Foreign executives operating in Korea are often surprised to learn how quickly routine corporate decisions can escalate into personal criminal liability and Korean immigration issues. Unlike many Western jurisdictions, the Korean legal system frequently treats civil matters as criminal, to the angst of foreign directors in Korea. As a result, foreign directors and executives in Korea frequently find themselves subject to police investigations, prosecutor questioning, travel restrictions, or even indictments. This article outlines the most common sources of criminal exposure for foreign executives and directors in Korea,
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IPG 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 readingOverturning of a Finalized Criminal Conviction in Korea
In South Korea, after the finalization of a criminal conviction, overturning or reopening a criminal conviction is limited to specific post-conviction remedies noted below. We at IPG Legal have, regrettably, seen too many cases involving less-than-proactive and diligent representation that led to convictions that merit, at least, a reopening. The following article addresses the primary ways to overturn a criminal conviction in Korea. The major avenues of overturning a final and conclusive criminal conviction judgment in Korea are via: For more articles on Korean Criminal Law, please
Continue readingFree Speech Protection in Korea vs. the United States: How Public Insults Can Be Criminal in Korea and lead to deporation, but Protected Speech in the U.S.
Freedom of expression is constitutionally protected in both South Korea and the United States, but the legal boundaries of protected speech differ sharply. One of the most striking differences lies in how each system treats offensive or degrading speech directed at individuals. A recent decision of the Changwon District Court (October 30, 2024; 2025GoJeong341) highlights this contrast. In that case, verbal remarks protected under the U.S. First Amendment resulted in criminal liability for “insult” under Korean criminal law. For those in Korea on a visa, these types
Continue readingTraits of a Great Korean Criminal Defense Lawyer in Korea: Hiring an English-Speaking Defense Lawyer in South Korea
There are only a few great Korean criminal defense lawyers serving expats in Korea due to the nature of the Korean criminal justice system, ongoing conflicts, and other legal realities. In Korea, in all cases, where you are accused of a Korean crime and you fear that you may be sentenced to time in a Korean jail, may be deported from Korea or the Korean conviction may harm your future – hire, quickly, an experienced and proactive attorney in Korea with experience in Korean criminal law prior
Continue readingU.S. Foreign Corrupt Practice Act Basics for Companies Doing Business in Korea
If you are working for a U.S. company with operations in Korea or for a company headquartered in most other developed economies, you may be subject to anti-corruption laws in both your home jurisdiction and Korea. Violations often occur unintentionally through routine interactions with Korean government officials or quasi-government entities, or even by actions by your agents. To avoid potential criminal liability, civil fines, reputational harm, or harm to your employer doing business in Korea, it is essential to understand what constitutes a “corrupt payment” under the
Continue readingKorea’s Criminal Electronic Filing System: Key Takeaways for Korean Defense Attorneys & Defendants
Korea’s criminal justice system is undergoing one of the most significant procedural shifts in its modern history. With the introduction of the criminal electronic filing system in Korea on October 10, 2025, Korea has taken a significant step toward a fully digital, multi-agency criminal adjudication process, which is welcomed by most Korean defense attorneys. During the first month alone, the system recorded 1,124 electronic filings. For attorneys handling criminal matters, including IPG Legal’s criminal defense and complex litigation teams, this reform fundamentally changes how investigations, filings, and
Continue readingKorean Insurance Fraud: Supreme Court of Korea Holds Concealing the Full Details of an Accident Insurance Fraud
The Supreme Court of Korea has held that concealing the full circumstances of an electric kickboard accident constitutes insurance fraud in Korea. On September 25, 2025, the Korean Supreme Court’s 3rd Criminal Division (Presiding Justice Noh Kyung-pil) reversed an acquittal at a Korean appellate court for a Defendant charged with violating the Korean Special Act on the Prevention of Insurance Fraud. The Court reversed and remanded the case to the Jeju District Court with a guilty verdict (2024 Do 11951). All cases concerning the potential for a
Continue readingKorean Crypto & Investment Scams: Korean Prosecutors & Courts are Stepping Up
Investment scams in Korea promising “guaranteed profits” and/or “principal protection” continue to spread rapidly across online group chats and ”reading rooms.” Many victims in Korea and abroad are approached with too-good-to-be-true offers through KakaoTalk, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Naver Band. Recent Korean court rulings demonstrate that authorities in Korea are responding firmly to fraud and handing down significant prison sentences to those convicted by Korean courts. Recent Korean Court Holdings on Korean Crypto & Investment Scams Seoul Northern District Court (August 2024) (Case No. 2024godan3283)Four individuals were sentenced
Continue readingKorean Company CEO’s Criminal Liability for Workplace Safety under the Korean Occupational Safety & Health Act and Korean Serious Accidents Punishment Act
A recent judgment by the Changwon District Court in Korea (Case No. 2025Godan1381) highlights the increasing potential for criminal liability of CEOs and executives in Korea under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of Korea (OSHA) and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act of Korea (SAPA). On August 29, 2025, a Korean court sentenced the CEO of a painting company to one year in prison, suspended for two years, after a 46-year-old foreign worker fell to his death while repainting an apartment roof in Gimhae City, Korea. The
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