Han: President becomes 'accomplice' if Kim's nomination stands; Kim Min-seok's notepad spawns parodies
The People Power Party kept up its offensive Thursday, seizing on allegations against Justice Ministry minister nominee Kim Seung-won — that he lobbied for a new drug's clinical trial approval and stonewalled witness selection at his confirmation hearing — as well as various controversies surrounding Gender Equality and Family Ministry minister nominee Yong Hye-in. The party also piled pressure on the ruling party by repeatedly posting parody photos and captions on social media mocking a notepad photographed in the hands of Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok on Wednesday, which read "Han Dong-hoon, Lee Jin-sook OUT" and listed a group of potential Seoul mayoral candidates.
PPP presses Kim over 'audit-time lobbying calls'; 'Kim Min-seok notepad' parodies continue
The People Power Party launched an all-out offensive against Kim, citing allegations that he made phone calls with a broker to request new drug approval during a past National Assembly audit, as well as the ruling party's effective refusal to adopt witnesses for his confirmation hearing.
Four-term Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo wrote on Facebook that he had released the full transcript of a phone call between Kim and a broker identified only as Yang on Oct. 12, 2021. "Comparing the timing of the calls with the National Assembly's schedule showed that Kim made lobbying calls in the middle of a report and questioning session at the Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee audit," Ahn said.
Ahn released photos showing the recording's timeline alongside footage from the National Assembly's broadcast channel. He said Kim called Yang starting at 9:12 a.m. — before the audit session opened that day — and promised to pass along a request to the head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Kim then left the audit session at 10:57 a.m. to contact the ministry chief, and exchanged texts and calls with Yang between 11:23 a.m. and 11:50 a.m., Ahn said.
"A lawmaker who was swayed by a broker instead of focusing on the audit, going in and out to lobby a senior civil servant — Kim is not even fit to be a lawmaker, let alone a minister," Ahn said, calling for Kim to resign.
Five-term Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun wrote on Facebook that Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair Seo Young-kyo had said "a confirmation hearing usually proceeds without witnesses," but noted that in 2022, when Seo chaired the Public Administration and Security Committee, the Democratic Party had demanded criminal complaints and summons orders after four witnesses adopted for then-Ministry of Interior and Safety minister nominee Lee Sang-min's hearing failed to appear.
Yoon said Genencell founder Kang, the broker identified as Yang, former Ministry of Food and Drug Safety chief Kim Kang-lip and independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon must be summoned as key witnesses.
Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok is reportedly considering joining the Legislation and Judiciary Committee through a reassignment to focus on confronting the ruling party amid the confirmation hearing standoff.
Parodies of the so-called "Kim Min-seok notepad" also poured in.
Three-term Rep. Kim Sung-won was first, posting a photo on Facebook of himself holding a notepad reading "Kim Seung-won, Yong Hye-in OUT" and "Seoul mayoral trial 'not guilty,' no by-election!"
Four-term Rep. Park Dae-chul followed with his own notepad photo reading "Real estate policy that traps the public, farmland survey that traps farmers X" and "Kim Seung-won, Yong Hye-in OUT," while two-term Rep. Kim Mi-ae posted a notepad photo reading "Resume Lee Jae Myung's trial swiftly" and "By the public's standards, Kim Seung-won, Yong Hye-in OUT."
Chief spokesperson Park Chung-kwon also deliberately displayed a sheet of paper in the main chamber reading "Resume Myung's trial. Guilty. Early presidential election" and "Kim Seung-won, Yong Hye-in out." Rep. Lee Jin-sook posted a photo on Facebook of a notepad reading "Kim Min-seok out," with the caption: "New Millennium NHK — Kim Min-seok's presidential role-play. Shouldn't Kim Seung-won and Yong Hye-in be the ones on the list to be kicked out?"
Meanwhile, independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon, who has been leading the offensive against Kim, told reporters: "President Lee Jae Myung could still say, 'I did not realize the Kim Seung-won lobbying scandal was this serious. I will withdraw the nomination.' There is still time for that. But once today is over, President Lee becomes an accomplice too."
Yong's rebuttal briefing draws jab: even the 'public as fools' theory looks honest now
After Yong held a press conference at the National Assembly on Thursday, rebutting the allegations and controversies against her one by one and vowing to see the confirmation process through, the People Power Party launched a wave of attacks, calling her remarks "blame-shifting, deception of the public and self-pity."
Chief spokesperson Choi Bo-yun said in a statement that the press conference was "a deceptive show for the public, a case of the guilty accusing the innocent." "It is astonishing that she would dare lecture the sovereign public — telling them to 'read the intent behind an opposition lawmaker's nomination' — over her own greed to monopolize power. The president must make a decision," Choi said.
Chief floor spokesperson Choi Eun-suk also said in a statement that Yong "showed an aggressive attitude, as if ready to take on even the public raising reasonable doubts." "Repeating that 'there was no procedural problem' does not make the question of whether it was truly democratic go away. She should face the fact that Thursday's press conference became the starting point for even harsher scrutiny," Choi said.
Five-term Rep. Na Kyung-won wrote on Facebook that "the hypocrisy and foul play already revealed are reason enough for her to apologize to young people and the public, withdraw as minister nominee, and resign her proportional representation seat as well."
Rep. Kim Jae-sup wrote on Facebook that "politics and the press represent public opinion. Yong shouted 'come to your senses' at both the politicians and journalists scrutinizing the allegations against her." "Does she want to tell the public who sympathize with these allegations that they are 'crazy'? At this point, even the theory that treats the public as 'sheep and swine' looks honest by comparison," Kim said.
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