Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won has refuted allegations regarding his involvement in lobbying for a COVID-19 treatment, stating that his actions were a "simple delivery of a public interest grievance."

The personnel hearing preparation team for nominee Kim stated through a press notice today (the 3rd), "We requested that the clinical trial procedures for a domestic small and medium-sized enterprise not be unfairly delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic." They added, "We did not demand the approval, priority review, easing of standards, or omission of procedures for the treatment, and prosecutors did not conclude that the delivery of the civil petition itself was illegal."

The preparation team explained that prosecutors judged it difficult to view the request to swiftly process the clinical trial plan approval procedures as illegal lobbying, given the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time.

They also emphasized, "Nominee Kim has never actually received political donations, money, valuables, or entertainment."

Nominee Kim has previously faced allegations that in 2021, after receiving a request to expedite the COVID-19 treatment clinical trial approval for a specific company, he sent a message to the then-Minister of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Kim Gang-lip, conveying a similar request.

(Photo: Yonhap News)