A Basic Explanation of the Types of Divorces in Korea. Under Korean law, there are two types of divorces. One is divorce by mutual agreement and the other is divorce by court order. agree to dissolve their marriage amicably. We advise, in all but the most exceptional of matters, to engage a lawyer in Korea to obtain a divorce by court order (judicial divorce) and forgo a divorce by mutual agreement to insure that the divorce is recognized in all
Continue readingTag: English-speaking lawyers in Korea
What 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 readingForeign Franchisees Joining the Korean Franchise Association
The Korean Franchise Association is an organization that is authorized/licensed by the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy. All domestic and foreign franchises that have registered Franchise Disclosure Statements with the Korean Fair Trade Commission can apply to the Korean Franchise Association. IPG Legal believes, most foreign franchisors, should join the Korean Franchise Association. The KFA is an excellent resource for market intelligence and an excellent conduit to understand the unique aspects of the Korean franchise market and Korea’s
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 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 readingHow to Retain an English-Speaking Attorney in Korea by Tom Coyner
There are excellent and ethical attorneys in every country; this is certainly also the case in Korea with Korean attorneys and international attorneys working in Korea. While all are no doubt intelligent and highly educated, the manner in which many approach their clients’ needs harkens more to the early 20th century than the cusp of the 21st century. Unfortunately, most Korean attorneys fail to appreciate or care to consider the commercial context of their counsel. Based on what one reads
Continue readingDrafting of Korean Distribution Agreements for your Distributor in Korea.
Drafting of a Korea-centric distribution agreement and a good deal of due diligence of the anticipated distributor/agent is necessary for avoiding issues that may require the litigation services of a law firm. Some of the articles posted by IPG Legal on Due Diligence may be found at: Doing Business in Asia: Due Diligence, Agreements, Attorneys and Street Smarts Listen to My Mother: JVs in Korea (Translated from Korean) Debt Collection Cases in Korea on the Rise: Due Diligence Brother I have
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 readingGarnishing Wages in Korea: Collection of Debts in Korea
I received a call from a friend asking about information concerning collecting on a personal debt. He loaned money to a “friend” and the friend never made a payment on the loan. I advised one of the ways to encourage payment is via garnishing wages. Korea has an effective and efficient method of garnishing wages. In Korea, after a judgment or order to pay by a court, a plaintiff can collect on an unpaid debt through garnishing wages. Garnishing of
Continue readingHow to Successfully Manufacture OEM in Korea: First Break Products Down to the Threads
While China is the factory to the world, Korea is, still, a great choice for those that enjoy less headaches. Even though Korea tends to be easier to painlessly manufacture OEM in, Korea is not without risk or pains. Thus, we advised over the years on these pages to, always, do your due diligence in Korea. We see an alarming number of cases of fraud and, also, an alarming number of cases where a product infringes on a patent or
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
Continue readingKorean Labor Law Checklist for Employers and Employees
The Korean Ministry of Labor created this list with revisions by Sean Hayes and IPG. I will update the list periodically. The checklist is intended for all employers that employ five or more workers. The list contains many generalizations, thus, don’t take this as the end all list. I suggest, also, clicking on the label to the right entitled Korean Employment Law. Please note that Korea’s Labor Law is evolving rapidly, thus, this list may not reflect recent changes. KOREAN
Continue readingAudit Proof your Independent Contractor Expenses
I just read a great post on an even better blog entitled the New York Small Business Law Blog. The blog post – Tips on Making your Independent Contractors Audit Proof – notes that the feds are increasing their efforts to crack down on misclassified independent contractors. They advise the attorney gave on how to avoid the scrutiny of the government would have also been useful for a client of ours that ran into an issue with the Korean National Tax Service and the Ministry
Continue readingKorea’s Fairness in Subcontracting Transactions Act Amendments of July 2021
The Korean National Assembly passed a bill in July of 2021 that amends the Fairness in Subcontracting Transactions Act (“Subcontracting Act”). The Act makes major changes with regard to discovery in litigation and aims to protect the intellectual property/confidential data/technical data (“Technical Data”) of subcontractors from poaching by prime contractors. For another article on Korea’s Subcontracting Act please see: Fair Transactions in Subcontracting Act of Korea: So Buyer Beware or Simply Avoid the Risk and Buy the Seller. 2021 Amendments
Continue readingDebtor’s Liability to New Owner after Transfer of Business and Trade Name
A developer recently contacted IPG Legal concerning a dispute with a supplier of building materials. The developer purchased building materials from a supplier with payment to be forwarded 30-days after receipt of the materials. This is a common practice when a supplier has a long-term relationship with a developer, provides a consistent flow of supplies to a developer, and the developer is solvent. Here comes the problem. The supplier was sold and the business and trade name was transferred to
Continue readingSean Hayes Interviewed on the Shooting of Carlos Lopez by the NYPD
Our New York office’s managing partner, Attorney Sean Hayes is representing, pro bono, the family of Carlos Lopez who was killed in 2003 by NYPD. According to the family of Mr. Lopez, NYPD undercover police officers responding to a shooting mistook Mr. Lopez as the perpetrator of the shooting. Witnesses noted that Mr. Lopez was not involved in the shooting, no gun was found on Mr. Lopez, no gun residue was found on Mr. Lopez and Mr. Lopez was not
Continue readingKorean Prosecutors & Police Powers under Amended Criminal Procedure Law
One of the most substantial changes in the powers between the Prosecutors’ Office and Police Office was enacted by the Korean National Assembly through amendments to the Korean Criminal Procedure Act and Prosecutors’ Office Act. These Amendments were made to the Criminal Procedure Act of Korea and the Prosecutors’ Office Act of Korea that shall take effect in 2021. The Amendment reduce the power of the Korean Prosecutions to initiate investigations in certain types of cases, while expanding the powers
Continue readingKorea emerges as an Arbitration Hub in East Asia
With several major international companies now calling Seoul home and many international construction contracts choosing Seoul as the venue for arbitration, international arbitration matters are on the rise in Korea. American, Australian, British, Chinese, Indian, German have expanded their interest in the growing Korean market. International conglomerates in Korea have long understood the value of the arbitration process. Regrettably, few Korean attorneys are capable of handling international arbitration cases in the English language, because of the lack of experience in
Continue readingAlternative Legal Fee Arrangements at Korean-based Law Firms: Limited Scope Representation Explained
Many Korean law firms have been willing to work in relationships based on a non-time charge flat-fee or contingency basis for Korean clients. However, many of these law firms in Korea have been unwilling to work on alternative fee arrangements with non-Korean clients, because of, among other things, the requirement to represent the client in a far different manner than that of a Korean client and, also, reduced competition in the foreign-client market, because of the reality that only a
Continue readingLast week’s Recap of the Top Legal Headlines in South Korea for the week of August 9, 2021:
Samsung leader Jay Y Lee wins parole from prison South Korean school teacher sentenced in Bitcoin assault case Korean politicans to amend sex crime laws criminalising semen terrorism Press freedom to nose dive after Korean parliament introduces fake news bill Former government official wins discrimination case against Korean government You may schedule a free initial consultation with a lawyer at: Please Schedule a Call with an Attorney. Latest Posts: The Signs of a Great Criminal Lawyer in Korea | English-Speaking
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