Former Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo. [Yonhap]
Former Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo. [Yonhap]

Former Daegu Mayor Hong Jun-pyo raised questions Saturday about how independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon obtained a recording at the center of allegations surrounding Kim Seung-won, the nominee for minister of justice, over alleged lobbying for new drug approval.

Writing on Facebook on Saturday, Hong said he found the ongoing confirmation hearing for the justice minister nominee "truly astonishing."

"If the reports are accurate, he lobbied the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to approve a new drug at the request of someone described as a younger sister he met at a bar — and that drug reportedly contained hazardous substances, with share price manipulation also alleged," Hong wrote. "I cannot understand why such a case was resolved with a suspension of indictment." He took direct aim at the prosecution's handling of the matter, calling the investigation "a mess."

He added, "Shouldn't this be less of a confirmation hearing and more of a hearing conducted in front of his wife?"

Hong also turned his attention to Han, saying he was "impressed by the skill of that friend who released the recording — wherever he got it from." He then asked, "With that kind of skill, how did he fail to catch Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung?"

Hong also reflected on his own political career. "I wanted to go through a confirmation hearing myself while in politics — to be objectively scrutinized and see what flaws, if any, I had," he wrote. "But I never had that opportunity."


mkkang@heraldcorp.com