Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, is embroiled in allegations of soliciting approval for a COVID-19 treatment clinical trial. A key figure in the case, businessman Yang, has been banned from leaving the country.
According to legal sources on September 4, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office has imposed a travel ban on Yang, who is currently indicted in a criminal case, to prevent him from leaving the country during his trial.
Yang was indicted without detention in December 2024 for allegedly agreeing to provide money to Kim in exchange for expediting the approval of a clinical trial for a COVID-19 treatment, in collaboration with Kang, the founder of the pharmaceutical company Genensel.
Since December of last year, Yang has attempted to travel abroad five times, submitting requests to the court for permission. Generally, defendants not in custody have the freedom to move. However, prosecutors and the court appear to have deemed Yang a flight risk due to his repeated applications to leave the country.
In 2021, Yang reportedly asked Kim to expedite the review process for the clinical trial after receiving a request from Kang regarding the approval issue. Investigations revealed that Kim had told Kim Kang-rip, then head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, in October of that year to ensure that Genensel's clinical trial approval application was handled properly.
The prosecutors investigating the case decided to defer prosecution against Kim, citing a lack of direct evidence of bribery. Kim's side has denied any wrongdoing and has filed a constitutional complaint.
In the political arena, there are allegations of external pressure surrounding the decision to defer prosecution against Kim. Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, a former Minister of Justice, posted on Facebook a document titled 'Report on the Plan to Indict Kim Seung-won and Seek Imprisonment' on the same day.
According to the document released by Han, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office had planned to summon Kim for questioning in August 2024 and report to the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office that they would indict Kim on charges of promising to facilitate bribery and seek an eight-month prison sentence.
The document noted that while the promised amount was not large, Kim's facilitation allowed related parties to gain substantial illegal profits, and the approval was obtained through false documentation, posing a risk to public health. It also mentioned that a guilty verdict could lead to the loss of Kim's parliamentary seat.
In response, Han questioned, "Given that the Western District Prosecutors' Office initially planned to seek a prison sentence, was there an attempt to suppress the investigation or external pressure that led to the final decision to defer prosecution?" He publicly asked the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, "Who prevented the indictment and prison sentence for Kim Seung-won?"
* This article has been translated by AI.
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