People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won [Yonhap]
People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won [Yonhap]

People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won said Saturday that President Lee Jae Myung's nomination of Kim Seung-won as justice minister candidate — amid allegations of stock price manipulation and illicit lobbying for new drug approvals — was "a symbol of the decay of the rule of law in South Korea," calling Kim "the vanguard of President Lee's campaign to drop criminal charges."

In a Facebook post, Na urged Kim to withdraw from the nomination process and called on the president to rescind it, writing: "They say if others do it, it ruins their family — but when they do it, it's a public interest petition?"

Na sharpened her criticism, saying, "There are limits even to leaving a fish shop in the care of a cat," and questioned whether the government intended to let Kim remain as nominee despite his alleged role as a central link in the stock manipulation and drug approval lobbying schemes.

On allegations that Kim improperly worked with a broker while handling a petition related to new drug licensing by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Na said: "Is it the Democratic Party's idea of 'public interest' to collude with a broker who said, 'We can make hundreds of billions of won the moment the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety gives approval'?" She added: "Is offering up a political donation account in response to the dark temptation of 'it'll be good for oppa's election' what they call routine 'handling of a grievance petition'?"

Na went on to say that questions must be answered about whether Kim bears responsibility for the alleged illicit gains made by a broker and pharmaceutical industry figures connected to the case, as well as the trading suspension of Sejong Medical.

Na listed the parties she said were involved: "Broker Yang, who pocketed 600 million won ($441,000) in illegal profits; Kang, the founder of Genencell, who allegedly seized 11 billion won in illicit gains; and Sejong Medical, which evaporated the hard-earned money of small investors and now sits under a trading halt." She then asked: "Is nominee Kim truly free of involvement in this vast web of dark connections, at the center of which he allegedly stood as the key link in the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety lobbying? Small investors wept tears of blood while brokers sat on piles of money."

Na urged President Lee to follow through on his own words, saying Kim had "endorsed reckless lobbying that put public health on the line and privately promised campaign donation deals in return," and that the president should practice the "family ruin" he himself had preached.


bigroot@heraldcorp.com