DP Judiciary Committee: "Kim Seungwon Confirmed as Qualified Nominee... No Cause for Disqualification Found"

Confirmation Report Could Be Adopted as Early as the 17th

Members of the Democratic Party of Korea on the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee announced on September 16 that, regarding Kim Seungwon, the nominee for Minister of Justice, "We have confirmed through the confirmation hearing that nominee Kim is the right person to lead judicial administration."

Seo Younggyo, the committee chair from the Democratic Party, along with Representatives Kim Euigyeom and Kim Kipyio, held a press conference at the National Assembly communication room on this day. They stated, "No major disqualifying factors were found that would prevent him from performing his duties."

(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Bae Jaeman = Seo Younggyo, Chair of the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee (right), and Kim Euigyeom, Democratic Party Secretary General (left), along with Representative Kim Kipyio, expressed their opinions of "qualified and suitable" regarding the confirmation hearing of Kim Seungwon, candidate for Minister of Justice, at the National Assembly communication room on September 16, 2026. scoop@yna.co.kr (End)

Regarding the allegations raised by the People Power Party that candidate Kim lobbied on behalf of a new drug, they claimed, "The allegations rely on partial audio recordings and the statements of third parties, which were linked to claims of lobbying and promises by the candidate." They added, "The prosecution's rationale for not indicting, as well as the relevant court rulings, determined that it is difficult to conclude that conveying a petition is illegal, and it is also difficult to confirm a promised reward for lobbying."

They further rebutted, "In the process, the People Power Party cast doubt not only on the expertise and unique review work of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, which has protected public safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also prioritized stigmatization over verification." They continued, "We call on the People Power Party to stop raising unproductive suspicions and to cooperate in adopting the confirmation report."

Regarding the controversy over the social cooperative operated by the nominee’s family, they countered, "The nominee's spouse and children were actual workers carrying out educational care work. To frame minor accounting errors and shortcomings as misuse of public funds by the family is a distortion that neglects the reality of their labor and the structure of operations."

They also evaluated candidate Kim by stating, "His experience of understanding both the intent of legislation and concerns from the field is an asset that will support the stable launch of the new Public Prosecution Service and the establishment of a responsible criminal justice system." They added, "He is a nominee equipped with the vision and policy to turn the transformation of the criminal justice system—occurring for the first time in over seventy years—into protection of public safety and rights."

After the press conference, Committee Chair Seo told reporters regarding the timing of the confirmation report’s adoption, "I hope there will be no vacancy in the post of the Minister of Justice, so I intend to move the process forward as quickly as possible."

As a full session of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee is also scheduled for the 17th, there is a possibility that the Democratic Party alone may proceed to adopt the confirmation report on that day.

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