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Lee & Ko has recruited Hoo Gon Kim (JRTI 25TH), former Prosecutor General of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office. Mr. Kim built a distinguished career in the Anti-Corruption Departments, where he directed major corruption investigations throughout his service. He served as Prosecutor General of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, Chief Prosecutor of the Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office, and Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office. He also held posts including Head of the Anti-Corruption Division 1 at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Head of the Anti-Corruption Division at the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office, and Senior Researcher at the Anti-Corruption Division of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, where he was responsible for major corruption cases. In addition, at the Advanced Criminal Investigations Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, he handled IT-related and personal data infringement cases, establishing himself as a distinguished criminal law expert with broad capabilities across diverse areas of practice.

In addition to his prosecutorial achievements, Attorney Kim served on secondment to the Korea Communications Commission in 2008, advising on major industry issues including mergers in the telecommunications and broadcasting industry and sports broadcasting rights. He also demonstrated strong leadership within the prosecution, notably leading the “AI Blockchain Community,” involving dozens of prosecutors, and contributing to key policy initiatives as Director General of the Planning and Coordination Office at the Ministry of Justice. Additionally, he played an active role in trial management as Director of the Trial Division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and served as a member of the Supreme Court’s Sentencing Commission. His experience extended further to overseeing IT affairs with the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office as Head of the Information and Communications Division.

At Lee & Ko, Attorney Kim will lead the Criminal Practice Group, enhancing the firm’s expertise in corporate, finance, serious accident, antitrust, and customs-related matters, while supporting legislative initiatives and statutory interpretation.

Managing Partner Sang Gon Kim (JRTI 23RD) commented, “Welcoming an elite attorney who has commanded great respect both within the prosecution and among industry peers further enhances the capabilities of our Criminal Practice Group. We remain dedicated to maintaining our status as Korea’s premier law firm.”

Lee & Ko has appointed former 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, Geun Hyuk Yoo, as a senior advisor.

Advisor Ryu graduated from Inha University with a degree in Public Administration, earned a Master’s degree in Public Health from Swansea University in Wales, UK, and completed a Ph.D. in Health Sciences at Inje University.

After passing the 36th Public Administration Examination in 1992, he began his public service career and served for 30 years at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, holding senior positions including Director-General of the Health Policy Bureau, Spokesperson, Director-General of the Policy Planning Bureau, Director-General of the Pension Policy Bureau, and Director of the Population and Social Service Policy Office. He further advanced his leadership as Secretary for Social Policy for the Office of the President, overseeing a broad range of social policies including health and welfare, food, pharmaceuticals, and disease control, and most recently as 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare responsible for the nation’s comprehensive healthcare policies. Drawing upon his extensive experience and expertise accumulated over three decades in government, Mr. Yoo will play an integral role in strengthening Lee & Ko’s Healthcare Team.

Sang Gon Kim, Managing Partner at Lee & Ko, said, “The Healthcare Team at Lee & Ko provides optimal services on a wide range of issues in medical devices, food, cosmetics, and healthcare. With the addition of Advisor Geun Hyuk Ryu, who has rich experience and deep expertise in healthcare, we have further strengthened the team’s advisory capabilities as a national leader in this sector.”

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

Notably, during his tenure, he led the complex merger review of Baemin-Yogiyo, two of the largest players in Korea’s platform industry. This merger is considered one of the most challenging and high-profile review cases in recent years. As Director General of the Cartel Investigation Division, he spearheaded key institutional reforms addressing critical cartel issues, including legislative amendments and the development of new review standards targeting information exchange collusion.

Sang Gon Kim, Managing Partner at Lee & Ko, commented, “Our Antitrust & Competition Group brings together attorneys, economists, and former fair trade officials to offer comprehensive, one-stop services ranging from corporate advisory, investigation responses, litigation, to criminal defense. Our sustained success is highlighted by significant victories in major cases, such as the recent all wins in the Korean Bar Association litigation concerning the legal tech platform, LawTalk. These capabilities have been recognized annually with top-tier rankings from renowned global legal directories, including Legal 500.” He added, “With Advisor Sung Kyu Lee joining our firm, who brings rich hands-on experience and outstanding expertise, we have further strengthened our antitrust advisory capabilities, solidifying our position as the premier competition law team in Korea.”

Lee & Ko is pleased to announce the incorporation of former Minister of Employment and Labor, Mr. Ahn, Kyung-Duk (33rd Civil Service Examination), as a Senior Advisor and the establishment of a new dedicated Labor Compliance Team.

In response to the increasingly complex and diverse range of issues surrounding human resources, labor relations, and workplace safety, Lee & Ko has established the Labor Compliance Team with the goal of providing integrated and proactive legal services. The launch of this new team coincides with the onboarding of Mr. Ahn, Kyung-Duk, whose extensive expertise and leadership will serve as a cornerstone of the team’s capabilities. Mr. Ahn brings with him over 30 years of experience at the Ministry of Employment and Labor and related institutions.

The Labor Compliance Team will be anchored by the firm’s existing Employment & Labor Group (led by Mr. Jin, Chang-Soo) and the Occupational Safety Team (led by Mr. Bae, Jae-Deok and Lee, Sang-Hyun). In anticipation of potential issues and disputes across personnel, labor, and safety matters, the team will collaborate closely with Lee & Ko’s Criminal Defense Team (including Mr. Park, Yang-Ho and Lee, Joo-Hyun), and the Litigation Team (including Mr. Sung, Chang-Ho and Kang, Dong-Hyuk). Through this cross-disciplinary approach, Lee & Ko will provide comprehensive, one-stop legal solutions for the full spectrum of labor and safety-related challenges facing clients across all industries.

Mr. Ahn began his public service career in 1990 after passing the 33rd Civil Service Examination. He has held numerous key posts, including Director-General of Planning & Coordination and Labor Policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Regional Commissioner of the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office, and Standing Commissioner of the Economic, Social & Labor Council. He later served as the 8th Minister of Employment and Labor of the Republic of Korea. His distinguished career and deep subject-matter knowledge are expected to significantly enhance the depth and sophistication of the services offered by Lee & Ko’s Labor Compliance Team.

Managing Partner Mr. Kim, Sang-Gon stated: “Lee & Ko has long distinguished itself by providing tailored legal services based on our unparalleled expertise and experience in personnel, labor, and safety-related matters. With the launch of the Labor Compliance Team, we aim to offer more comprehensive and multidimensional solutions to address the increasingly complex issues faced by companies. The addition of Senior Advisor Ahn, a leading authority in the labor and safety space, further solidifies Lee & Ko’s standing as Korea’s preeminent law firm in this field. We will continue to invest across all practice areas, including labor and employment, to ensure that we deliver the best possible legal services to our clients.”

Lee & Ko welcomes Mr. Lee Youn Seob, a former Deputy Minister for Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Environment, as a senior advisor.

Mr. Lee holds impressive academic credentials, earning Bachelor’s degrees from the Civil Engineering Department at Hanyang University in Korea and the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at Iowa State University in the United States, as well as a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Hanyang University. Since passing the 25th National Technical Civil Service Examination in 1990, Mr. Lee has dedicated more than three decades to serving in several key positions within the Ministry of Environment, including the Senior Administrator for the Secretary to the President for Environment (dispatched), Director of General Services, Director General of Environmental Policy, and Deputy Minister for Planning and Coordination.

Upon his retirement from public service, Mr. Lee transitioned to academia, where he lectured at both Kookmin University and Hanyang University as an adjunct professor and visiting scholar, respectively. He also took a role as a chairperson of the Environmental Monitoring Committee for SK Hynix and most recently as an environmental advisor at Samsung Electronics, where he oversaw ESG affairs.

With his remarkable 35 years of hands-on experience across various environmental disciplines, Mr. Lee is expected to bring unparalleled knowledge and practical insights to our Environmental Safety Team and further contribute to enhancing the team’s capabilities to provide advisory services on environmental matters.

Managing Partner Kim Sang Gon of Lee & Ko commented: “Our Environmental Safety Team offers tailored counsel on a wide range of environmental regulatory compliance matters, from conventional environmental litigation involving pollution to environmental permits and approvals, such as environmental impact assessments, integrated permits, etc. Given that there has been an increasing demand for expert guidance due to the growing prominence of ESG issues, our firm has recently enhanced advisory strengths within the Environmental Safety Team—one of the leading expert teams in Korea—by bringing on board Mr. Lee, a seasoned professional with substantial experience and profound expertise in the environmental sector. In addition, we are resolute in our goal to recruit and develop skilled professionals to ensure our commitment to providing exceptional legal services for our clients for years ahead.”

Lee & Ko is pleased to announce that Allen Ryu has joined the firm as a partner in the Corporate / M&A Practice Groups.  Mr. Ryu represents global companies and private equity firms in mergers and acquisitions and other complex corporate transactions.  

“Allen has a breadth of experience and is a highly regarded lawyer with longstanding relationships with major companies globally, and we are thrilled to welcome him,” said Sang Gon Kim, Managing Partner of Lee & Ko.  “Allen’s experience will bring additional depth to our top-tier capabilities, and our recruitment of Allen is aligned with Lee & Ko’s commitment to strengthen our cross-border M&A practice.” 

Mr. Ryu is widely recognized for his expertise in advising complex corporate M&A and private equity transactions.  Some of his recent notable transactions include eBay’s sale of eBay Korea, Hyundai Motor Group’s JV transaction with Aptiv, Hyundai Motor Group’s majority investment in Boston Dynamics and Centroid Investment Partner’s acquisition of TaylorMade.  Drawing from his prior experience, Mr. Ryu’s practice at Lee & Ko will focus on facilitating outbound investments for Korean companies and managing inbound investments for global private equity firms.
“I am excited to join Lee & Ko and work alongside some of the most respected lawyers in the corporate practice,” said Ryu.  “With the incredible resources at Lee & Ko, I look forward to continue assisting clients on their important transactions and contribute to the firm’s continued growth and success.”