Seoul: Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok strongly denied allegations Wednesday that an elderly couple committed suicide after leaving a note that he failed to repay a debt owed to them. The allegations involving the 2004 death of a couple in their 60s have resurfaced ahead of Kim's confirmation hearings scheduled for next week.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim referred to the situation as "an abominable slander case initiated by the political prosecution involving a false anonymous letter," in a statement posted on his Facebook page. He expressed his determination not to be swayed by what he termed a politically motivated ploy, stating, "I will not fall prey to the trick of using such a false letter two to three times."

Kim offered his perspective on the couple's death, claiming that a local resident, who had borrowed money from another party under the pretense of asking Kim for a favor, unexpectedly committed suicide after his refusal to comply with the request. Kim alleged that this resident left a misleading note asserting that money had been handed to him.

As a four-term lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party and a former top campaign aide to President Lee Jae Myung, Kim Min-seok is under increasing scrutiny. His past conviction for accepting illegal political funds and a notable increase in his assets over the past five years have added to the controversies surrounding him.

Despite these challenges, Kim has consistently denied the accusations through social media and interviews, labeling them as attacks orchestrated by the prosecution and the media.