Kim personally holds 211.81 million won; spouse holds 515.59 million won
Spouse's assets include jeonse rights and pre-sale rights on Suwon apartments
Kim fined 700,000 won for drunk driving in 2008
Confirmation hearing prep team says he 'deeply reflects' and 'sincerely apologizes'
Kim Seung-won, the nominee for minister of justice, has declared total assets of 685.09 million won ($504,000) held in his own name and those of his spouse, father and children. His confirmation hearing documents also revealed that he was fined for drunk driving while working as a lawyer.
According to the confirmation hearing request submitted to the National Assembly on Friday, Kim declared assets in his own name including a jeonse lease on an office in Jangan-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, valued at 30 million won; bank deposits of 114.51 million won; and private-party bonds worth 250 million won. After accounting for financial liabilities of 274.46 million won, Kim's net personal assets total 211.81 million won.
His spouse holds a jeonse lease on an apartment in Jangan-gu, Suwon, worth 357 million won, a pre-sale right on a separate apartment in the same area valued at 386.58 million won, and bank deposits of 191.34 million won. With liabilities of 438.33 million won, the spouse's net assets were declared at 515.59 million won.
Kim's father owns an apartment in Suwon valued at 199 million won, but with debts of 335.11 million won his net worth stands at negative 131.45 million won. Bank deposits declared in the names of Kim's three children amount to 54.29 million won for his eldest daughter, 29.07 million won for his eldest son and 5.77 million won for his second daughter.
The confirmation hearing documents also disclosed Kim's drunk-driving record. About five months after leaving the bench at the Suwon District Court, Kim was fined 700,000 won by the same court in July 2008 on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act by driving under the influence.
Kim's confirmation hearing preparation team said Thursday that the offense was "a mistake that cannot be excused under any circumstances," adding that he "deeply reflects on it and sincerely apologizes to the public."
Kim completed his mandatory military service in 2002, finishing as a first lieutenant in the Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps. His eldest son was exempted from military service on medical grounds.
In the written rationale accompanying the confirmation hearing request, President Lee Jae Myung said Kim "led legislation related to prosecution reform while serving as floor coordinator of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee." Lee described him as "the right person to stably complete the transition of the criminal justice system centered on separating investigation from indictment, and to strengthen the Ministry of Justice's human rights protection functions and support for crime victims."
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