Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won withdraws from candidacy

The Korea Times - Sep 19, 2026

Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won withdrew his nomination on Saturday following allegations concerning his involvement in a COVID-19 treatment and approval of its clinical trials. “After much deliberation, I decided to step down as the nominee for minister of justice ministry. I apologize for failing to live up to your expectations,” Kim said during a press conference at the National Assembly. Kim, a two-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), served as a judge at the Jeonju District Court and the Suwon District Court before joining the presidential office under the liberal Moon Jae-in administration, where he worked in the office of political affairs. He was elected to the 21st National Assembly in 2020 and later served as DPK's legal affairs committee chief.

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