Kim withdraws as justice minister nominee
Justice minister nominee Kim Seung-won closes his eyes during his confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
Justice minister nominee Kim Seung-won withdrew his nomination on Saturday following allegations concerning his involvement in a COVID-19 treatment and approval of its clinical trials.
“After much deliberation, I decided to step down as the nominee for justice minister. I apologize for failing to live up to your expectations,” Kim said during a press conference at the National Assembly.
The move comes after a parliamentary committee adopted his confirmation hearing report Thursday amid objections from the main opposition People Power Party over the allegations.
Kim, a two-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), served as a judge at the Jeonju District Court and the Suwon District Court before joining the presidential office under the liberal Moon Jae-in administration, where he worked in the office of political affairs.
He was elected to the 21st National Assembly in 2020 and later served as DPK's legal affairs committee chief.