Partner
Jae Man CHOE
Defense Industry
Expertise
Defense Industry
Industrial Technology Team
Construction
Data Privacy & Cybersecurity
Antitrust & Competition
Financial Disputes
Capital Market Disputes
Construction Litigation
Criminal Defense (Investigations)
Trade Secret · Company Information Protection
Responding to Unfair Competition
Finance Tax
Labor · Employment Litigation
Occupational Safety · Serious Accidents
Recently reviewed Professionals
Jae Man Choe is a member of Lee & Ko’s Criminal Defense Group. He joined the firm in 2026 after a distinguished 19-year career as a public prosecutor, most recently serving as Chief Prosecutor of Criminal Division 3 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
Throughout his prosecutorial career, Mr. Choe held several key senior positions at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, including Chief of the Organized Crime Division and roles with the Defense Procurement Corruption Investigation Task Force and the Anti-Corruption Crime Investigation Division, and led divisions at the Daegu and Changwon (Geochang Branch) District Prosecutors' Offices.
Drawing on his extensive experience in complex criminal investigations, Mr. Choe advises clients on a broad range of criminal defense matters, including corporate crime, anti-corruption investigations, defense industry-related matters, capital markets violations, tax-related criminal matters, virtual asset-related crimes, organized crime, violent crime and other major criminal proceedings.
Mr. Choe has handled numerous high-profile and sensitive cases involving allegations of embezzlement and breach of trust by senior executives of major conglomerates, bribery involving public officials, procurement fraud in the defense industry, capital markets violations, tax evasion, cryptocurrency-related fraud and money laundering, and organized crime. His deep understanding of prosecutorial practice and investigative strategy enables him to provide practical and strategic counsel at all stages of criminal proceedings.
Throughout his prosecutorial career, Mr. Choe held several key senior positions at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, including Chief of the Organized Crime Division and roles with the Defense Procurement Corruption Investigation Task Force and the Anti-Corruption Crime Investigation Division, and led divisions at the Daegu and Changwon (Geochang Branch) District Prosecutors' Offices.
Drawing on his extensive experience in complex criminal investigations, Mr. Choe advises clients on a broad range of criminal defense matters, including corporate crime, anti-corruption investigations, defense industry-related matters, capital markets violations, tax-related criminal matters, virtual asset-related crimes, organized crime, violent crime and other major criminal proceedings.
Mr. Choe has handled numerous high-profile and sensitive cases involving allegations of embezzlement and breach of trust by senior executives of major conglomerates, bribery involving public officials, procurement fraud in the defense industry, capital markets violations, tax evasion, cryptocurrency-related fraud and money laundering, and organized crime. His deep understanding of prosecutorial practice and investigative strategy enables him to provide practical and strategic counsel at all stages of criminal proceedings.
Representative Matters
- [Corporate Criminal Defense & Special Investigations]
- Numerous embezzlement and breach of trust cases involving chairmen and senior executives of major conglomerates.
- Numerous corruption cases, including bribery involving high-ranking public officials.
- Bidding fraud cases related to high-speed rail projects.
- [Virtual Assets]
- Fraud cases regarding cryptocurrency issuance and investor recruitment.
- Corruption in cryptocurrency listing and unfair trading practices.
- Money laundering cases involving the use of cryptocurrencies.
- [Finance & Taxation]
- Numerous violations of the Capital Markets Act, including stock price manipulation, fraudulent unfair trading, and the use of material non-public information by KOSPI and KOSDAQ-listed companies.
- Various corruption cases in M&A processes, including "no-capital" (highly leveraged) acquisitions of listed companies.
- Tax evasion case involving a lead counsel from a successful large-scale class-action lawsuit.
- Lobbying case involving requests to influence or suppress tax audits.
- [Defense Industry Fraud]
- Procurement fraud case involving Naval frigates.
- High-level lobbying case regarding the introduction of military helicopters.
- Procurement fraud cases involving fire control systems for the K11 dual-barrel airburst weapon and monocular night vision goggles.
- [Organized & Violent Crime]
- Cases involving illegal internet gambling operations, unregistered financial sales (Ponzi-like schemes), and multi-level marketing.
- Large-scale narcotics smuggling and administration (use) cases.
- [General Criminal Defense]
- Maritime robbery and murder case involving Somali pirates.
- Various sexual violence cases.
Education
| 2017 | University of Washington – Visiting Scholar |
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| 2007 | Judicial Research & Training Institute, Supreme Court of Korea |
| 2001 | Sogang University – LL.B. |
Work Experience
| 2026-Present | Lee & Ko |
|---|---|
| 2025-2026 | Chief Prosecutor, Criminal Division 3 (Seoul Metropolitan Police, Violent Crime and Arson Investigation Unit), Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office |
| 2024-2025 | Chief of Organized Crime Division (Narcotics and Organized Crime Department), Supreme Prosecutors' Office |
| 2023-2024 | Chief Prosecutor, Violent Crime Investigation Division, Daegu District Prosecutors' Office |
| 2022-2023 | Chief Prosecutor, Geochang Branch of Changwon District Prosecutors' Office |
| 2021-2022 | Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Anti-Corruption and Violent Crime Investigation Cooperation Division, Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office |
| 2020-2021 | Prosecutor, Chuncheon District Prosecutor’s Office |
| 2019-2020 | Prosecutor Researcher (Anti-Corruption and Violent Crime Division), Supreme Prosecutors' Office |
| 2018-2019 | Prosecutor Researcher (Integrated Researcher), Supreme Prosecutors' Office, Prosecutor, Special Crime Division 1, Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office |
| 2018-2019 | Prosecutor, Anti-Corruption Crime Investigation Division, Supreme Prosecutors' Office |
| 2016-2017 | Prosecutor, Defense Procurement Investigation Division, Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office |
| 2015-2016 | Prosecutor, Defense Procurement Corruption Investigation Task Force, Supreme Prosecutors' Office |
| 2007-2015 | Prosecutor, various District Prosecutors’ Offices |
Languages
| Korean and English |
Awards & Recognitions
| 2010 | Commendation from the Minister of Justice (Meritorious Service in Combating Organized Crime) |
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| 2015 | Commendation from the Prosecutor General (Meritorious Service in Anti-Corruption) |
Publications / Presentations / ETC
- Study on Lobbyist Regulation Systems in the United States (Research Paper for the Overseas Training Program for Prosecutors, 2017)
- Presentation on Case Studies on Investigations of Corruption within the Legal Profession (Training for Prosecutors Specializing in Special Investigations, Institute of Justice, 2019)
- Lecture on Understanding Special Investigations: Investigation Techniques (Training for Newly Appointed Prosecutors, Institute of Justice, 2022)
- Lecture on Concepts and Procedures of Special Investigations (Online Training Program, Institute of Justice, 2023)
