Han Dong-hoon says broker stood to gain 1 billion won from drug approval, names Democratic Party figures

Han Dong-hoon has claimed that the suspected lobbying over approval of GenNCell’s COVID-19 treatment trial involved more Democratic Party figures than Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won.

The independent lawmaker posted a text exchange from Oct. 8, 2021, between GenNCell founder Kang and businessman Yang, whom Han described as a broker involved in the approval process at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The messages mentioned Kim, Democratic Party lawmaker Song Young-gil and a lawmaker referred to as “Choi.”

Han said the exchange made it appear that Choi may have been involved in efforts to secure the ministry’s approval. He also said Yang had told Kim that approval could bring him a profit of 800 million to 1 billion won.

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I have never made an improper solicitation.

Han separately published details of a call between Yang and former presidential senior secretary Choi Jae-sung under the headline “The Democratic Party brothers knew Yang would make a large sum if the ministry approved it.”

Kim rejected the allegations, saying he had never made an improper solicitation connected with GenNCell’s clinical trial approval. He also said leaking investigative materials could constitute a criminal offense and indicated that he would request Han and a prosecutor who previously gave him a deferred prosecution decision as witnesses at his confirmation hearing.

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Leaking investigative materials is itself grounds for criminal punishment.