Kim Seung-won, Tearfully Denies “Family Cooperative” Allegations... “Suspension of Indictment Was the Result of Splitting the Prosecution”

[Financial News] Kim Seung-won, nominee for Minister of Justice, became emotional as he denied allegations that the social cooperative where his spouse and child worked was a “family cooperative,” saying there had been “absolutely no preferential treatment.” He also strongly protested prosecutors’ decision to suspend indictment in connection with allegations that he solicited a favor for GENENCELL’s clinical trial approval, calling it “the result of splitting the prosecution into separate indictments.”
At a confirmation hearing held by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly on the 15th, Kim said of the Korea Child Development Social Cooperative, where his spouse works, “Parents of children with developmental disabilities formed the cooperative, and the parents’ representative runs it. They decide everything, including its operations, my wife’s salary and working conditions.” He added, “There is no benefit that would go to my wife.”
Responding to allegations that the social cooperative generated revenue through voucher programs, he said, “Parents of children with developmental disabilities leave their children at places close to home or at places they prefer, and the vouchers are paid accordingly.” He added, “There was absolutely no preferential treatment related to that.”
Kim tearfully rejected claims that it was a so-called “family cooperative” or “family business.” Explaining that his spouse had cared for children with developmental disabilities at home even on weekends, he addressed why his son worked at the same organization: “My wife apparently said that if she eventually became too weak or died, she had entrusted that work to our son because he was someone to whom we could safely entrust these children.”
Earlier, Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party claimed that Kim’s spouse and children had received a total of 330 million won in salaries from the Korea Child Development Social Cooperative. Allegations were also raised that the cooperative had received no voucher revenue while operating in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, but generated approximately 880 million won in voucher revenue over four years after moving to Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Kim’s constituency.
Kim also argued that prosecutors’ decision to suspend indictment in the GENENCELL case was unjust.
He explained, “On October 12, 2021, I passed along a petition. Two months later, at the end of the year, Mr. Yang, the broker, said he wanted to make a donation and asked how to do so, so I sent him the donation account.” He continued, “The non-prosecution notice said that this was related to a bribe with a causal relationship to the petition delivered in October, but that is not true.”
He went on to claim, “My suspension of indictment was the result of splitting the prosecution into separate indictments.” He added, “At first, Professor Kang was indicted on some charges, but after a not-guilty verdict was returned, they indicted Mr. Kang and Mr. Yang again, while effectively keeping me entangled in the case through a suspension of indictment.”
He criticized what he called “not only the Daejang-dong case, but also the cash-for-summit scandal, the split indictments carried out by lawmaker Han Dong-hoon and the political prosecutors, and the practice of wearing people down to death.”
Kim said that if appointed Minister of Justice, he would also strengthen the management of investigative records. “I will require every record from the investigative process to be entered in full and in chronological order. I will work to prevent omissions and enable subsequent verification by imposing penalties for failing to register records,” he said.
 
[email protected] Choi Eun-sol Reporter