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The New Year 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse, has arrived. I wish all of you good health, happiness, and prosperity in the year ahead.

The year ahead is likely to present considerable challenges and uncertainties, as the political, economic, and social repercussions that began in 2025 continue to unfold. Yet our strength as a society has always been demonstrated by our ability to overcome recurring hardships, move forward, and rise to new heights, and there is no reason to believe that this year will be any different. Lee & Ko will likewise do its utmost to faithfully fulfill its role as a trusted law firm and, in doing so, provide meaningful support to your efforts in these trying times, however modest that contribution may be.

The Year of the Fire Horse is said to be marked by powerful fiery energy. Drawing on the vitality and dynamism symbolized by the Fire Horse, may we all find the strength to break through the obstacles ahead and achieve meaningful progress and accomplishments in the year to come.
Thank you and best wishes.

Sang Gon Kim
Managing Partner, Lee & Ko

Lee & Ko is pleased to announce that Yeong Cheol Kim (JRTI 33rd), former Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office, has joined the firm. Mr. Kim’s appointment reflects the firm’s continued efforts to strengthen its Criminal Practice Group by recruiting a seasoned professional with extensive expertise in anti-corruption matters, in line with recent government policy initiatives aimed at enhancing fairness and transparency in the market.   

Mr. Kim served as a prosecutor for 21 years. As a founding member of the Joint Securities Crimes Investigation Team, he spent three years handling numerous financial and securities-related cases involving violations of the Capital Markets Act, including stock price manipulation, fraudulent unfair trading, and the use of material non-public information. He further built his career in departments with direct investigative authority, including the Anti-Corruption Division, where he led investigations into major corporate cases and large-scale financial scandals involving savings banks, as well as tax and customs evasion cases, thereby establishing a strong foundation in corporate and financial crime matters.

Mr. Kim received his LL.B. from Seoul National University and was appointed as a prosecutor in 2004. During his prosecutorial career, he served in a number of key divisions, including the Special Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, the Central Investigation Department of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, and the Joint Securities Crimes Investigation Team at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office. He also served on the Special Prosecutor’s Office investigating the Park Geun-hye–Choi Soon-sil scandal, and later served in the Anti-Corruption Division of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. He subsequently held senior prosecutorial positions, including Deputy Senior Prosecutor of the Special Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Head of the Anti-Corruption Division 2 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Director of the Anti-Corruption Division 1 at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, and Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office. 

Drawing on this extensive experience, Mr. Kim will focus his practice in Lee & Ko’s Criminal Practice Group on criminal matters involving corporate, financial and securities issues, as well as tax, customs and virtual asset matters.

Managing Partner Sang Gon Kim commented, “With the addition of Mr. Kim, we have further strengthened the capabilities of our Criminal Practice Group,” and added, “We will continue our efforts to ensure that Lee & Ko’s Criminal Practice Group maintains its position among the leading practices in Korea.” He also noted, “Lee & Ko will continue to make bold investments in recruiting and developing outstanding talent across all practice areas, including criminal matters, in order to remain at the forefront of the legal industry and to provide the highest level of legal services to our clients.”

Lee & Ko has once again been ranked Band 1, the highest tier, in the legal category of the 2026 edition of the Chambers FinTech Guide. In the individual category, Partner Il Shin Lee was newly ranked this year, while Partner Hyunkoo Kang continued his presence for a consecutive year.

Chambers and Partners named Lee & Ko a Band 1 ranking, its highest distinction, recognizing the firm as a premier law firm in Korea with deep capabilities in corporate advisory and capital markets and for its exceptional performance in advising and representing major financial institutions and fintech startups across a broad range of matters, including digital payments, virtual assets, and internet banking. Client feedback likewise emphasized its advice of the highest caliber, not only legally sophisticated but also closely aligned with business objectives and operational practices, along with its proactive and strategic response to evolving regulatory trends.

Lee & Ko’s Digital Finance Team has robust expertise in regulatory issues under the Electronic Financial Transactions Act, with a track record that includes advising Samsung C&T, Shinsegae, and Lotte Shopping on PG registrations, as well as HYBE on its registration as a prepaid payment instrument issuer. Latest regulatory assistance has centered on prepaid business operator registration for virtual asset exchanges, a development that, if completed, would constitute an industry first in Korea’s virtual asset market. The practice also advised Bithumb on its corporate spin-off and represented DSRV, BDACS, and HappyBlock in regulatory filings to secure licenses required for virtual asset service providers.

On the international front, regulatory engagement has been undertaken in connection with the entry into Korea of major global virtual asset companies, namely, Worldcoin, BitGo, NTT Docomo, Meta Earth, Wallet, and Acurast. Within the Korean market, professional regulatory advisory services are provided to leading virtual asset exchanges, such as Dunamu (Upbit) and Bithumb, and to major Korean companies, of particular note, LINE NEXT, Shinsegae, Com2us, and SK Networks, in support of ongoing engagement with cryptocurrency regulators. In addition, strategic guidance on multiple digital asset treasury (DAT) transactions has established substantial experience in the DAT sector, among which is the Bitplanet transaction, the largest of its kind in Korea to date.

Lee & Ko’s Digital Finance Team has also handled a range of virtual asset–related criminal cases, including matters involving Upbit, Terra-Luna, and Haru Invest, which are widely regarded as among the most high-profile virtual asset criminal proceedings in Korea. More recently, the practice has achieved notable regulatory and enforcement outcomes, including a substantial reduction in the anticipated administrative fine against Kakao Pay to KRW 5.9 billion and the conclusion of the Naver Financial investigation without sanctions. In parallel, clients have been advised in major civil disputes concerning token compensation issues between blockchain game companies and developers.

Meanwhile, recent performances include advice on innovative financial service designations for AI-driven financial services, such as Shinhan Financial Group’s AI platform and Wealth Guide’s generative AI-based financial counsel service, as well as continued regulatory sandbox advisory on innovative financial service designations for fractional investment in ship-finance equity interests. Lee & Ko’s Digital Finance Team has further driven legislative amendments to facilitate securities lending brokerage for Korea Securities Lending, contributing to the establishment of a new investment brokerage licensing provision under the Enforcement Decree of the Capital Markets Act, while simultaneously guiding overseas companies such as PayPal, Traveloka, and Ant Group on strategic market entry into Korea.

The Chambers FinTech Guide, one of the world’s leading legal ranking directories in the UK, released by Chambers and Partners, benchmarks and ranks leading law firms in the fintech sector across more than 50 jurisdictions worldwide.

Lee & Ko was ranked Band 1 by 'Chambers Asia-Pacific Guide 2026’ in 10 practice areas. For the individual rankings, 72 attorneys were recognized as ‘Leading Individuals’ throughout all practice areas.
 
 
 Banking & Finance  
 Capital Markets  
 Competition/Antitrust 
 Corporate/M&A  
 Insurance 
 Intellectual Property  
 International Trade 
 Projects & Energy  
 Shipping Finance 
 Technology, Media, Telecoms

 
 Banking & Finance: Woo Young Jung, Yeo Kyoon Yoon, Yong-Jae Chang, Myoung Chul Kwak, Dong Seok Woo
 Capital Markets: Hyunjoo Oh, Seunga Hyun, Jun Woo Cho 
 Capital Markets: Securitisation: Jin Hong Kwon
 Competition/Antitrust: Yong Seok Ahn, Hwan Jeong, Jeong-Ho Sun, Suruyn Kim, Miji Lee, Byong Ki Chung 
 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 
 Dispute Resolution: White-Collar Crime: Tae Ki Ghil, Taeyop Lee, Youngsub Jang, Jin So, Jae Man Yu
 Employment: Sang Hoon Lee, Chang Soo Jin, Hyunseok Song, William Kim  
 Insurance: Jinyoung Jung, Jin Hong Kwon, Yang Ho Yoon
 Intellectual Property: Jae Hoon Kim, Un Ho Kim, Keum Nang Park, Hyeon Gil Ryoo, Vera Eun Woo Lee, Hankil D. Kang, Hwansung Park, Jaewoo Kwak, Hayoun Chun 
 International Trade: Kichang Chung, Hyunsoo Joo, Young Gee Park, Young Jae Cho, Heysoo Kim 
 Projects & Energy: Hun Ko, Dong Eun Kim, Kwang Yul Kim, Jungmin Pak
 Real Estate: Junghwan Lee, Dong Seok Woo 
 Restructuring/Insolvency: Eunjai Lee, Wanshik Lee, Jung Hyun Lee, Seok Pyo Hong 
 Shipping: Jinyoung Jung, Yang Ho Yoon
 Shipping: Finance: Woo Young Jung, Yunjeong Seo
 Tax: Kyung Tae Kim, Tom Kwon  
 Technology, Media, Telecoms: Kwang Bae Park, Hwan Kyoung Ko, Ju Bong Jang, Samuel (Soon-Yub) Kwon, Sunghee Chae, Tae Joo Kim 
 North Korea - General Business Law (Foreign Expertise based abroad in South Korea): Hyung Sub Lim 

Chambers Asia-Pacific 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.
 

Jaewoo Kwak, a partner of Lee & Ko’s Intellectual Property Group, has been selected for the Lexology Index: Client Choice 2026, in recognition of his expertise in the field of intellectual property and his exceptional client service.

Mr. Kwak is widely recognized as a highly versatile practitioner whose comprehensive and profound understanding of both technology and legal principles enables him to excel across a broad range of IP disputes and advisory matters. He achieved a dramatic turnaround and final victory in a decade-long, multi-billion-won patent battle involving ice water purifiers, and played a leading role in securing the Supreme Court decision in the unauthorized BTS photo book case, a landmark ruling that ultimately paved the way for the legislative recognition of the right of publicity in Korea.

He also possesses unparalleled expertise in international patent and trade secret disputes involving advanced technologies, as well as in complex e-discovery matters. More recently, he has garnered additional attention for his extensive work on AI-related and gaming-industry cases.

Since 2005, the Lexology Index: Client Choice has recognized lawyers around the world who demonstrate excellence in client care, based on evaluations from in-house counsel and a rigorous independent review process. Mr. Kwak’s selection reflects the continued trust placed in him by global and domestic clients, as well as his longstanding commitment to delivering the highest caliber of legal service.

On December 4, Lee & Ko and Korea University School of Cybersecurity jointly hosted a seminar titled “Legal Issues and Response Strategies Concerning Data Breaches and Hacking,” organized by the Korea In-House Counsel Association.

The seminar commenced with welcoming remarks from Mr. Sanggon Kim, Managing Partner of Lee & Ko, and Senior Advisor Seok Young Jang, followed by a presentation session and a Q&A session.

The first presentation was delivered by Professor Kyungho Lee of Korea University School of Cybersecurity, who spoke on “Technical Issues and Challenges Regarding Hacking and Data Breaches,” addressing key technical considerations in security incident response, analyses of recent major data breach cases, and legal issues surrounding digital evidence.

The second presentation was given by Mr. Jongseob Park, Advisor at Lee & Ko, under the theme “Practical Response Strategies to Data Breaches – Case Study.” Mr. Park discussed response strategies during the critical 72-hour period immediately following a data breach, as well as the role of in-house legal teams in incident management.

The final presentation was delivered by Ms. Sunghee Chae, Partner at Lee & Ko, who spoke on “Legal Issues in Data Breach Incidents Through Major Court precedents and Regulatory Decisions,” examining key legal considerations in data breach incidents, major regulatory decisions on the presence of data breach, and significant court precedents concerning security measures to protect personal data.

During the Q&A session, moderated by Mr. Hwan Kyoung Ko of Lee & Ko, Partner and Head of Privacy/DPC Group at Lee & Ko, the three speakers were joined by Mr. Tae Joo Kim and Mr. Kyung Min Son, both Partners at Lee & Ko, who addressed questions submitted in advance as well as those raised on site by the participants.

Lee & Ko has accumulated extensive practical experience in the fields of privacy, security incident and data breach response through its Privacy/DPC Group. Recently, the firm established a dedicated “Hacking Response Team” to further strengthen collaboration between technical and legal experts. Through this enhanced structure, Lee & Ko provides comprehensive, tailored advisory services for security incidents based on the characteristics of each industry sector and type of incident.