One of the most misunderstood features of the Korean legal system is the frequent overlap between civil liability and criminal exposure. In many jurisdictions, a breach of contract, shareholder dispute, derivative suit, partnership dispute, or failure to pay a debt is addressed strictly through civil litigation. In Korea, however, the same conduct can trigger Korean criminal investigations by the Korean police and Korean prosecution. Why Civil Disputes Become Criminal Cases in Korea The Korean legal system permits criminal liability where conduct underlying a civil dispute implicates intent,
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The History of The Korean Law Blog by IPG Legal
In July 2003, a reader in Taejon, Korea, asked Sean Hayes a straightforward question: how can a tenant protect a large rental deposit against a landlord who might refuse to return it? Hayes answered the question in a column for The Korea Herald. That article remains in The Korean Law Blog’s archives, a reminder that the publication’s roots lie in answering questions people actually bring to lawyers. Korean Law Blog. The Korean Law Blog was founded by Hayes and published by IPG Legal. The Korean Law Blog
Continue readingAiding and Abetting Fraud in Korea
The Korean Supreme Court ruled that installing computers in a call center operated by a fraud organization does not constitute aiding and abetting fraud. The ruling implies that even if circumstances raised doubts about the legality of the call center business, the court must separately examine whether the individual “knew of” and “aided” the specific fraudulent acts. Thus, mere suspicion that your product or service can be used in a fraud is not adequate to establish fraud. The First Criminal Division of the Supreme Court of Korea
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 readingDefinition of Personal Information Processor under Korean PIPA
The Supreme Court of Korea ruled that a person who obtains personal information through fraudulent or deceptive means and uses it for business purposes is also a “personal information processor” under Korea’s Data Protection Law. In April of 2026, the First Criminal Division of the Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s ruling sentencing a defendant to one year in prison for violating the Korean Personal Information Protection Act ( 2026do477 ) (“PIPA”). For an article on Statutory Damages for PIPA violations, please see: PIPA Violations Statutory Damages.
Continue readingSo Young YOON and Sean HAYES appeared on Canadian TV: How a B.C. romance scam victim is coping behind bars in South Korea as trial approaches
Sean Hayes and So Young Yoon appeared on CTV in a criminal matter in Korea, which IPG Legal is assisting with on a reduced-fee basis, as we believe is part of our duty to the Korean legal system and expats in Korea. For additional articles on Korean Criminal Law, please see: IPG Legal’s Criminal Law Archive. Her lawyers argue Parks was unknowingly manipulated into transporting the drugs by someone she believed she was in a relationship with online. “We genuinely believe that No. 1, she didn’t know what was in the packages
Continue readingKorean Constitutional Court Upholds Use of Video Testimony for Disabled Sexual Assault Victims: Korea’s Confrontation Clause Jurisprudence
The Constitutional Court of Korea upheld the constitutionality of a controversial evidentiary provision permitting the use of pre-recorded video statements of certain sexual assault victims. In a split 4–5 decision (Case No. 2023Heonga20), the Court declined to invalidate Article 30(6) of the former Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes. Six votes are required, under Korean Law, to strike down a statute, and the Court received 5 votes to invalidate the law in question. For additional articles on Korean Constitutional Law and Criminal
Continue readingKorean Supreme Court Clarifies Statute of Limitations in Criminal Cases in Korea
In a recent decision by the Korean Supreme Court, the Court clarified how a statute of limitations tolls in Korea in criminal cases. The Supreme Court of Korea held that when prosecutors amend an indictment to add related charges, the statute of limitations should be determined based on the date of the original indictment rather than the date of the amendment of the indictment. On January 15, 2026, the Second Criminal Division of the Korean Supreme Court (Chief Justice Kwon Young-jun) overturned an appellate court decision that
Continue readingAttorney-Client Privilege in Korea Clarified and Strengthened by Korean Supreme Court Holding
Cancellation of Seizure of Legal Opinion & Evidence in Korean Criminal Prosecution (2024Mo730) On February 20, 2025, the First Division of the Supreme Court of Korea (Chief Justice Shin Sook-hee) issued a significant ruling in 2024Mo730, canceling the Korean prosecution’s seizure of approximately 120,000 emails and related materials that included legal opinions exchanged between criminal defendants and their Koraen defense counsel. IPG Legal advises proactivity and demanding that your lawyers in Korea share all sensitive data via a secure cloud drive. For additional articles in Korean Criminal Law
Continue readingKorean Prison Sentence for Gross Negligence in Care of a Dangerous Dog
A dog owner whose dog led to the serious injury to a 60-year-old man was found guilty of gross negligence resulting in death and sentenced to a 4-year prison sentence. Facts Korean Court Judgment The court of first, in short held that the minimum requirements of an owner of a dog that knows that his or her dog has bitten a prior person is to have a dog on a lease, in a cage or in a fenced in area and warning the public through signage noting
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