Han Donghoon Releases Additional Kim Seungwon-Broker Calls: "Blocked at Department Head Level? Got It"

Recordings and Internal Messages Before and After Contact With Drug Safety Chief Disclosed
Han: "Lobbying Reached Working-Level Staff"
Kim's Side: "No Grounds for Preferential Treatment, It Was a Public Petition"

Independent assembly member Han Donghoon on September 6 additionally released audio recordings of phone calls between Kim Seungwon, the nominee for Minister of Justice, and broker Yang Sujin, as well as internal text messages from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety regarding allegations that Kim sought approval for a COVID-19 treatment clinical trial through improper requests.

Kim Seungwon, nominated as the Minister of Justice, is seen greeting independent lawmaker Han Donghoon at the opening ceremony of the 430th regular session of the National Assembly held at the main chamber in Yeouido, Seoul, on September 1, 2026. Photo by Yoon Dongju

On this day, Han disclosed on Facebook two phone conversations from October 12, 2021, between Kim and Yang, claiming, "The explanation that there were only two request texts is a lie."

In the first phone call recording disclosed by Han, nominee Kim said to Yang, "I'll tell them to take care of it personally," and added, "I know the head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, so I'll try to get the Phase 3 approval expedited, since we need to see some results. I'll ask the chief to personally oversee it and report back."

In the following second phone call, Kim told Yang, "I have spoken to them, and they said they would check and report back to me," referring to having contacted then-Minister Kim Kanglip of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

When Yang remarked, "The staff get in touch but it always gets stopped at the department head level," Kim replied, "So it's blocked at the department head level? Got it."

On the same day, Han also revealed a text message from then-Minister Kim's assistant, Ms. Ko, to then-director of clinical policy, Mr. Kim. The message stated, "Assembly member Kim Seungwon sent a separate text," and "The chief said to look into it, but also requested measures to prevent similar requests in the future."

Han claimed that this showed nominee Kim's request had reached even the working-level staff in the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, describing it as "a successful lobby that made it to the working staff."

According to previously disclosed materials, on the same day, nominee Kim also sent then-chief Kim a text message essentially asking that working-level staff quickly handle tasks related to the clinical trial of Genencell’s COVID-19 treatment. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety subsequently approved Genencell’s Phase 2·3 clinical trial plan on October 26 of that year.

Nominee Kim’s side argues that the request was not improper lobbying for preferential treatment but rather a public petition asking the ministry to prevent unfair delays in domestic small business clinical trial procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic. They further rebut accusations by stating that no demands were made regarding treatment approval, priority review, relaxation of review standards, or omission of procedures.

Prosecutors, after investigating the case, issued a suspended indictment for nominee Kim in December 2024, citing, among other reasons, the absence of evidence of direct monetary exchange and the difficulty in concluding that the lobbying attempt was illegal.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.