Allegations surrounding Kim Seung-won, the nominee for Minister of Justice, continue to escalate as new claims emerge that a cooperative run by his spouse received preferential treatment from the city of Suwon in being selected for a government voucher program.
On September 15, Joo Jin-woo, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, held a press conference at the National Assembly just before Kim's confirmation hearing, where he revealed a recording featuring Kim's spouse.
Joo asserted that there was favoritism in the process that designated the 'Korea Child Development Social Cooperative,' led by Kim's spouse, as a recipient of the voucher program by the Suwon city government.
In the released recording, Kim's spouse stated, "When we were conducting weekly activity services, we failed the fire inspection and the review period did not match. The head of the welfare department in Suwon City extended the review period and provided us with many conveniences, insisting that our organization be selected."
The cooperative reportedly had no voucher revenue while operating in Yongin but was designated as a service provider after relocating to Suwon, receiving approximately 880 million won in government vouchers over four years.
Joo described the situation as a typical case of favoritism, where the review period was extended for a specific cooperative, stating, "This is a clear case of predetermined favoritism in a project that should go through a competitive selection process. We will pursue criminal charges against the relevant officials and Kim's spouse, as well as seek to revoke the designation and recover the voucher profits." He also called for Kim's immediate resignation.
Meanwhile, on the same day, the Seoul Western District Court held a hearing regarding the bribery charges involving broker Yang, who is implicated in the 'new drug solicitation allegations' related to Kim, and Professor Kang, the founder of Genensel. Yang, who requested personal protection the day before, entered the courtroom under the protection of court security, avoiding questions from reporters. However, the court postponed the scheduled questioning of Kang to a later date.
Previously, Yang refuted claims made by independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who referred to him as a 'room salon madam,' through a YouTube broadcast, stating, "I only operated restaurants and bars in Cheongdam-dong and have never run a room salon with female hostesses." However, it has been reported that a previous appellate court ruling described Yang's establishment as a 'rotation bar' where entertainment staff worked, suggesting that the controversy may continue.
Yang and Kang are accused of soliciting expedited processing from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety through Kim during the approval process for Genensel's COVID-19 treatment clinical trial plan, in exchange for a promise of a 5 million won political donation.
The prosecution acknowledged the nature of the solicitation as a form of mediation but stated it was difficult to definitively conclude the illegality of the request, resulting in a decision to suspend prosecution until December 2024. Kim has contested this decision by filing a constitutional complaint.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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