exclusion of Jeong, the Seoul Western District Court's warrant-dedicated judge who would review the arrest warrants for Nominee Kim, a broker, and the owner of Company A, from the warrant review of that case, but the Supreme Court rejected it?"

Regarding the reason for requesting the exclusion, Han mentioned, "Was it because it was difficult to expect a fair warrant review due to Nominee Kim's special relationship with Nominee Kim and Yang—as evidenced by investigation findings including a photograph showing Nominee Kim and Yang together with Judge Jeong, and text messages of Nominee Kim telling Yang that they are together and asking to call Judge Jeong to a drinking gathering?"

He also repeatedly asked, "Did Judge Jeong nevertheless handle the warrant review for that case and dismiss the arrest warrant for the owner of Company A?"

Previously, Nominee Kim, a former judge, was investigated on charges of receiving a request from a COVID-19 treatment company through a broker in 2021 to ask the then-Minister of Food and Drug Safety to approve clinical trials for the treatment, but prosecutors issued a suspension of indictment in December 2024.

(Photo: Yonhap News)