最新消息

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.

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 recruited Hoo Gon Kim (JRTI 25TH), former Prosecutor General of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office. Mr. Kim built a distinguished career in the Anti-Corruption Departments, where he directed major corruption investigations throughout his service. He served as Prosecutor General of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, Chief Prosecutor of the Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office, and Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office. He also held posts including Head of the Anti-Corruption Division 1 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Head of the Anti-Corruption Division at the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office, and Senior Researcher at the Anti-Corruption Division of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, where he was responsible for major corruption cases. In addition, at the Advanced Criminal Investigations Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, he handled IT-related and personal data infringement cases, establishing himself as a distinguished criminal law expert with broad capabilities across diverse areas of practice.

In addition to his prosecutorial achievements, Attorney Kim served on secondment to the Korea Communications Commission in 2008, advising on major industry issues including mergers in the telecommunications and broadcasting industry and sports broadcasting rights. He also demonstrated strong leadership within the prosecution, notably leading the “AI Blockchain Community,” involving dozens of prosecutors, and contributing to key policy initiatives as Director General of the Planning and Coordination Office at the Ministry of Justice. Additionally, he played an active role in trial management as Director of the Trial Division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and served as a member of the Supreme Court’s Sentencing Commission. His experience extended further to overseeing IT affairs with the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office as Head of the Information and Communications Division.

At Lee & Ko, Attorney Kim will lead the Criminal Practice Group, enhancing the firm’s expertise in corporate, finance, serious accident, antitrust, and customs-related matters, while supporting legislative initiatives and statutory interpretation.

Managing Partner Sang Gon Kim (JRTI 23RD) commented, “Welcoming an elite attorney who has commanded great respect both within the prosecution and among industry peers further enhances the capabilities of our Criminal Practice Group. We remain dedicated to maintaining our status as Korea’s premier law firm.”

Lee & Ko has appointed former 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, Geun Hyuk Yoo, as a senior advisor.

Advisor Ryu graduated from Inha University with a degree in Public Administration, earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from Swansea University in Wales, UK, and completed a Ph.D. in Health Sciences at Inje University.

After passing the 36th Public Administration Examination in 1992, he began his public service career and served for 30 years at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, holding senior positions including Director-General of the Health Policy Bureau, Spokesperson, Director-General of the Policy Planning Bureau, Director-General of the Pension Policy Bureau, and Director of the Population and Social Service Policy Office. He further advanced his leadership as Secretary for Social Policy for the Office of the President, overseeing a broad range of social policies including health and welfare, food, pharmaceuticals, and disease control, and most recently as 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare responsible for the nation’s comprehensive healthcare policies. Drawing upon his extensive experience and expertise accumulated over three decades in government, Mr. Yoo will play an integral role in strengthening Lee & Ko’s Healthcare Team.

Sang Gon Kim, Managing Partner at Lee & Ko, said, “The Healthcare Team at Lee & Ko provides optimal services on a wide range of issues in medical devices, food, cosmetics, and healthcare. With the addition of Advisor Geun Hyuk Ryu, who has rich experience and deep expertise in healthcare, we have further strengthened the team’s advisory capabilities as a national leader in this sector.”

Lee & Ko has named Sung Kyu Lee, former Director General of the Cartel Investigation Division at the Fair Trade Commission, as Advisor. Lee graduated from the Department of Economics at Seoul National University, earned a Master’s degree from the Graduate School of Public Administration at Seoul National University, further completed an MBA at the University of Washington in the United States, and obtained a Ph.D. in Law from Hanyang University Law School, with a focus on big data. After passing the 42nd Public Administration Examination in 1998, Mr. Lee served in the core divisions of the Fair Trade Commission, including the Competition Promotion Division (currently the Anti-Monopoly Investigation Bureau), the Business Group Regulation Division, and the Competition Policy Bureau, and subsequently assumed senior posts such as Director General of the Cartel Investigation Division, Director of the M&A Division, Cooperation Deliberation Management Officer at the General Counsel’s Office, and Director of the E-commerce Investigation Team.

Notably, during his tenure, he led the complex merger review of Baemin-Yogiyo, two of the largest players in Korea’s platform industry. This merger is considered one of the most challenging and high-profile review cases in recent years. As Director General of the Cartel Investigation Division, he spearheaded key institutional reforms addressing critical cartel issues, including legislative amendments and the development of new review standards targeting information exchange collusion.

Sang Gon Kim, Managing Partner at Lee & Ko, commented, “Our Antitrust & Competition Group brings together attorneys, economists, and former fair trade officials to offer comprehensive, one-stop services ranging from corporate advisory, investigation responses, litigation, to criminal defense. Our sustained success is highlighted by significant victories in major cases, such as the recent all wins in the Korean Bar Association litigation concerning the legal tech platform, LawTalk. These capabilities have been recognized annually with top-tier rankings from renowned global legal directories, including Legal 500.” He added, “With Advisor Sung Kyu Lee joining our firm, who brings rich hands-on experience and outstanding expertise, we have further strengthened our antitrust advisory capabilities, solidifying our position as the premier competition law team in Korea.”