Recent Developments

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.

Lee & Ko hosted its 11th M&A Forum on October 30, 2025, marking another successful year of this annual event. 

Since its inception in 2015, the Lee & Ko M&A Forum has served as a platform for introducing the latest issues in the M&A field and sharing Lee & Ko’s accumulated expertise with professionals in the industry. This year, the event once again received an enthusiastic response, with more than 500 M&A practitioners and corporate representatives participating both online and offline.

In Session 1 of the Forum, Partner Attorneys Dajoo Jung and Sejoong Lee presented on the topic of “Recent Trends in Corporate Control Disputes and Amendments to the Commercial Code.” They outlined the growing trend of control disputes arising amid the spread of shareholder activism and examined the potential impact of the recent amendments to the Commercial Code on such disputes, while also presenting practical strategies for corporate responses. By linking the highly discussed topic of the Commercial Code reform with corporate control disputes, the session drew strong attention and positive feedback from participants.

Session 2 featured Partner Attorney Hyung Soo Lee and Foreign Attorney Seung Hyo Baek, who presented “Recent Trends and Key Issues in Overseas Investment: Focus on Brownfield and Greenfield Projects.” They discussed recent developments in cross-border M&A, reviewing overseas investment trends over the past five years by distinguishing between Brownfield and Greenfield investments, and highlighting their respective characteristics and key considerations. The session concluded with additional presentations by Yun A Kang, Head of Lee & Ko’s Beijing Office, Jae Hoon Choi, Head of the Japan Team, and Woongryol Baek, Head of the Vietnam Office, who shared updates on regulatory trends and practical responses in the U.S., EU, China, Japan, and Vietnam, drawing strong interest from participants engaged in or preparing for cross-border M&A transactions.

Now in its 11th year, the remarkable attention and response that the Lee & Ko M&A Forum continues to receive from M&A professionals stem from our clients’ appreciation of the Forum’s well-prepared, insightful, and timely discussions led by the Lee & Ko M&A team.

Looking ahead, Lee & Ko’s Corporate Practice Group will continue its efforts to ensure that the M&A Forum remains a meaningful and insightful platform for M&A practitioners and corporate professionals in Korea.