Recent Developments

On September 4, 2026, Asia Economic Daily published comments from Lee & Ko Partner attorney, Young-jin Kim. While Mr. Kim assessed that the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s decision to exclude performance-based bonuses from mandatory collective bargaining—as outlined in its recent implementation guidelines—was a measure that respected corporate operational autonomy, he also pointed out that if workforce redeployment resulting from new investments or relocations were subject to collective bargaining and labor disputes, it could act as a burden on corporate investment and business restructuring.

April 22, 2026. Maeil Economy Newspaper analyzed that major law firms are transforming into consulting organizations that provide integrated crisis management solutions beyond simple legal advice, and reported on the activities of Lee & Ko. Maeil Economy Newspaper reported, “Following the recent implementation of the ‘Yellow Envelope Act,’ Lee & Ko has significantly strengthened its labor compliance capabilities by recruiting former Minister of Employment and Labor Kyung-duk Ahn and labor consultant Won-bok Kang,” adding, “To respond to the implementation of the revised Commercial Act, Mr. Da-ju Jeong from Lee & Ko’s Litigation Team has been assigned as an expert in the field of ‘commercial injunctions’ and is achieving significant results through close cooperation with the M&A team.”

April 22, 2026. The Labor & Employment Practice Group and its Labor Compliance Team of Lee & Ko were featured in the Korea Economic Daily. The Korea Economic Daily reported, “As labor-related legal risks become increasingly complex, Lee & Ko has set out to comprehensively strengthen its response system in the labor sector,” adding, “Lee & Ko has newly formed a Labor Compliance Team by recruiting a large number of experts with backgrounds in the prosecution, in addition to the litigation capabilities of its existing Labor & Employment Practice Group.” Chang-soo Jin, Head of the Labor & Employment Practice Group and Labor Compliance Team, stated, “The traditional Labor & Employment Practice Group and the newly strengthened Labor Compliance Team will work as one to do our utmost to help companies overcome legal uncertainty and focus on their business operations.”

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.

On September 15, 2025, Weekly Dong-Ah featured the Labor Compliance Team of Lee & Ko. The article noted that “Lee & Ko recruited former Minister of Employment and Labor Ahn Kyung-deok (33rd Higher Civil Service Examination) as a senior advisor in May and launched a new “Labor Compliance Team,” and that “the team is led by Mr. Chang-soo Jin and comprises more than 50 experts, including former judges and prosecutors, labor-specialist attorneys, former officials from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and certified labor consultants.”

In the interview, Mr. Jin stated: “In the past, companies often responded to labor issues in a piecemeal and ex post manner; however, with the imminent implementation of the “Yellow Envelope Act,” proactive responses to the significant, unavoidable changes in labor-management relations have become increasingly necessary. In particular, where social awareness of industrial accidents has grown, prevention is critical. To address new labor issues effectively, a comprehensive one-stop service is essential, and for that reason we launched the Labor Compliance Team by assembling professionals with the highest level of expertise across the various fields implicated in labor matters.

On May 12, 2025, The Korea Economic Daily reported on Lee & Ko’s incorporation of former Minister of Employment and Labor Mr. Ahn, Kyung-Duk as a Senior Advisor. The article noted that Mr. Ahn entered public service through the 33rd Civil Service Examination in 1989 and held various key positions at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, including Director of Labor-Management Relations Coordination, Director of Foreign Workforce Policy, Director-General of International Cooperation, Director-General of Occupational Safety and Compensation Policy, Regional Commissioner of the Seoul Employment and Labor Office, Director-General of Labor Policy, and Director-General of Planning and Coordination. He was appointed Minister in 2019 while serving as Standing Commissioner of the Presidential Economic, Social & Labor Council.

The article further noted that Lee & Ko has actively recruited high-level officials with over 30 years of experience in central government roles, including Mr. Park Sun-Ho (former First Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) and Mr. Choi Moo-Jin (former Director-General of Corporate Policy at the Fair Trade Commission), who joined the firm on March 1, and Mr. Jang Seok-Young (former Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT), who joined on January 1 to bolster the firm’s regulatory response capabilities.

On March 23, 2025, the Employment & Labor Practice Group of Lee & Ko was featured in detail by Aju Business Daily. The article stated, “Lee & Ko recognized from the outset that, in order for individual companies to respond swiftly and effectively to complex and diverse labor issues, assistance from a group of experts with extensive experience is essential and accordingly launched its Employment & Labor Practice Group at the firm’s founding stage and has continued its activities ever since.”

As a representative achievement, the article highlighted a case involving a lawsuit to confirm the invalidity of disciplinary action, in which the legality of on-site monitoring measures to verify misconduct was at issue.

Aju Business Daily explained, “The case involved an employer filming a sales employee who was working outside the office, and subsequently terminating the employee based on the video footage. The court held that the act of filming to collect evidence of misconduct could not be deemed surveillance or a violation of human rights.” The article further stated, “Lee & Ko's involvement in this case provided both theoretical and practical significance by establishing a guideline regarding the measures an employer may take to maintain workplace discipline.”

On January 28, 2024, the Legal Times reported the latest litigation win by Lee&Ko. The 3rd Division of the Supreme Court (Chief Justice Seok-jun Oh) held that Hyundai Motor Company’s termination of Employee A for poor job performance was justified, thereby ordering the cancellation of the Central Labor Relations Commission’s decision. As a result, the Supreme Court’s decision reversed the district court’s affirmation and remanded the case to the Seoul High Court in favor of Hyundai Motor Company. Lee&Ko served as counsel to Hyundai Motor Company in the Supreme Court.

On April 24, 2023, Lee & Ko’s Employment and Labor Practice Group was featured in Korea Economy, a prominent newspaper. Korea Economy phrased Lee & Ko’s Employment and Labor Practice Group as “provid[ing] comprehensive legal services based on more than 30 years of accumulated knowledge and practical experience, including lawsuits and legal advisory support," and that "[the practice group] actively addresses and tackles new emerging or evolving issues regarding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) management, serious industrial accidents, workplace harassment, as well as labor and management disputes related to restructuring, employment contracts, wage systems, and collective agreements.