Han Dong-hoon Calls Kim Seung-won’s Explanation a “Shameless Lie” and Releases Call Recording

Han Dong-hoon has escalated his attack on Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, calling Kim’s explanation of a meeting with a pharmaceutical broker a “shameless lie.” Han released what he described as recordings of phone calls involving Kim and Yang, who has been linked to allegations of lobbying for faster approval of a new drug trial.

In a post on Facebook on Sept. 5, Han said Kim and Yang had not met by chance. A recording labeled as a Feb. 9, 2022, call showed the two addressing each other as “older brother” and “younger sibling,” according to Han’s account. Yang said he would rush from Hanam to Yeouido, and Kim replied that he would wait. Han presented the exchange as evidence of a private relationship.

Han also posted a recording from October 2021 in which Yang spoke with an acquaintance. Yang reportedly said that “Seung-won” had spoken to the head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and had offered to push the matter with the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Han interpreted the remarks as meaning that Kim had offered to lobby the food and drug regulator and told Yang to benefit sufficiently because Kim received only 5 million won in political donations.

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A shameless lie.

Yang, described as a broker, had approached Kim at the request of Kang, then the largest shareholder of pharmaceutical company Genencell. Kim sent a text to then-Food and Drug Safety Minister Kim Kang-lip on Oct. 12, 2021, asking that the company’s request concerning a COVID-19 treatment trial be handled quickly. The regulator approved Genencell’s Phase 2 and 3 trial plan on Oct. 26 of that year.

Prosecutors began investigating the allegations in November 2022 and sought an arrest warrant for Kang in December 2023, but the Seoul Western District Court rejected it. Controversy grew after it emerged that the judge who rejected the warrant, Kim and Yang knew one another. Kim received a deferred prosecution disposition in December 2024 over alleged pressure for expedited trial approval. He has said the decision was unfair and that he would seek relief through a constitutional complaint. He also said he contacted the regulator only to pass along concerns that the trial process might be delayed unfairly, and that he had encountered Yang and the judge by chance at a private gathering.

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I contacted the then-head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety simply to pass along a complaint that the clinical-trial process might be unfairly delayed.