Recent Developments

Lee & Ko has been recognized in the “ALB Asia Top Cybersecurity & Data Law Firms 2026” by Asian Legal Business (ALB). Newly introduced this year, the Cybersecurity & Data category recognizes leading law firms in the region for their expertise and capabilities in data privacy and cybersecurity.

Lee & Ko’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) and Data Privacy & Cybersecurity (DPC) Practice Groups provide comprehensive legal services across the broadcasting, telecommunications, IT, data privacy and cybersecurity sectors. Drawing on extensive industry knowledge and regulatory experience, the Groups advise clients on a wide range of transactional and regulatory matters and represent them in regulatory investigations, enforcement proceedings and litigation. Recent notable representations include successfully defending Korea’s three major mobile network operators in a large-scale damages action brought by 5G mobile service subscribers. The Groups also represented SK Telecom (SKT) in Supreme Court litigation brought by subscribers seeking to prevent SKT from pseudonymizing their personal information, securing a favorable ruling for the company. In addition, the Groups advised SKT in connection with the Personal Information Protection Commission’s investigation and administrative disposition concerning the largest personal data breach involving a Korean mobile network operator to date, achieving the maximum reduction in the applicable administrative surcharge permitted under law. Through their extensive experience in handling complex and evolving legal and regulatory issues, Lee & Ko’s TMT and DPC Practice Groups continue to provide sophisticated and practical advice to clients while remaining at the forefront of developments in the cybersecurity and data privacy fields.

Asian Legal Business (ALB) is a leading legal publication in the Asia-Pacific region published by Thomson Reuters. Its rankings and awards recognize leading law firms and lawyers across the region based on factors including professional expertise, track record and client service.

Asian Legal Business (ALB) has recognized Lee & Ko attorney Kwang Bae Park as one of its “Asia Super 50 TMT Lawyers” for 2026.

For approximately 30 years, Mr. Park has advised a wide range of domestic and international clients in the areas of IT, broadcasting, telecommunications, and data privacy and security. His practice spans regulatory advice, government investigations, and litigation, and he is widely recognized for his depth of experience and strategic judgment in complex TMT matters.

Among his notable matters, Mr. Park led the overall litigation strategy in the cases arising from Korea’s largest-ever personal data breach involving three major credit card companies, overseeing the proceedings for 11 years through their final resolution in fall 2025. He also advises SpaceX’s STARLINK, the world’s largest low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications service, in connection with its entry into the Korean market, including on licensing, regulatory approvals, and compliance.

Mr. Park has been recognized multiple times in previous years as an ALB Asia Super 50 TMT Lawyer. He has also been consistently ranked since 2008 by leading international legal directories, including Chambers Asia-Pacific, Asialaw, and The Legal 500, for his outstanding capabilities. 

Published by Thomson Reuters, ALB Magazine is a leading legal publication in the Asia-Pacific region. Through its annual Super 50 TMT Lawyers survey, ALB identifies the region’s most highly recommended practitioners in the technology, media, and telecommunications sector.

Lee & Ko was selected as Tier 1 law firm in Korea across 16 fields according to ‘The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026’. Furthermore, 44 Lee & Ko attorneys were selected as ‘Hall of Fame’, ‘Leading Partners’, ‘Next Generation Partners’, and ‘Leading Associates’ in their respective fields.


Antitrust and Competition
Banking & Finance
Capital Markets 
Corporate and M&A  
Dispute Resolution  
Fintech and financial services regulatory  
Insurance 
Intellectual Property
International Arbitration
Labour and Employment
Projects and Energy  
Real Estate  
Regulatory: white-collar, compliance and investigations
Shipping
Tax
TMT


Antitrust and Competition: Hwan Jeong, Suruyn Kim, Jung Won Kwon, Jeong Yoon Choi
Banking & Finance: Yeo Kyoon Yoon, Myoung Chul Kwak
Capital Markets: Hyunjoo Oh
Corporate and M&A: Hyeong Gun Lee, Sang Gon Kim, Ho Joon Moon, Kyungchun Kim, Sung Min Kim, Daehoon Koo
Dispute Resolution: Pyoung Keun Song, Seong Won Chang, Jae Heon Park, Yeon Woo Lee
Fintech and financial services regulatory: Seong Hwan Ju
Insurance: Jin-Young Jung, Jin Hong Kwon, Sae Um Kim
Intellectual Property: Un Ho Kim, Keum Nang Park
Intellectual Property: PATMA: Soo Yeon Park
International Arbitration: Sanghoon Han, Han-Earl Woo
Labour and Employment: Chang-Soo Jin, Sang-Hoon Lee, Jae Hoon-Choi, William Kim, Shawn (Seong Ho) Han
Projects and Energy: Hun Ko
Real Estate: Jin Wook Yang, Jee In Kim
Regulatory: white-collar, compliance and investigations:: Tae Yop Lee
Shipping: Jin-Young Jung, Yun Jeong Seo, Yang Ho Yoon, Young Jae Park
TMT: Hwan Kyoung Ko, Kwang Bae Park, Il Shin Lee

The Legal 500 Asia Pacific is annually published by Legalease, a global agency that evaluates the capacity of law firms all over the world based on various standards through a comprehensive review of submitted documents by law firms, interviews with lawyers specialized in each field, and feedback from over 300,000 clients.
 

Lee & Ko has once again reaffirmed its position as Korea’s leading law firm, being recognized as a top-tier firm across all 24 industry sectors and practice areas in asialaw 2025. This marks the fifth consecutive year that Lee & Ko has achieved this distinction, an accomplishment unmatched by any other domestic law firm, many of which received top rankings only in select areas.

This recognition reflects Lee & Ko’s breadth of expertise, market-leading capabilities, and client trust across all key areas of legal practice in Korea and the Asia-Pacific region.

In addition, 44 Lee & Ko professionals were honored as Senior Statesman, Elite Practitioner, Distinguished Practitioner, Notable Practitioner, or Rising Star, highlighting the firm’s depth of individual talent and professional excellence.


Industry Sectors 
 Aviation and Shipping
 Consumer goods and Services
 Industrials and Manufacturing
 Insurance
 Pharmaceuticals and Life sciences
 Technology and Telecommunications
 Banking and Financial services
 Energy
 Infrastructure
 Media and Entertainment
 Real estate

Practice Areas
 Banking and Finance
 Competition/Antitrust
 Corporate and M&A
 Intellectual Property
 Labour and Employment
 Regulatory
 Tax
 Capital Markets
 Construction
 Dispute Resolution
 Investment Funds
 Private Equity
 Restructuring and Insolvency


 Banking and Financial services: Woo Young Jung, Yeo Kyoon Yoon, Yong-Jae Chang, Hyunjoo Oh, Seunga Hyun, Myoung Chul Kwak
 Banking and Finance: Woo Young Jung, Yeo Kyoon Yoon, Yong-Jae Chang, Myoung Chul Kwak, Samsung Kim, Min Ha Song
 Capital Markets: Hyunjoo Oh, Seunga Hyun
 Competition/Antitrust: Yong Seok Ahn, Hwan Jeong, Hyun Chul Kim, Jeong-Ho Sun, Jeong Yoon Choi, Suruyn Kim
 Corporate and M&A: Kyu Wha Lee, Sanggon Kim, Ho Joon Moon, Hyeong Gun Lee
 Dispute Resolution: Won Seok Ko
 Energy: Dong Eun Kim, Hun Ko, Insoo Kim
 Infrastructure: Dong Eun Kim, Hun Ko, Insoo Kim, Samsung Kim, Min Ha Song
 Insurance: Gidon Nam, Jinyoung Jung, Jin Hong Kwon
 Intellectual Property: Un Ho Kim, Keum Nang Park, Jaewoo Kwak, Heon Lee
 Labour and Employment: Sang Hoon Lee, Chang Soo Jin, Hyunseok Song , William Kim
 Media and Entertainment: Kwang Bae Park
 Real estate: Jung Hwan Lee
 Restructuring and Insolvency: Wan Shik Lee, Eunjai Lee, Jung Hyun Lee
 Shipping: Jinyoung Jung , Gidon Nam
 Tax: Ok Hyun Ma, Sung Hwan Kim
 Technology and Telecommunications: Kwang Bae Park, Hwan Kyoung Ko, Samuel (Soon-Yub) Kwon, Yong Seok Ahn

asialaw, a global legal production, ranks law firms and individual practitioners across the Asia-Pacific region based on law firm submissions, client and peer interviews, and independent market research.

 

Lee & Ko was selected as the only “Law Firm of the Year” in Korea at the Korea Law Awards 2023 hosted by the Asia Business Law Journal (ABLJ). In addition, Lee & Ko was honored with the most awards among Korean law firms as the firm was selected as one of the “Best overall law firms”, an award awarded to law firms with excellent reviews in all categories out of a total of 34 categories evaluated by ABLJ, and was awarded in a total of 25 categories including practice areas such as Corporate & Commercial, M&A, Banking & Finance, Litigation, In/Outbound Investment, Patent, Taxation, TMT, Fintech etc. 

The Asia Business Law Journal selected Lee & Ko as the law firm of the year, highlighting its success in a USD 700 million ICC arbitration case and in critical cases involving KEPCO, KHNP and Westinghouse which established Lee & Ko’s renowned position as the leading arbitration firm in the nuclear sector. 

According to ABLJ, one of Lee & ko's clients also evaluated that “Lee & Ko adeptly identified the key issues in the case, elucidated the loopholes in the opposing party’s argument, and effectively persuaded the court through compelling written and verbal articulations”.

Asia Business Law Journal, a regional law journal in Asia, has been conducting surveys on lawyers from domestic and foreign law firms and companies, and has been evaluating domestic law firms since 2021 based on performance data by category submitted by domestic law firms.

In the '2023 Korea’s Top 100 Lawyers' researched by Asia Business Law Journal, 23 lawyers from Lee & Ko have been selected, marking the largest number among domestic law firms.

The list of Korea’s Top Lawyers selected from Lee & Ko is as follows:
 

Banking & Finance:	Yong-Jae Chang, Woo Young Jung
Capital Markets:	Hyunjoo Oh, Jin Hong Kwon
Competition/Antitrust:	Yong Seok Ahn, Hwan Jeong
Corporate/M&A:	Sanggon Kim, Kyu Wha Lee, Hyeong Gun Lee
Dispute Resolution: Litigation:	Won Seok Ko, John Kim
Dispute Resolution: White-Collar Crime:	Yong Seok Park
Employment:	Sang Hoon Lee
Insurance:	Jin Hong Kwon, Jinyoung Jung
Projects & Energy:	Hun Ko, Dong Eun Kim
Shipping:	Jinyoung Jung, Woo Young Jung
TMT:	Hwan Kyoung Ko, Kwang Bae Park

Asia Business Law Journal (ABLJ), an Asian regional law magazine, conducts research on thousands of domestic and foreign in-house counsel as well as lawyers at international law firms to select the Top 100 lawyers in Korea every year.