Rising Stars

Antitrust and competition: local firms in South Korea

Bae, Kim & Lee LLC

Bae, Kim & Lee LLC houses a ‘strong team of experts, many of whom have worked for the Korea Fair Trade Commission’. The practice assists high-profile domestic and multinational clients with antitrust cases concerning areas such as artels, merger controls, damages suits and unfair trade practices. The firm’s Fair Trade Criminal Investigation Response Center helps clients prepare for various criminal risks in areas including securities finance, fair trade, and taxation. Keumseok Oh has a proven track record in engaging with the KFTC in the context of M&A transactions. Seong Un Yun is noted by peers in the market for his work on damages claims involving fair trade issues. Senior foreign attorney Sanghoon Shin is well positioned to help international clients understand and prepare for the Korean antitrust regulatory environment. Kee Won Shin and Hyuna Kim are described as ‘excellent partners and specialists in competition law’. Litigating matters concerning administrative appeal makes up part of  Junghun Kim’s varied case load. Hong Ki Kim is the practice head.

Practice head(s):

Hong Ki Kim


Other key lawyers:

Keumseok Oh; Seong Un Yun; Ryan Il Kang; Sanghoon Shin; Kee Won Shin; Hyuna Kim; Junghun Kim; Boyen Kim


Testimonials

‘The team has a strong team of experts, many of whom have worked for the Korea Fair Trade Commission. BKL team is also multilingual, which is very helpful to us and has a strong network with prominent international firms.’

‘Junghun Kim is a very good lawyer who handles Japanese and English freely and has a deep understanding of KFTC practice and can give thought-provoking, practical advice and clear perspective to its clients.’

‘Super responsive and creative ideas – they think out of the box with great solutions for the clients.’

‘One of the best teams in Korea for antitrust law. We work with them frequently on merger control matters and also compliance/behavioural advice.’

‘Hyuna Kim and Kee Won Shin are both excellent partners and specialists in competition law.’

‘Good relationships with the regulators – strong in behavioural and antitrust investigations.’

‘Sanghoon Shin is a standout support. Responsive, clear and very practical.’

‘BKL offers comprehensive solutions through collaboration with various teams to address the issues at hand.’

Key clients

Daewoong Pharmaceutical


Kakao Mobility


Korea Development Bank, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering


LG Chem


LX International


POSCO Engineering & Construction, Hanyang Corporation


KISCO Holdings Corp.


Samsung SDS


SeAH Changwon Integrated Special Steel


Tesla Inc., Tesla Korea (“Tesla”)


Work highlights


  • Advised Korea Development Bank and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering on global merger filings for Hanwha Group’s acquisition of DSME.
  • Advised LG Chem on multi-jurisdictional merger filings in connection with the establishment of joint venture between LG Che, and Toray Industries in Hungary.
  • Advising Tesla Korea on the response to the KFTC’s sanction over its advertising practices.

Kim & Chang

Domestic and international clients from industries such as ICT, medical and pharmaceutical, automotive and aviation trust the sizeable team at Kim & Chang for assistance with issues such as merger control, international cartel and abuse of market dominance. International cartel cases and foreign-to-foreign mergers is another area of longstanding strength. Youngjin Jung co-heads the practice; his expertise and the firm’s reach has recently been demonstrated by the key role Jung has played coordinating the global merger filing in several jurisdictions for Korean Air’s acquisition of Asiana Airlines. Gene-Oh (Gene) Kim completes the leadership team and counts illegal collusion, abuse of market dominance and unfair trade practices as core areas of expertise. Foreign attorneys Brian Tae-Hyun Chung and Jung-Won Hyun  are key contacts for merger filings for inbound and outbound M&A transactions and merger control cases involving remedies issued by the KFTC, respectively. Representing domestic and online platforms in KFTC investigations stands out as an area of recent activity for Kyung Min Koh. Min-Ho Lee is praised for his ‘good knowledge of fair trade’. Hemi Lee is a further name to note.

Practice head(s):

Youngjin Jung; Gene-Oh (Gene) Kim


Other key lawyers:

Sang Hyuk Park; Luke Y. Shin; Brian Tae-Hyun Chung; Jung-Won Hyun; Min-Ho Lee; Kyung Min Koh; Tae Hyuk Ko; Hemi Lee


Testimonials

‘Kim & Chang offers expertise and insights.’

‘Min-Ho Lee provided good knowledge of fair trade allowing us to stay ahead of the game. He has a very good network that includes professors.’

‘The team is very business-savvy and extremely responsive to client’s needs.’

‘Jung-Won Hyun is a stand out individual. She is responsive and highly commercial.’

‘Kim & Chang have a very large team of lawyers, with extensive antitrust experience, always available to help on short notice and able to address client’s high expectations.’

‘The Kim & Chang antitrust and competition team’s collaboration and proficiency was excellent.’

‘Their deep industry knowledge and good understanding of the authorities’ policy direction were very helpful.’

Key clients

Apple Inc.


Booking.com


SK Inc.


Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.


Volkswagen Group


Hyundai Motor Group


Siemens Healthineers AG


AstraZeneca plc


Korean Air Co., Ltd.


Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd.


Work highlights


  • Represented Korean Air in the global merger filing for the KRW 1.5 trillion acquisition of 63.9 percent of shares in Asiana Airlines.
  • Represented a German automobile group in the KFTC’s investigation of alleged overseas cartel regarding certain R&D collaboration and joint legislative lobbying among OEMs.
  • Advised SK hynix in the global merger filing for its acquisition of local foundry firm Key Foundry.

Lee & Ko

Lee & Ko has a proven track record of handling major cases concerning unfair trade practices, cartels, and merger control; antitrust compliance and antitrust litigation are further strengths, with the practice well placed to call upon the services of the firm’s in-house economists when preparing evidence to be heard before the KFTC and Korean courts. Hwan Jeong heads up the antitrust and competition group; he has longstanding experience of leading a wide array of competition law mandates extending to abuse of dominance matters. Jang Woo Park steers the antitrust criminal defense team, while In Seok Lee steers the administrative and civil antitrust litigation team. Yong Seok Ahn frequently assists multinational companies with cases related to Korean competition laws. Suruyn Kim has a notable focus on merger review cases; Jeong-Ho Sun is equipped to assist with M&A due diligence, while Jong Youn Han has specific know-how relating to the IT and semiconductor market. Byong Ki Chung is a first-choice expert for antitrust damages litigations cases. Jung Won Kwon is further recommended.

Practice head(s):

Hwan Jeong; Jang Woo Park; In Seok Lee


Other key lawyers:

Yong Seok Ahn; Suruyn Kim; Jung Won Kwon; Jeong-Ho Sun; Jong Youn Han; Byong Ki Chung; Ji Hoon Kim; Miji Lee; Jung Myong Park


Testimonials

‘Jeong-Ho Sun of Lee & Ko was impressive.’

‘Lee & Ko is very responsive with prompt and expert solutions, especially about antitrust and competition law, which is one area  in which they really excel.’ 

‘We have been requested many consultations to Lee & Ko team, especially with Jeong-Ho Sun. He has provided us with excellent analysis and opinions to us with prompt responsiveness and expert knowledge on antitrust and competition law issues.’

‘I had a pleasure of working closely with Miji Lee, an outstanding lawyer specialising in antitrust and competition law. Her practice stands out due to its remarkable combination of expertise, dedication, and strong communication skills.’

‘Lee & Ko’s antitrust team is the team that can provide the most comprehensive service in all matters of antitrust law. It provides prompt and timely advice in regards to the KFTC’s antitrust investigations, merger filings (including international merger filings) and compliance.’

‘The team advised on various issues including trades between affiliates, merger filing (including domestic and foreign), handling sensitive information; and the responses included up-to-date developments of the regulation and decisions.

‘Miji Lee has provided advice on a wide scope of matters, including affiliate trading, KFTC investigations, and handling competitive information, merger filing, etc. She is extremely knowledgeable.’

‘Jung Myong Park provides the most accurate and comprehensive advice on merger filing, both Korean and foreign issues. Due to his prompt response to the KFTC, he successfully had the KFTC give clearance to a challenging merger filing case.’

Key clients

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.


Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. (GTT case)


Alvogen Lux Holdings S.à.r.l, Lotus Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Alvogen Korea Co., Ltd.


Cargill Agri Purina


NAVER Corporation


DL ENC Co., Ltd


Daewoo Engineering & Construction


Hyundai Engineering & Construction


Hanhwa Construction


Sinotrans Container Lines Company


Korea Marine Transport


Namsung Shipping


Dongyoung Shipping


Dongjin Shipping


Pan Continental Shipping


Sinokor Merchant Marine


CK Line


Heung-A Line


Korean Shipowner’s Association


Wan Hai Lines


Saudi Aramco


Mitsui & Co., Ltd.


Samsung Electronics, Huawei and MediaTek (Qualcomm case)


Work highlights


  • Representing Samsung Electronics in defending the company against allegations on unfair support after the company was indicted.
  • Represented three major Korean shipbuilders against Gaztransport et Technigaz S.A. (“GTT”) during GTT’s appeal against the KFTC decision to sanction the company for abuse of dominance in the Seoul High Court and Supreme Court.
  • Represented Alvogen after the KFTC commenced an investigation on the collusion between Alvogen and AstraZeneca Korea alleging that Alvogen delayed the development of the generic versions of AstraZeneca’s original drugs.

Yulchon

Yulchon’s excellent knowledge of the law’ shines through in a wide range of antitrust and competition work for major domestic and international clients, with the healthcare sector an area of notable expertise for the firm. Behavioural matters, merger controls, abuse of dominance and deceptive labelling are among the areas in which the practice excels. Sung Bom Park steers the team and has a strong track record in handling abuse of dominance cases involving global technology companies. Foreign attorney Seuk Joon Lee is a key contact for pharmaceutical companies, while fellow foreign attorney Cecil Saehoon Chung has a strong focus on international issues in the antitrust space. Woo Yul Lee is a further key contact. Song Ryu joined the practice from Yoon & Yang LLC in summer 2023.

Practice head(s):

Sung Bom Park


Other key lawyers:

Seuk Joon Lee; Cecil Saehoon Chung; Seuk Joon Lee; Hae Sik Park; Jeong Keun Yun; Sung Moo Jung; Woo Yul Lee; Song Ryu


Testimonials

‘Cecil Saehoon Chung has excellent knowledge of the law and a practical approach towards dealing with the KFTC. He gives clear advice.’

‘Yulchon is a go-to antitrust practice in Korea. In-depth knowledge and insight into the inner-workings of the KFTC and assists global companies as they navigate the Korean merger review process.’

‘Cecil Saehoon Chung has deep experience and knowledge of the Korean merger review process. He provides business-oriented, practical advice and has worked on many of the highest profile antitrust matters in history.’

Key clients

Qualcomm


Schaeffler AG


Continental AG


Delta Air Lines


Microsoft


Agoda


Hanjin Transportation


GIC


Hitachi Automotive Systems


Woowa Brothers


Korea Telecom (KT)


ESR


SK Telecom


Hanwha


Kakao


Work highlights


  • Representing both Microsoft and Activision Blizzard as their jointly-retained Korean merger control counsel in Microsoft’s USD 70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
  • Representing VMware as its Korean merger control counsel in its $61bn acquisition by Broadcom.
  • Defending Evergreen in the KFTC’s Korea-Southeast Asia route container shipping cartel investigation and ensuing litigation in court.

Shin & Kim

The combination of ‘excellent legal skills’ and ‘creative strategic thinking’ at Shin & Kim allows the firm to handle a wide range of major antitrust cases. Merger filings for high-profile M&A transactions and international and domestic cartel matters stand out as particular strengths. Young Chul Yim leads the practice. His time serving as general counsel of the KFTC has given him a panoramic understanding of Korean antitrust law. Foreign practitioner John Choi is an authority on international cartel cases. Jooyoung Park’s varied practice extends to multi-jurisdictional abuse of dominance cases, while merger filing expert Sangdon Lee handles between 60 and 70 merger filings each year. Geun-Bae Seok is singled out for his expertise in cartel mandates.

Practice head(s):

Young Chul Yim


Other key lawyers:

John Choi; Jooyoung Park; Sangdon Lee; Geun-Bae Seok


Testimonials

‘This is a great firm to work with. They combine excellent legal skills with creative strategic thinking. I would certainly recommend international companies to work with them, when they have issues in South Korea.’

‘John Choi is a very pleasant person to work with. He can handle complex commercial issues, as well as specialised antitrust matters.’

‘The team, led by John Choi, has unparalleled integrity and ethical standards.’

‘Excellent, commercially pitched advice.’

‘John Choi is legendary in the Korean legal community for his unchallenged ethical standard and for his excellent skills. John has a lot of experience in wide ranging antitrust cases, he is like an oracle in assessing risks in antitrust investigations.’

Key clients

Qualcomm Inc.


Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V.


SK Group


Hyundai Steel Co., Ltd.


Koninklijke Philips N.V.


Asiana Airlines Inc.


Aktiebolaget Volvo


Mercedes-Benz Group AG


Samsung Display


Lotte Group


Work highlights


  • Advised Qualcomm Inc. on abuse of dominance cases.
  • Advised Qualcomm Inc. on a class action in UK.
  • Advised Koninklijke Philips N.V. on a restitution claim.

Yoon & Yang LLC

Praised for its ‘creative and practical advice on complex issues’, Yoon & Yang LLC are well positioned to handle antitrust cases encompassing abuse of market dominance, cartels, mergers, and unfair business practices. Hoil Yoon and Sang Oh Jeon lead the team, while the latter is well-versed in matters concerning alleged violations of the Fair Transactions in Subcontracting Act, while Suakbuam Hong is equipped to handle cases involving cartels. Soomin Kim is highlighted for her handling of unfair support practice mandates. Chul Ho Kim is frequently instructed by major Korean companies such as Samsung and Korean Air. Song Ryu  departed the practice in summer 2023.

Practice head(s):

Hoil Yoon; Sang Oh Jeon


Other key lawyers:

Chul Ho Kim; Suakbuam Hong; Soomin Kim; Paul Rhee


Testimonials

‘ Team is efficiently organised. Well-connected to key stakeholders in the Korean Fair Trade Commission.’

‘Paul Rhee is extremely responsive and a pleasure to work with.’

‘Deep understanding of the industry, client culture and the market. Efficient communication with clients and various stakeholders.’

‘As a whole, the firm has impressed me with creative and practical advice on complex issues and a great knowledge of the securities regulators.’

‘I work primarily with Paul Rhee who is a foreign attorney partner in the firm’s antitrust practice and has decades of antitrust experience. Paul is easy to work with and understands foreign client’s needs. Paul is diligent and extremely responsive.’

Key clients

Microsoft


Samsung Electronics


Samsung SDI


SK Hynix


Korean Air


Raytheon Technologies Corporation


British America Tobacco Korea


Qualcomm


Hanwha Corp.


Hyundai Steel


Barun Law

Barun Law is geared to handle cases such as cartels, unfair trade practices and unfair supportive acts. Kyung Hwan Chung and Gwang Hyeon Baek head up the team. The latter recently played a key role, alongside Hye Sook Seo and Yang Hun Chung, in the firm’s recent representation of the KFTC at the Korea Supreme court, a matter that showcased the practice’s reach and expertise.

Practice head(s):

Kyung Hwan Chung; Gwang Hyeon Baek


Other key lawyers:

Hye Sook Seo; Yang Hun Chung


Key clients

Korea Fair Trade Commission


Dongwon Loex


Colondee


Urban Place


Shinwha


ChungSuk Engineering Co. Ltd.


Work highlights


  • Represented the Korea Fair Trade Commission against Qualcomm from the first instance to the Supreme Court for the violation of FRAND commitments and abuse of market dominance.
  • Represented Dongwon LOEX and deduced the KFTC’s decision of “the end of investigation” in the case of cartel involving administrative guidance.
  • Represented Urban Place in a successful approval of registration of network marketing by the Korea Free Trade Commission.

DR & AJU LLC

Well-versed in antitrust issues, such as the enforcement of the Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act, DR & AJU LLC is a popular choice for businesses from sectors including telecoms and healthcare. Practice head Sang Mo Koo has deep experience in investigations and litigation regarding the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act. Jeong Ran Lee is embedded in antitrust cases pertaining to fair trade. Ki Sung Lee and Min Jeong Kwon are further names to note.

Practice head(s):

Sang Mo Koo


Other key lawyers:

Jeong Ran Lee; Ki Sung Lee; Min Jeong Kwon


Testimonials

‘They help customers make decisions easily because they present practical and realistic prospects.’

Key clients

Korea Association of Travel Agents (KATA)


Aekyung Industrial Co., Ltd.


POSCO


LG Household & Health Care (LG H&H)


LG Electronics


POSCO Engineering & Construction (POSCO E&C)


Well Farm Co., Ltd.


Signtelecom Co., Ltd.


Work highlights


  • Represented Korea Association of Travel Agents (KATA) in filing a complaint to the Korea Fair Trade Commission against International Air Transport Association (IATA).
  • Represented Aekyung Industrial in an administrative lawsuit challenging the Korea Fair Trade Commission’s disposition for violating the Act on Fair Labelling and Advertising.
  • Represented POSCO in a damage claim against logistic companies involved in collusion on POSCO contracts.

Jipyong LLC

Noted for its ‘diverse experience and knowledge in the field of antitrust law’, Jipyong LLC covers a wealth of issues in the antitrust and competition space including abuse of market dominance, rendering unfair assistance to specially related persons and illegal cartel conduct. A trio of partners oversee matters: Gee Hong Kim’s expertise in online platform regulations showcases his ability to stay at the cutting edge of competition law; Byung Joo Lee’s practice extends to the representation of clients in international cartel cases; and Poom Jang has won plaudits for his handling of abuse of monopoly power cases. San Jin Park is a further key contact.

Practice head(s):

Gee Hong Kim; Byung Joo Lee; Poom Jang


Other key lawyers:

Woo Yeon Kim; Jong Hun Lee; Sang Jin Park


Testimonials

‘Able to effectively represent the client’s claims through collaboration.’

‘Diverse experience and knowledge in the field of antitrust law.’

Key clients

Haitai Confectionery and Foods Co., Ltd.


Naver Corporation


SPC SAMLIP CO., LTD., SPC Group and its management


The Korea Fair Trade Commission


Hyundai L&C


Musicow Inc.


Sajofine Korea


Work highlights


  • Responding to the KFTC’s regulation and the Prosecutors’ Office’s investigation of alleged collusion of furniture companies.
  • Represented a major interested party in an investigation of unfair trade practices and the consent decree procedure initiated against a multinational high-tech company.
  • Represented Haitai Confectionery and Foods in responding to the Korea Fair Trade Commission’s regulations and administrative proceedings.