Police Launch Reinvestigation into Allegations of Improper Requests for Kim Seung-won's New Drug
Key points of the reinvestigation into Kim Seung-won: allegations of improper requests for a COVID-19 new drug and overturning a deferred prosecution Additional evidence and the issue of quid pro quo are variables—check the police investigation results
Police have launched a reinvestigation into allegations that Kim Seungwon, the nominee for Minister of Justice, solicited approval for a COVID19 new drug clinical trial. Since prosecutors had issued a deferred indictment decision late last year, attention is focused on whether police can secure additional evidence strong enough to overturn it.
The key issues in this reinvestigation are whether there was consideration exchanged for the solicitation and whether it was related to official duties. In December 2024, prosecutors found that the nominee Kim was suspected of arranging the solicitation after receiving a promise of sponsorship funds from broker Yang and others, but decided to defer indictment, judging that the need for punishment was not significant.
In the legal community, some say that even without additional physical evidence, it is possible to refer the case and file charges on suspicion of promising bribes through mediation. However, there is also analysis that, for it to lead to actual punishment, more clues are needed to support the illicit solicitation and quid pro quo nature.