The past year has been unusually active for dispute resolution in Korea. The most important developments concern attorney-client privilege, constitutional review of final court judgments, arbitration rules, and corporate-governance reforms that are likely to generate more shareholder and board-level disputes. We shall update the reader when more is known. Please check back often. Korea has taken a major step toward statutory attorney-client privilege. On January 29, 2026, the National Assembly passed an amendment to the Attorney-at-Law Act of Korea introducing a new Article 26-2. The amendment recognizes
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Korean Inheritance Law & Trust Planning Resource Guide by IPG Legal’s Seoul, Korea Office
A Comprehensive Resource on Wills, Forced Heirship, Estate Disputes, and Cross-Border Succession Inheritance law in Korea presents unique challenges that are often underestimated by foreign nationals, overseas Koreans, and international families. Korea’s civil law system imposes mandatory inheritance rules, strict procedural requirements, and one of the most demanding inheritance tax regimes globally. These issues frequently intersect with foreign laws, creating complex cross-border disputes and unintended outcomes that IPG Legal works on for clients. Over many years, The Korean Law Blog has published detailed articles on Korean inheritance
Continue readingKorean Supreme Court Statute of Limitation Holding on the May 18 Democratization Movement Uprising
The Supreme Court of Korea overturned a lower court’s ruling that the statute of limitations had expired in a lawsuit filed by the families of the alleged victims of the “May 18 Democratization Movement” (May 18, 1980). The full bench of the Korean Supreme Court ruled that courts in Korea should consider the circumstances that made it difficult for the families to file a lawsuit due to past compensation payments and the presumption of settlement clause. For additional articles on the Korean Statute of Limitations, please see: Korean
Continue readingIPG Legal Expert Opinions on Korean Law for Foreign Courts and Law Firms
As complex cross-border litigation, arbitration, and international transactions continue to increase in Korea, foreign courts and overseas counsel are frequently required to apply or assess Korean law and the Korean legal system. In such cases, accurate and nuanced interpretation of Korean statutes, judicial precedent, and regulatory practice is essential. IPG Legal regularly works with foreign lawyers and courts to provide expert opinions on matters governed by Korean law. We often appear in court and provide legal opinions worldwide. The Role of Korean Law Expert Opinions in Cross-Border
Continue readingSouth Korean Court Recognizes Causal Link Between COVID-19 Vaccine and Neurological Injury
Korea is leading the way, through its courts, in providing compensation for damages allegedly caused by the COVID-19 Vaccination. A recent ruling by the Seoul Administrative Court has marked a significant development in Korea’s vaccine-related compensation jurisprudence. The Seoul Administrative Court held that a causal relationship existed between the taking of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination and a patient’s subsequent diagnosis of acute transverse myelitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). This Korean court noted that a causal relationship can be inferred based on temporal proximity, medical probability, and the
Continue readingKorean Commercial Arbitration Board Announces Comprehensive Revision to Arbitration Rules: Korean Arbitration Updates
The Korea Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB) International Arbitration Center has announced a comprehensive revision of its International Arbitration Rules. This is the first significant amendment to the Rules in a decade. The revised Rules, scheduled to take effect in January 2026, introduce substantial structural and procedural enhancements designed to align KCAB’s operations with global best practices in international arbitration and increase the number of cases heard at the KCAB. Key reforms include the establishment of a dedicated International Arbitration Court, the introduction of expedited and simplified procedures,
Continue readingReal Estate Litigation in Korea: Navigating Korean Property Disputes in a Challenging Korean Property Market
Real estate and property disputes in Korea are on the rise. Korea’s rapid urban development, the growth of mixed-use projects, a complex lease-deposit culture, and the presence of many fraudulent actors have made real estate litigation one of the most active areas of Korean civil and criminal law practice. What once involved routine ownership or tenancy issues now regularly includes high-value civil compensation claims, construction-defect suits, and administrative appeals. IPG Legal’s real estate and dispute resolution team has represented both Korean and foreign parties in property cases
Continue readingFiling a Lawsuit in Korea: The Korean Civil Litigation System explained by IPG Legal Law Firm
South Korea’s civil litigation system is governed by the Korean Civil Procedure Act. The Civil Procedure Act of Korea (민사소송법, Minsa Sosong Beop) is the primary legislation governing civil litigation in the Republic of Korea. It establishes the framework for how disputes between private parties are initiated, conducted, and resolved in the Korean courts. Most civil and commercial disputes in Korea are generally handled through a three-tiered court system. Thus, at the base are the District Courts (지방법원), which serve as the courts of first instance; above
Continue readingKorean Inheritance Law and Cross-Border Estate Planning under Korean Law: A Comprehensive Guide
Korean inheritance law is complex and ever-changing, particularly when family and estate matters cross international borders. Issues of jurisdiction, nationality, residence, asset location, and inheritance taxation often overlap. The nationality of the decedent, the residence of both the decedent and the heirs, and the situs of assets may each affect the applicable inheritance law and tax treatment. For more information on Korean inheritance law, please see: IPG Legal’s Inheritance & Estate Law Archive. For this reason, retaining an experienced Korean inheritance lawyer and a proactive tax professional is
Continue readingProtecting your Brand, Business & Reputation from Defamation in Korea
We, at IPG Legal, have clients with the need to defend their brands, business, and reputation in Korea from sometimes less than mentally stable individuals, trolls, and social media “warriors.” In some cases, the defaming party resides or resided in Korea and the defamatory information is decimated in non-Korean media channels and in others the defaming party is a Korean national engaged in defamation outside of the Republic of Korea (Korean law applies to Korean nationals, in most cases, for actions gloablly). We have, also, defended a
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