Partner
Yong Seok AHN
Antitrust & Competition
Yong Seok Ahn is a partner in charge of competition law, M&A and general corporate practices at Lee & Ko. Mr. Ahn was a managing partner at Lee & Ko from March 2018 to February 2022. Since joining Lee & Ko in 1989, he has represented many cases involving multinational companies which are related to Korean competition laws including cartel, merger filing, abuse of dominance and unfair trade practices before the Korean Fair Trade Commission. He continues to be very active in the field of M&A and has represented many multinational corporations in their acquisition of Korean companies.
“…Not only does he offer highly skilled legal expertise, but he is very devoted in the time and efforts he gives to meeting our needs…”
- Chambers and Partners, 2014 -
“He has a fantastic gift for getting to the heart of substantive problems very quickly. He has a good understanding of our business and what we want to achieve.”
- Chambers and Partners, 2016 -
“…Not only does he offer highly skilled legal expertise, but he is very devoted in the time and efforts he gives to meeting our needs…”
- Chambers and Partners, 2014 -
“He has a fantastic gift for getting to the heart of substantive problems very quickly. He has a good understanding of our business and what we want to achieve.”
- Chambers and Partners, 2016 -
Education
| 1995 | University of Michigan Law School, U.S.A. - LL.M. |
|---|---|
| 1985 | Judicial Research & Training Institute, Supreme Court of Korea |
| 1984 | College of Law, Seoul National University - LL.B. |
Work Experience
| 1989-Present | Lee & Ko |
|---|---|
| 2025-Present | Senior Advisor, Korean Competition Law Association |
| 2024-Present | IBA Antitrust Section Cartel Working Group Member |
| 2005-Present | Founding Member, Korea Competition Forum |
| 2013-2017 | Member of Editorial Board, Journal of Competition published by Fair Competition Federation |
| 2012-2024 | Vice-President, Korean Competition Law Association |
| 2012-2016 | IBA Antitrust Committee Officer |
| 2009-2012 | Competition Policy Advisor, Korea Fair Trade Commission, International Cooperation Committee |
| 2008 | Expert Advisor, Korea Fair Trade Commission Antitrust Law Improvement Committee |
Admissions & Qualifications
| 1996 | Admitted to the New York State Bar |
|---|---|
| 1989 | Admitted to the Korean Bar |
Languages
| Korean and English |
Awards & Recognitions
| 2026 | Recognized as 'Senior Statespeople' by Chambers Asia-Pacific (Competition/Antitrust) |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Selected as a ‘Leading Lawyer’ by Lexology Index - South Korea (Competition) |
| 2025 | Selected as a 'Highly Regarded Lawyer' by IFLR1000 (M&A) |
| 2025 | Recognized as a 'Leading Lawyer - Distinguished Practitioner' by Asialaw (Anti-trust & Competition) |
| 2025 | Recognized as The A List - Korea's top 100 lawyers by Asia Business Law Journal |
| 2019 | Recognized as a 'Leading Lawyer' by Legal 500 Asia-Pacific (Anti-trust & Competition) |
Publications / Presentations / ETC
- Panelist, Antitrust and new developments in cartel enforcement, IBA Annual Conference, Miami (2022. 11.)
- Panelist, Recent Developments in Korea, ABA Antitrust in Asia: Seoul (2018. 5.)
- Panelist, SEP Issues in the Perspective of Korean Competition Law, ABA Antitrust Law 2018 Spring Meeting (2018. 4.)
- Panelist, Joint ventures and strategic alliances: should they be treated like mergers or as impermissible competitor coordination?, GCR Live East Asia Summit (2017. 10.)
- Speaker, KFTC cases analysis on SEP licensing practice, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2017. 7.)
- Panelist, Competition Policy and Digital Markets, Lex Mundi-Deacons Corporate Counsel Event (2017. 6.)
- Panelist, Thomson Reuters Asia Pacific Legal Executive Briefing (2017. 3.)
- Recent Development in Korean Competition Laws, European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (2016. 11.)
- Recent Cartel Cases at the Korean Courts Involving Leniency and Practical Implications, ABA Global Seminar Series (2016. 9.)
- Panelist, Price-Related and Abuse of Dominance Practices in Asia, ABA, Antitrust in Asia (2016. 6.)
- Panelist, Hard Core Crackdown: Anti-Cartel Enforcement in High Gear in Asia, ABA 2015 Asia Forum (2015. 11.)
- Panelist, 'The 39 steps approaching international cartel investigations one issue at a time', IBA 4th Asia Pacific Regional Forum Conference (2015. 3.)
- Panelist, Cartel Regulation: Korea Increases Enforcement, The 3rd International White Collar Crime Institute (2014. 10.)
- Panelist, Recent Developments in Korean Antitrust Laws, 5th Annual Chicago Forum on International Antitrust Issues (2014. 6.)
- 2013 New Challenges in Korean Competition Law, European Chambers of Commerce in Korea (2013. 10.)
- Recent Developments in the Cartel Enforcement in Korea, WSG 2013 Asia Pacific Regional Meeting (2013. 4.)
- Panelist, New Challenges in the Coordination of Multijurisdictional Cartels, IBA 9th Competition Mid-year Conference (2013. 3.)
- Leniency & Civil Damages in the Cartel Cases, Fair Competition Federation (2012. 12.)
- Overview of Cartel Enforcement in Korea, IBA Annual Conference (2012. 10.)
- Antitrust Violation & Civil Damages, In-house Counsel Forum 2012 Summer Workshop (2012. 6.)
- Regulations and Enforcement against Unilateral Conduct in Korea, GCR Law Leaders Asia Pacific (2012. 3.)
- Opening of Korean Legal Market and its Prospects, LawAsia (2011)
- The Future of Cartel Investigation and Enforcement in Asia Pacific Region, IBA/KBA (2011. 4.)
- 'Merger Control in Korea', co-author Yu Jin Kim, The Asia-Pacific Antitrust Review 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 & 2010, Global Competition Review
- Recent Development in Korean Antitrust Laws: Cartels & Procedures, IAKL (2009. 10.)
- 'The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Enforcement of Competition Law 2009', co-author Jun Taek Lee, Global Legal Group
- 'The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Dominance 2009', co-author Jun Taek Lee, Global Legal Group
- 'The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Merger Control 2006 & 2009 Korea Chapter', co-author Yu Jin Kim, Global Legal Group
- 'Unilateral Conduct under Korean Competition Law - Unilateral Refusal to Deal in the POSCO case', Oct. 2008, Competition Law International, International Bar Association
- 'Overview: Korea', co-author Yu Jin Kim, The 2006, 2007 & 2008 Handbook of Competition Enforcement Agencies, Global Competition Review
- 'Merger Control in Korea - A case study in the Consumer Goods Discount Store Industry', co-author Keun John Song, Oct. 2007, Asialaw Korea Review
Related news
Press & Releases
[The Korea Economic] Up to KRW 11 Trillion… The 'War of Money' in Government Bond Cartel Litigation 2026.06.21Press & Releases
[The Korea Economic Daily] Lee Jae-myung Administration’s “War on Cartels”… Law Firms’ Antitrust & Competition Teams in the Spotlight 2026.04.26Awards Ranking
Lee & Ko Recognized as Top Law Firm in All 24 Categories by ‘Asialaw Profiles 2025’ 2025.10.22Awards Ranking
Lee & Ko Recognized as Tier 1 in All Practice Areas in IFLR1000 2025 2025.09.11Awards Ranking
'Chambers Asia-Pacific 2025’ Band 1 in 11 practice areas 2024.12.13Awards Ranking
Asia Business Law Journal Selects 17 Lee & Ko Lawyers in '2024 Korea's Top 100 Lawyers' 2024.11.29Awards Ranking
Most Lawyers Selected in ‘2023 Korea’s Top 100 Lawyers’ by Asia Business Law Journal 2023.12.19Awards Ranking
'Chambers Asia-Pacific 2024’ Band 1 in 13 practice areas 2023.12.15Awards Ranking
Tier1 in All Practice Areas of IFLR1000 2023.07.27Seminar/Event
Lee & Ko hosts Lex Mundi’s ‘Antitrust and Competition Asia – Pacific Corporate Counsel Event’ 2023.06.22Seminar/Event
Lee & Ko to host Lex Mundi’s “Antitrust and Competition Asia‐Pacific Corporate Counsel Event” 2023.06.15Seminar/Event
[Lawtimes] Law firm Lee&Ko, webinar on 'deemed gift taxation on profits earned from related party transactions, family business succession tax issue' 2021.07.23Seminar/Event
Lee & Ko holds “Data & AI Legal Policy Challenges” webinar 2020.07.03Lee & Ko People
2019 New Year’s Message From the Managing Partner 2019.01.01Lee & Ko People
Appointment of Mr. Yong Seok Ahn as Lee & Ko Managing Partner 2018.05.01