Opposition Demands Timeline of Complaint Against Kim Seung-won

Attention has turned to why Rep. Kim Seung-won of the Democratic Party of Korea withdrew as nominee for justice minister, after allegations surfaced that a complaint from his former aides — containing claims of sexual harassment and drunk driving — had been delivered to the presidential office beforehand. Kim said he firmed up his decision to step aside after watching President Lee Jae-myung's press conference, but the opposition has raised the possibility that he quit to bury the harassment allegations.

According to political sources on the 20th, the complaint from Kim's former aides was delivered to Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Ihk-pyo and others on the 17th, at the same time the ruling party was unilaterally adopting the confirmation hearing report on Kim. The complaint is said to have included allegations of sexual harassment, an additional drunk driving incident and abusive treatment of staff. A separate complaint reportedly contained claims about accounting problems at the Democratic Party's Gyeonggi provincial chapter, which Kim had chaired. On the 20th, the presidential office said of the complaints containing further allegations against the nominee: "We cannot confirm the details, and it is a matter for the nominee to address."

Kim's voluntary withdrawal drew reactions that the situation was unusual, given that the ruling party had gone as far as unilaterally adopting the confirmation hearing report. That prompted speculation that the complaint filed by his former aide had influenced the decision.

The opposition escalated its attacks, calling the withdrawal an attempt to cut off further allegations. Kim Tae-gyu, chief floor spokesman for the People Power Party, said, "The complaint reached the presidential office on the 17th, yet the president was still weighing the appointment through the 18th." Rep. Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party also said, "Kim's resignation was flight to keep his further misconduct from coming to light."

Going further, independent Rep. Han Dong-hoon pressed the Democratic Party, which had shielded Kim, to disclose when it first learned of the additional allegations. He raised the possibility that the party had received a tip about the allegations in advance but pushed through adoption of the confirmation hearing report, staying silent out of concern about the burden on governing. Addressing Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok that day, Han said: "When did the Democratic Party receive the tip from Kim's former aides about sexual harassment of a reporter, drunk driving and abusive language?" He added sharply, "Is it true that you received the tip before the presidential office did and sat on it?"

Han also raised the allegation that Democratic Party lawmakers were present when the alleged harassment occurred. "Did the Democratic Party know about the sexual harassment at the drinking gathering?" he said. "Weren't there Democratic Party lawmakers other than Kim at that gathering? Why did no one bring it up or raise it as a problem when Kim was nominated as justice minister?" He continued: "Is the Democratic Party a party where sexual harassment at a drinking gathering is no bar to becoming justice minister? The lawmakers who were there and those who kept their mouths shut deserve to resign their seats."

Along with this, accounts emerged that the former nominee had met in person with the former aides who filed the complaint the day before he stepped down, denying the allegations and trying to persuade them — fueling suspicions that efforts to smooth over the matter continued until just before his withdrawal.

The ruling party, however, sharpened its criticism by repeatedly questioning how Han obtained investigative material on lobbying over a Genencell new drug. Cho Kye-won, a Democratic Party spokesperson, said, "We need to determine how internal prosecution documents that are not even sent to the courts ended up in Han's hands," and argued, "What the public wants is a compulsory investigation of Han, a criminal suspect." Cho also claimed the material Han disclosed was illegally obtained through what is known as the prosecution's "filing cabinet," saying it was "a self-defeating move that has only enlarged his own crimes."

The opposition plans to use Kim's withdrawal to widen its front against the government, making an all-out push to force additional nominees out of the second-term cabinet. Its next target is Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul. The People Power Party said, "Many of the allegations against Kang need to be resolved through investigation," and Han added weight to the offensive, saying he "must never become a minister." The People Power Party is also considering a public-opinion campaign, including street protests.