Key facts
- Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won apologized for causing public concern over alleged illegal lobbying.
- Kim claimed he will provide a detailed explanation at his parliamentary confirmation hearing.
- The nominee is accused of asking the then food and drug safety minister to expedite approval of a COVID-19 treatment's clinical trial.
- Kim stated he hired the son of a senior judge, allegedly involved in the lobbying, through an open interview process.
- Kim's parliamentary confirmation hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won apologized on Friday for causing public concern over allegations of illegal lobbying for a new drug, while maintaining his innocence. Kim, a two-term lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party, was tapped by President Lee Jae Myung late last month. He is accused of illegally lobbying the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2021 to help win approval for a COVID-19 treatment, specifically asking the then minister to expedite the approval of the treatment's clinical trial at the request of a broker. Kim characterized his actions as a public interest petition, stating his intent was to address unfairness caused by pressure from a multinational corporation on a small company's approval procedures. He claimed to have conveyed the petition once and exchanged a few text messages. Kim also addressed suspicions surrounding the hiring of the son of a senior judge allegedly involved in the lobbying as a legislative intern, stating the hiring was done through an open interview process and that the intern worked hard for approximately 1 million won (US$743) per month. Kim's parliamentary confirmation hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.