Politics · South Korea · 53 mins ago
Whistleblower seeks renewed probe into lawmaker Kim Seung-won
A whistleblower has asked prosecutors in Seoul to reopen a case involving Kim Seung-won, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea.
The case concerns an alleged request in 2021 to speed up approval of a COVID-19 drug trial by the company GeneCell.
Kim is alleged to have passed the request from a broker to the head of South Korea’s food and drug agency.
Prosecutors said they believed Kim had agreed to receive 5 million won in political donations in return, but in December 2024 they declined to prosecute, saying it was not clear that the request itself was unlawful.
That decision was not a final court ruling, so authorities can investigate the case again.
The allegations returned to public attention after Kim was nominated for justice minister, and police are investigating a separate complaint about them.
The whistleblower also asked parliament to change the law so people who disclose information in the public interest cannot be punished for revealing official secrets, citing an investigation of independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon over his release of prosecution records.
A whistleblower has asked prosecutors to reopen an investigation into lawmaker Kim Seung-won over alleged lobbying tied to a drug trial.
The whistleblower filed a petition on September 28 asking for a renewed investigation and prosecution.
Prosecutors had found grounds to believe Kim agreed to receive 5 million won in political donations in return for arranging a request, but deferred prosecution in December 2024.
The whistleblower also filed an online petition seeking legal protection for people who disclose information in the public interest.
- Who
- A whistleblower identified as A; the case concerns Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won.
- What
- A asked prosecutors to reopen the case and seek prosecution. A also called for legal protections for public-interest disclosures.
- When
- A filed the renewed-investigation petition on September 28; the online petition was filed on October 13. The article was published on October 13, 2026.
- Where
- The petition was filed with the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office, then called the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office in the article. The online petition was submitted to the National Assembly.
- Why
- A wants the alleged lobbying case investigated again and wants people who disclose information in the public interest protected from punishment for disclosing official secrets.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Kim received a request from broker Yang to expedite approval of a clinical trial for Genencell’s COVID-19 treatment and passed it to the food and drug safety minister.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved the clinical trial plan.
Prosecutors deferred prosecution, saying the request could not definitively be considered illegal.
Whistleblower A submitted a petition seeking a renewed investigation and prosecution.
A filed an online petition calling for legal protection for public-interest disclosures.
- Lawmaker
- Kim Seung-won
- Alleged political donations
- 5 million won
- Company
- Genencell
- Petition date
- September 28
- Online petition
- Filed October 13 with the National Assembly
What people are saying
진실을 밝힌 정치인과 진실을 신고한 시민이 함께 보호받아야 다음 사람도 용기를 낼 수 있다
Sources
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