I just received a phone call from a prospective client with a wonderful product that has been offered a sweetheart deal. Whenever I hear that someone has received a no risk or sweetheart deal in Korea, a red flag immediately goes up in my head and I immediately request the client to let me do a couple of weeks of due diligence. One of the many, ubiquitous, sweetheart deals is ownership of shares in company in exchange for some benefit
Continue readingCategory: Korean Corporate and Compliance
The Status of Non-Registered Company Directors in Korea as an Employee under Korean Law
Many non-Korean workers for Korean and international companies doing business in Korea are hired under the title Director. Many of these workers are, in reality, executive employees working as executive-level managers. Many of these workers are “employees” under the Korean Labor Standards with all of the protections afforded employees. For an article on the dismissal of Foreign Executives in Korea please see: Unfair Dismissal of Foreign Executives under Korean Term Contracts and Dismissal of Employees in Korea. Korean Labor Standards
Continue readingKorean Jurisdictional and Choice of Law Issues in Commercial Agency & Distributor Agreements with Korean-based Agents & Distributors
In drafting and negotiating a Korean commercial agency agreement between a principal located in one country and an agent located in Korea, proper consideration needs to be given to the choices regarding the governing law and jurisdiction of such agreement. If you are looking for an article on choice of law issues in Korean employment disputes, please see: Choice of Law Issues in Korean Employment Law Disputes. If you are looking for a basic overview of Korean Agency & Distribution
Continue reading14 Things to Consider Before Starting a Manufacturing Business in South Korea
Korea, in many cases, is a better choice for the manufacturing of chemical, petroleum, construction equipment, complex crafted metals, specialty steel, automotive parts, semi-conductor, medical and pharmaceutical equipment and goods than China and most nations in Asia, because of Korea’s skilled work force, government incentives, protection of IP and increasingly transparent business practices. In many cases, manufacturing in Korea will not, in the end, be more costly than manufacturing in China, because of the increased efficiency of Korean workers and
Continue readingSouth Korea Offers a Variety of Business Visas for those Wishing to Conduct Business in Korea
South Korea offers several types of business visas for foreign nationals who want to conduct business activities in the country. These include the D-7 (Investor/Business Manager) Visa, D-8 (Corporate Investment) Visa, and D-9 (International Trade and Investment) Visa, among others. Each type of visa has its own eligibility requirements and conditions, and applicants must provide proof of their business plans and financial ability in order to obtain the specific visa. Korea’s visa laws are, often, changing. For an article quoting
Continue readingSteps to Set up a Business in South Korea
Setting up a corporate entity in South Korea involves several steps and can be complex. If you are setting up a Korean venture between multiple parties or corporations make sure you have a carefully and custom drafted Korean shareholder agreement, bylaws, articles of incorporation, employment agreements, employment rules, vendor agreements and you have the basic systems and processes in place to help insure working shareholder and employee compliance. Even if you are the, only, shareholder in the company make sure
Continue readingAn Introduction to IPG Legal’s Immigration Law Practice in Korea
Korean Immigration Law is an evolving area of law in South Korea that often changes with the change of governments. IPG legal many business and individual clients that run afoul or wish not to run afoul of Korea’s Immigration Laws. In worse-case scenarios, you can be deported, have an entry ban imposed, or be sent to a detention center or receive, even, a jail sentence. But, please know, for most individuals pathways exist to secure your visa status legally. IPG
Continue readingIPG Legal’s Korean Commercial Law Practice
IPG Legal is a prominent client-focused law firm with its Korean Office based in Seoul, South Korea. IPG Legal’s Commercial Law Practice provides legal services to individuals and businesses. IPG Legal’s Commercial Law Practice is widely recognized as a leading law practice in South Korea based on its numerous ratings in legal rating services and its reputation in the legal community. A U.S. lawyer working for IPG Legal, Sean Hayes, was rated in Asia Business Law Journal’s Top 100. IPG
Continue readingWhat are the Administrative Hurdles for Foreign Entrepreneurs to Start a Business in Korea?
Starting a business is rarely simple, and doing so as an expat in Korea involves not just financial challenges, but also the complex and constantly-changing Korean Immigration regulations that foreigners must follow in order to remain and legally launch a business in Korea. This law blog post is intended as a basic guide to Immigration challenges for entrepreneurs. Although the Korean government has launched a number of initiatives, recently, to draw in international expertise. The K-Startup Grand Challenge and the
Continue readingMergers & Acquisitions in The Korean E-Commerce Market: Opportunities for Foreign Niche E-Commerce Sites
First-generation Korean e-commerce enterprises are currently working to integrate recently acquired businesses and create new business prospects in the fiercely competitive E-commerce market of Korea. Last month, Korea Center, the owner of Enuri.com, the nation’s oldest online shopping mall and Danawa, another local e-commerce business, merged. In order to increase their ability to compete in the market, the two businesses intend to operate their e-commerce platforms independently while eventually building an integrated system forthe analysis of online shopping data. The
Continue readingKorean Small Business Partnerships/Joint Venture Startups
Starting a small business in Korea can be enjoyable and profitable if you get the business on the right track from the start. Too often we see those with “limited funds” (we all have limited funds -even multinationals have limited funds) choosing to forgo having the deals structured by a professional and just downloading a “partnership” agreement off the internet. Avoid the headaches and the costs in the future and structure all right from the start. I have learned from
Continue readingWhat Constitutes an “Employee” under Korean Law?
Who is an Employee/Worker under Korean Law with the Rights and Protections under Korean Labor Standards Acts and Related Laws & Regulations? The definition of an employee in Korea is a topic that had filled books. The following is a brief introduction to an issue that IPG Legal litigates for foreign employees of Korean companies and for foreign companies doing business in Korea. IPG Legal is the go to law firm for expats and foreign companies doing business in Korea
Continue readingDefinition of “Ordinary Wage” in Korea: Korean Employment & Labor Law Basics
The courts of the Republic of Korea, for years, has struggled to find a consistent interpretation of an “Ordinary Wage.” The definition of Ordinary Wage, under Korean Law, was clarified by the Korean Supreme Court in two decisions handed down on December 18, 2013. The calculation of Ordinary Wages is important, since the calculation is utilized to calculate statutory entitlements, and thus has an impact on the aggregate amount of contributions necessary to be paid to employees. For example, according
Continue readingMaterial Omissions in Korean Franchise Disclosure Documents in South Korea
In April of 2015, the Supreme Court of Korea ruled that under Article 4; Article (9)(1); and Article 41(1) of the prior version of the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act (“Franchise Act”) damages may be obtained, from a franchisor, for all material omissions (Supreme Court 2014 DA 84824,84831, April 9, 2015) within Korean Franchise Disclosure Documents. Thus, we advise all franchises in Korea to review and update their franchise agreements, thoroughly, on a yearly basis. Damages for Material Omissions
Continue readingDismissal of Employees in Korea: Supreme Court of Korea Precedent
The Korean Supreme Court ruled, in March of 2018, that a company may terminate employees for one incident of employee gambling. The case is a precedent that may make it easier for employees to terminate employees that violate certain company rules without the need to provide notification and an opportunity to improve. The case stems from the termination of bus drivers that were caught on one occasion gambling prior to driving buses. The lower courts ruled, in short, that gambling
Continue readingRequire a Injunction in a Korean Court Against your Former Korean Franchisee for Competing Against your New Korean Franchisee?
Under the Fair Franchise Transactions Act of Korea (“Franchise Act”), a franchisee has the right, under Korean Law, to request the renewal of a Korean franchise agreement after ten years of successful operation of a franchise. In some cases this reality leads to a Former Franchisee continuing the franchise in competition with your new franchisee. We wrote about termination of a Korean franchise in other articles including: Termination of a Franchise in Korea. Also, you can view other articles on
Continue readingWrongful Termination in South Korea
South Korea is not an “at-will” employment country, which means that an employer may not dismiss an employee for any reason nor without warning or notice. Under the Korean Labor Standard Act, an employer who has five or more employees may not dismiss or suspend from work any of its employee without “justifiable cause.” And even the employer can establish justifiable cause for dismissal, in Korea, the employer is still required to give a minimum of 30-days advance notice (or
Continue readingKorean Independent Contractor Risks and Obligations under Korea LSA Speech to Amcham Korea
During a recent speech the head of the Korean Labor & Employment Law Team and I gave to the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, a few interesting topics came up that seemed to be of particular interest to participants. For the Power Point of the presentation click HERE. Factors Courts use to Determine if an Individual is an Employee and Thus Obligated to Provide Severance and Employment Security etc. Under the Korea Labor Standards Act (LSA). These following factors
Continue readingExecution of Stock Options in Korean Corporations under Korean Commercial Code
Stock options, in Korea, are often provided to senior foreign and domestic employees of companies in Korea. For stock options, in non-listed/non-public companies in Korea, to be exercisable by employees in Korea (thus a valid option) the option must be approved, in most cases, at a general shareholders meeting of the Korean company. Another article that may be of interest can be found at: Granting & Exercising Stock Options in Korea. The articles of incorporation should be amended or should
Continue readingProtecting your Intellectual Property Rights in Korea: Avoid “Trying Different Things & Smoking Funny Things”
A popular song regularly played on the radio proclaims that in the summer of 1989 the songwriter, Kid Rock, was “trying different things and smoking funny things.” If you have any exposure to the Korean market, do your business a favor and don’t be like the songwriter. All business with any exposure to the Korean market must have a plan in place to protect their intellectual property. Thus, for the sake of your company, at a bare minimum, you should
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