Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon said on the 7th, "Since the person concerned (candidate Kim Seung-won) wants it that way, I formally request it to those concerned, including National Assembly Speaker Cho Jung-sik. Appoint me as a hearing committee member for Kim Seung-won's confirmation hearing."
Meeting reporters in the National Assembly rotunda on the morning before the plenary session, Han said, "If a confirmation hearing is held, as a hearing committee member I will block the birth of the first-ever convicted criminal to become Minister of Justice since the Provisional Government," and stated accordingly.
Earlier, Ministry of Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won told Han, who has been continually raising allegations about him, that "you must appear as a witness at the hearing and take responsibility for what you said." In response, Han expressed an intention to vet Kim directly not as a witness but as a hearing committee member.
Han additionally released an Oct. 8, 2021 text message between Genencell founder Kang Se-chan, a Kyunghee University professor, and broker Yang, a person surnamed, who is known to have sought approval for a clinical trial. The message said that if the clinical trial plan were approved by the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety, an investment of 800 million to 1 billion won would be generated. The text mentioned the names of "Rep. Choi," "Rep. Kim," presumed to be from the Democratic Party, and "Rep. Song Young-gil." In it, Yang referred to candidate Kim as "Seung-won oppa."
Regarding the released text, Han said, "It seems Rep. Choi and Rep. Kim will come out; I will give them the chance to come out first," and added, "This is 'beads on a string.' Even if only this recording were all investigated, some would already have been detained. Why leave this alone? A special counsel investigation is needed."
Han continued, "There are many pharmaceutical companies in Korea, but can people without a younger acquaintance like Yang live without resentment?" and said, "What's more, candidate Kim at the time was not on the Health and Welfare Committee but on The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. The reason for the solicitation was the request of that person who calls him oppa and, through the solicitation, pockets 1 billion won."
Regarding the Democratic Party raising issues with the source of the materials, Han said, "If the tip-off has credibility, if it satisfies the public's right to know, and if the public interest in preventing the birth of an absurd Ministry of Justice Minister is sufficient, then there is an obligation to disclose it."