新着情報

On September 24, 2024, Yonhap News reported on Lee & Ko attorney Ko Hwan Kyoung's participation in the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information Broadcasting, and Communications Committee public hearing on the 'Artificial Intelligence (AI) Basic Law'. Attorney Ko stated, "In a situation where we need to apply rapidly developing AI technology in the field and incorporate it into existing services and products to secure global competitiveness, a strong regulatory framework makes it difficult to prepare for competition or timely address risks associated with the technology."

On September 24, 2024, The Bell published an interview with Jinhong Kwon, an attorney at Lee & Ko. “Lee & Ko has been active in the field of non-performing loans (NPLs) since the implementation of the Asset Securitization Act of Korea, and Jinhong Kwon, a member of the Banking & Finance Group at Lee & Ko, is known as an NPL expert within the firm.” said the article. ”He joined Lee & Ko in the early part of 2001, when the Korean economy was emerging from the foreign exchange crisis, and participated in numerous normalization transactions.  He is also noted for having helped create the first Korean language loan asset purchase agreements (LSPA) at a time when English was the dominant contract language.”

On September 22, 2024, Lee & Ko's Nuclear Team was on the Korea Economic Daily News. The Korea Economic Daily News reported that "Lee & Ko has been advising on most of the government-led nuclear projects starting with the KEDO project in the 1990s. and is currently advising on the Dukovany project of the Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia nuclear project and Romania nuclear project, and is also representing KEPCO and KHNP in the intellectual property dispute against Westinghouse, USA under the leadership of Moon Sung Lee.

On September 12, 2024, EDAILY reported on the launch of Lee & Ko’s expanded Virtual Asset Regulation and Investigation Response Team. To provide leading integrated legal services based on a deep understanding of virtual asset-related regulations, inspections, investigations, and prosecutions, Lee & Ko has established a team of about 40 experts from criminal law, financial regulation, and digital finance fields. This expansion aims to strengthen the firm’s capabilities in addressing the complex legal landscape surrounding virtual assets.

On August 7, 2024, Lee&Ko's Regulatory & Government Affairs (RGA) Solutions Group was introduced in the Korea Law Times. "Lee&Ko's RGA Solutions Group, which provides legal advice and consulting services by expanding and reorganizing its legal consulting team, is led by professionals such as Woo Yoon-keun, Esq, third- term congressman of the National Assembly who served as the chairman of the National Assembly's Legal Affairs Committee and the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Mr. Jin Jeong-ku, who served as the chief of staff of committees and the   Deputy Secretary-General for Legislative Affairs at the National Assembly."

On August 3, 2024, an article by attorneys Sujin Jung and Jang Hyun Ka was published in EToday. In the article, they explain that when the amended Personal Information Protection Act took effect on September 15 of last year, the requirement to change user accounts to dormant status after a certain period of inactivity was abolished. Consequently, online businesses are now free to establish their own policies for changing user accounts to dormant status. This is why various online businesses have recently been sending emails or SMS messages informing their users about the deactivation of dormancy status.

On July 29, 2024, SBS Biz featured comments from Woo-Young Choi, an attorney at Lee & Ko. With the enforcement of the Act on the Protection of Virtual Asset Users, those caught engaging in unfair trading practices now face a minimum of one year in prison or fines of 3 to 5 times the illicit gains. If profits exceed KRW 5 billion, offenders could receive sentences of 5 years or more. 

Regarding these penalties, Choi explained, “It’s not just imprisonment; offenders can receive both prison time and fines.” He elaborated, “For instance, if someone made KRW 10 billion illegally, they don’t simply pay back KRW 30 billion. The original KRW 10 billion is confiscated, and they face an additional fine of KRW 30 to 50 billion on top of that.”
 

On July 28, 2024, DigitalTimes featured comments from Jongsoo (Jay) Yoon, a partner at Lee & Ko. As the Act on the Protection of Virtual Asset Users comes into effect, strengthening regulatory oversight and sanctions, experts anticipate a surge in related legal disputes. Yoon, who heads Lee & Ko’s Virtual Asset Team, commented, “We've already seen an increase in requests for advisory services on interpreting the Act’s provisions and understanding its practical scope.” He further predicted, “With the Act now in effect, we expect to see growing demand for both compliance advisory services and litigation support.”

On July 10, 2024, the Law Times reported that large law firms are also reorganizing their orgaizations by hiring experts as amendments to the Capital Market Act have come into effect since the beginning of this year.  The newspaper introduced Lee & Ko’s Capital Market Center as an example. “Lee & Ko is responding by creating the Capital Market Center,” the newspaper said, “The Center includes Kwon Taekyung, a former deputy director of the Special Investigation Division of the Financial Supervisory Service, Kim Hyunggeun, who was in charge of launching the Joint Investigation Team for Securities and Financial Crimes, and Kwon Soongun, who handled related cases at the Seoul Central District Court.”

July 8, 2024
An interview with Kyungchun Kim of Lee & Ko was published in The Bell. The Bell introduced Kyungchun Kim as “a key figure in the M&A and corporate advisory sectors, having built expertise in M&A legal advisory services through participation in various deals led by major corporations and private equity funds." In the interview, Kyungchun Kim expressed his ambition to provide legal advice that can truly benefit clients through a ‘positivist approach.’

On July 2, 2024, the Korea Economic Daily reported Lee & Ko’s recruitment of Yang Ho Park, former head of the Legal Affairs Division at the Ministry of Justice (MOJ). Mr. Park is an expert in criminal law who has accumulated his expertise and experience in various criminal areas as he was in charge of special investigation and cases related to social issues in Prosecutors’ Offices throughout the nation, including the Public Investigation Department of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Special Branch of the Ulsan District Prosecutors’ Office, Special Investigation Department of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office, while also in charge of customs cases in Incheon District Prosecutors' Office. He has also served in key posts at the Ministry of Justice as he was in charge of personnel business of the prosecution system and prosecutors at the MOJ’s Prosecution Service Division, enactment and amendment of civil law, review and advisory of laws regarding national institutions at the MOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel, and general management of AI legal technology policies such as legal counselling services at the MOJ’s Legal Affairs Division. Mr. Park will be responsible for legislative support to various corporate-related criminal cases and legislations in areas of corporate, finance, serious accidents, fair trade, customs etc. at Lee & Ko’s criminal group. 

On July 2, 2024, the Yonhap News reported that Lee & Ko will provide legal support to startups entering the global market with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups held a MOU and inauguration ceremony of advisory body for startups with law firms such as Lee & Ko on July 2 to establish a cooperative legal support system for startups. Law firms such as Lee & Ko plan to provide customized, free legal support regarding execution of contracts with overseas companies, protection of intellectual property rights etc. to startups by utilizing their abundant expertise in foreign law and networks such as overseas offices.