As the National Assembly enters a confirmation hearing phase for the second cabinet reshuffle of the Lee Jae-myung administration, the hearing for Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, has become a focal point. The outcome of Kim's confirmation could significantly influence the political landscape moving forward. The ruling People Power Party has launched a full-scale offensive against Kim, raising various allegations, while the Democratic Party is mobilizing all efforts to defend the nominee.
On September 14, just a day before the confirmation hearing, the opposition, including the People Power Party, continued to raise concerns about allegations of soliciting approval for a new drug clinical trial, stock manipulation, and preferential treatment regarding family labor costs. They specifically argued that the government's support for Kim is aimed at facilitating the dismissal of charges against President Lee Jae-myung, calling for the withdrawal of Kim's nomination.
During a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly, Representative Jang Dong-hyuk stated, "The reason the president and the Democratic Party are all-in on 'saving Kim Seung-won' is ultimately to dismiss the charges, isn't it?" He criticized that the 'exoneration of Lee Jae-myung' is prioritized over public sentiment and livelihoods, urging for the immediate withdrawal of Kim's nomination, questioning, "Are they planning to gift the public a comprehensive set of crimes just before Chuseok?"
Representative Jeong Jeom-sik also commented on the allegations against Kim, stating, "The allegations of infidelity, lobbying, and stock manipulation resemble a crime movie. The very fact that they are trying to appoint such a flawed individual as Minister of Justice is evidence that the Blue House is solely focused on dismissing charges." He labeled Kim as merely a 'special appointment minister for charge dismissal.'
Conversely, the Democratic Party is defending Kim, asserting that the allegations raised by the opposition are baseless and fabricated. Representative Han Byeong-do emphasized during a Supreme Council meeting in Gangwon Province that they will responsibly verify Kim's qualifications and policy capabilities during the confirmation process, while firmly responding to any unfounded and fabricated attacks. Senior Spokesperson Park Seong-jun defended Kim against the drug solicitation allegations, stating, "The prosecution under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration thoroughly investigated and decided not to indict, so this issue has been resolved," and asserted that Kim has no connection to the stock manipulation claims.
The Democratic Party is particularly focusing on countering attacks led by independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, aiming to shift the narrative. After Han revealed recordings related to Kim's case, they are pressuring for the disclosure of the source, alleging that the prosecution's internal investigation materials were illegally leaked and misused. Supreme Council member Han Min-soo pointed out during the Supreme Council meeting, "The recordings that Han is using for political attacks are suspected to be investigation materials secured by the prosecution during his tenure as Minister of Justice," raising concerns that materials accumulated from investigations targeting opposition politicians are being used for Han's political agitation.
The intense exchanges between the ruling and opposition parties surrounding Kim are expected to continue, especially considering that if Kim were to withdraw like former Minister of Gender Equality and Family Yong Hye-in, it could lead to significant repercussions. Political analysts suggest that Kim's failure could trigger an early lame-duck period for President Lee. Therefore, the ruling party is keen to protect Kim to ensure stable governance, while the opposition seeks to weaken the president and the dominant ruling party, seizing the opportunity to expand their influence. Thus, the conflict surrounding Kim is likely to persist for the foreseeable future.
Additionally, the opposition has pointed out that Kim allegedly solicited the head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to expedite the approval of a COVID-19 clinical trial plan for the pharmaceutical company Genensel at the request of broker Yang Mo. After investigating the related allegations, the prosecution decided not to indict Kim in December 2024. The opposition is questioning whether there was a personal interest between Yang and Kim regarding the complaint, while Kim's side argues that he conveyed the company's concerns for public interest as a member of the National Assembly. Other allegations, including stock manipulation involving Genensel's parent company Sejong Medical and preferential treatment related to a social cooperative for the care of individuals with developmental disabilities run by Kim's spouse, are also under scrutiny.
On September 14, just a day before the confirmation hearing, the opposition, including the People Power Party, continued to raise concerns about allegations of soliciting approval for a new drug clinical trial, stock manipulation, and preferential treatment regarding family labor costs. They specifically argued that the government's support for Kim is aimed at facilitating the dismissal of charges against President Lee Jae-myung, calling for the withdrawal of Kim's nomination.
During a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly, Representative Jang Dong-hyuk stated, "The reason the president and the Democratic Party are all-in on 'saving Kim Seung-won' is ultimately to dismiss the charges, isn't it?" He criticized that the 'exoneration of Lee Jae-myung' is prioritized over public sentiment and livelihoods, urging for the immediate withdrawal of Kim's nomination, questioning, "Are they planning to gift the public a comprehensive set of crimes just before Chuseok?"
Representative Jeong Jeom-sik also commented on the allegations against Kim, stating, "The allegations of infidelity, lobbying, and stock manipulation resemble a crime movie. The very fact that they are trying to appoint such a flawed individual as Minister of Justice is evidence that the Blue House is solely focused on dismissing charges." He labeled Kim as merely a 'special appointment minister for charge dismissal.'
Conversely, the Democratic Party is defending Kim, asserting that the allegations raised by the opposition are baseless and fabricated. Representative Han Byeong-do emphasized during a Supreme Council meeting in Gangwon Province that they will responsibly verify Kim's qualifications and policy capabilities during the confirmation process, while firmly responding to any unfounded and fabricated attacks. Senior Spokesperson Park Seong-jun defended Kim against the drug solicitation allegations, stating, "The prosecution under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration thoroughly investigated and decided not to indict, so this issue has been resolved," and asserted that Kim has no connection to the stock manipulation claims.
The Democratic Party is particularly focusing on countering attacks led by independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, aiming to shift the narrative. After Han revealed recordings related to Kim's case, they are pressuring for the disclosure of the source, alleging that the prosecution's internal investigation materials were illegally leaked and misused. Supreme Council member Han Min-soo pointed out during the Supreme Council meeting, "The recordings that Han is using for political attacks are suspected to be investigation materials secured by the prosecution during his tenure as Minister of Justice," raising concerns that materials accumulated from investigations targeting opposition politicians are being used for Han's political agitation.
The intense exchanges between the ruling and opposition parties surrounding Kim are expected to continue, especially considering that if Kim were to withdraw like former Minister of Gender Equality and Family Yong Hye-in, it could lead to significant repercussions. Political analysts suggest that Kim's failure could trigger an early lame-duck period for President Lee. Therefore, the ruling party is keen to protect Kim to ensure stable governance, while the opposition seeks to weaken the president and the dominant ruling party, seizing the opportunity to expand their influence. Thus, the conflict surrounding Kim is likely to persist for the foreseeable future.
Additionally, the opposition has pointed out that Kim allegedly solicited the head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to expedite the approval of a COVID-19 clinical trial plan for the pharmaceutical company Genensel at the request of broker Yang Mo. After investigating the related allegations, the prosecution decided not to indict Kim in December 2024. The opposition is questioning whether there was a personal interest between Yang and Kim regarding the complaint, while Kim's side argues that he conveyed the company's concerns for public interest as a member of the National Assembly. Other allegations, including stock manipulation involving Genensel's parent company Sejong Medical and preferential treatment related to a social cooperative for the care of individuals with developmental disabilities run by Kim's spouse, are also under scrutiny.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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