Partner
Jungwoo LEE
Labor Compliance
Expertise
Recently reviewed Professionals
Jungwoo Lee is a co-head of the Lee & Ko’s Labor & Employment Group and leads international practice. Since 2008, he has advised Korean and multinational companies on a broad range of employment, labor, and HR matters, including labor union issues, corporate risk management, restructuring, compliance system design, internal HR investigations, and labor-management dispute resolution.
Mr. Lee also specializes in advising foreign-invested companies, with extensive experience representing multinational corporations, including Japanese clients. He combines Korean qualifications with international education, including residence in the United Kingdom, graduate study in Japan, and qualification as a U.S. Certified Public Accountant, to provide culturally informed, cross-border counsel to global clients navigating the Korean employment and labor landscape.
Mr. Lee also specializes in advising foreign-invested companies, with extensive experience representing multinational corporations, including Japanese clients. He combines Korean qualifications with international education, including residence in the United Kingdom, graduate study in Japan, and qualification as a U.S. Certified Public Accountant, to provide culturally informed, cross-border counsel to global clients navigating the Korean employment and labor landscape.
Representative Matters
- Represented Korean and multinational companies (including various Fortune 500 companies and Japanese companies) in collective bargaining negotiations and labor disputes across a range of industries, including IT and automotive sectors
- Represented companies in proceedings before the Labor Relations Commission concerning strikes and other collective actions
- Advised on labor strategies and related disputes involving subcontractor unions, including issues arising under the Yellow Envelope Act
- Led various risk management projects in relation to termination of senior-level officers (including representative director, country manager), illegal dispatch, and deemed employer/employee relationships under Korean labor law
- Conducted compliance reviews and internal investigations, including those relating to workplace or sexual harassment
- Led various projects to improve internal systems, including those relating to workforce structure, compensation, and working hours
- Advised on liquidation, restructuring, workforce reduction, and collective-dismissal matters
- Advised on occupational health and safety matters, including compliance with the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, and represented clients in criminal investigations and court proceedings arising from serious workplace accidents
- Provided advice on post-merger integration matters
- Provided legal and strategic advice on labor-management relations in connection with more than 100 M&A transactions
- Represented Korean and multinational companies in civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings involving ordinary wages, average wages, minimum wages, wage-peak systems, workplace and sexual harassment, illegal dispatch, collective dismissals, performance-based terminations, whistleblower protection, non-compete obligations, and trade secret disputes
Education
| 2008 | Graduate School, Seoul National University – LL.M. |
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| 2008 | Judicial Research & Training Institute, Supreme Court of Korea |
| 2005 | Seoul National University – LL.B. |
Work Experience
| 2026-Present | Lee & Ko |
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| 2020-2026 | Yulchon LLC |
| 2025-Present | Vice President, Korean Association Bullying & Harassment Studies |
| 2021-Present | Advisory Committee Member, Legal Advisory Group for Overseas Expansion of SMEs, Ministry of Justice |
| 2019-2025 | Legislative Support Committee Member, National Assembly Secretariat |
| 2011-2020 | BKL |
| 2008-2011 | Public-Service Advocate, International Cooperation Division, Supreme Prosecutors’ Office |
Admissions & Qualifications
| 2008 | Admitted to the Korean Bar |
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| 2011 | Certified Public Accountant (Maine, USA) |
Languages
| Korean, Japanese and English |
Awards & Recognitions
| 2025-2026 | Next Generation Partner, Labour & Employment, Legal 500 |
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| 2023-2026 | Stand-out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters |
| 2021 | Korea Super 30 Lawyer, Asian Legal Business |
Publications / Presentations / ETC
- Chambers Global Practice Guide – Investing in: South Korea (2025, 2026)
- Brightmine: Employment law in South Korea (2024~2026)
- How to Reduce Risk Under the Yellow Envelope Act: The Importance of Clarifying the Roles of Prime Contractors and Subcontractors, Dong-A Business Review (2025)
- Strategies for Responding to Management Control Disputes, Dong-A Business Review (2025)
- Lexology In-Depth: Labor and Employment Disputes – Edition 8 (2025)
- ChatGPT and HR: Key Employment and Labor Issues for HR Professionals to Consider, HR Insight (2023)
- Review of Employer Status Under the Labor Union Act of Korea (2022)
- Law Firm Inside: Why Working Hours Matter Again? The 52-Hour Workweek Put Under Review by the New Administration, Economy Chosun (2022)
- How Should HR Respond Following the Ruling on Direct Employment of Dispatched Workers? HR Insight (2021)
- Introduction to and Commentary on the Amended Labor Standards Act (2018)
- Which Country's Law Applies When a Domestic Corporation Employs Foreign Workers? Work Law (2016)
