Police Launch Investigation into Two Complaints Filed Against Justice Minister Nominee Kim Seung-won
Police have received two complaints against Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won and launched an investigation. Acting Police Chief Kim Jong-chul announced at his first press briefing since taking office, held at the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the 14th, "We have received two complaints and assigned the case to Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station, where the investigation, including questioning of the complainants, is under way." Both complaints were filed on the 4th of this month, by different parties. Lee Jong-bae, a former Seoul city council member, filed a complaint against the nominee and former Minister Kim on charges of violating the Anti-Corruption and Bribery Prohibition Act, abuse of authority, and dereliction of duty. the Civic Committee for People's Livelihood Countermeasures filed a complaint against the nominee on charges of violating the Political Funds Act, abuse of authority, violations of the Anti-Corruption and Bribery Prohibition Act, and brokering bribery. Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station questioned former city council member Lee on the 11th and a representative of the civic committee on the 12th.
The complaints allege that the nominee solicited approval for a clinical trial of a new drug (a trial testing the efficacy and safety of a drug on human subjects). The allegations stem from 2021, when Kim was a first-term lawmaker, and claim that through Yang, identified as a broker, he received a request from Genossel and in turn asked former Food and Drug Safety Minister Kim Gang-lip to expedite approval of a clinical trial for a COVID-19 treatment. Prosecutors had earlier, in December 2024, suspended indictment of the nominee over the same allegations.
The nominee's side pushed back, saying, "He merely asked that the clinical trial procedures of a domestic small and medium-sized enterprise not be unfairly delayed," and denied requesting treatment approval, priority review, or relaxed standards.
Kim dismissed suggestions that this amounted to a reinvestigation. "It is not a reinvestigation; the complaints were received, so we are investigating on the basis of those complaints," he said, adding, "It is true that we have received complaints and begun the investigation." Police also plan to secure and analyze past investigation records related to the same allegations. "There was a previous investigation, so we plan to secure and analyze the related investigative records," he explained. "We will comprehensively review what investigations were conducted at the time and how the legal review proceeded leading up to the conclusion." Asked whether prosecutors would also be included among investigation targets, he said, "Since the investigation is still in its early stages, it is not yet time to determine the scope of the investigation."
