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On January 7, Lee & Ko hosted a client-facing webinar titled “Analysis and Outlook on the Amended Trade Union Act’s Enforcement Decree and Official Interpretation Guidelines”. The webinar opened with welcoming remarks by Kyung Duk An (Senior Advisor at Lee & Ko), followed by three (3) in-depth sessions and a live Q&A.

In the first session, Young Jin Kim (Senior Partner at Lee & Ko) presented an analysis on the “employer status” issue under the interpretation guidelines. This presentation addressed one of the most closely monitored aspects of the amended Trade Union Act—namely, the expanded scope of “employer” – with particular focus on the criteria for determining whether an entity may be deemed a “non-contractual employer”, offering both forecast and insight into how these standards will be applied in practice.

The second session, led by Chang Soo Jin (Head of Employment & Labor Practice Group at Lee & Ko), focused on the scope of “labor disputes” and the concept of “consolidated bargaining channel” under the Interpretation Guidelines. Through case studies and practical examples, this session covered the expanded scope of labor disputes under the amended Trade Union Act as well as the procedural framework for consolidation of bargaining channel, providing practical insights into how the Ministry’s guidance and the amended enforcement decree may operate in real-world scenarios.

In the third session, Min Seok Si (Co-Head of Lee & Ko’s ESG Center) delivered a presentation on “Outlook of the Enforcement Decree and Interpretive Guidelines.” This session explored the current state of preparedness and overall climate amongst various stakeholders – for instance, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, employers, and labor unions – while offering insight into potential developments and challenges that may arise as the amended Trade Union Act is implemented.

Following the presentations, the webinar ended with a live Q&A session to address questions submitted during the session. All presenters together with William Kim (Senior Foreign Counsel at Lee & Ko) responded to a wide range of highly fact-specific inquiries, offering practical guidance and perspectives on the interpretation of the law that could readily apply in day-to-day operations.

On December 4, Lee & Ko and Korea University School of Cybersecurity jointly hosted a seminar titled “Legal Issues and Response Strategies Concerning Data Breaches and Hacking,” organized by the Korea In-House Counsel Association.

The seminar commenced with welcoming remarks from Mr. Sanggon Kim, Managing Partner of Lee & Ko, and Senior Advisor Seok Young Jang, followed by a presentation session and a Q&A session.

The first presentation was delivered by Professor Kyungho Lee of Korea University School of Cybersecurity, who spoke on “Technical Issues and Challenges Regarding Hacking and Data Breaches,” addressing key technical considerations in security incident response, analyses of recent major data breach cases, and legal issues surrounding digital evidence.

The second presentation was given by Mr. Jongseob Park, Advisor at Lee & Ko, under the theme “Practical Response Strategies to Data Breaches – Case Study.” Mr. Park discussed response strategies during the critical 72-hour period immediately following a data breach, as well as the role of in-house legal teams in incident management.

The final presentation was delivered by Ms. Sunghee Chae, Partner at Lee & Ko, who spoke on “Legal Issues in Data Breach Incidents Through Major Court precedents and Regulatory Decisions,” examining key legal considerations in data breach incidents, major regulatory decisions on the presence of data breach, and significant court precedents concerning security measures to protect personal data.

During the Q&A session, moderated by Mr. Hwan Kyoung Ko of Lee & Ko, Partner and Head of Privacy/DPC Group at Lee & Ko, the three speakers were joined by Mr. Tae Joo Kim and Mr. Kyung Min Son, both Partners at Lee & Ko, who addressed questions submitted in advance as well as those raised on site by the participants.

Lee & Ko has accumulated extensive practical experience in the fields of privacy, security incident and data breach response through its Privacy/DPC Group. Recently, the firm established a dedicated “Hacking Response Team” to further strengthen collaboration between technical and legal experts. Through this enhanced structure, Lee & Ko provides comprehensive, tailored advisory services for security incidents based on the characteristics of each industry sector and type of incident.

On November 27, 2025, Lee & Ko’s IP & Technology Group successfully hosted a seminar titled ‘Changes in the IP and Technology Protection Environment in the Era of Technological Innovation and How to Respond.’

Lee & Ko’s IP & Technology Group’s seminar, celebrating its 11th anniversary of the annual client seminar series starting in 2015, has consistently provided an in-depth exploration of key issues in IP field. This year, the seminar marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of Lee & Ko’s IP Group into the IP & Technology Group, broadening its focus to include not only traditional IP rights but also on a wide array of emerging technology-related matters.

The first part of session centered on dispute response strategies directly relevant to corporate practices. Ms. Yi-Kang Kang opened the session on “Patent and Trade Secret Dispute Response Strategies,” covering methods for securing evidence in technology disputes and the application of punitive damages under patent law. Ms. Shin Sil Choi followed with a discussion on “Responsive Strategies for Unfair Competition Disputes,” analyzing various case law on unauthorized use of achievements under the Unfair Competition Prevention Act and offering corporate response strategies in this regard. The first session concluded with additional presentations by Ms. Soo Yeon Park, who shared “Product Defects, Recalls, and Dispute Response Strategies.” Ms. Park discussed various dispute cases and solutions related to defects in pharmaceutical products, medical devices, and household chemicals, while also addressing legal risk management strategies.

The second session featured new regulations and global dispute trends in the era of technical innovation. Mr. Jae Woo Kwak presented on “Recent Trends in AI Technology Regulation and Legal Issues,” covering global AI copyright infringement, defamation, and product liability cases, along with domestic regulations such as the Artificial Intelligence Basic Law. Mr. Ah Hyun Nam delivered “Recent Developments in U.S. ITC and PTAB,” focusing on latest global trends such as the Domestic Industry Requirement at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and Discretionary Denial at the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Finally, Mr. Il Gwon Kim spoke on “Latest Trends in Cross-Border Technology Disputes,” exploring cases involving attempts to bypass technological barriers in international transactions and key trends which companies should be aware of.

Lee & Ko’s IP & Technology Group is one of the leading technical legal expert teams in Korea, comprising approximately 80 intellectual property-specialized attorneys-at-law and around 80 patent attorneys with broad technical expertise in various aspects of IP. The group handles not only traditional IP matters- including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and unfair competition—but also a wide range of technology-related disputes and advisory work, such as biotechnology, AI and data-related disputes, semiconductors, and healthcare. With its technical expertise and unrivaled experience in the field, Lee & Ko’s IP & Technology Group provides a comprehensive one-stop legal service tailored to meet the needs of clients in various global IP disputes and related matters.

Lee & Ko’s Aerospace Industry Team co-hosted the 16th “Aerospace Leaders Breakfast Forum” with the Korea Aerospace Industries Association on Wednesday, 26 November 2025.

At the session, Partner Attorney Insoo Lee of Lee & Ko’s Aerospace Industry Team delivered a presentation titled “The Current Landscape and Future Challenges of Aerospace Law.” He provided an overview of international aerospace law and the current domestic legal framework, and further examined key legislative issues and potential improvements, with a particular focus on the Aerospace Industry Development Promotion Act and the Space Development Promotion Act. He concluded by addressing potential future legal disputes in the aerospace sector and offering recommendations for stakeholder preparedness.

Lee & Ko established its Aerospace Industry Team in February 2024, becoming the first major law firm in Korea to do so. The team was launched in anticipation of the establishment of the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) and now provides comprehensive legal services across regulatory matters, public procurement, legislative consulting, intellectual property, and international trade issues relating to the aerospace industry.

On November 20, 2025, Lee & Ko and ISS Corporate jointly hosted a seminar. In addition to presentations by Lee & Ko and ISS Corporate, the seminar also featured a presentation by a representative from the Korea Exchange’s Corporate Value-Up Program team.

The first session, led by Mr. Jun Frank, the Managing Director and Global Head of ISS Corporate’s Compensation & Governance Advisory, reviewed the 2025 annual general meeting (AGM) season and provided insights into ISS’ proxy voting guidelines as well as strategies for effective engagement with ISS.

In the second session, Mr. Yuseok Kim, a partner of Lee & Ko’s Corporate Group, offered a comprehensive overview of various scenarios currently under discussion in the market to address the amendments to the Korean Commercial Code ahead of next year’s AGM season.

The final session featured Mr. Ilgyu Ko, the Team Leader of the Korea Exchange’s Corporate Value-Up Support Department, who gave a detailed explanation of the progress and future direction of the Corporate Value-Up Program aimed at enhancing shareholder value. He encouraged listed companies to actively participate in the Program to strengthen shareholder communication.

Ho Joon Moon, the Managing Partner of Lee & Ko, shared closing remarks, expressing hope that the seminar would help clients develop strategies to address governance and AGM-related issues for the 2026 AGM season and beyond. He also emphasized Lee & Ko’s commitment to providing comprehensive consulting services that extend outside traditional legal offerings.

On Wednesday, November 19, Lee & Ko co-hosted a seminar titled "Trademark and Patent Law Essentials Every In-House Counsel Should Know" with the Korea In-house Counsel Association (KICA).

The seminar began with a welcome address by Mr. Un Ho Kim of Lee & Ko, and proceeded with two dedicated sessions on patent and trademark law tailored for in-house counsel, followed by a Q&A session.

The first session, presented by Ms. Eun Woo Lee of Lee & Ko, focused on "Trademark Law Essentials Every In-House Counsel Should Know." She discussed key considerations for trademark owners and users in the event of disputes, as well as strategies for securing and managing trademark rights.

The second session was delivered by Ms. Kyung Jin Kim of Lee & Ko, who spoke on "Patent Law Essentials Every In-House Counsel Should Know." Her presentation covered patent filing and registration procedures, patent trials and patent litigation, and pre- and post-dispute prevention strategies.

Lee & Ko’s IP & Technology Group is one of the leading technical legal expert teams in Korea, comprising approximately 80 intellectual property-specialized attorneys-at-law and around 80 patent attorneys with broad technical expertise across various fields. The group handles not only traditional IP matters—including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and unfair competition—but also a wide range of technology-related disputes and advisory work, such as product liability, product defect claims, medical devices, biotechnology, semiconductors, automobiles, software development disputes, AI and data-related disputes, and disputes involving manufacturing facilities. Drawing on extensive practical experience and expertise related to technology disputes, the group will continue to provide in-house counsel with the highest level of comprehensive legal services tailored to their needs.