Recent Developments

On December 8, 2025, Kim Sungju, Senior Specialist at Lee & Ko, appeared on the DailyPharm “Reimbursement at a Glance” segment to discuss the government’s newly announced, large-scale overhaul of the nation’s drug pricing system. Kim explained that “the large-scale drug pricing reform plan announced by the government includes a plan to secure financial resources for improving access to innovative new drugs by lowering prices of generics. Specifically, the government intends to reduce the current generic pricing benchmark from 53.55% of the originator price to the 40% range.”

Kim also noted that “the government aims to implement the reform in the second half of 2026. Considering the domestic pharmaceutical industry’s heavy reliance on generics, this is understandably a cause for concern. In particular, due to the tighter controls on multiple-product listings and the strengthening of the stepped pricing system to prevent excessive competition – under which prices may be reduced further when ten or more products are listed –it would be appropriate to view the actual prices of most generics as falling below, rather than within, the 40% range of the originator price..

On December 7, 2025, Aju Economy featured the dedicated Aerospace Industry Team of Lee & Ko.
Aju Economy reported that “Lee & Ko launched its Aerospace Industry Team in February last year in anticipation of the establishment of KASA (Korea AeroSpace Administration), taking preemptive steps to keep ahead of industry developments. The fact that this dedicated team was created earlier than those of other major law firms makes it particularly significant.”
The article continued, “The Aerospace Industry Team is led by Attorneys Hyuk Jung Kim and Hyeon Gil Ryoo and is composed of 15 specialized professionals. With attorneys such as Un Ho Kim, Keun Beom Park, Jongseok Lee, and Kwang Ik Son, as well as Senior Advisor Seo Gon Kim —who previously served as Director for Economic Security Bureau at the National Intelligence Service—the team has built a well-balanced structure spanning legislation, regulation, technology, trade, and national security. This diverse pool of experts enables the team to comprehensively address the complex issues that arise in the aerospace industry, giving it a competitive edge over other firms.”

November 28, 2025
The Korea Economic Daily reported that Young Joo Cho of Lee & Ko was named Best Lawyer in legislative advisory for the second consecutive year. According to the Korea Economic Daily, “Attorney Cho has drawn on his extensive research and expertise in international law and international aviation law to provide advisory services to the government in the aviation sector for the past 13 years, while also serving as a trusted adviser to related companies.” It added, “His performance stood out again this year, noting that he successfully advised on Air Incheon’s acquisition of Asiana Airlines’ air cargo business, led by Socius, a domestic private equity fund management company. Despite the fact that personnel and physical facilities had not been transferred prior to closing, Attorney Cho secured operating permits before the closing date by persuading authorities in 13 countries, thereby helping to prevent a potential disruption to the aviation logistics market.” 

November 28, 2025
In the 2025 Korea’s Best Law Firms & Lawyers survey conducted by the Korea Economic Daily and Hankyung Business in collaboration with the Korea In-house Counsel Association, targeting 1,038 corporate legal officers and in-house counsel, Ho Joon Moon, Managing Partner of Lee & Ko, was selected as the Best Lawyer in management advisory. The Korea Economic Daily commented, “Mr. Moon as the managing partner leading Lee & Ko’s Corporate Advisory and M&A Team, projected that management control disputes are likely to continue increasing due to amendments to the Commercial Act,” adding that “the Corporate Advisory and M&A Team led by Mr. Moon advised on some of the most high-profile and closely watched management control disputes and shareholder activism cases in the market this year, including matters involving Kolmar Group, Hanmi Science, and Bodyfriend.”

On November 28, 2025, Hankyung Business, an affiliate magazine of The Korea Economic Daily, featured an interview with Sanggon Kim, Managing Partner of Lee & Ko. The publication quoted, “Under the leadership of Managing Partner Sanggon Kim, Lee & Ko has significantly strengthened its talent pool through the recruitment of a substantial number of outstanding professionals and has once again successfully closed numerous cases this year, firmly positioning the firm as a trusted partner to corporate clients.” It further highlighted that, “Mr. Kim identified the key themes shaping the legal market this year as a fundamental transformation of the criminal justice system, the increasing trade-related issues in day-to-day legal practice, and reform-oriented legislation, including amendments to the Commercial Act and the Trade Union and Labor Relations Adjustment Act (the so-called Yellow Envelope Act).”

On November 28, 2025, The Korea Economic Daily reported that Song Hyunseok of Lee & Ko was named one of Korea’s leading labor attorneys for the third consecutive year in the 2025 Korea Best Law Firms & Lawyers rankings.
According to The Korea Economic Daily, Attorney Song is a labor law specialist who has dedicated his career exclusively to labor and employment matters. He is widely regarded as one of the industry’s top practitioners, with comprehensive expertise across all areas of labor law, including termination, wages, non-regular employment, labor management relations, and industrial safety.
The article further noted that Attorney Song handles a broad range of labor advisory, consulting, and dispute matters. In particular, he has recently led cases resulting in final court rulings affirming the legitimacy of terminations based on poor performance, as well as rulings recognizing that filming near an employee’s residence to substantiate poor attendance was unavoidable and justified.
 

On November 28, 2025, the Korea Economic Daily reported that Attorney Jaewoo Kwak of Lee & Ko was named Lawyer of the Year in recognition of his remarkable work in the intellectual property, patents, and trademarks areas.
The Korea Economic Daily stated, “Attorney Jaewoo Kwak, selected as Lawyer of the Year in the intellectual property sector for four consecutive years, has successfully handled not only civil and criminal intellectual property disputes but also numerous cross-border patent and trade secret cases involving cutting-edge technology, such as U.S. federal court and ITC litigation.” It added, “He is also recognized for his outstanding expertise in discovery procedures, which are currently under discussion for introduction in Korea.”
Additionally, it stated, “A representative case handled by Attorney Jaewoo Kwak this year is the ‘ice water purifier’ patent infringement lawsuit filed by ChungHo Nice against Coway. Representing Coway from the appellate stage, he completely overturned the first-instance judgment awarding KRW 10 billion in damages (claims granted in favor of the counterparty) and secured consecutive wins in the appellate and Supreme Court proceedings for a dramatic reversal.”

On November 23, 2025, Asia Today featured coverage of Lee & Ko’s latest talent acquisitions. The article emphasized that “Lee & Ko did not simply recruit based on years of experience but instead brought in professionals recognized as ‘top-echelon’ experts in their individual fields. To reinforce its labor capabilities in anticipation of extensive reforms under President Lee’s administration, the firm welcomed former Minister of Employment and Labor Kyung Duck An as a senior advisor and introduced a team dedicated to labor compliance. Also, the inclusion of former 1st Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Sunho Park and former 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Geun Hyuk Yoo as senior advisors has significantly expanded its depth of expertise in real estate, construction, and healthcare.” It continued by noting that, ”Lee & Ko hired professionals from diverse fields, namely: former Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office Hoo Gon Kim; former Head of the Public Investigation Division at the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office Hun Heo; former Director-General of Economic and Security Affairs at the National Intelligence Service Seogon Kim; and former Secretary General of the Constitutional Court Jung Won Kim, to enhance response capabilities that encompass policy, practical operations, and investigation. Due to the arrival of these ‘top figures’ in each respective field, together with the launch of new strategic teams, Lee & Ko is proactively positioned to secure leadership in emerging markets.”

November 21, 2025
News1 reported on Hyungi Ryu of Lee & Ko, attending the "2025 U.S. Market Entry Seminar" jointly hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM) and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). During the seminar, he stated, “Korean companies pursuing M&A in the U.S. must carefully consider complex regulations, laws, and the strategic environment when developing their strategies. It is essential to review the transaction structure, taking into account tax issues from the early stages, as well as the review process by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which directly impacts the transaction timeline. Additionally, it is crucial to conduct a preemptive review of key negotiation points in U.S. M&A deals."

On November 10, 2025, The Law Times reported that Lee & Ko has received recognition in six categories at the ALB Korea Law Awards 2025, hosted by Asian Legal Business (ALB), a leading international legal publication. In the Practice-Firm category, which honors law firms demonstrating excellence in their respective practice areas, Lee & Ko was named the Korea Deal Firm of the Year, Litigation Law Firm of the Year, and Tax and Trusts Law Firm of the Year. The firm was also recognized for its advisory roles in several high-profile transactions spotlighted in the Deal and Transaction categories: Debt Market Deal of the Year for Hanwha Life’s issuance of overseas subordinated capital securities; Equity Market Deal of the Year for LG Chem’s issuance of overseas exchangeable bonds; and M&A Deal of the Year for Korean Air’s acquisition of Asiana Airlines and divestment of its cargo business. 

The article further noted that “to date, Lee & Ko has successfully handled numerous high-stakes cases, including the Pohang earthquake damages appeal, the HSBC short-selling criminal case, and the SK Chemicals humidifier disinfectant litigation. In addition, during the evaluation process, the firm’s proven expertise was demonstrated in several major transactions, such as LG Energy Solution’s acquisition of Ultium Cells LLC shares, SK Specialty’s sale of a controlling interest, the value-added tax dispute involving Lotte Group, etc.”
 

On November 6, 2025, The Asia Business Daily featured Lee & Ko Partner Hyunjoo Oh in its coverage, honoring her selection as a “Power K-Woman” at the Women Leaders Forum 2025. The article underscored that “the selection of Power K-Woman values authentic social influence above individual fame, based on criteria for innovation, creativity, pioneering spirit, inclusiveness, dedication, and work-life balance,” and closed with the observation that “Attorney Hyunjoo Oh emphasizes the importance of internalizing these standards, urging others not to follow suit but to chart their own course through self-reflection.”

On September 17, 2025, Asia Today published an interview with Minseok Si, Head of the ESG Center at Lee & Ko. The article introduced Mr. Si as a labor–management relations expert who served for over 30 years at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, including as Senior Administrative Officer for Employment & Labor and as Commissioner of the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office. Drawing on his extensive field experience and policy design/coordination capabilities, he now plays a strategic role at Lee & Ko in linking labor-sector issues with corporate ESG initiatives.

In the interview, Mr. Si stated that “the Yellow Envelope Act fundamentally embodies an intent to resolve the dual structures and polarization between non-regular and regular workers, large enterprises and SMEs, and the central and local spheres.” He added that, “from the perspective of building a virtuous cycle, it accords with the spirit of ESG. Although it is a new and untested domain, it is a mountain we must cross and a challenge we must overcome.” He further emphasized the need to strike an appropriate balance between expanding the scope of “employer status” and preserving the “essence of managerial authority.”