Han Dong-hoon demands withdrawal of Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon has called for the withdrawal of Kim Seung-won as the nominee for Minister of Justice, alleging a corruption scandal he termed the ‘Oppa Poison Lobby Gate.’

During an emergency press conference, Han claimed that a broker used personal connections to influence the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to approve clinical trials for a pharmaceutical product that had previously faced 14 requests for supplementation. Han alleged that Kim Seung-won acted swiftly to facilitate this approval following a request from the broker, which resulted in a rapid approval process and subsequent stock price surges for the involved company.

Han further alleged that the nominee’s suitability is compromised by connections to a judge who dismissed arrest warrants for the pharmaceutical owner and by allegations regarding improper hiring practices. He also accused the Democratic Party of violating laws by disclosing the identity of a whistleblower and criticized the Prime Minister’s Office for what he described as political surveillance of his press conference.

In response to criticisms from Democratic Party spokespersons regarding the legality of his evidence, Han challenged female lawmakers of the party, questioning if they would find such ‘Oppa lobbying’ acceptable if it involved their own families.