Kim Seung-won, nominee for Minister of Justice, stated on his first day of reporting to the personnel hearing preparation office at Jeokseon Hyundai Building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, today (the 3rd), regarding the withdrawal of the indictment in the case involving President Lee Jae-myung, emphasizing that "the Minister of Justice has no direct authority, and I have no intention of exercising direction through the Prosecutor General."

He also stated, "As a lawmaker, I conveyed the public's stance that the state must rectify the wrongs of cases that were fabricated and indicted through illegal investigations."

He further emphasized, "As a nominee for Minister of Justice, I will abide by the law and principles," adding, "Since trial prosecutors hold the authority for the maintenance of indictments in individual cases, I will respect that authority."

Nominee Kim previously served as a co-representative, alongside lawmaker Yoon Kun-young, in the "Lawmakers' Group for the Withdrawal of Indictment and Promotion of a State Investigation into the President Lee Jae-myung Case."

When asked about suspicions surrounding the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety lobbying allegations, nominee Kim claimed, "Since 2021, prosecutors mobilized around 10 prosecutors for a high-intensity investigation over three years, yet they issued a non-prosecution disposition." He added, "Although a disposition of no charges was warranted, a suspension of indictment was issued based on some actions, which I believe is unfair."

He continued, "I filed a constitutional complaint last year, and I understand that the Constitutional Court is currently reviewing the case," adding, "I want to clear my name to the end."

Regarding suspicions that a warrant review for a related case was handled by a judge with personal ties to him, he responded, "Prosecutors investigated everything over a long period and are aware of the relevant details. Even so, I believe the non-prosecution disposition was reached based on the conclusion that there were no illegal favors or provision of convenience, and that the approval procedures proceeded normally."

Concerning his past record of defending sex crime cases, he stated, "In one case, the law firm I belonged to accepted the case, but I was not substantially involved, and in the other case, I provided a defense according to my usual beliefs." He added, "I humbly reflect on the aspects that did not meet the public's expectations."


Meanwhile, regarding his thoughts on his nomination, nominee Kim stated, "I feel a profound sense of mission to ensure that the new criminal justice system, being implemented for the first time in 70 years, settles in without causing inconvenience to the public." He added, "I will also swiftly resolve delays in case handling to ease public inconvenience."
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)