Parliamentary committee adopts confirmation hearing report for justice minister nominee

A parliamentary committee adopted the confirmation hearing report for Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won on Thursday amid objections from the main opposition People Power Party. PPP lawmakers walked out of the legislation and judiciary committee meeting, saying the allegations against Kim had not been resolved. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Kim had sufficiently explained himself at Tuesday’s hearing, including a claim that he illegally lobbied for faster approval of a COVID-19 treatment. Kim is a two-term lawmaker and former judge who previously worked in the presidential office under Moon Jae-in.

PPP Rep. Park Hyeung-soo said none of the allegations raised during the hearing had been resolved before lawmakers walked out.

The DPK said Kim had sufficiently explained the allegation that he illegally lobbied the food and drug safety ministry in 2021 at a broker’s request.

Kim served as a judge at the Jeonju District Court and the Suwon District Court before joining the presidential office under the Moon Jae-in administration.

Kim was elected to the 21st National Assembly in 2020 and later served as the DPK’s legal affairs committee chief.

He also played a key role in passing the revision to the Criminal Procedure Act as a ranking member of the legislation committee.

Published Sep 17, 2026 1:46 pm KST

Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won attends his parliamentary confirmation hearing at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

A parliamentary committee on Thursday adopted a confirmation hearing report for Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won amid objections from the main opposition People Power Party (PPP).

PPP lawmakers walked out of a plenary meeting of the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee shortly after it began, protesting against the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) push to adopt the report without fully addressing allegations surrounding Kim.

"None of the allegations raised during the hearing have been resolved," PPP Rep. Park Hyeung-soo said before walking out of the session.

The DPK argued that the nominee sufficiently explained himself during Tuesday's confirmation hearing, including claims that he illegally lobbied the food and drug safety ministry to speed up approval for a COVID-19 treatment in 2021 at a broker's request.

Kim, a two-term lawmaker, 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 the DPK's legal affairs committee chief. He also played a key role in passing the revision to the Criminal Procedure Act as a ranking member of the legislation committee.

周四，国会一个委员会在主要反对党国民力量党的反对声中通过了法务部长官提名人金承元的确认听证报告。国民力量党议员退出了立法和司法委员会会议，称针对金承元的指控尚未得到解决。执政的共同民主党表示，金承元在周二的听证会上已经充分解释了他的行为，包括他被指控非法游说加快审批新冠肺炎治疗药物。金承元曾任两届国会议员和法官，此前曾在文在寅总统办公室工作。

人民进步党议员朴亨洙表示，在议员们退场之前，听证会上提出的所有指控都没有得到解决。

朝鲜民主主义人民共和国表示，金某已充分解释了有关他于 2021 年应中间人要求非法游说食品药品安全部的指控。

金在加入文在寅政府的总统府之前，曾担任全州地方法院和水原地方法院的法官。

金在2020年当选为第21届国会议员，后来担任朝鲜民主主义人民共和国法律事务委员会主任。

作为立法委员会的资深成员，他在《刑事诉讼法》修订案的通过过程中也发挥了关键作用。

发布于2026年9月17日下午1:46（韩国标准时间）

周二，韩国法务部长官提名人金承元出席在首尔国会举行的国会任命听证会。（韩联社）

周四，国会委员会通过了司法部长提名人金承元的确认听证报告，尽管主要反对党国民力量党（PPP）对此表示反对。

人民进步党议员在国会立法和司法委员会全体会议开始不久便退出了会议，以抗议执政的韩国共同民主党(DPK)在没有充分解决有关金正恩的指控的情况下强行通过该报告。

“听证会上提出的所有指控都没有得到解决，”人民进步党议员朴亨洙在离开会场前说道。

朝鲜民主主义人民党认为，该候选人在周二的确认听证会上已充分解释了自己的行为，包括他被指控应中间人的要求，非法游说食品药品安全部加快批准2021年新冠肺炎治疗药物。

金某曾任两届国会议员，在加入文在寅总统府之前，曾担任全州地方法院和水原地方法院的法官，并在文在寅政府时期进入总统府，在政治事务办公室工作。

他于2020年当选为第21届国会议员，之后担任民主党法律事务委员会主任。作为立法委员会资深成员，他还在《刑事诉讼法》修订案的通过过程中发挥了关键作用。