Kim Seung-won, nominee for Minister of Justice, stated today (September 7) regarding the allegations of solicitation concerning the approval of COVID-19 treatment clinical trials, "I take heavily the point that I should have been much more cautious in the process of conveying civil petitions."

Reiterating that he had never made any illegal solicitations to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, he demanded that independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who raised the allegations, reveal where he obtained the investigation data and appear at the confirmation hearing to prove his claims.

Nominee Kim made the remarks while meeting with reporters on his way to his confirmation hearing preparation office in Jeokseon-hyeonmin Building, Jongno-gu, Seoul, this morning.

He explained, "I have never made any illegal solicitations to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and the ministry's review was not unfairly conducted because of that. That fact is clearly stated in the prosecution's decision document."

Mentioning the allegations raised by lawmaker Han Dong-hoon that there was political pressure during the prosecution's suspension of indictment at the time, Kim retorted, "The suspension of indictment occurred under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, with Shim Woo-jung as Prosecutor General. How could a freshman lawmaker from the Democratic Party pressure the prosecution to issue a suspension of indictment?"

Nominee Kim launched an offensive regarding the content and manner of lawmaker Han's allegations, calling it "a typical example of prosecution cabinet politics."

He asked, "We filed a constitutional complaint last May regarding the suspension of indictment decision, and we could simply watch the outcome calmly, yet Han Dong-hoon is leaking parts of the investigation details to the media and waging a political offensive. Where did you acquire the investigation data? Was it acquired lawfully?"

He added, "This time, Han Dong-hoon should attend the hearing as a witness and take responsibility for what he said. I hope he will definitely attend the hearing and prove it. I will also request the prosecutors who handled the relevant disposition as witnesses."

He also claimed that some media outlets were distorting reports as if he had been involved in stock manipulation.

Nominee Kim stated, "I learned for the first time through this opportunity that Genexine is an unlisted company. Although investigations into stock manipulation regarding these companies have been underway since 2023 when Han Dong-hoon was Minister of Justice, I have never been summoned even once over the past three years."

He further asked, "I have not even heard that an investigation was underway against me. If I had been involved in stock manipulation, would they have left me alone for three years?"

Regarding reports that he had not shown himself outside recently, he explained that a close family member fell into a critical condition last week, requiring necessary measures at the emergency room and intensive care unit.

Nominee Kim added, "I will first listen carefully to the various suspicions raised against me, objectively grasp the facts, and explain them in detail to the public. I will humbly look back on areas where I fall short."

(Photo: Yonhap News)