The People Power Party intensified its offensive against Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, on September 6, raising various allegations. In addition to existing claims regarding lobbying for new drug approvals, it was revealed that a welfare organization where Kim's spouse works has employed their two children, paying them millions in salaries.
Joo Jin-woo, a member of the People Power Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly, stating, "Of the 880 million won in taxpayer money that should be fully allocated to support people with disabilities, 38% has gone to the salaries of Kim's family." He noted that the social cooperative led by Kim's spouse received 880 million won in government vouchers over four years, with 330 million won paid as salaries to Kim's spouse and their two children.
Joo criticized, "If a family member of a lawmaker is involved, it would be expected that they would volunteer, yet nearly 40% of the budget has flowed to Kim's family. Who would find that acceptable?"
The attacks regarding the new drug lobbying allegations continued. Choi Soo-jin, the party's chief spokesperson, commented that the approval for the clinical trial of the COVID-19 treatment by Genensel, which was communicated to Kim, was granted in just 33 days, significantly shorter than the average of 71 days for similar companies. She further criticized that despite 14 requests for additional information from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the approval was granted just two weeks after a phone call between Kim and the ministry head.
Na Kyung-won also took to Facebook, stating, "KH Philux, which invested heavily in Genensel, is behind the company. The parent company, KH Group, consistently appears whenever investigating the illicit funds related to the Daejang-dong scandal." She asserted, "Ultimately, tracing the Genensel allegations leads directly to the massive black cartel associated with President Lee Jae-myung, involving illegal remittances to North Korea and the Daejang-dong scandal. This is why the Democratic Party is mobilizing its leadership to staunchly defend Kim Seung-won."
In response, the Democratic Party urged for verification rather than a witch hunt. Jeon Eun-soo, a spokesperson, issued a written briefing regarding the allegations related to the social cooperative, stating, "Inflating suspicions simply because family members worked there is not verification but a typical 'say it or not' political attack. They should provide specific evidence of any wrongdoing or favoritism."
Jeon also addressed the new drug lobbying allegations, asserting, "The facts stated in the prosecutor's non-indictment decision differ from the claims of the People Power Party. The prosecution found it difficult to conclude that the request for expedited approval of the clinical trial plan was an illegal solicitation, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety confirmed that the review was conducted according to procedures." She called for an immediate halt to baseless smear campaigns and stigmatization of individuals, urging that if there are suspicions, they should be verified with facts and evidence during the confirmation hearing.
Joo Jin-woo, a member of the People Power Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly, stating, "Of the 880 million won in taxpayer money that should be fully allocated to support people with disabilities, 38% has gone to the salaries of Kim's family." He noted that the social cooperative led by Kim's spouse received 880 million won in government vouchers over four years, with 330 million won paid as salaries to Kim's spouse and their two children.
Joo criticized, "If a family member of a lawmaker is involved, it would be expected that they would volunteer, yet nearly 40% of the budget has flowed to Kim's family. Who would find that acceptable?"
The attacks regarding the new drug lobbying allegations continued. Choi Soo-jin, the party's chief spokesperson, commented that the approval for the clinical trial of the COVID-19 treatment by Genensel, which was communicated to Kim, was granted in just 33 days, significantly shorter than the average of 71 days for similar companies. She further criticized that despite 14 requests for additional information from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the approval was granted just two weeks after a phone call between Kim and the ministry head.
Na Kyung-won also took to Facebook, stating, "KH Philux, which invested heavily in Genensel, is behind the company. The parent company, KH Group, consistently appears whenever investigating the illicit funds related to the Daejang-dong scandal." She asserted, "Ultimately, tracing the Genensel allegations leads directly to the massive black cartel associated with President Lee Jae-myung, involving illegal remittances to North Korea and the Daejang-dong scandal. This is why the Democratic Party is mobilizing its leadership to staunchly defend Kim Seung-won."
In response, the Democratic Party urged for verification rather than a witch hunt. Jeon Eun-soo, a spokesperson, issued a written briefing regarding the allegations related to the social cooperative, stating, "Inflating suspicions simply because family members worked there is not verification but a typical 'say it or not' political attack. They should provide specific evidence of any wrongdoing or favoritism."
Jeon also addressed the new drug lobbying allegations, asserting, "The facts stated in the prosecutor's non-indictment decision differ from the claims of the People Power Party. The prosecution found it difficult to conclude that the request for expedited approval of the clinical trial plan was an illegal solicitation, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety confirmed that the review was conducted according to procedures." She called for an immediate halt to baseless smear campaigns and stigmatization of individuals, urging that if there are suspicions, they should be verified with facts and evidence during the confirmation hearing.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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