With a strong bench comprised of Korean and foreign attorneys, coupled with former KFTC officials and former judges, Bae, Kim & Lee LLC is at the forefront of Korean regulation compliance and multi-jurisdictional merger filings. The team continues to expand, most recently with the hire of former judge Sangcheol Kim to the criminal antitrust and competition response centre. As a former official in the competition division of the KFTC, practice head Hongki Kim specialises in large-scale cartel investigations and consumer protection. Sanghoon Shin chiefly focuses on antitrust, merger control and consumer protection, while Kyusik Kim is a name to note for fair trade cases. Dohyung Kwon‘s practice sits at the intersection of fair trade and construction.

‘Offering a very good combination of local expertise and global perspective’, Kim & Chang‘s antitrust and competition team is a capable advisor on complex domestic and cross-border matters, with its expertise attracting an impressive roster of clients spanning from ICT to automotive companies. The group is co-led by experienced partners Youngjin Jung, who specialises in merger control and abuse of market dominance cases in the technology sector, and Gene-Oh (Gene) Kim, who concentrates on abuse of market dominance, cartels and merger filings. With strong credentials in the defence of antitrust investigations and merger notifications, Jung-Won Hyun is another name to note. Kyung Min Koh is a seasoned advisor on antitrust and M&A transactions, and Brian Tae-Hyun Chung is active in investigations by the KFTC. Hemi Lee is recognised for her work on market dominance, cartels and unfair trade practices. Min-Ho Lee left the team.

With significant experience in representing both foreign and domestic companies, Lee & Ko has a longstanding reputation within the semiconductor, financial, automotive and pharmaceutical industries, among others. Group head Hwan Jeong has developed a broad competition practice, covering merger control, cartels and unfair trade practices investigations. Overseeing the team alongside him is Jeong-Ho Sun, who regularly advises on international cartel cases and merger filings. Suruyn Kim is the key point of contact for complex merger review cases, while Miji Lee’s wide-ranging practice encompasses merger control, unfair practices and abuse of market dominance. Ho Jung Lee is experienced in regulatory compliance and violations relating to restrictions against unfair practices and abuse of market dominance.

Shin & Kim continues to lead on significant antitrust cases, acting on behalf of clients in domestic and international cartel investigations, abuse of market dominance cases, and new areas of Korean antitrust law. The ‘highly experienced’ John Choi leads the team and is active in cases handled by the KFTC’s international cartel division. Alongside him, co-head Han Soon Choi draws from his background as a High Court Antitrust Division judge to advise on high-profile antitrust litigation matters. Young Chul Yim’s recent work highlights include advising Qualcomm on a class action in the UK, while Sangdon Lee is an expert in merger filings. Chang-Young Cho concentrates on cartels, unfair franchise issues and unfair labelling work. As a former officer at the KFTC, Eui-Rae Kim has developed strong experience in KFTC investigations, hearings and administrative lawsuits.

Jipyong LLC’s antitrust and competition team provides advice on major domestic cases concerning online platform regulation, abuse of market dominance, unfair collusion and cross-border merger filings. Group head Byung Joo Lee is well-known in the market for fair trade and compliance. In a notable highlight, Gee Hong Kim is representing the KFTC in dismissing Qualcomm’s objection to a fine. Poom Jang has developed a strong traditional antitrust practice, from abuse of market dominance to merger filings.

Fielding experts with experience at the KFTC, Yoon & Yang LLC is sought out for representation in cases involving abuse of market dominance, cartels, mergers, resale price maintenance and unfair business practices. The practice group is led by Sang Oh Jeon, who offers a wealth of experience to Korean conglomerates and multinational corporations on responding to KFTC investigations. Chul Ho Kim is recommended for his expertise across a broad practice, ranging from cartels to internal trading. SB(Suakbuam) Hong represents clients in relation to issues under the Fair Trade Act, and Chang-Mo An is also a key practitioner in the group. Keum Seok Oh and Yeong Ho Shin joined the team in September 2025.

Highlighted for providing ‘clear legal analysis and expectation based on its various resources from Korea Fair Trade Commission, prosecution and courts’, Yulchon has a longstanding experience in antitrust work. Department head Jeong Keun Yun, who has previous experience as a judge, lends his knowledge on unfair concerted conduct, abuse of market dominance and unfair trade practices litigation. For both Korean and foreign clients, Sung Bom Park has acted in cases related to international cartels, abuse of dominance and unfair internal transactions. Cecil Saehoon Chung chiefly focuses on international issues, and Song Ryu is active in domestic and international cartel cases and unfair trade investigations.

DR & AJU LLC has a broad antitrust and competition offering, allowing the team to advise on dispute resolution, investigations, risk reduction and appeals. Jeong Ran Lee oversees the team and is an expert in regulations associated with fair trade, enabling her to provide advisory and representation services to Korean companies. Sang Mo Koo has a notable emphasis on antitrust investigations and litigation, while Ki Sung Lee adds knowledge from his previous role as an investigator at the Korean Fair Trade Commission.