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
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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 readingEnforcing your Trademark Rights in Korea: Korean IP Protection Strategies
Please register all of your trademarks and other intellectual property in Korea. Yes, your “international filing” is not good enough. You must, before engaging in any additional consideration of doing business in Korea, register your IP in Korea. After registering your IP in Korea, please follow, at a minimum, this simple advice. Strategy for Protecting Your Intellectual Property in Korea by 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
Continue readingBusiness Opportunities for Foreign Companies in South Korea
South Korea is an excellent testing ground for determining the feasibility of your business in other Asian markets, such as China or Japan. The country has also proven more profitable for many companies than the often elusive “Chinese Middle Class.” For more information on Doing Business in Korea, please see: IPG Legal’s Corporate Law Archive. The following is a list of some industries in Korea that have proven successful for foreign companies and entrepreneurs: 1. Franchises. The franchise market in Korea is booming. All major players are
Continue readingIs it Crime in Korea to Record, Save, and Possess a Video Using the Video Call and Recording Function of a Mobile Phone?
The following is a translation from Korean to English of a post on a Naver Blog by Attorney Haenam Jung. Attorney Jung is a retired Korean judge working with IPG Legal who shares interesting issues on his Naver Blog on Korean Law. His blog is in Korean and we shall be sharing some of his posts and reposts on this blog over the next couple of months. The below is a computer translation of the Supreme Court’s Official Summary of the case that was edited by IPG
Continue readingInjunction Granted by Korean Court Against NewJeans: Korean Entertainment Law Updates
In a major decision in Korean Entertainment Law, the unilateral decision of NewJeans to form the group NJZ and perform outside of its agreement with the management company Ador (a subsidiary of HYBE) was deemed a breach of contract by members of NewJeans. The members of NewJeans, who debuted through Ador, announced in November 2024 that their contracts with Ador are terminated due to violation of their exclusive contract. Thereafter, they changed their group name to NJZ. In January 2025, Ador filed a request to the Seoul
Continue readingYes -you can Win a Lawsuit in Korea against Entertainment Management Companies
The Seoul Central District court ruled in favor of Han Keng, a former member of Super Juniors, a leading Korean pop group formed by SM Entertainment, in ruling that his contracts with SM Entertainment were null and void. This is a repost of post, orginally, posted in 2011 in reaction to a recent similar matter. The court opined that: “The exclusive contract between Han and SM Entertainment is considerably unfair to him as it is unilaterally advantageous to the management agency, which had superior leverage at the
Continue readingTop 100 Korean Lawyers & Legal Consultants in Korea
Sean Hayes, an attorney for the Top Korean Dispute Resolution Law Firm of the Year was rated by LawAsia, one of the leading peer-reviewed publications in Asia, as a Top 100 Lawyer in Korea. Sean Hayes is one of the only non-Korean attorneys on this Korean Lawyer “A-list” and the only non-Korean that was on the list each year the list was published. 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
Continue readingTop Law Firms in Korea for English-Speaking Clients According to 10 Magazine
We are proud to note that 10 Magazine listed us in an article titled 10 Lawyers in Seoul for English-Speaking Expats in Korea. IPG is listed under the title Large/International Law Firms. Thanks for the mention 10 Magazine. We love your work. IPG Legal and many of our lawyers were listed as top attorneys by numerous legal rating services and magazines. Sean Hayes was, also, rated a top 100 Attorney. To learn more about IPG Legal please check out our website at: IPG Legal. The article by 10
Continue readingContent Opportunities for Int’l Entertainment Companies in Korea
The global success of BTS hasn’t gone unnoticed in the US, as Korea remains an excellent market for foreign companies actively pursuing content partnerships in Asia. Over the last decade, IPG Legal has built significant relationships with major entertainment companies in Korea and abroad and worked on several international collaborations. British singer Ed Sheeran is the latest foreign entertainer to collaborate with a K-Pop band. Sheeran co-wrote the lyrics for the BTS single “Permission to Dance.” International content and entertainment companies are being actively encouraged by the
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