Han Seong-sook Denies Involvement in Seongnam FC Sponsorship Controversy

Han Seong-sook, the nominee for Prime Minister, stated during a Senate hearing on June 26 that she had "no involvement" in the allegations surrounding the sponsorship funds for Seongnam FC during her tenure as an executive at Naver.

Responding to a question from lawmaker Kang Seung-kyu of the People Power Party regarding the prosecution's handling of eight cases related to President Lee Jae-myung, Han made her position clear.

The Seongnam FC sponsorship controversy involves claims that companies in the Seongnam area, including Naver, provided sponsorship funds to Seongnam FC from 2014 to 2016 in exchange for favorable development permits and approvals.

At the time, Lee Jae-myung was the mayor of Seongnam and served as the club's owner, while Han was the service director at Naver.

"I clearly stated during last year's hearing that I was not in a position to be involved in that situation," Han said.

When asked about comments made by Naver's CEO Kim Sang-heon, who reportedly opposed the sponsorship due to potential bribery allegations, Han replied, "I don't think that's something I should comment on."