A shareholder deadlock in Korea can lead to court-ordered dissolution when the conflict prevents normal business operations, causes or threatens irreparable harm, and leaves no realistic alternative for protecting the shareholder’s interests. Equal ownership alone, however, does not automatically provide grounds to dissolve a company. On June 26, 2026, the 10th Civil Division of the Suwon High Court, in Case No. 2025Na13796, dismissed a company’s appeal and upheld a judgment ordering its dissolution. The dispute involved two business partners who each owned 50% of the company’s shares
Continue readingAuthor: Sean Hayes
Sean Hayes is the first non-Korean employed as a foreign attorney by the Korean Court System (Constitutional Court of Korea) and one of the first non-Koreans to be a full-time regular member of a Korean law faculty. He is rated a Top Attorney by numerous legal rating agencies and is known for his street-smart advice, candor, aggressive & non-conflicted advocacy.
Sean has been quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, CNN, Money Today, US Today, The Korea Times, The Korea Herald, France 24, Asia Legal Business and other leading news sources.
IPG was, recently, rated a top Dispute Resolution Law Firm and Sean a Top 100 Lawyer for International Law.
Korean F-4 Visa Changes: Korean Immigration Law Updates
The February 12, 2026 changes to Korean Immigration Law bring H-2 and F-4 under a unified F-4 framework and have ended the issuance of new H-2 visas. We shall write an article on this in the near future. This article was prompted by a client interested in applying for an F-4 visa. Updated F-4 document checklist The following is a preparation checklist. The final submission requirements depend on whether the applicant is a former Korean citizen or a descendant, and where the application is filed. Current consular
Continue readingDealing with Unions in Korea: The Top 14 Do’s and Don’ts by HR Advisor to IPG Legal
This is a post by Tom Coyner from over a decade ago on Korean Unions, but it is still valid for today. Korea, the Land of Perpetual Crisis, is facing yet another crossroads—this time, the focus is on renewed challenges facing manufacturing. The weakening Japanese yen, together with the growing strength of Chinese manufacturing, not to mention rising Korean labor costs, is placing Korea once again as the proverbial shrimp between two whales. In fact, much of the real growth of Korean manufacturing is happening in Korean-owned
Continue readingIPG Legal’s Korean Criminal Defense Team Earns Not Guilty Verdict for Expat Victim of Romance Scam
IPG Legal has secured more than 60 not-guilty verdicts in Korean criminal law cases, including a recent acquittal for a client who was the victim of a catfishing drug-importation scam. For more information on Korean Criminal Law, please see: IPG Legal’s Criminal Law Archive. A Recent Acquittal for a Victim of a Catfishing Drug-Importation Scam IPG Legal recently obtained a not-guilty verdict for a victim of a catfishing scam involving drug importation. We are keeping the client’s identity and identifying circumstances confidential. However, the case raises a
Continue readingIPG Legal Expands Its International Legal Publishing Presence Through Lexology
IPG Legal expands its role as a source of English-language analysis on Korean law through its publication and presence on Lexology, one of the world’s leading platforms for international legal commentary, research, and professional legal updates. Lexology publishes legal analysis from more than 900 law firms and professional-service providers worldwide, covering more than 50 practice areas in 25 languages. Its searchable database contains more than one million articles and resources addressing legal developments across jurisdictions. IPG Legal now maintains a dedicated firm presence on Lexology, where its
Continue readingTop Ten Mistakes of Companies Doing Business in Korea
Our law firm has worked with foreign clients of all shapes and sizes doing business in Korea. Surprisingly, we see many of the same issues with our multinational clients as with our SME clients, so we drafted this post. TOP TEN ERRORS OF COMPANIES IN THE KOREA MARKET Am I missing anything? Sean Hayes Sean Hayes is the first non-Korean attorney to have worked for the Korean court system (Constitutional Court of Korea) and one of the first non-Koreans to be a regular member of a Korean law
Continue readingGifts as Compensation for Support of Korean Parents Excluded from Legal Reserve of Inheritance in Korea
The Korean Supreme Court has reaffirmed that property gifted as compensation for long-term support or caregiving of a deceased parent may be excluded from special benefits subject to the calculation of the Korean legal reserve of inheritance, to the extent corresponding to such contribution. The ruling is based on the reasoning that since the retroactive effect of a Korean Constitutional Court ruling of unconstitutionality applies to cases pending in court at the time, even if the parties did not file a request for a constitutional review, the
Continue readingKorean Court Awards Double Damages for Intentional Design-Right Infringement: Korean Intellectual Property Law Updates
A recent decision of the Seoul Central District Court highlights the potential exposure faced by companies that manufacture or sell products incorporating designs developed by third parties without authorization from the 3rd party. In Case No. 2025Gadan106047, the court ordered Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co., Ltd. and an event-management company to jointly and severally pay KRW 39 million to a designer for the intentional infringement of a registered design right. The award represented twice the amount of the designer’s actual damages as calculated by the court. Facts Design
Continue readingConstitutional Court of Korea on Gifting of Property to Children who Abandon Parents
The Constitutional Court of Korea ruled that a provision in the Korean Civil Code prohibiting the revocation of a gift of property already transferred, even if a child abandons their duty to support their parents, does not violate the Korean Constitution. The Court also ruled that the provision prohibiting the revocation of a gift after it has been executed on the grounds that the contract was not in writing or that the donor’s financial condition has deteriorated is constitutional. The case stems from a constitutional complaint filed
Continue readingSucceeding in a Retail Business in Korea by Tom Coyner
The following is an article written by Tom Coyner in 2007 that still has relevance in today’s evolving retail market in Korea. Interesting read on an issue that hasn’t changed much since 2007. It’s amazing what a decade can bring in a rapidly evolving economy such as Korea. In my recent article, I discussed how traditional stores have seen their markets nibbled away by first department stores and later convenience stores. As important as these developments may be, Korean consumers are now being offered new alternatives. Consider
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