The Amendment to the Korean Road Traffic Act (hereinafter as “ Korean RTA”) is in force since March 2019 and shall generally increase the safety for children in school buses in Korea. The Amendment was a reaction to an accident that occurred with in school buses, including children, which got physically harmed or even died. An infamous incident involved a young child that left unattended in a bus and died because of, among other things, heat exhaustion. Korean RTA drastically changed, the following brief snippet is, only, the tip of the iceberg. If you are running a business that transports children, we, highly, recommend having your law firm in Korea walk you through this law. Two Highlights of the Amendment to the Korean Road Traffic Act 2019 “A driver of a school bus for children shall operate a device that verifies that the discharge of children from the bus has
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 and 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.
Über IPG
Unsere weltweit-erfahrenen und lokal-vernetzten englisch-sprachigen koreanischen Rechtsanwälte und Business Professionals unterscheiden sich bewusst von der Menge. Wir lieben es an den kompliziertesten und umstrittensten Rechtsfällen in Korea zu arbeiten und genießen es besonders vorausschauende und effizient gewiefte Rechtsberatung zur Verfügung zu stellen. Bewusst anders Wir unterscheiden uns bewusst von anderen koreanischen Rechtsanwaltskanzleien. Koreanische Rechtsanwaltskanzleien werden oft für ihren Mangel an Bereitwilligkeit oder der Fähigkeit, eine effiziente, proaktive und konfliktlösende Rechtsvertretung für Klienten zur Verfügung zu stellen, kritisiert. Klienten und internationale Rechtsanwaltskanzleien kommen oft zu IPG, nachdem sie diese „koreanische Realität“ erlebt haben. Unsere Firma und ihre koreanischen und internationalen Rechtsanwälte wurden von führenden rechtlichen Ratingagenturen wegen ihrer starken lokalen Vernetzung, ihres modernen Fall-Managementsystems und ihrer realen vor Ort gewonnen internationalen Rechtserfahrung gepaart mit einer intensiven Leidenschaft für Erfolg anerkannt. International bewertet Unzählige internationale rechtliche Ratingservices haben unsere Anwälte als führende Anwälte im Bereich Wirtschaftsrecht, Zivilprozess, Entertainmentrecht, Franchiserecht und Strafverteidigung anerkannt.
Continue readingÜber den Autor: Sean Hayes
Sean, und seine Anwaltskanzlei, werden oft vorzugsweise gegenüber ubiquitär koreanisch-basierten Anwaltskanzleien gewählt, wenn konfliktfreie und aggressive Rechtsvertretung für den Erfolg essentiell ist. Die Artikel in diesem Blog werden von Sean Hayes, ehemaligen Richtern, erfahrenen koreanischen Anwälten und anderen Anwälten von IPG für Sie zur Verfügung gestellt. Der New Yorker Anwalt Sean Hayes, als Sohn eines irischen Vaters und einer italienischen Mutter, wuchs sowohl in Connecticut und New York auf. Er ist von amerikanischer und italienischer Nationalität und permanenter Einwohner in Korea. Er hat seine rechtliche Ausbildung in Korea, den Vereinigten Staaten und im Vereinigten Königreich erhalten. Sean Hayes ist der erste nicht-Koreaner beschäftigt im koreanischen Gerichtssystem (koreanisches Verfassungsgericht) und einer der ersten nicht-Koreaner als reguläres Vollzeit-Mitglied einer koreanischen Rechtsfakultät. Sean ist bekannt für seine über 16-jährige rechtliche Berufserfahrung, für seine aggressive Anwaltschaft und redliche NY-stylische gewiefte Rechtsberatung. Sean arbeitet mit einem Kader erfahrener und vernetzter ausgeschiedener Richter, Staatsanwälte, interne Rechtsanwälte,
Continue readingLicensee has Standing to Challenge the Validity of a Patent in Korea. Korean Licensing & Royalty Law Updates
Prior to a recent holding by the Supreme Court of Korea, the Korean Supreme Court had conflicting holdings on the definition of an “interested party” under Korean Patent Law. In order for a party to challenge the validity of a patent, in Korea, a party challenging the patent must be an “interested party.” Until this year, it was not clear whether a licensee of the patent in question is an “interested party” with standing to challenge the patent in Korea. A recent holding by the Supreme Court shall, likely, lead to substantially increased risk of non-payment of royalty payments and litigation in Korean courts. We, thus, suggest all that are receiving, or are expected to receive, royalty payments from Korean companies to have a comprehensive review of your patents and licensing agreements. A good deal of the risk can be mitigated by a nuanced license agreement and a Korean-tailored patent.
Continue readingKorean Act on Special Cases Concerning the Establishment and Operation of Internet Banks
In September 2018 the Korean National Assembly passed the Korean Act on Special Cases Concerning the Establishment and Operation of Internet Banks (hereinafter as “Act on Internet-Only Banks”), which is in force since January 2019. The major facial intent of the Act on Internet-Only Banks is to “…encourage innovative enterprises to enter the financial market while laying the legal framework for the convergence of information and communications technologies (ICT) with financial services, and the creation of new economic growth drivers.” One of the main impetus for the Moon Administration related to this Act was to allow individuals and companies that may have a more difficult opportunity to obtain credit to obtain credit. The foregoing is, only, intended as a brief teaser and not anything more than to provide a basic understanding of this Act. Korean Act on Special Cases Concerning the Establishment and Operation of Internet Banks 2018 “Internet Banks”
Continue readingKorea Due Diligence for Joint Ventures, Licensing, OEMs and Buying a Korean Company
Intending execute a joint venture agreement with a Korean company? Buying a Korean company? Licensing technology to a Korean company? OEM with a Korean supplier? Selling to a Korean company?Before going to bed with a Korean company – do a little due diligence. The motivation for this article is an article by my friends over at the China Law Blog. Due diligence in Korea is not much different than due diligence in China. However, don’t forget what is said below: “get someone who truly knows what he or she is doing” to assist with the due diligence. We see too many Korean lawyers and Korean business professionals with a lot of ego, but little on-the-ground high-level Korean experience or an inability to think strategically. The few great due diligence professionals are, typically, not found easily at the ubiquitous Korean Law Firms, because of issues of the over-delegation of tasks to
Continue readingMaterial Breach of Korean Contracts Under Korean Law: Primary Obligations vs. Secondary Obligations in Korea Courts
In most Western nations a “material” breach of a contract leads to the non-breaching party not having to perform its obligations under the contract, while allowing the non-breaching party to immediately sue for all damages (or performance).The Restatement (Second) of Contracts 241 notes that the following criteria can be used to determine whether a specific action/inaction constitutes a material breach: “In determining whether a failure to render or to offer performance is material, the following circumstances are significant: (a) the extent to which the injured party will be deprived of the benefit which he reasonably expected; (b) the extent to which the injured party can be adequately compensated for the part of that benefit of which he will be deprived; (c) the extent to which the party failing to perform or to offer to perform will suffer forfeiture; (d) the likelihood that the party failing to perform or to offer
Continue readingSean Hayes attended the Korea Business Forum
The Korean Business Forum is one of the leading private groups of senior executives in leading companies doing business in Korea. The group meets, at least, monthly to discuss major issues affecting businesses in Korea. I, highly, recommend applying for membership in the Korean Business Forum. This month’s meeting addressed issues facing the Korean economy, the new labor policy of the Moon Administration, and major reasons why Korea is still important for international businesses. Some interesting takeaways: Korea is the 11th largest economy by nominal GDP in the world. Korea is the 4th largest economy in Asia. Korea is the leading chip manufacturer and shipbuilder in the world. Korea is the 4th largest oil producer and 6th largest car maker in the world. Korea is the 6th largest exporter in the world. Korea’s household debt is one of the highest in the world. Korea ranks low in the World Competitive
Continue readingCorruption in Korea: What is the Crux of the Problem? by Tom Coyner
Whenever I read a news item regarding Korean corruption, I have mixed feelings. Usually the article is based on the latest finding by a well-meaning NGO that focuses on corrupting influence of big business on government without adequately addressing the root causes or even the breadth of corruption. Korean corruption doesn’t limit itself to envelopes and car trunks of cash being paid by business people to government officers. *The following article is a re-posting of an article by Tom Coyner. The article first appeared on this law blog in 2012. The issues remain the same and we thought this was an excellent time to repost this excellent article on an important issue for those doing business in Korea. So one may ask oneself, “Can Korea end its many forms of corruption?” That is the essential question, and the obvious answer is “no.” I don’t mean that as a cynical observation.
Continue readingBuilding Systems Before JVs in Korea to Build Trust between Partners
A blog referred to me by the China Law Blog has a wonderful post on Developing Trust in China by Building Trustworthy Systems/Processes. The same advice given in this blog post is relevant to work done in Korea, Southeast Asia, China and even the West. We believe that the verification of the developing and implementation of these system is, often, necessary before building a joint venture relationship with a Korean company. The value of building systems is not to be underestimated in Korea. Koreans, in most respects, are wonderful at performing tasks that are well dictated and explained. While in the West, we often appreciate more autonomy and, often, don’t strive when systems are too rigid. In the East, many strive on ordered guidance. My law firm often works with business consultants to assist client in implementing systems that reward following these systems/processes. These “systems” are, often, incorporated by reference
Continue readingContract Drafting in South Korea
The following post considers some of the basics of contract drafting in South Korea. The following post is meant to be, only, a basic explanation of the basics of a good Korean contract based on a few observations. This post is not meant to be an exhaustive explanation of this issue, books have been written on contract drafting and we will not be drafting a book with this post. The main purpose of drafting a contract is to avoid a dispute. This article and a great Korean-experienced lawyer with an understanding of business in Korea and your industry should assist you in avoiding a legal dispute in Korea. Basics Considerations Before Signing a Contract in Korea Contract Clarity. We see all too often, Korean contracts that lend themselves to unnecessary ambiguity. In some cases, ambiguity may be a benefit to our clients doing business in Korea, but in other cases, ambiguity
Continue readingUsing Korea as a Test Bed for Asian Expansion: Look to Facebook
I have advised, on many occasions, clients to look to Korea for their Asian expansion prior to entering more expensive and difficult Asian markets. Hey Facebook seems to agree in an article entitled: Facebook uses Korea as Test Bed. This is a repost of article from nearly five years ago. China is becoming even more difficult and much of SE Asia is not becoming anymore transparent – Korea is an excellent place to test the Asian waters. The Korea Herald has an interesting article that quotes the president of Facebook Korea as noting that: “Facebook sees Korea as an important country due to its high mobile usage and the presence of global companies like Samsung and Hyundai,” he said. “This makes Korea an important test bed to Facebook (insofar as it is) wishing to be a mobile-first company.” We, strongly, recommend that all companies consider Korea as a useful “test
Continue readingSean Hayes ranked a Top 100 Lawyer for his work in South Korea by Asia Business Law Journal.
IPG is proud to announce that Sean Hayes is awarded the honor of being one of the Top 100 lawyers working in South Korea by the Asia Business Law Journal. Sean is, also, ranked a top attorney in numerous other leading rankings. A client noted to the journal that Attorney Sean Hayes is: “proactive, kind and focused on our industry and really got to know our business.” Thanks to the clients that recognize our hard work and thanks to our lawyer and paralegal team at IPG for making me look better than I really am. I am nothing without you. The Asia Business Law Journal is a leading legal journal dedicated to legal practitioners working in Asia. Sean HayesIPG LegalTel: 82 70 7847 9050Email: [email protected] Key practice areas: Franchisors; defence companies; chemical companies; industrials; and startups ExperienceCon. Court of Korea, Research OfficerKookmin Univ., Law ProfessorSeoul National University, Adj. professorKorea Times, Columnist
Continue readingMinority Squeeze-outs in Companies in Korea
The amended Korea Commercial Code of 2012 allows majority shareholders with 95% of the shares of a company in Korea, to purchase the shares of the minority for “fair value.” Thus, allowing a statutory means under Korean Law to squeeze-out a minority shareholder. Fair value may be determined by the court if the parties are unable to reach an agreement within 30 days of a request by the majority shareholder to purchase the shares of the minority. We advise that you place a mechanism within your shareholder agreement (if possible) noting the manner of determining fair market value. ___ Sean Hayes may be contacted at: [email protected] Sean Hayes is co-chair of the Korea Practice Team at IPG Legal. He 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
Continue reading“Probationary Periods” in Korean Employment Contracts for Newly-Hired Workers
Korean companies should consider negotiating stipulations to create “probationary periods” at the start of employment to train and assess newly-hired Korean workers. Often companies wish to evaluate workers over a set period of time after concluding a labor contract to assess the worker’s abilities and intelligence, and to allow the worker time to gain familiarity with the work. This period of employment is called a “probationary period.” The practice is relatively unregulated by the government. The Labor Standards Act of Korea provides, among other things, minimum standards for conditions of employment, prohibits discrimination and the use of force or violence against workers. But, it provides little guidance on regulating “probationary periods.” The only guidance the Labor Standards Act provides can be found within Article 35, which states that employers do not need to provide 30 day notice of dismissal to workers under a “probationary period” and within Article 77, which
Continue readingKorean Medical Malpractice Law and the Medical Malpractice Arbitration System: Suing a doctor in Korea
So you want to sue your Korean doctor in a Korean court? IPG has handled numerous medical malpractice matters for plaintiffs and defendants of medical malpractice cases in Korea in Korean courts and we were, prior, to having knowledge of the composition of the new Korean Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency – were very pessimistic about its usefulness for plaintiffs. When we first heard about the enactment of the new Korean Medical Malpractice Law we were skeptical if the system would be useful for plaintiffs, since, often, the court and prosecutors are able to assert more pressure on doctors than this type commission and we were worried that this agency would be dominated by doctors. However, after a discussion with one of the standing commissioners of the Korean Medical Dispute Mediation and Arbitration Agency, who we know well and who we worked with in the past, we have come to
Continue readingWhat can Korea Learn From Ireland? by Senior Advisor Tom Coyner
My recent essay, “Denuclearization – Korea’s Red Herring,” stirred much discussion. Most reaction was favorable, but there was also some heated controversy. I had a chance to engage at depth with two ambassadors to Korea. Both diplomats were quite familiar, of course, with North and South Korea. This article is a reposting of an article from 2012, but seems pertinent for, also, today. I will try to fairly represent both ambassadors’ perspectives since one man was skeptical and the other was encouraging of my ideas. Readers may draw their own conclusions. The first ambassador is from Eastern Europe. He began his career under a socialist government and is therefore in a privileged position of viewing North Korea both from the perspective of a once sympathetic ally and from what may now be assumed to be a more balanced vantage point. This ambassador’s argument was that my recommended shift in diplomacy
Continue readingAntitrust/Competition Consent Orders in Korea
in 2011, the Korean National Assembly passed, along with the Korea-U.S. FTA and related bills, a law that allows the Fair Trade Commission of Korea (KFTC) to accept consent orders. A consent order is similar, in many respects, to a nolo contendere plea. The consent order process has allowed the KFTC to punish without the admission of guilt to the company. This has lead to a decrease, in recent years, of a burden on the KFTC, more efficient enforcement proceedings, and has sped up many M & A deals – while allowing companies doing business in Korea to more adequately gauge the risk of a certain actions by the company. The disposition is similar, in a criminal matter, to a nolo contendere (no contest). In short, the accused accepts the proposed punishment, however, doesn’t admit guilt. Thus, the company may save a little face and time, while the government is
Continue readingKorean Merger Control and the Korean FTC
The Monopoly Regulation & Fair Trade Act of Korea (Fair Trade Act of Korea) is the main regulation governing mergers and acquisitions in Korea. In the majority of cases, reporting and approval is not required for a target company with a yearly turnover of less than KRW 20 billion. The specific jurisdictional thresholds shall be addressed in a followup article. This article is intended to, simply, provide a list of the main Merger Control issues . A more substantive article shall follow. The following types of transactions are required to be reported and approved, in most cases, by the Fair Trade Commission of Korea (“KFTC”). Purchase of 15% of the shares of a listed domestic company; Purchase of 20% of the shares of a non-listed company; Establishment of a joint venture or increasing shareholdings to meet the thresholds in 1 or 2 above; Merger with a company; or Purchase of
Continue reading