Kim & Chang's financial regulation and compliance department remains ‘very close to the pulse on regulatory developments’, and is experienced in financial authorities’ audits and investigations, business licensing processes, mergers and acquisitions of financial institutions, and electronic finance and data protection. Co-head Kye Sung Chung is a seasoned advisor on financial regulatory matters, while co-head Sang Hwan Lee’s broad practice features mergers and acquisitions of financial institutions, securities laws and regulations, and banking. Chan Moon Park acts on a varied stream of work, including banking and securities regulations, and mergers and acquisitions in the industry. Gye-Jeong Kim is sought after for cross-border issues in the area of fintech, privacy, and data security.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘They are the strongest Korean law firm on Korean regulatory matters for cross-border businesses. Very close to the pulse on regulatory developments.’
- ‘Eun Gyung Choi is a standout partner for K&C. She has been our go-to for short-selling-related matters. She is well-versed, thorough, and gives excellent insight.’
- ‘Kim & Chang stands out as a top-tier law firm in the Web3 and fintech space, offering a rare combination of legal precision, regulatory insight, and commercial understanding.’
- ‘The firm has advised across the full lifecycle of blockchain and fintech projects—from entity and token structuring to legal characterisation of digital assets, cross-border strategy, and exchange listings—bringing unmatched depth of experience and market awareness.’
- ‘The individuals we have worked with at Kim & Chang—particularly Joon Young Kim, Junho Bae, and Sung Yun Kang—stand out not only for their deep legal knowledge, but for their exceptional attentiveness to our company’s evolving needs and their ability to offer practical, forward-looking guidance in highly dynamic regulatory and business environments.’
- 'It consists of team members with the best expertise and diversity to achieve exceptional results in litigation, advisory and regulatory areas.'
Key clients
- Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd
- KB Kookmin Bank
- KB Securities Co. Ltd.
- KB Life Insurance Co, Ltd.
- AIA Life Insurance Co. Ltd.
- Smilegate Holdings
- Goldman Sachs (Asia) LLC.
- Bank of America, N.A.
- Viva Republica
- Toss Bank
- Toss Securities
- Toss Payments
Work highlights
Advised various financial investment companies on preparing measures to standardise the application of the amended Act on Corporate Governance of Financial Companies (the “Corporate Governance Act”).
Acted for global investment banks in relation to Korean financial regulators’ short sale regulatory enforcement actions.
Assisted multiple financial institutions with applying for designation as innovative financial services utilising generative AI.
Practice head
Kye Sung Chung; Sang Hwan Lee
Other key lawyers
Chan Moon Park; Gye-Jeong Kim; I-Re Lim; Eun Gyung Choi; Joon-Young Kim; Junho Bae; Sung Yun Kang