What did Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won say about the COVID-19 treatment lobbying allegations?

Kim denied making an illegal solicitation and said the food and drug ministry’s review was not unfairly conducted. He also said he should have been more careful in conveying the request, while arguing that the treatment should not have been unfairly delayed during the pandemic.

Why was Kim Seung-won accused of unlawful solicitation over a COVID-19 treatment in 2021?

He was accused of asking the then food and drug safety minister to speed up clinical trial approval at a broker’s request. Kim said he had called the minister only to prevent the drug from being unfairly delayed in clinical trial proceedings.

What is happening to the case against Kim Seung-won now?

Police said they are examining whether the case could be reinvestigated after a civic group filed a criminal complaint last week. Ko Beom-seok said the complaint will likely be assigned to a police team later in the day, and legal sources said a reinvestigation could take place because there was no court verdict.

Justice minister nominee denies illegal COVID-19 treatment lobbying allegations

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Summary

Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won denied illegal lobbying allegations on Monday over a 2021 COVID-19 treatment case, while saying he should have been more careful in making the request. He said he never made an illegal solicitation and that the review was not unfairly handled. Police are considering a reinvestigation after a civic group complaint, and Kim cited prosecutors’ earlier decision not to indict him.

Key Facts

Kim Seung-won is a two-term lawmaker who was nominated as justice minister.
He was accused of asking the then food and drug safety minister to speed up clinical trial approval for a COVID-19 treatment at a broker’s request.
Prosecutors previously withheld formal charges after deciding his request could not be definitively found to be an illegal solicitation.
Police said they are looking into whether the case could be reinvestigated after a civic group filed a criminal complaint last week.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 7, 2026 10:56 am KST
Updated Sep 7, 2026 2:11 pm KST

Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won speaks to reporters as he arrives at his office in Seoul, Monday, amid allegations that he illegally lobbied for a COVID-19 treatment in 2021. Yonhap

Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won on Monday denied allegations of illegal lobbying for a COVID-19 treatment in 2021, while acknowledging he should have been more careful in his request over the medication at the time.

Kim, a two-term lawmaker, has faced accusations of unlawful solicitation for allegedly asking the then food and drug safety minister to speed up the treatment's clinical trial approval at a broker's request.

"I take seriously the fact that I should have been more careful in conveying the request," Kim told reporters. "I never made an illegal solicitation to the food and drug ministry, and its review was not unfairly conducted as a result."

Kim said he had called the food and drug safety minister at the time to prevent the drug from being unfairly delayed in clinical trial proceedings, noting that COVID-19 treatments were being fast-tracked during the pandemic.

He also highlighted the prosecution's deferral of his indictment when they examined the case. Prosecutors previously withheld formally charging Kim after determining his request could not be definitively found as illegal solicitation.

"Prosecutors acknowledged there was no unlawful solicitation or distorting a fair review through its investigation result," he said, adding the minister and public officials connected to the case were not charged.

Police said Monday they are looking into whether the case could be reinvestigated after a civic group filed a criminal complaint against Kim over the allegations last week.

Ko Beom-seok, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, told reporters in a briefing the complaint will likely be assigned to a police team later in the day.

Legal sources believe a reinvestigation could take place, considering the case did not receive a court verdict.

Kim has faced mounting pressure over the allegations, with independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon releasing alleged recordings between Kim and a broker about lobbying for the treatment.

Kim accused Han of leaking investigative material in a politically motivated attack, questioning how he obtained the material and demanding that he appear at his confirmation hearing.

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