Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon raised suspicions of lobbying by releasing a recording of a phone call between Kim Seung-won, nominee for Minister of Justice, and a broker allegedly involved in the new drug clinical trial approval request case. The recording showed Kim asking the broker to request clinical trial approval from the head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). Text messages from an MFDS secretary also were released, seemingly showing that Kim's lobbying was successful. Han argued that this incident is not just a personal matter for Kim Seung-won but involves intervention by the leadership of the Democratic Party.
