(URGENT) Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won says to withdraw from consideration
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Seoul, September 19 - In a dramatic turn of events, Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won has announced his withdrawal from the race amid controversy surrounding alleged lobbying for a COVID-19 treatment, according to Yonhap news agency. The two-term ruling Democratic Party lawmaker made the decision 20 days after President Lee Jae Myung nominated him for the position.
Kim expressed his deep regret for not meeting public expectations and vowed to reflect on his shortcomings in a press conference at the National Assembly. The decision came after a parliamentary committee approved his confirmation hearing report on Thursday, despite objections from the main opposition People Power Party regarding the allegations.
President Lee indicated on Friday that he would decide on Kim's appointment by taking public expectations into account. Kim faced accusations of illegally lobbying the food and drug safety ministry to expedite approval for a COVID-19 treatment in 2021 at the request of a broker.
Written by urgent.news from Yonhap News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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