Exclusive: Choi Jae-sung says Han Dong-hoon dragged him into a ‘third-rate movie’ as an extra, denies lobbying allegations

Former senior presidential secretary Choi Jae-sung says he has been pulled into a COVID-19 drug lobbying controversy without doing what the allegations suggest. “I have never been asked to tell the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to process the clinical approval quickly, or to deliver anything related to Kim Seung-won,” he said.

“

I have never been asked to tell the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to process the clinical approval quickly, or to deliver anything related to Kim Seung-won.

The controversy centers on Genencell and businessman Yang, who has been described as a broker in the allegations. Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon released a recording of a 2021 phone call between Yang and Choi, claiming that Choi and Kim, whom he called “Democratic Party brothers,” knew Yang could make a large profit if the ministry approved Genencell’s clinical trial.

The recording includes Yang explaining Genencell’s approval issue and saying that approval could lead to investment in his company. But the conversation released by Han does not show Choi taking part in the approval process. At one point, Choi appears to try to end the call, saying, “No, someone has come.”

“

I do not know lawmaker Kim Seung-won. I have never spoken with him or sat together with him.

Choi told the Hankyoreh that he met Yang through volunteer work sending books overseas. They had not seen each other for several years before running into each other by chance at Yongsan Station around 2021, after which Yang spoke to him by phone about various matters. Choi also rejected a message from Yang to Genencell founder Kang that said, “Representative Choi is coming to our office tomorrow.” He said he had never visited Yang’s office and was not a lawmaker at the time.

“

If Yang had asked me for a favor related to Genencell, I would have told him not to do it.

“If Yang had asked me for a favor related to Genencell, I would have told him not to do it,” Choi said. He denied connecting Yang with Kim or taking any action on Yang’s behalf, adding that he only began looking into the details after the controversy emerged. “I feel as if I have been dragged into a third-rate movie as an extra,” he said.

“

I feel as if I have been dragged into a third-rate movie as an extra.