Complaint over alleged lobbying for a new drug trial assigned to Seoul police station

A police investigation into allegations involving Kim Seung-won, the nominee for South Korea’s justice minister, has been assigned to Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo Police Station.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency assigned the complaint on September 8. Former Seoul city councilor Lee Jong-bae and the civic group Citizens’ Committee for Livelihood Measures filed accusations against Kim over alleged violations of the anti-graft law and abuse of authority.

The case concerns an allegation that Kim, acting at the request of a broker identified only by the surname Yang, asked Kim Kang-lip, then head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, to quickly process approval of Genencell’s Phase 2 and 3 clinical trial plan for a COVID-19 treatment in October 2021.

Yeongdeungpo police are expected to begin by reviewing the complaint, examining the legal issues and questioning the complainants. Kim previously received a deferred-indictment disposition from prosecutors in December 2024 in connection with the allegations.

Seoul police chief Ko Beom-seok said at a press briefing on September 7 that an investigation would proceed according to established procedures once the case was assigned. He also said police were considering whether a reinvestigation was possible.

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Once the case is assigned, the investigation will proceed according to procedure.