Coupang, an e-commerce company with its primary business in Korea, was found to have committed unfair labor practices in violation of Korea’s Trade Union Law and unfairly dismissed a worker in Korea in breach of the Korean Labor Standards Act. Coupang has been accused, on numerous occasions, of labor violations by foreign and domestic employees working for Coupang. NOTE: For full disclosure, IPG Legal is engaged for cases against Coupang by executives working for Coupang in Korea. While IPG Legal is typically engaged by foreign companies doing
Continue readingCategory: Korean Litigation
Korean Supreme Court Upholds ₩200 Million Fine Against Binggrae for Price-Fixing: Landmark Korean Competition/Antitrust Law Ruling
In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court of Korea upheld a KR₩200 million fine against Binggrae Co., Ltd. for its participation in a large-scale price-fixing scheme involving Korea’s top ice cream manufacturers. The decision, handed down on October 16, 2025, by the Supreme Court’s First Criminal Division (Presiding Justice Shin Sook-hee), brings closure to what has been described in the media as the largest food industry price collusion case in Korean history. Background: The Korean “Big Four Ice Cream Collusion Case” Following a comprehensive investigation, the Korea
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 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
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 readingKorean Constitutional Court Upholds Korean Election Law Restrictions on Voting and Political Campaigning by Religious Organizations
On October 23, 2025, the Constitutional Court of Korea delivered an important ruling in Case No. 2024Hun-Ba450, upholding key provisions of the Korean Public Official Election Act (“POEA”) that restrict voting rights and prohibit religiously affiliated campaigning for or against a political candidate or political party. The decision by the Constitutional Court of Korea arose from a constitutional petition filed by Pastor Gwang-hoon JEON of Sarang Jeil Church, who argued that the provisions of the law violated his rights under the Korean Constitution, including his religious liberties
Continue readingChildren in Korea Can Claim Back Child Support from Biological Fathers Even After Adulthood: Holding by the Korean Supreme Court
In a landmark decision on Korean Family Law handed down by the Korean Supreme Court, the Court ruled that a child born out of wedlock with a mother who agreed not to seek child support from the father can still obtain back child support from the biological father for the period when the child was a minor. The Korean Supreme Court reaffirmed the view that parental responsibility is rooted in the parent-child relationship, rather than in marital or legal agreements between the child’s parents. Korean Family Law
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 readingLess than 10% of Korean Civil Cases Settle Before a Judgment
The Legal Times has reported that a recent study found that less than one in ten civil lawsuits resolve through settlement or mediation. Over the past five years, an average of 61% of civil cases in the first trial ended in a verdict, while only 7% ended in mediation or reconciliation. This represents a significant difference compared to countries like Japan (33%) and the United States (60-70%). The full article can be found at: [Exclusive] Civil litigation settlements and mediations are declining, with only 7% of cases
Continue readingKorean Companies Fined and Held Civilly Liable for Bid Rigging in Public Procurement in Korea
Five civil engineering companies were found to have colluded in bidding for a Gangwon Development Corporation project in Gangneung City, Korea. Following administrative sanctions imposed by the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), the Chuncheon District Court ruled that these companies must pay damages for their unlawful collusion (bid rigging). Facts Court Holding The court found that the defendants violated Article 19(1)(8) of the former MRFTA, which prohibits collusion that interferes with fair competition in public bidding. The court opined that: “The defendants should have independently determined the bidding
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