Jang Dong-hyuk Calls for Immediate Resignation of Kim Seung-won

Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, criticized the various allegations surrounding Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, on September 4, stating, "He should either resign immediately or President Lee Jae-myung should withdraw his nomination."

In a post on his Facebook, Jang emphasized, "Kim is not even qualified to go to a confirmation hearing," adding that Kim Seung-won could become a "nuclear bomb that will destroy the Lee Jae-myung administration."

Regarding the allegations of soliciting for a new drug, Jang pointed out, "The only person Kim met was broker Yang, not the representatives of any pharmaceutical companies. He did not even meet them or hear an explanation." He further noted, "What Yang told Kim was only about money, such as '300 billion won will come into the company.'"

Jang continued, "If Kim was genuinely conveying a 'complaint,' would he have acted that way? A proper lawmaker would have met with company staff to understand the situation and asked the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety about the reasons for the delay in review and checked the issues with the new drug."

He added, "No lawmaker handles 'complaints' in this manner. Ultimately, it was not a 'complaint' from a small business but a 'solicitation' from a broker."

Additionally, Jang alleged that Kim met with the broker at a bar and discussed, "The donation limit is 5 million won, and if things go well, donations can be made," even sending the broker his bank account number via text. He questioned, "If this is not a promise of 'bribery,' then what is it?"

Jang also raised concerns about Kim's involvement in local election nepotism and his history of drunk driving. He stated, "A 24-year-old woman who has never been active in Gyeonggi Province received the first proportional representation spot for the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly. She is the daughter of Seo Yong-min, a speechwriter at the Blue House, and Seo In-ha, a Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly member. There was backlash during the nomination process, but Kim, who was then the chair of the Democratic Party's Gyeonggi Province chapter, pushed it through."

Furthermore, he revealed Kim's past drunk driving record, stating, "He was fined 700,000 won by the Suwon District Court where he worked. Thanks to the 700,000 won fine, he passed the Democratic Party's nomination and was not included in the public notice."