Recent Developments

September 12, 2025
An interview with lawyers Yong Joon Yoon, Daehoon Koo, Kyungchun Kim, and Tae Jung Kim from Lee & Ko’s Revised Commercial Act Task Force was reported in The Bell. Mr. Yoon stated, “The cumulative voting system is positive in that it allows minority shareholders to enter the board of directors, thereby strengthening monitoring and supervisory functions. There are also companies concerned that attempts to appoint directors by certain groups pursuing short-term or strategic interests during management disputes could harm long-term interests or management stability.” Mr. Koo highlighted the addition of “disagreements regarding claims on business management decisions affecting working conditions” to the scope of labor disputes, saying, “In the past, M&A decisions were made by following legal procedures while focusing solely on corporate profits, but now they must be reviewed and decided from the perspective of protecting shareholder interests and fair treatment, with enhanced communication with shareholders.”

MoneyToday announced on September 11, 2025, that Lee & Ko has named Sung Kyu Lee, former Director General of Cartel Investigation 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, 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 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 Cartel Investigation, Director of the M&A Division, Cooperation Deliberation Management Officer at the General Counsel’s Office, and Director of the E-commerce Investigation Team.

On September 10, 2025, MTN News published an interview with Attorney Eunpyo Hong of Lee & Ko. After serving as a judge for 20 years, Attorney Hong joined Lee & Ko and currently serves as the President of the Korea Blockchain Law Society.

In the interview, Attorney Hong explained that “stablecoins are a new instrument combining both the functions of currency and the innovation of virtual assets (crypto assets). If policy focuses on only one aspect, potential risks may be overlooked. Regulatory approaches must therefore balance both stability and innovation.”

On August 25, 2025, The Korea Economic Business Magazine announced the results of a special survey conducted among attorneys at Korea’s seven leading law firms. In the survey naming the “Eight Role-Model Lawyers,” four attorneys from Lee & Ko — Managing Partner Sanggon Kim, Attorney Jin So, Attorney Un Ho Kim, and Managing Partner Ho Joon Moon — were included on the distinguished list.

In addition, in the survey designating “The Lawyer of Lawyers,” ten attorneys from Lee & Ko were honored. The Korea Economic Business Magazine reported that, true to its reputation as a traditional powerhouse in M&A, respondents highlighted the negotiation expertise of corporate specialists such as Attorney Hee Woong Kim (JRTI 27th, M&A) and Managing Partner Ho Joon Moon (JRTI 27th, M&A). Attorney Jeong-Ho Sun (JRTI 37th, Antitrust & Competition) was highly regarded for his collaborative spirit and integrity, while Attorney Jae Baek Choi (JRTI 38th, Banking) was commended for his thorough understanding of cases and professional competence. It was also observed that Attorneys Hwan Kyoung Ko (JRTI 31st , IT), Minsoo Kim (JRTI 43th, Healthcare), Soo Yeon Park (4th Bar Exam, IP), Jongsoo Yoon (JRTI 22nd, IT) and Chang Soo Jin (JRTI 21st, Labor & Employment) earned recognition from both peers and competitors.
 

On August 25, 2025, The Korea Economic Business Magazine announced the results of a special survey conducted among attorneys at Korea’s seven leading law firms, in which Attorney Jin So of Lee & Ko was recognized as a “Role-Model Lawyer.” The magazine noted that after sixteen years of service as a public prosecutor, he entered private practice in 2012 as a criminal defense specialist, guided by a resolve to treat every case as his own. In the criminal field, where practitioners must contend with a vast array of complex matters, he believes that outcomes are shaped by the depth of commitment invested in each case. He underscores that genuine advocacy begins with the unwavering conviction that “this is my case and my responsibility.”

August 25, 2025
In a special survey conducted by Hankyung Business among attorneys from Korea’s top seven law firms, Sanggon Kim, managing partner at Lee & Ko, was selected as a “Role Model Lawyer.” Hankyung Business noted, “Managing Partner Sanggon Kim is often described as the lifelong figure of Lee & Ko, and the leading expert in the M&A field.” It added, “Since joining Lee & Ko in 1994 as an associate attorney and rising to his current position as managing partner, Mr. Kim has steadfastly followed one path and is regarded as the most respected mentor within the firm. With his unwavering dedication and expertise developed by focusing on a single area, he is a role model even to many lawyers at competing firms, being one of the most prominent star lawyers with the longest track record in the Ms&A industry.”

August 25, 2025
In a special survey conducted by Hankyung Business among attorneys from Korea’s top seven law firms, Ho Joon Moon, managing partner at Lee & Ko, was selected as a “Role Model Lawyer.” Hankyung Business stated, “Under the leadership of Mr. Moon, Lee & Ko’s Corporate M&A team has been actively involved in numerous high-profile transactions in Korea.” It also mentioned, “The team has earned a reputation as Korea’s leading M&A practice, having successfully handled major deals such as the acquisition of Osstem Implant by private equity firms MBK Partners and UCK Partners, and the establishment of an EV battery joint venture between LG Energy Solution and Stellantis.”
 

In a special survey conducted by Korea Economic Daily on August 25, 2025, among lawyers from Korea’s seven largest law firms, Attorney Un Ho Kim from Lee & Ko was selected as one of the “Role Model Lawyers” in the intellectual property (IP) field.
According to Korea Economic Daily, “Attorney Kim was behind major IP litigation cases that determined the very fate of Korea’s leading companies—such as the smartphone patent infringement disputes between Samsung Electronics and Apple, and the elastomer patent infringement lawsuits involving LG Chem, Mitsui Chemicals, and Dow Chemical.”
Korea Economic Daily added, “After his appointment as a judge in 1994, he served as a judge at the Intellectual Property Division of the Seoul High Court and as a judicial researcher specializing in IP matters at the Supreme Court of Korea. Since joining Lee & Ko in 2009, he has been instrumental in shaping numerous landmark IP precedents and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s foremost attorneys in the intellectual property field.

Daehoon Koo of Lee & Ko gave a lecture on the topic “Changes Brought by the Amended Commercial Act” at the 2025 Securities Forum hosted by capital markets media outlet Dealsite on the 20th. He stated, “With the implementation of the revised Commercial Act, directors are now required to thoroughly consider the impact of their decisions on minority shareholders and stock prices, and to document this process.” He emphasized, “Since directors must comply with the duty of loyalty, they are inevitably expected to make shareholder-friendly decisions. For the system to take root, it is important that the judiciary interprets and applies the amended provisions in line with their intent.”

August 18, 2025
NEWSTOMATO reported an interview with attorneys Ho Joon Moon, Daehoon Koo, Kyungchun Kim, and Tae Jung Kim from the Commercial Law Reform Task Force (TF) of Lee & Ko. Managing partner Ho Joon Moon stated, “In May, Lee & Ko established a Commercial Law Reform Task Force. We anticipate that the revised Commercial Act will bring significant changes to existing corporate legal practices and the capital market. Particularly under the current administration, there has been an active push to revise the Commercial Act, prompting a need for deeply considered and practical countermeasures that harmonize legal practice and precedents.” He added, “Currently, more than 10 attorneys and experts specializing in corporate law and M&A, with practical experience and policy expertise, have been deployed to respond to market changes. We are closely following the revision process, conducting in-depth research on the content and related issues, and exploring application strategies tailored to individual companies, with the goal of providing clients with practical support.”

On July 8, 2025, The Law Times reported that Lee & Ko had entered into MOU with GSIL to collaborate on compliance related to industrial safety and serious accidents.

According to the article, “Through this agreement, the two parties will leverage diverse on-site safety and health data to predict accident risks and enable real-time responses. They plan to offer high-quality integrated services, including consulting and tailored smart solutions, to address domestic serious accident regulations and the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).”

July 2, 2025
Legal Times has reported on the M&A advisory performance of Lee & Ko for the first half of the year. According to Legal Times, “In Bloomberg’s 2025 first-half M&A league table based on deal value, Lee & Ko advised on 53 deals totaling USD 7.611 billion, holding a 16.5% market share and securing the top position.”