On February 27, 2026, The JoongAng featured an article on the closing party marking the successful completion of the “Lee & Ko Friends” program hosted by the Pro Bono Committee of Lee & Ko. The article highlighted that “Lee & Ko attorneys and North Korean defector university students came together to successfully complete the 6th ‘Lee & Ko Friends’ program, where participants were paired as ‘Older Friend’ (Friend Mentor) and ‘Young Friend’ (Friend Mentee) to build meaningful friendships.” It further explained that “This program goes beyond a conventional mentoring program, providing participants with meaningful opportunities to build trust, share their interests and experiences, and grow together. In particular, by fostering lasting relationships rather than one-time support, it has achieved high levels of satisfaction and is regarded as a model example of pro bono activity.”

Lee & Ko attorneys and North Korean defector university students came together to successfully complete the 6th “Lee & Ko Friends” program, where participants were paired as “Older Friend” (Friend Mentor) and “Young Friend” (Friend Mentee) to build meaningful friendships.

This program, jointly organized by Lee & Ko and the Together Foundation North Korean Defectors Employment Support Center (Director: Kyung-il Choi), is a public service initiative that encourages Lee & Ko attorneys and North Korean defector university students to meet regularly in a comfortable and informal setting in hopes of helping the students navigate their transition into society and continue to grow. Introduced by the firm in 2018 as the first program of its kind among Korean law firms, this pro bono activity has now reached the completion of its 6th round.

More than a conventional mentoring program, this mentorship activity is designed to assist participants to build trust, share their interests and experiences, and grow together through meaningful interactions. It has also been widely recognized for fostering lasting relationships instead of one-time support, achieving high levels of satisfaction and serving as a model pro bono initiative. Also, a positive influence on the broader adoption of similar programs within the law-firm community has been noted.

Launched in August last year, the 6th “Lee & Ko Friends” program brought together 10 Lee & Ko attorneys and 10 North Korean defector university students. Forming one-on-one pairs, the participants met five times from September to January, sharing cultural outings during “Open Meet-ups” and completing themed photography challenges through “Mission Meet-ups.”

In addition, in celebration of the completion of its 6th session, a closing party was held on February 23 at Lee & Ko’s seminar room in Jung-gu, Seoul. Lee & Ko attorneys and North Korean defector university students gathered once again to look back on the past five months of activities. During the event, participants shared their thoughts and experiences, expressing gratitude and a touch of sadness as it came to a close.

Attorney Hyung Mi Jeon of Lee & Ko, who participated in the program as a Friend Mentor, remarked, “This opportunity was not simply a chance for me to help someone, but a meaningful experience of sharing joyful memories with a newly found friend, understanding each other’s lives, and connecting on a personal level. I was also deeply moved by their sincere commitment to pursuing their dreams at every moment.” She further added, “Despite the closing of the event, I see it as the beginning of a new bond. I will continue to support my Friend Mentee so they can believe in their own potential and confidently move forward toward the future.”

The North Korean defector university students shared their experiences as well, noting that “Through several meet-ups with the attorneys, we formed close bonds and created many meaningful memories and were able to gain a clearer sense of our future career paths through their thoughtful advice and conversations.”

In 2011, Lee & Ko established a North Korean Defectors Legal Support Team under its Pro Bono Committee and has since carried out public interest activities for North Korean defectors in a systematic manner. Going forward, the firm plans to further expand legal assistance for vulnerable groups, including North Korean defectors, while continuing a variety of community engagement efforts.

Lee & Ko’s Pro Bono Committee successfully joined this year’s volunteer program at the Love Bread Sharing Center.

On January 17, beginning at 1:30 p.m., nearly 20 Lee & Ko employees and their family members gathered and spent approximately three hours participating in a bread-making volunteer program at the Seongdong Bread Sharing Center of the Seoul Chapter of the Korean Red Cross. From kneading the dough to fermentation, shaping, baking, and packaging, participants took part in the full bread-making journey, crafting cream-filled buns and blueberry muffins from start to finish and delivering roughly 400 freshly baked loaves to undernourished neighbors in partnership with the Korean Red Cross.

Partner Ki Jung Sung of Lee & Ko’s Criminal Defense Group (Judicial Research and Training Institute, 41st Class), a long-time participant in the volunteer activity with his children, shared his thought, “Lee & Ko’s enduring volunteer service at the Love Bread Sharing Center offers a meaningful opportunity for our members and their families to come together and put the values of public interest into practice.” He added, “What makes this experience especially meaningful is the opportunity to share a small act of warmth with neighbors in need. The chance to share meaningful and enjoyable time with my children through this program is also one of the reasons I choose to participate each year.”

Launched in 2019 by Lee & Ko’s Pro Bono Committee, this volunteer program at the Love Bread Sharing Center began with a spirit of “fostering an uplifting culture of social engagement through volunteer programs that are easy to join and open to everyone.” Since then, the initiative has grown into a social engagement program in which employees and their families come together each year to step in to support and share the value of giving.

On January 23, 2026, Herald Economy featured an article that nearly 20 employees and their family members of Lee & Ko took part in a volunteer service activity at the Love Bread Sharing Center. According to the article, “Approximately 20 Lee & Ko employees and their family members participated in the Love Bread Sharing Center volunteer program at the Seoul Chapter of the Korean Red Cross, completing the full bread-making process, from kneading and fermentation to shaping, baking, and packaging, to produce cream-filled buns and blueberry muffins. Close to 400 freshly baked loaves were shared with undernourished neighbors in the local community through the Korean Red Cross. Lee & Ko’s Pro Bono Committee further noted that, “We have launched the Love Bread Sharing Center volunteer program in 2019 with the aim of ‘fostering an uplifting culture of social engagement through volunteer programs that are easy to join and open to everyone.’ Since then, the program has grown into a social engagement initiative, bringing employees and their families together each year to contribute to the community and share the value of giving.”

On December 11, 2025, The Law Times covered Lee & Ko’s continued commitment to the Briquettes of Love Campaign. The article underscored that, “Lee & Ko’s Pro Bono Committee has participated for 15 consecutive years since 2011 in the Briquettes of Love Campaign to support vulnerable communities during the winter season, with its cumulative donations now totaling 74,230 coal briquettes.”