Presidential Office Says "Difficult to Confirm" on Reports of New Petition Against Kim Seungwon for Sexual Harassment and Drunk Driving Allegations

The presidential office responded to recent media reports that a petition containing allegations of sexual harassment against former Minister of Justice nominee Kim Seungwon had been submitted to the office, stating, "It is difficult to confirm matters related to personnel affairs."

Kim Seungwon, nominee for Minister of Justice, is leaving the National Assembly Communication Office after concluding his resignation press conference on September 19, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News.

A presidential official delivered this position to the press on September 19, 2026. On the same day, KBS reported that former aides of Kim had submitted a petition on September 17 to senior presidential secretary for political affairs Hong Ihk-pyo and others, detailing allegations of past sexual harassment by Kim, alleged cover-up attempts, additional drunk driving incidents, and further influence-peddling allegations.

Earlier that morning, Kim held an emergency press conference and resigned, stating that he "had failed to meet the expectations of the public." He cited, "The government, which must accomplish reform, cannot be further burdened by my personal issues," as his reason for resigning. However, additional suspicions surrounding Kim have been raised by some in the political sphere.

Immediately after his resignation press conference, Kim did not respond to questions from journalists, such as whether the resignation was prompted by new allegations or if there were any other suspicions beyond those already raised.

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