Recent amendments to the Korean Labor Standards Act introduce two important changes to the statutory framework governing working hours, rest periods, and annual paid leave. The amendments address long-standing practical issues arising from the rigid application of break-time rules and
Seoul High Court Enforces the London Court of International Arbitration Association (LCIA) Award Despite Ambiguities
The Seoul High Court ruled that even if an arbitration award contains ambiguities in its order, Korean courts should enforce it if the award’s details, including the judgment amount, can be determined from its reasoning.
Facts
Definition of Personal Information Processor under Korean PIPA
The Supreme Court of Korea ruled that a person who obtains personal information through fraudulent or deceptive means and uses it for business purposes is also a “personal information processor” under Korea’s Data Protection Law. In April of 2026, the
Chime Biologics and Daewoong Pharmaceutical Partner on Dupilumab Biosimilar
On June 2, 2026, Chime Biologics and Daewoong Pharmaceutical announced a strategic partnership agreement for the development and manufacturing of a dupilumab biosimilar candidate referencing Sanofi and Regeneron’s DUPIXENT.
Chime Biologics is a global CDMO headquartered in China and with
South Korea flags major investment project as AI boom swells tax revenue
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has announced that a large-scale investment project will soon be unveiled, framing it as a fundamental transformation of the country’s growth strategy. Buoyant tax revenues from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, both posting record
South Korea president calls for legislative inquiry into local election disruptions
South Korea President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday called on the national assembly (the “Assembly”) to open an parliamentary investigation into a ballot shortage that disrupted the local elections in the country last week, stating that the response and explanation
Korean Supreme Court Upholds Right to Tattoo by Non-Medical Professionals
The Korean Supreme Court, in an en banc ruling, held that tattooing performed by non-medical professionals is not an unlicensed medical practice. The Court overturned prior Supreme Court precedents that deemed tattooing an unlicensed medical practice. The Supreme Court of
Samsung Electronics reaches last-minute wage deal with labor union
The labor union at South Korea’s Samsung Electronics held off on launching a planned 18-day strike Wednesday after reaching a last-minute, tentative wage deal with the company management, alleviating immediate concerns about a potential operational shutdown at the world’s leading
Samsung family pays off record $8bn inheritance tax bill
The family behind the South Korean corporate giant Samsung has completed its payment of a 12 trillion won ($8bn) inheritance tax bill, the largest such settlement in the country’s history.
Chairman Lee Jae-yong and other members of the family, paid
Trends in the Korean Civil Litigation System (2026)
The past year has been unusually active for dispute resolution in Korea. The most important developments concern attorney-client privilege, constitutional review of final court judgments, arbitration rules, and corporate-governance reforms that are likely to generate more shareholder and board-level disputes.