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荣誉

Chambers Global 2026 - Band 1 in 6 practice areas

Lee & Ko has been recognized once again in the 2026 Chambers Global Guide, securing Band 1 rankings in six practice areas and confirming its top-tier law firm status. As for the individual rankings, 37 attorneys of Lee & Ko have been recognized as leading lawyers for their remarkable performance in their respective practice areas.

Firm Rankings

Banking & Finance

Capital Markets

Corporate/M&A

Intellectual Property

International & cross Border Capabilities: South Korean Firms

International Trade

Ranked Lawyers

Banking & Finance: Yeo Kyoon Yoon, Woo Young Jung, Yong-Jae Chang, Myoung Chul Kwak, Dong Seok Woo

Capital Markets: Hyunjoo Oh, Seunga Hyun, Jun Woo Cho

Capital Markets: Securitisation: Jin Hong Kwon

Corporate/M&A: Sanggon Kim, Ho Joon Moon, Hyeong Gun Lee, Yong Joon Yoon, Daehoon Koo

Dispute Resolution: Arbitration: Saemee Kim, Zachary Sharpe, Sanghoon Han, Grace Yoon

Dispute Resolution: Litigation: Pyoung Keun Song, Dajoo Jung, Seon Tae Kim, Jae Heon Park

IP: Jae Hoon Kim, Un Ho Kim, Keum Nang Park, Hyeon Gil Ryoo, Vera Eun Woo Lee, Hankil D. Kang, Hwansung Park, Jaewoo Kwak

International Trade: Kichang Chung, Hyunsoo Joo, Young Gee Park, Young Jae Cho, Heysoo Kim

North Korea - general business law: Hyung Sub Lim (Foreign Expertise based abroad in South Korea)

Chambers Global Guide is a law firm evaluation publication released by Chambers and Partners, a leading global legal publisher based in England, which selects top law firms and top lawyers in the Asia-Pacific region each year based on a comprehensive analysis of data submitted by law firms, interviews with partner lawyers and clients, and recently accomplished work.

2026.02.13

研讨会/活动

Seminar on "2026 Outlook for the Korean Commercial Real Estate Market."

On February 11, 2026, Lee & Ko hosted a seminar on “2026 Outlook for the Korean Commercial Real Estate Market.”

The seminar covered global capital flow trends and changes in the macroeconomic and interest rate environment, and their implications for investment conditions in the Korean commercial real estate market. The speakers provided an overview of how shifting capital market dynamics are expected to influence investor sentiment, asset allocation strategies, and overall market outlook in 2026.

The seminar also addressed key legal and practical considerations associated with the increasing diversification of real estate investment portfolios. In addition, the speakers also discussed recent regulatory and policy developments in the corporate rental housing sector, offering practical insights into emerging legal issues and key considerations for investors navigating the changing regulatory landscape.

2026.02.13

荣誉

Lee & Ko Named “Best Overall Law Firm” at ABLJ Korea Law Awards 2025

Lee & Ko has been named “Best Overall Law Firm” at the Korea Law Awards 2025, hosted by Asia Business Law Journal (ABLJ). The “Best Overall Law Firm” distinction is awarded to the firm that has earned outstanding evaluations across all practice areas. In addition, Lee & Ko was recognized in a total of 23 categories, including AI, Aviation, Competition & antitrust, Mergers & acquisitions, Private equity & venture capital. This achievement further reinforces Lee & Ko’s position as Korea’s leading full-service law firm, providing seamless one-stop legal services across a broad range of industries.

ABLJ specifically highlighted Lee & Ko’s advisory role in the acquisition of DIG Airgas by Air Liquide, one of the world’s largest industrial gas suppliers, a transaction valued at approximately KRW 4.6 trillion. The deal raised a number of complex issues, including refinancing of existing shareholder loans and acquisition financing, post-merger integration (PMI) considerations, and withholding tax obligations on capital gains realized by foreign sellers. The transaction is regarded as the largest deal announced in Korea in 2025, underscoring Lee & Ko’s capability to handle large-scale, high-stakes cross-border matters. International clients have also praised Lee & Ko’s global competitiveness, noting that the firm “maintains exceptional specialist teams across every practice area and explains Korean legal issues in a manner that incorporates cultural context, enabling foreign clients to pursue their business activities in Korea with confidence.”

ABLJ, a leading legal publication in the Asia-Pacific region, has evaluated Korean law firms since 2021 based on surveys of lawyers at domestic and international law firms and corporations, as well as practice-area performance data submitted by Korean law firms.

[Categories]
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Best Overall Law Firms
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Anti-corruption & anti-bribery
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Aviation

Banking & finance
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Blockchain & Digital Assets
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Capital markets
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Competition & antitrust
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Corporate & commercial
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Data compliance & cybersecurity
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Defense

Energy & natural resources
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Entertainment & sports
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ESG

Healthcare & life sciences
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Inbound investment
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Infrastructure & project finance
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Insolvency & restructuring
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Insurance & reinsurance
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Mergers & acquisitions
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Outbound investment
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Private equity & venture capital
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Structured finance & Securitisation

2026.01.23

荣誉

'Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026' ranks Lee & Ko in the top tier in 16 practice areas

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.

Firm Rankings

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: Kyungjin Kim, Soo Yeon Park

International Arbitration: Sanghoon Han, Saemee Kim, 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.

2026.01.15

Lee & Ko成员

Recruitment of Former Senior Prosecutor Ho Dong Cha from the Seosan Branch of the Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office

To strengthen its investigation and trial defense capabilities, Lee & Ko has recruited Ho-dong Cha, former Senior Prosecutor of the Seosan Branch of the Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office (Judicial Research and Training Institute, Class 38), as a member of its Criminal Practice Group.

Mr. Cha has served in key positions across major prosecution bodies, including the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, earning deep trust and respect from his colleagues and peers. During his 14-year tenure as a prosecutor, he was recognized for his outstanding expertise in anti-corruption and state-of-the-art investigations, as well as in legal analysis and interpretation within the field of criminal legislation.

In particular, Mr. Cha founded the prosecution’s first AI Blockchain Community and AI Criminal Law Research Society, and published investigation and enforcement manuals on virtual assets, thereby building exceptional expertise in the fields of artificial intelligence and digital assets. More recently, he also led the drafting of the Prosecution’s Serious Industrial Accident Investigation Manual.

Mr. Cha earned his LL.B. and master’s degree in law from Korea University, followed by an LL.M. from Duke University School of Law in the United States, and is also admitted to the New York State Bar. Since his appointment as a prosecutor in 2012, he has served at various key posts, including the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office, the Special Investigation Division 3 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, the Criminal Litigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, the Constitutional Issue Research Task Force at the Ministry of Justice’s Prosecution Bureau, the Criminal Division 7 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, the Planning and Coordination Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, and as Senior Prosecutor at the Seosan Branch of the Daejeon District Prosecutors’ Office.

Building on his extensive experience, Mr. Cha will handle a wide range of matters within Lee & Ko’s Criminal Practice Group, focusing on sophisticated white collar crimes, including virtual assets, as well as serious industrial accident cases.

Sang Gon Kim, Managing Partner of Lee & Ko, stated, “With the addition of Mr. Cha, we have further strengthened our Criminal Practice Group. We will continue our efforts to maintain Lee & Ko’s position as the leading firm in this practice area.” He added, “Lee & Ko will continue to boldly invest in recruiting and developing top legal talent to ensure that we provide industry-leading legal services across all practice areas, including criminal law.”

Lee & Ko expanded its Criminal Practice Group last September by recruiting Hoo Gon Kim, former Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, known as one of the top prosecutors in special investigations. The firm has also recently brought on Hun Heo, former Head of the Public Investigation Division at the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office, and Yeong Cheol Kim, former Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office, further strengthening its competitiveness in criminal practice.

2026.01.09

研讨会/活动

Webinar on “Analysis and Outlook on the Amended Trade Union Act’s Enforcement Decree and Official Interpretation Guidelines”

On January 7, Lee & Ko hosted a client-facing webinar titled “Analysis and Outlook on the Amended Trade Union Act’s Enforcement Decree and Official Interpretation Guidelines”. The webinar opened with welcoming remarks by Kyung Duk An (Senior Advisor at Lee & Ko), followed by three (3) in-depth sessions and a live Q&A.

In the first session, Young Jin Kim (Senior Partner at Lee & Ko) presented an analysis on the “employer status” issue under the interpretation guidelines. This presentation addressed one of the most closely monitored aspects of the amended Trade Union Act—namely, the expanded scope of “employer” – with particular focus on the criteria for determining whether an entity may be deemed a “non-contractual employer”, offering both forecast and insight into how these standards will be applied in practice.

The second session, led by Chang Soo Jin (Head of Employment & Labor Practice Group at Lee & Ko), focused on the scope of “labor disputes” and the concept of “consolidated bargaining channel” under the Interpretation Guidelines. Through case studies and practical examples, this session covered the expanded scope of labor disputes under the amended Trade Union Act as well as the procedural framework for consolidation of bargaining channel, providing practical insights into how the Ministry’s guidance and the amended enforcement decree may operate in real-world scenarios.

In the third session, Min Seok Si (Co-Head of Lee & Ko’s ESG Center) delivered a presentation on “Outlook of the Enforcement Decree and Interpretive Guidelines.” This session explored the current state of preparedness and overall climate amongst various stakeholders – for instance, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, employers, and labor unions – while offering insight into potential developments and challenges that may arise as the amended Trade Union Act is implemented.

Following the presentations, the webinar ended with a live Q&A session to address questions submitted during the session. All presenters together with William Kim (Senior Foreign Counsel at Lee & Ko) responded to a wide range of highly fact-specific inquiries, offering practical guidance and perspectives on the interpretation of the law that could readily apply in day-to-day operations.

2026.01.07

媒体中心

[The Asia Business Dailey] [Law Firm Now] Lee&Ko Successfully Concludes Seminar on Analysis and Outlook of Yellow Envelope Act Enforcement Decree and Interpretation Guidelines

On January 9, 2026, The Asia Business Dailey reported on the client seminar titled “Analysis and Outlook on the Amended Enforcement Decree and Interpretive Guidelines of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act,” hosted by Lee&Ko. According to the article, the seminar was organized to provide a clear and accessible explanation of the interpretative guidelines and proposed amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act (the so called “Yellow Envelope Act”), which were announced by the Ministry of Employment and Labor at the end of last year and are scheduled to be implemented on March 10. The Seminar aimed to offer practical guidance to corporate representatives preparing for the new regulatory framework.

The article further noted that the seminar attracted more than 1,000 participants, reflecting the high level of interest among companies in the upcoming legislation.

2026.01.09

Lee & Ko’s Digital Asset Center Featured in Seoul Economic Daily as “The First Year of Institutionalization for Virtual Assets Begins”

On January 4, 2026, Seoul Economic Daily featured Lee & Ko’s Digital Asset Center in a report highlighting 2026 as the inaugural year of institutionalization for virtual assets in Korea and the beginning of a major regulatory and market transition, particularly in the stablecoin sector.

The article explained that the Center was established based on the principles of integration and efficiency, following the expansion and reorganization of Lee & Ko’s former Digital Assets Team and Virtual Asset Regulation & Investigations Team. Through this integration, the Center now offers a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary legal platform covering regulatory compliance, transactions, investigations, and dispute resolution across the digital asset industry.

The Center operates under a dual leadership structure jointly led by Jongsoo(Jay) YOON and Eun Pyo HONG.

Mr. Yoon, a former judge, is a recognized authority in digital asset and fintech regulation and serves as an advisory member to the Digital Asset eXchange Alliance (DAXA) and the Cultural Finance Subcommittee of the Korea Fintech Industry Association.

Mr. Hong served for over 20 years in the judiciary, including as a Research Judge at the Supreme Court of Korea, and currently serves as President of the Korea Blockchain Law Society.

The regulatory practice is led by Partners Wooyoung CHOI and Seohee HAN, widely regarded as first-generation specialists in Korea’s virtual asset regulatory regime, with extensive experience in virtual asset issuance regulations, disclosure frameworks, and supervisory matters.

With its strengthened structure and market-leading expertise, Lee & Ko’s Digital Asset Center is positioned to provide sophisticated legal solutions to clients navigating Korea’s rapidly evolving digital asset and stablecoin regulatory landscape.

2026.01.04

Lee & Ko Partner Seonghwan JU Receives Deputy Prime Minister’s Commendation for Contributions to Stablecoin Regulation

On January 2, 2026, Maeil Business Newspaper reported that Seonghwan JU, Partner at Lee & Ko, received a commendation from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance of Korea in recognition of his significant contributions to the development of Korea’s foreign exchange regulatory framework for stablecoins.

Mr. Ju has actively participated in the Ministry of Economy and Finance’s initiatives to establish and refine regulatory regimes governing virtual assets, with a particular focus on stablecoins. His work has played an important role in shaping policy discussions on the legal classification and regulatory treatment of stablecoins within Korea’s foreign exchange regulatory system.

He is the co-author of the influential report “Legal Status of Stablecoins and Regulatory Framework under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act,” which provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of stablecoins on the real economy, financial markets, and foreign exchange markets. The report has been widely recognized for proposing practical regulatory structures designed to promote sound market development while enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of supervisory oversight.

The commendation reflects the Ministry’s recognition of Mr. Ju’s expertise and his meaningful contribution to the advancement of Korea’s regulatory framework for digital assets, particularly in the rapidly evolving stablecoin sector.

2026.01.02

[E-Today] Lee & Ko Maps Out Vision for Top-Tier Market Standing

On January 1, E-Today published an interview with Sang Gon Kim, Managing Partner of Lee & Ko. In the interview, Mr. Kim commented on the firm’s strategic vision and its ongoing commitment to excellence in the legal industry. He stated, “Our short-term goal is to maintain a clearly differentiated and solid position as the second-largest law firm, and in the long run, we are aiming to establish a strong dual-leadership structure with Kim & Chang.” He further noted, “Lee & Ko has significantly enhanced its criminal trial capabilities by recruiting top talent from the judiciary. Following the expansion of our criminal trial team with outstanding professionals from the courts, we successfully secured acquittals in high-profile corporate cases involving clients such as Hanssem, SPC, and Kakao.” Mr. Kim added, “Our criminal litigation team is widely acclaimed as one of the best in the legal community, delivering results that live up to that reputation.” Beyond litigation, Mr. Kim highlighted the firm’s expertise in a broad range of practice areas. “Lee & Ko continues to maintain unparalleled competitiveness in the legal services market by bringing in advisors and expert consultants, and we have consistently held a leading position in M&A, corporate advisory, and financial services law, never losing ground among the top-tier firms.”

2026.01.01

最新案例

LG Chem’s sale of its Water Solutions Business

On June 13, 2025, LG Chem entered into a Business Transfer Agreement to sell its Water Solutions business to Korea Water Solution Holdings, a subsidiary of Glenwood Private Equity, with the rights and obligations of the business subsequently transferred to NanoH2O, Inc. As legal counsel to LG Chem, Lee & Ko successfully provided comprehensive legal services throughout the entire process leading to the successful closing of the transaction.

This carve-out transaction involved significant complexities, as the seller was required not only to divide and transfer part of the site it currently occupies but also to transfer contracts, workforce, licenses, assets, rights, and obligations on a detailed, item-by-item basis. Additionally, to ensure a smooth transition, both parties had to agree on various operational matters, such as joint use of facilities, utility supply, and transition support.

Throughout the process, Lee & Ko provided swift and effective legal counsel on issues ranging from the division and sale of the factory site, the review of regulatory requirements for business and environmental permits, to negotiating and executing ancillary agreements essential for the seamless execution of the business transfer. The firm’s prompt and strategic advice played a critical role in the successful completion of the transaction.

2025.12.01

Merger between SK On and SK Enmove

Lee & Ko advised on an absorption-type merger transaction in which SK On was the surviving company and SK Enmove was the dissolving company.

The transaction attracted significant market attention because (i) it was carried out as part of a structural reorganization within the SK Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Korea, (ii) the combined net asset value of the merging entities amounted to approximately KRW 18 trillion, making it one of the largest M&A transactions in Korea this year in terms of scale, and (iii) each of the merging entities had financial investor (FI) shareholders, and the merger was linked to those FI shareholders’ exit.

In particular, through this transaction, SK On seeks to generate synergies in areas such as batteries and lubricants for electric vehicles by merging with SK Enmove, a company engaged in the production and sale of base oil and lubricants. The merger has also laid the groundwork for the continued growth of SK On’s battery business. As a result, SK On is regarded as having significantly strengthened its capabilities to lead Korea’s energy and materials industries.

Lee & Ko provided comprehensive legal advice to the merging companies and their largest shareholder, SK Innovation, including scheduling the transaction timeline, drafting the merger agreement, negotiating with FI shareholders and preparing related agreements, filing merger control notifications, and advising on other procedures and legal issues relating to the transaction. By appropriately analyzing the various legal issues involved and proposing effective solutions, the firm is regarded as having successfully advised on the transaction.

2025.11.01

CJ CheilJedang’s sale of shares in a total of 14 companies including CJ Feed&Care

CJ CheilJedang Corporation and its subsidiaries entered into an agreement on October 1, 2025 to sell their shares in a total of 14 companies engaging in the feed and care business to De Heus Animal Nutrition B.V., a global animal feed company, and its affiliates.

The Transaction is a large-scale cross-border M&A deal involving the sale by multiple Sellers of shares in a total of 14 companies established in Korea and overseas to multiple Purchasers. Given the need for an extensive understanding of the legal systems across various jurisdictions from the transaction structure review stage, coupled with the involvement of a listed company as one of the Sellers, which required highly intensive negotiations within a short period of time to ensure confidentiality, the Transaction was complex and highly challenging.

Lee & Ko provided comprehensive and efficient legal advice on the entire Transaction by directly handling the review of Korean and Vietnamese legal issues throughout all stages of the deal, including transaction structure review, legal due diligence, and contract drafting, negotiation, and execution, and by serving as a command center overseeing and coordinating local counsels in Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Cambodia. Through such professional and systematic advisory work, Lee & Ko played a key role in successfully addressing the complex transaction structure and multinational legal issues, thereby contributing decisively to the smooth signing of the agreement.

2025.10.01

Air Liquide’s acquisition of DIG Airgas

Lee & Ko successfully advised Air Liquide group, one of the world’s largest industrial gas suppliers, on its acquisition of DIG Airgas. This transaction, valued at approximately KRW 4.6 trillion, represents one of the largest deals announced in Korea in 2025. Far beyond a simple large-scale acquisition, the transaction encompassed a wide range of complex legal and structural issues, including analysis and review of the transaction structure and acquisition financing structures from the initial stages of the transaction, repayment mechanisms for existing shareholder loans and acquisition facilities, assessment of post-merger integration (PMI) matters, analysis and advising on commercial agreements and withholding tax issues on capital gains realized by foreign sellers. Lee & Ko further provided comprehensive legal services throughout the entire process of the transaction, including legal due diligence on DIG Airgas and its Chinese subsidiaries, review and negotiation of the definitive agreements, business combination report filing with the Korea Fair Trade Commission and other required regulatory approvals including recently enacted and precedent-setting filing required by the Korean government, as well deep involvement with the W&I insurance underwriting process. Notably, the deal is highly regarded for having reached a definitive agreement within approximately two weeks following the final bidding process and approximately within a week from the initiation of intensive negotiations, in which Lee & Ko’s proactive role and contributions were instrumental. This deal stands as one of the representative examples of Lee & Ko’s global M&A expertise, successful negotiations with a global infra fund leveraging Lee & Ko’s significant expertise in advising on global GP-led transactions, undisputed leading experience with industrial gas transactions, unwavering client dedication, and proven execution capability in bringing highly complex transactions to completion within an accelerated timeframe.

2025.08.22

Providing legal advice on production-related matters, including those for Netflix series, and assisting with intellectual property clearance

Lee & Ko has been advising on production-related contracts and intellectual property clearance—covering copyright law, the Unfair Competition Prevention Act, and publicity rights—for Netflix series since 2022, contributing to the smooth production and distribution of major works. Representative projects include Squid Game Seasons 2 and 3, Culinary Class Wars, The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, Karma, and Gyeongseong Creature Seasons 1 and 2.

Lee & Ko reviews a wide range of agreements essential to the production process, including talent and crew contracts, post-production agreements such as VFX, location leases, copyright use consents, and overseas PSAs for foreign shoots. Drawing on extensive experience, Lee & Ko provides practical, production-focused legal advice tailored to the needs of clients.

Lee & Ko’s clearance reviews primarily address issues in copyright, trademark, patent, and unfair competition law, as well as matters involving real names or depictions of real-life events. Depending on the content, Lee & Ko also advises on specialized issues, such as the use of Olympic symbols, youth protection in drama scenes and filming, and personal data consent. This breadth of expertise ensures that producers receive effective, comprehensive guidance across the many legal challenges of content creation.

Lee & Ko further supports clients on Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance matters, including preparing title reports and conducting IP clearance, to help mitigate the risk of future copyright and personality rights claims. Representative work in this field includes MBC dramas Chief Detective 1958, Doubt, and Oh My Ghost Clients; SBS dramas Revenant, The First Responders, Payback: Money and Power and JTBC’s Reborn Rich.

Through these production-related legal services, Lee & Ko helps Netflix and leading production companies to actively identify and resolve legal issues in advance, safeguard against disputes, and ensure the seamless development and release of content. Lee & Ko continues to play a trusted role across numerous high-profile productions, earning consistent recognition and positive feedback from both Netflix and its production partners.

2025.06.30

Consulting on the Introduction of the Accountability Map following the Amendment of the Act on the Corporate Governance of Financial Companies July 2024 ~

Lee & Ko’s Finance & Securities Group successfully completed projects for major financial companies across all financial sectors during the first half of 2025. These clients included BNK Financial Group, Suhyup Bank, DB Life Insurance, MetLife Insurance, DB Insurance, Lotte Insurance, Korean Reinsurance, Seoul Guarantee Insurance, Hyundai Card, Hyundai Commercial, Kyobo AXA Investment Managers, Daishin Securities, and Hyundai Capital, spanning banks, securities firms, card companies, capital firms, and savings banks. The projects involved preparing and submitting the newly introduced "Accountability Map" to the financial supervisory authorities in accordance with the amended Act on the Corporate Governance of Financial Companies, as well as refining the internal control systems of the respective financial institutions.

The introduction of the Accountability Map requires each financial company to prepare and submit a document to the financial authorities that specifically outlines the responsibilities of the CEO and executives related to internal controls. The implementation of this system necessitated systematic and detailed preparation by each financial company, integrating both legal and practical perspectives.

In response, Lee & Ko’s Finance & Securities Group went beyond simple legal advisory in these projects, playing a pivotal role in ensuring the effective operation of each financial company's internal control system as follows:

Designing an Effective Accountability Allocation Structure: We designed a customized Accountability Map without gaps or redundancies by meticulously analyzing each company's work procedures and lines of command and supervision.

Refining Overall Internal Regulations related to Internal Control: Through a detailed analysis of approximately 80 major laws and regulations related to internal control, we reviewed and amended key internal regulations, including the internal control standards.

Providing a Comprehensive Diagnosis and Improvement Plan for the Internal Control System: We contributed to establishing a practically operable internal control system by comprehensively diagnosing potential risk factors in the existing system and proposing improvement measures.

Through the successful execution of these projects related to the introduction of the Accountability Map, our Finance & Securities Group has solidified its position as the most trusted legal advisor in the field of financial regulation by enabling our clients to build stable internal control systems amidst a rapidly changing financial regulatory environment.

2025.06.30

Hanwha Life Insurance’s Issuance of USD 1 Billion Capital Securities

Lee & Ko acted as Korean legal counsel to the joint lead managers in connection with Hanwha Life Insurance’s successful issuance of USD 1 billion hybrid capital securities in the international markets on June 24, 2025.

Despite heightened uncertainty in global financial markets due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the offering was met with strong investor demand, attracting orders in excess of USD 8.8 billion—more than eight times the issuance amount—underscoring the deal’s success.

The securities were structured as 30-year notes callable after 5 years and were priced at an annual coupon of 6.3%. The transaction enabled Hanwha Life to strengthen its capital adequacy position under the Korean Insurance Capital Standard (K-ICS).

Lee & Ko provided a full range of legal support throughout the transaction, including review of the underwriting agreement, bond terms, and offering circular to ensure compliance with K-ICS requirements. Notably, following the circulation of the offering circular but just ahead of pricing, a revision to the Korean Insurance Supervisory Regulation lowered the recommended K-ICS threshold applicable to early redemption of subordinated bonds. Lee & Ko promptly coordinated with the underwriters and international counsel to issue a supplemental investor disclosure, ensuring the delivery of accurate information to investors and facilitating a successful issuance.

In addition to this transaction, Lee & Ko has advised on a number of major offshore bond offerings in the first half of 2025 by leading Korean issuers such as LG Chem, Korea National Oil Corporation, Korea Ocean Business Corporation, KB Kookmin Bank, KT&G, LG Energy Solution, Mirae Asset Securities, Industrial Bank of Korea, Hana Securities, and Hyundai Capital—further demonstrating its deep expertise and leading role in Korea’s capital markets practice.

2025.06.24

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