The Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul is investigating the complaint filed over Minister of Justice nominee Kim Seung-won's alleged "COVID-19 new drug lobbying."
According to police on the 8th, the Yeongdeungpo Police Station received the case against nominee Kim as a complaint this morning and began a legal review.
The previous day, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Ko Beom-seok said police were reviewing whether they could reinvestigate Kim's alleged lobbying, for which prosecutors granted a suspension of indictment in 2024.
Once the complaint and legal review are completed, the Yeongdeungpo station is expected to summon complainants, including Kim Sun-hwan, secretary-general of the Committee for the People's Livelihood, and former Seoul City Council member Lee Jong-bae, for questioning.
The allegation centers on claims that in 2021, nominee Kim, through broker Yang, a person surnamed Yang, received a request from Kang, a person surnamed Kang, the head of COVID-19 treatment company Genencell, and then asked Kim Gang-lip, who was then Minister of Food and Drug Safety, to approve a clinical trial for the treatment.
Complainants argue that nominee Kim's asking the former Minister Kim to "take good care of" Genencell's clinical trial approval constitutes abuse of authority and that the part about agreeing to receive donations in return also needs investigation.
Kim, for his part, explained, "I called the Minister of Food and Drug Safety to ask that the delayed process be handled fairly and promptly," adding, "I did not make any improper request, and it is not the case that the MFDS review was conducted unfairly."