Kim withdraws as justice minister nominee

The Korea Times reports that Kim Seung-won, a two-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), has withdrawn as the nominee for justice minister following allegations concerning his involvement in a COVID-19 treatment and its approval of clinical trials. Kim stated during a press conference at the National Assembly that he had decided to step down after much deliberation, apologizing for failing to meet expectations.

The move comes after a parliamentary committee adopted his confirmation hearing report Thursday, despite objections from the main opposition People Power Party over the allegations. Kim, previously a judge at the Jeonju District Court and the Suwon District Court, had worked in the office of political affairs under the liberal Moon Jae-in administration before his election to the 21st National Assembly in 2020, where he served as the DPK's legal affairs committee chief.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.