Two minister nominees are facing mounting questions ahead of their confirmation hearings, as a series of controversies and corruption allegations have drawn growing public criticism. If even one of them fails to pass the hearing or steps down from the nomination, it will deal a blow to President Lee Jae Myung, who has hoped the Cabinet reshuffle would help him regain momentum for his policies amid falling approval ratings. Lee nominated Kim Seung-won, a two-term lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and a former judge, as his next justice minister, to oversee follow-up work measures related to the government’s prosecution reform and new criminal justice system, which are set to take effect Oct. 2. Kim, however, has come under intensifying scrutiny over allegations that he improperly used his influence as a lawmaker in October 2021 to help a pharmaceutical company obtain approval for a COVID-19 drug trial. He allegedly received a request from a broker with ties to Genencell to help speed up the approval process, after which he contacted the head of the Ministry of Food