Kim Seung-won Proposed Bill That Could Have Helped His Wife’s Cooperative, Which Donated 2 Million Won to a Local Group

A bill sponsored by Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won could have provided financial and administrative support to the cooperative led by his wife, according to records from the National Assembly's legislative information system.

Kim introduced the bill in April 2023, while serving on the 21st National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. It proposed allowing mayors, county chiefs and district heads to entrust the operation of support centers for families of people with disabilities to specialized organizations or groups. It also allowed the national and local governments to cover expenses for support organizations.

Under the bill, organizations providing care services for people with developmental disabilities could have received benefits. At the time, Kim's wife was director of the Korea Children's Development Social Cooperative, an organization providing such services.

The bill was discarded when the 21st Assembly's term expired. A review report on the proposal also quoted Seoul Metropolitan Government as saying that the provision should be revised so that the state and local governments, rather than other entities, would be designated as the bodies responsible for establishing the centers.

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There is a need to revise the establishing body to the state and local governments.