[The Seoul Shinmun] “Former Police” Get the “Former Bench” Treatment: Law Firms Vie for Police Talent at a Premium [Changes in Seocho-dong amid Judicial and Prosecutorial Reform]

On March 17, 2026, The Seoul Shinmun published a feature examining, “As criminal investigations have increasingly gravitated toward the police and away from the prosecution after the realignment of investigative authority, a shift is now rippling through the legal profession.” In support of this observation, it further mapped the current footprint of former law enforcement across the five largest law firms in Korea, with approximately 140 former officers now in practice, led by Kim & Chang at roughly 60, followed by Lee & Ko at 25, Yulchon at 22, Bae, Kim & Lee at 18, and Shin & Kim at 17.