Justice minister nominee hits back over lobbying allegations
Justice minister nominee Kim Seung-won said Tuesday, that if he is appointed, he will prevent information about an investigation by the police or prosecution from being “used politically.” His pledge is an apparent counterattack against independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon’s disclosure of probe materials about Kim’s alleged illegal lobbying activities. The justice minister nominee said Han, a former…
Justice minister nominee Kim Seung-won has dismissed allegations of illegal lobbying, stating that he will ensure information related to an ongoing investigation is not used for political gain. This comes in response to independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon's disclosure of investigation materials implicating Kim in alleged lobbying activities.
Han, a former prosecutor, requested clarification on how he obtained the materials, to which Kim responded at his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly. If appointed, Kim pledged to address the "political use of investigative information." The Justice Minister nominee, who has a background as a two-term lawmaker, faced suspicion of leveraging his influence to advance a pharmaceutical company's COVID-19 clinical drug trial approval in October 2021.
However, prosecutors later halted the indictment following an investigation. Both Kim and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) maintained that Han had obtained the information improperly.
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Also reported by 2 other outlets
- Justice minister nominee hits back over lobbying allegations koreatimes.co.kr
- Rival Parties Clash over Allegations against Justice Minister Nominee world.kbs.co.kr
