South Korea's Justice Minister Nominee Faces New Complaint Over Alleged Lobbying for Drug Trial Approval

The Seomin People's Livelihood Measures Committee said on Thursday that it filed a complaint against Kim with the Seoul Metropolitan Police the previous day, accusing him of violating the anti-graft law and abusing his authority. This follows a similar complaint filed by Lee Jong-bae, a former Seoul city councilor, against Kim and Kim Gang-lip, the former commissioner of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

In its complaint, the committee argued that Kim's request to the then-food and drug safety commissioner to expedite approval of clinical trials for GeneCell, a developer of a COVID-19 treatment, constituted abuse of authority. Kim received a suspended indictment from prosecutors in late 2024 over the case, but a reinvestigation could be reopened if new