Justice Minister Nominee Denies Illegal Lobbying Allegations for COVID-19 Treatment

Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won on Monday denied allegations of illegal lobbying for a COVID-19 treatment in 2021, while acknowledging he should have been more careful in his request over the medication at the time.

Kim, a two-term lawmaker, has faced accusations of unlawful solicitation for allegedly asking the then food and drug safety minister to speed up the treatment's clinical trial approval at a broker's request.

"I take seriously the fact that I should have been more careful in conveying the request," Kim told reporters. "I never made an illegal solicitation to the food and drug ministry, and its review was not unfairly conducted as a result."

Kim said he had called the food and drug safety minister at the time to prevent the drug from being unfairly delayed in clinical trial proceedings, noting that COVID-19 treatments were being fast-tracked during the pandemic.

He also highlighted the prosecution's deferral of his indictment when they examined the case. Prosecutors previously withheld formally charging Kim after determining his request could not be definitively found as illegal solicitation.

"Prosecutors acknowledged there was no unlawful solicitation or distorting a fair review through its investigation result," he said, adding the minister and public officials connected to the case were not charged.

Kim has faced mounting pressure over the allegations, with independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon releasing alleged recordings between Kim and a broker about lobbying for the treatment.

Kim accused Han of leaking investigative material in a politically motivated attack, questioning how he obtained the material and demanding that he appear at his confirmation hearing. (Yonhap)