Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, said on the 7th regarding allegations of “requesting approval for COVID-19 treatment clinical trials,” “I accept the gravity of the fact that I should have handled the civil complaint more carefully.” However, Kim also addressed Han Dong-hoon, the independent lawmaker raising the allegations, asking, “Where did you obtain the investigative materials? He should appear as a witness at the personnel hearing.”
Kim made these remarks while commuting to the office of the personnel hearing preparation team, located at the Jeokseon Hyundai Building in Seoul’s Jongno-gu on the same day.
Kim stated, “I will listen carefully to all allegations and explain them in detail to the public.” He added, “I never made any improper requests to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, regarding Genencell, nor was the Ministry’s review process unfair as a result. This is clearly stated in the prosecutors’ suspension of indictment (non-prosecution) document.”
He explained, “At the time, domestic small and medium-sized enterprises were developing COVID-19 treatments, but there was information that multinational companies were earning massive profits of 1–2 trillion Korean won in South Korea while obstructing domestic pharmaceutical companies’ development of COVID-19 treatments. I called the head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to request that the delayed procedures be expedited fairly without obstruction.”
Kim emphasized, “I made only one phone call, and we exchanged text messages about the content on the same day. At the time, former Minister of Food and Drug Safety Kim Gang-lip was a complete stranger, so I conveyed the civil complaint in the most respectful and neutral manner.”
The allegations of requesting approval for COVID-19 treatment clinical trials involve Genencell founder Kang, who asked Yang, a broker with ties to Kim, to secure clinical trial approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for Genencell’s COVID-19 treatment. Kang made this request to Yang between September and October 2021, and Yang, who called Kim “oppa” and was a Democratic Party of Korea incumbent lawmaker at the time, relayed the request to Kim. This was confirmed in an investigation by the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office.
After receiving Yang’s request, Kim relayed the content to former Minister Kim Gang-lip, and the Ministry approved Genencell’s clinical trials on October 26, 2021. Later, Kang and Yang attempted to transfer 5 million Korean won to Kim under the guise of a political donation, and Kim provided Yang with his donation account details. However, the funds were not transferred due to the account’s limit being reached.
Separately, photos of Kim with Judge Jeong, the presiding judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Western District Court who investigated Yang and the Genencell case, were previously made public. Kim’s camp explained, “It was a coincidental meeting.” However, a recording of Kim and Yang discussing the time and place of the meeting before their encounter was released, sparking accusations of “lying.”
Regarding this, Kim explained on the same day, “With a critically ill family member and without close communication with the personnel hearing preparation team, my statement was released hastily.”
Kim also claimed to Han, “The suspension of indictment in December 2024 occurred under the Yoon Suk-yeol government and Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung. How could a first-term Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker (Kim) pressure the prosecutors to secure a suspension of indictment?”
He added, “Feeling wronged by the suspension of indictment, I filed a constitutional appeal in May last year. Instead of awaiting the result, Han is leaking investigative details to the media bit by bit and launching political attacks. Where did he obtain the investigative materials? Were they obtained legally?”
Kim stated, “Han should take responsibility for his words by appearing as a witness at this hearing. I will also request the prosecutors who made the relevant disposition to appear as witnesses.”
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