A Korean landlord who refuses to renew a residential lease because they intend to live in the property may owe damages if they later rent it to someone else. Moving in temporarily does not automatically protect the landlord from liability. In a September 10, 2026 decision, Korea’s Supreme Court upheld an award of approximately KRW 30.8 million to a tenant whose landlord rejected renewal on “personal occupancy grounds.” The landlord’s subsequent need to repay other tenants’ deposits did not excuse the decision to rent the apartment out
Continue readingTag: English-speaking lawyers in Korea
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 readingKorean F-4 Visa Changes: Korean Immigration Law Updates
The February 12, 2026 changes to Korean Immigration Law bring H-2 and F-4 under a unified F-4 framework and have ended the issuance of new H-2 visas. We shall write an article on this in the near future. This article was prompted by a client interested in applying for an F-4 visa. Updated F-4 document checklist The following is a preparation checklist. The final submission requirements depend on whether the applicant is a former Korean citizen or a descendant, and where the application is filed. Current consular
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 readingIPG Legal Expands Its International Legal Publishing Presence Through Lexology
IPG Legal expands its role as a source of English-language analysis on Korean law through its publication and presence on Lexology, one of the world’s leading platforms for international legal commentary, research, and professional legal updates. Lexology publishes legal analysis from more than 900 law firms and professional-service providers worldwide, covering more than 50 practice areas in 25 languages. Its searchable database contains more than one million articles and resources addressing legal developments across jurisdictions. IPG Legal now maintains a dedicated firm presence on Lexology, where its
Continue readingTop Ten Mistakes of Companies Doing Business in Korea
Our law firm has worked with foreign clients of all shapes and sizes doing business in Korea. Surprisingly, we see many of the same issues with our multinational clients as with our SME clients, so we drafted this post. TOP TEN ERRORS OF COMPANIES IN THE KOREA MARKET Am I missing anything? 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 non-Koreans to be a regular member of a Korean law
Continue readingKorean Court Awards Double Damages for Intentional Design-Right Infringement: Korean Intellectual Property Law Updates
A recent decision of the Seoul Central District Court highlights the potential exposure faced by companies that manufacture or sell products incorporating designs developed by third parties without authorization from the 3rd party. In Case No. 2025Gadan106047, the court ordered Lotte Chilsung Beverage Co., Ltd. and an event-management company to jointly and severally pay KRW 39 million to a designer for the intentional infringement of a registered design right. The award represented twice the amount of the designer’s actual damages as calculated by the court. Facts Design
Continue readingIPG Legal’s Article on Korean Litigation for Lexology
Court system What is the structure of the civil court system? The civil court system in South Korea has a three-tier structure. At first instance, civil cases are generally heard by district courts, unless jurisdiction is governed by specialised courts such as family courts, administrative courts, the Bankruptcy Court or the Patent Court. Depending on the nature and value of the claim, a case may be heard by a single judge or by a panel of three judges. At second instance, appeals from single-judge decisions are heard
Continue readingKorean Supreme Court Clarifies Property Division Method for Unlisted Shares in Korean Divorce Cases
On May 29, 2026, the Supreme Court of Korea issued a landmark decision regarding the division of unlisted shares in a divorce property-division case. The ruling is significant because the Court expressly addressed how courts should approach cases where a large portion of the marital estate consists of founder-held shares in a privately held company. The Court recognized that a cash settlement, commonly referred to in Korean practice as daesang-bunhal or compensatory division, is often the most practical method for dividing unlisted shares. However, the Court made
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