Press Coverage

A group of people who impersonated a victim they met in an open chat and stole 35 million won worth of money and valuables was sentenced to prison for stealing tens of millions of won worth of money and valuables by deceiving a woman suffering from mental illness. The court said, “A crime that took advantage of a relationship of trust... The crime was bad and the damage was significant.” A group of people who defrauded a woman suffering from mental illness and stole tens of millions of won worth of money and valuables was sentenced to prison. The Eastern Branch of the Busan District Court sentenced two people, including Mr. A, who were put on trial on charges of quasi-fraud in February, to one year and one year and four months in prison, respectively. They were accused of opening a mobile phone in the name of Mr. B, whom they met in an open chat room in 2021, and making small payments without permission. In addition, it was confirmed that they stole money from Mr. B's account and obtained a loan by impersonating Mr. B based on false documents, stealing about 35 million won in money and valuables. It was revealed that they committed this crime by deliberately approaching Mr. B, knowing that he suffers from autism and lacks intellectual ability. The court sentenced them to prison. sentenced. The court explained the reason for sentencing, saying, “The nature of the crime that took advantage of a personal relationship of trust is bad and the amount of damage is significant,” and “The defendants did not faithfully attend the trial, such as failing to appear at the trial date, and committed the crime while on probation for the same crime.” Attorney Chun Jeong-min of Daeryun Law Firm, who represented Mr. B, said, “At the time of applying for the loan, the defendants falsely filled out an income verification form, which amounts to forging a private document.” “When submitting it to the bank, you could be subject to severe punishment as you were even charged with using a forged private document,” he said. Digital Content Team[View full article] A gang that deceived a mentally ill woman and extorted money... Law, prison sentence (link)

Served as Chief Judge of Seoul Central District Court and Eastern District Court... Daeryun Law Firm, with a variety of experience including public life as a trial researcher at the 23rd Court and an arbitrator at the Korea Commercial Arbitration Board, announced on the 7th that it will recruit lawyer Yeo Sang-won, who has experience as a chief judge, to strengthen its litigation capabilities in all areas. Attorney Yeo, who graduated from Gyeongbuk High School and Seoul National University Law School, is a ‘two-time winner of the civil service exam’, having passed both the 1981 public administration exam (25th) and the 1983 bar exam (25th). Attorney Yeo, who took her first steps into the legal field by being appointed as a judge at the Uijeongbu District Court in 1988, served at the Seoul Southern District Court, the Changwon District Court, and the Seoul High Court, and served as the head of the Yeongdong branch of the Cheongju District Court. Afterwards, he served as a chief judge at the Suwon District Court, Seoul Central District Court, and Seoul Eastern District Court, where he tried various cases and also served as head of the criminal department dedicated to drugs. He also has diverse experience in in-depth legal review, including as a trial researcher at the Supreme Court and as an arbitrator at the Korea Commercial Arbitration Board. After completing 23 years of public service, Attorney Yeo began her full-time legal career in 2011. For example, a defendant with a history of using methamphetamine was sentenced to probation. In addition, he achieved significant results in a number of civil and criminal cases, including winning a drug price reduction lawsuit on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Welfare and receiving the Minister of Health and Welfare's Award. In addition, he has participated as a political and legal panelist for major general programming channels for over 10 years, and is currently serving as the chairman of the People Power Party's Central Ethics Committee. Attorney Yeo will reside at the headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul and will be in charge of criminal cases, including various contract laws, drug crimes, and sex crimes. Attorney Yeo said, “I feel an infinite sense of responsibility as I join Daeryun, a fast-growing law firm ranked among the top 10 law firms,” and added, “I will utilize my nearly 40 years of legal experience to devise a plan to achieve the results my clients want.” Kim Kook-il, CEO of Management, said, “Daeryun is making efforts to provide the most satisfactory legal services to clients, including by recently establishing a litigation management headquarters.” He added, “We expect that the company’s responsiveness in the litigation field will be greatly enhanced by the addition of a female attorney with long experience.”[View full article] Sejeong Ilbo - Daeryun Law Firm recruits lawyer Yeo Sang-won, a former chief judge... The person you see a lot on TV (Shortcut) Kukje News - Daeryun Law Firm recruits lawyer Sang-won Yeo, former chief judge... Strengthening Litigation Competency (Shortcut) Legal News - Daeryun Law Firm Recruits Attorney Sang-won Yeo, Former Chief Judge (Click here)

While on trial for fraud, a man in his 50s who stole hundreds of millions of won through another fraudulent act was sentenced to prison. According to the legal community on the 7th, the Incheon District Court sentenced Mr. A, in his 50s, who was indicted on fraud charges in February, to 3 years and 6 months in prison. Mr. A deceived two people, including Mr. B, who was introduced through an acquaintance in 2020, and stole about 670 million won in investment funds. This is a charge. At the time, Mr. A deceived the victims by saying, "We are currently pursuing a project to build and sell a legal town. The holding work has been completed and the building is expected to be completed within a year." He said, "If you invest, we will definitely pay the principal and profits." However, the project was not even completed, and the building permit was canceled by the local government in charge, making it impossible to proceed with the business normally. In particular, Mr. A was being tried for fraud at the time, but did not inform the victims of this fact. It was revealed that he had continued to receive investment money. The court sentenced Mr. A to 3 years and 6 months in prison and stated the reason for the sentence, saying, “The amount of damage was large, and although a considerable amount of time had passed since the date of the crime, no significant recovery of damage to the victims was achieved.” It also ordered payment of 470 million won to Mr. B, one of the victims. Mr. B’s legal representative, attorney Park Shin-young of the Daeryun Law Firm, said: “Mr. A continued to engage in deceptive behavior, including writing a false memorandum of performance of promise to the victim asking for the return of the investment money,” he said. “During the trial, he did not even make a sincere apology or even make an effort to repay the damages, so he needed to be severely punished.” Reporter Eui-jin Jeong (jej88@ikbc.co.kr)[View full article] 'Suspicion of fraud', 50-year-old, committed fraud of hundreds of millions of won while on trial (Shortcut)

Recently, some media and established law firms are labeling new law firms that operate in different ways as ‘network law firms’, thereby creating a negative perception. Although new law firms may lack capital compared to established law firms, they are confident that they are not inferior in their desire for innovation and the ability to implement it. However, we deeply regret the attempts to check the growing law firms and distort their essence through this ‘frame’. Strategies such as △operating multiple branch offices △digital marketing-centered customer approach strategy △efficient case handling system, etc. must be understood in terms of the philosophy and operation method pursued by each law firm. However, standardizing these into one framework stems from a lack of understanding of the direction of development of ‘future legal services.’ The most important thing is whether the legal system works around customers. This was when I was a young lawyer. The client was crying in the courtroom hallway. When I looked closely and asked, ‘Did I lose the case?’, the trial had not even started. But soon a roar was heard. On this floor, a fairly famous lawyer was yelling at his client. I realized the backwardness and authoritarianism of the domestic legal market as I saw customers who paid for legal services and were reprimanded again. At that time, I first felt that in legal services, the customer should be the subject of the service. Daeryun Law Firm, which started from this awareness of the problem, has ‘customer-centered legal service’ as its core philosophy. Most established law firms have offices in Seoul and bring local clients to Seoul. On the other hand, Daeryun has offices close to living areas for convenient access from anywhere. Even after the appointment, the customer management team regularly checks the level of satisfaction and communication, and if necessary, a system has been created to replace the attorney in charge and provide refunds. This process attracted enough attention that large Japanese law firms also wanted to benchmark it. Another key to change is marketing methods. Until just a few years ago, the legal market was more closed than anywhere else. In order to find out what legal information was available, I had to mobilize my family and friends to do some digging. To that extent, it has become natural for this market to be ‘operated in the dark’ centered around judicial brokers. This ultimately resulted in excessive fees being passed on to customers. In order to eliminate this method and increase transparency and accessibility of information, we have made online marketing our main method. Just by looking at the website, you can now understand the sentences and issues. However, this method eventually led to an overheated advertising market, and high advertising costs once again led to the burden on customers. Today, the case handling system of global law firms is similar to the hospital treatment system. Professional personnel are assigned to each stage, including consultation, writing, and trial attendance, to increase work efficiency and quality. The key is to establish a structure in which the general manager takes center stage and each stage collaborates closely to prevent this division of labor from becoming irresponsible. The reason we operate a single One Firm system, which is rare in Korea, is for strategic consistency and communication with customers. Attorneys at Jeon Gwan are no exception, and under this structure, they also contribute substantially to the overall case handling, including attendance at trials and strategic advice. In addition, we generously reinvest in institutional innovation, such as developing AI legal services, improving customer service, and expanding into global markets. Legal services are now evolving from expert-centered to customer-centered. What is more important than the size or form of the structure is what philosophy it operates on. Changes in the market have already begun, and Daeryun will respond to them with action. Representative Attorney Park Dong-il (Daeryun Law Firm)[View full article] The subject of legal services is the ‘customer’ (Shortcut)

Daeryun Law Firm, which operates educational programs such as international legal theory and practice, announced on the 3rd that it signed an MOU with Ewha Womans University Law School (Law School) to foster global legal professionals. At the signing ceremony held at Ewha Womans University Law School on the 2nd, Daeryun's Managing Director Kim Kuk-il, Director Attorney Ye-seom Lee, Ewha Womans University Law School Dean Kim Hyeon-cheol, Vice Dean of Academic Affairs Kim Byeong-seon, Student Affairs Vice Dean Jeong In-kyung, and Planning and Evaluation Department Director Lim Jae-hyuk attended the signing ceremony. It was conducted with participation. Ewha Womans University Law School, which opened in 2009 after graduating from the College of Law in 1950 and the College of Law in 1996, is a historic educational institution that has produced many of the best female lawyers in Korea. Ewha Womans University Law School has led the legal field by producing Korea's first female lawyer, Constitutional Court judge, and Minister of Government Legislation. In addition, last year, it ranked first among 25 law schools nationwide in hiring new trial researchers and prosecutors. Daeryun ranked 9th in terms of sales in the law firm industry last year, becoming one of the top 10 law firms in the domestic legal market. This is thanks to the establishment of specialized groups in each field, including corporate, tax, and medical care, and the steady recruitment of experts suited to the characteristics of each field. In particular, the company is accelerating its expansion into Tokyo, Japan, and New York, USA, and is also targeting the global market. In addition, as part of his social responsibility, Daeryun established the public interest association ‘Relationship Law’ in February and began activities in earnest. This agreement was promoted to increase international competitiveness by nurturing global young and prospective legal professionals. Through this agreement, the two companies plan to cooperate in △ domestic and international legal market analysis research △ lectures on international legal theory and practice △ promotion of education and seminars to foster global legal professionals. In particular, Daeryun plans to provide special benefits by selecting trainees every year and providing them with practical training opportunities. Through this, Ewha Womans University Law School students are expected to be able to gain experience in the actual legal field. Director Kim Hyun-cheol of Ewha Womans University Law School said, “We signed this agreement to open good opportunities to more students. We plan to hold a ‘talent fair’ in the future, and I hope it will be an opportunity to introduce global vision and direction between both companies.” He added, “A variety of practical experiences are needed to cultivate global legal professionals, and Daeryun, a law firm that is in the midst of expanding into overseas markets, can be of great help. “I think there will be, and I hope that students will be able to gain diverse learning and experiences through future exchanges.” In addition, Director Kim added, “I would like to participate as a member of ‘Relationship Law,’ an incorporated association established by Daeryun, and realize the values ​​of education and public interest together.” Daeryun CEO Kim Kuk-il said, “I am happy to cooperate with Ewha Womans University, which has a reputation as a prestigious institution for producing lawyers,” and added, “We plan to select excellent students every year and help them broaden their knowledge of the overseas legal market.” He said, “Currently, we are in the process of expanding into overseas markets such as Japan and the United States, as well as recruiting human resources such as lawyers specializing in foreign law. We will spare no effort in providing support where we can.” Reporter Park Jun-sik (parkjs@wowtv.co.kr)[View full article] Korea Economic Daily - Daeryun Law Firm and Ewha Womans University Law School join hands... “Collaboration to nurture global legal professionals” (link) Venture Square - Daeryun Law Firm and Ewha Womans University Law School join forces to nurture global legal professionals (Go here) Legal Times - [Law Firm iN] Daeryun-Ewha Womans University Law School MOU signed (Click here) Legal News - Daeryun Law Firm and Ewha Womans University Law School conclude a business agreement to foster global legal professionals (Go here) Law School Times - Ewha Womans University Law School, Daeryun Law Firm and MOU for ‘Training Global Legal Professionals’ (Click here) Legal Journal - Daeryun Law Firm and Ewha Womans University Law School join forces to ‘train global lawyers’ (Go here)

A man in his 30s who was put on trial on charges of causing about 20 traffic accidents over 10 years and stealing 14 million won in insurance money was found not guilty. Criminal Division 5 of the Jeonju District Court found Mr. A (34) not guilty on the 19th of last month on charges of violating the Special Act on Insurance Fraud. Around February 2023, Mr. A is accused of intentionally hitting Mr. B's vehicle, which violated a red light, at an intersection in downtown Jeonju, causing an accident, and pocketing millions of won in insurance money from insurance companies. As a result of the investigation, it was confirmed that Mr. A was involved in a total of 27 traffic accidents over a 10-year period, and that the insurance money received by Mr. A was over 14 million won. Mr. A denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. Mr. A's side emphasized, "The accident was only caused by the other vehicle violating the Road Traffic Act," and "There were almost no accidents other than this incident that were caused by Mr. A's negligence." The court also accepted Mr. A's claim and declared him not guilty. The court ruled, "The fact that the frequency of accidents is somewhat higher than that of ordinary car insurance policyholders does not mean that Mr. A has an intention to evade insurance money." Mr. A's legal representative, attorney Cho Won-jin of Daeryun Law Firm, said, "Mr. A's accident was a common accident that can occur in everyday life, and the other vehicle's fault ratio was much greater." He explained, “I may have been negligent in failing to fulfill my duty of care as a driver, but I did not cause the accident to collect insurance money.” He added, “We were able to safely be found not guilty by emphasizing that there was no intention to evade insurance money.” Reporter Hwang Jeong-won (jwhwang@mt.co.kr)[View full article] A man in his 30s who received 14 million won in insurance money after 20 traffic accidents... Court 'not guilty' (link)

Daeryun Law Firm announced on the 3rd that it will establish a new Litigation Management Headquarters and advance its operation method by benchmarking advanced overseas legal systems. The purpose is to differentiate itself from network law firms, which have been controversial due to issues such as excessive fees, and to provide optimized services to individual and corporate customers by minimizing errors that may occur during the case process. Since opening as Daeryun General Law Office in 2016, Daeryun has entered the top 10 law firms based on sales in the shortest period of 9 years. Last year's sales amounted to 112.7 billion won, a 60% increase over the previous year. Daeryun believes that this growth has been possible by introducing lawyers dedicated to counseling, assisting with team-based cases, and establishing a system that leads to customer satisfaction. Daeryun has introduced and is operating a one-firm system in which the main office manages cases filed at branch offices across the country. When a consulting lawyer communicates directly with the client and accurately analyzes the contents of the case, an optimized lawyer is assigned to each case, and a dedicated team is also formed when necessary. Through this system, Daeryun's policy is to utilize the expertise of each lawyer and simultaneously increase client satisfaction. In addition, by recently establishing the Litigation Management Headquarters, we are focusing on improving the quality of legal services. The Litigation Management Headquarters is a group that commands and supervises the overall litigation administration. It is comprised of three management departments: civil affairs/departmental affairs, criminal affairs, and housekeeping/litigation service management. If a case is designated as a litigation guidance management case under the ex officio authority of the head of the division, the group's lawyers participate in the role of the actual general division head, preventing poor defense, missing information, and lack of progress explanations, which are problems in some law firms, and minimizing communication errors with clients. Daeryun also transplanted the system of Baker & McKinsey, the world's largest law firm, to suit domestic circumstances in order to establish a global forum infrastructure. Senior lawyers in the entire department are directly involved in cases, including attending investigations and appearing in court, and operate in a structure similar to the case handling process of large American law firms. Based on this strategy, we have established cooperative relationships with leading overseas law firms. Representative examples include signing MOUs with Korini, an American real estate comprehensive solution platform, and Verivest, a large Japanese law firm. Based on this, we are increasing customer accessibility and convenience by setting up offices in major cities around the world. We also plan to provide a special lecture on management strategies utilizing this experience to law school students within the year. Kim Kuk-il, CEO of Daeryun Management, said, “Some law firms often borrow only the name of a lawyer, but Daeryun takes charge of the entire process in many cases.” He added, “Through the main office management system, you can receive high-quality legal services anywhere in the country, and we will do our best with the goal of 100% client satisfaction in the future.” Reporter Jeong Cheol-wook[View full article] Seoul Shinmun - Daeryun, “Improving the quality of legal services”... Establishment of a new litigation headquarters and introduction of a global law firm system (Click here) Legal News - Daeryun Law Firm establishes Litigation Management Headquarters (Click here)

In December 2024, the Supreme Court's plenary ruling ruled to abolish the 'fixity' requirement of ordinary wages. As a result, various allowances, such as regular bonuses and regular bonuses with conditions of employment or working days, that were previously excluded from ordinary wages, can now be included in ordinary wages, which is expected to have a significant impact on both employers and workers. From the company's perspective, overtime, night, and holiday work allowances, annual leave allowances, etc. must be recalculated based on the new standard. There has been a burden, and we are in a situation where we need to overhaul the existing wage system on a large scale. In particular, industries with a high proportion of allowances, such as manufacturing and finance, are expected to see an increase in both legal risks and labor cost burdens. On the other hand, workers are expected to see wage increases in the short term, but in the long term, they may face new risks such as job instability or a shift to a performance-based compensation structure. Chungcheong Newspaper met with Kim Jeong-beom, an attorney specializing in labor law at the Daejeon branch office of Daeryun Law Firm, and started with the basic concept of ordinary wages. The impact of the change in Supreme Court precedent and the specific response measures that companies should take in practice were summarized in a Q&A format.Q. The terms ‘compensation for small-time work’ and ‘fixity’ are unfamiliar. What does it mean if you summarize it in an easy-to-understand way for the general public?A. 'Predetermined work compensation' refers to the compensation that workers receive for the hours they promise to work (prescribed working hours), that is, basic pay and regular allowances. 'Fixity' refers to an amount determined in advance without certain conditions, and with this ruling, this requirement has been excluded, allowing it to be included in ordinary wages even if employment conditions are attached. Q. If the normal wage range is expanded, will it also affect the minimum wage calculation?A. Although there is no direct impact, the wage items included may vary when determining whether or not to comply with the minimum wage. In the case of the performance-based salary system, whether or not ordinary wages are included depends on the volatility and fixity, and the wage peak system may require recalculation of allowances based on the reduced wage. Q. Which industries will be most affected by this ruling?A. This includes manufacturing, finance, transportation, and health care industries. These industries have a high proportion of regular bonuses and allowances and frequent shift work, so if the method of calculating normal wages is changed, the burden of increased labor costs is high.Q. Does this precedent have an impact on labor-management negotiations?A. Of course. Reorganization of the basic salary-centered wage system, attempts to expand performance bonuses, and negotiations over past unpaid allowances may occur. Conflicts between labor and management may increase over the reorganization of wage items.Q. Is this ruling unconditionally favorable to workers?A. In the short term, it may be advantageous due to an increase in statutory allowances. However, if a company pursues a response strategy such as reducing overtime or converting to performance bonuses, long-term wage stability may decline.Q. What countermeasures should a company consider first?A. Examining the wage system and reviewing whether allowances include regular wages Recalculating statutory allowances such as extensions and night allowances Revising employment rules and collective agreements Establishing a mid- to long-term wage structure reform strategy Strengthening sufficient communication with workers Q. What role does Daeryun Law Firm’s ordinary wage task force play?A. The TF team, launched immediately after the ruling in December 2024, is composed of labor lawyers and labor attorneys and is focusing on minimizing legal risks for companies. It provides all-round support, including diagnosis of ordinary wages, advice on recalculation of statutory allowances, consulting on wage system reform, support for labor-management negotiations, and response to legal disputes. Reporter Kim Mi-young (kmy@dailycc.net)[View full article] [Q&A] Will our company be affected by the change in the Supreme Court precedent on ordinary wages? (Shortcut)

Mr. A, an office worker living in Busan, was implicated in a sex crime after drinking and falling asleep with a coworker with whom he was close. A co-worker filed a complaint against Mr. A, and the prosecution handed Mr. A over to trial based on the victim's statement. However, the Busan District Court found Mr. A not guilty, saying there was insufficient evidence. Sexual crimes vary slightly depending on the case, such as forcible molestation, quasi-rape, and rape, but they are generally punished strongly as they are included in the 'three major violent crimes.' Even for the crime of quasi-forcible molestation, a person can be sentenced to imprisonment for up to 10 years or a fine of up to 15 million won, and for rape, the sentence consists only of imprisonment without a fine for a fixed term of more than 3 years. However, since sexual crime cases mainly occur in closed places, it is difficult to secure objective evidence in most cases. Therefore, the victim's statement is often the only evidence, and it is also difficult for the suspect to prove his innocence when he is placed in an unfair situation. If he is unfairly accused even though he did not commit a sex crime, a response strategy must be systematically developed. Above all, it is important to argue logically. Even those claiming innocence must have their credibility recognized by investigative and judicial authorities through consistent statements. In addition, they must secure as much data as possible to clear the charges. The key is to collect data that can prove the circumstances of the incident, such as CCTV, message records, and phone call recordings, and to find any parts that contradict the victim's statement. In addition, if you are charged with sexual harassment, you must claim that there was no intention. The court determines guilt by considering the location of the crime, the reason for physical contact, the surrounding circumstances, and the circumstances of the report. Accordingly, it must be proven that the contact was unavoidable through verification of the situation, such as a specific simulation. In the previous case, Mr. A consistently denied the charges with the help of a sex crime lawyer. In addition, the circumstances of exchanging messages with the victim as usual immediately after the incident were presented as evidence. In addition, he was able to get rid of the charges by emphasizing that there were contradictions between the victim's statement and the witness's remarks. Attorney Lee Seung-ho of Daeryun Law Firm's Busan headquarters branch office said, "If you are involved in a sex crime, you need a careful approach and strategic response from the early stage with an expert. Furthermore, if it is revealed that the charge originated from a false claim, you can also receive legal response related to false accusation." “It’s good,” he said. Reporter Gayoung Jin (lawissue) (news@lawissue.co.kr)[View full article] Sexual crime wrongfully accused, must be relieved of charges with the help of a lawyer (Shortcut)

Daeryun Law Firm announced on the 3rd that it signed a business agreement (MOU) with Nunemiso Ophthalmology Clinic. This agreement was held at the headquarters of Nunemiso Ophthalmology Clinic on the 1st with the attendance of key officials including Daeryun Kim Kuk-il, attorney, Park Seong-dong, Nunemiso Eye Clinic CEO Koo Jin-jin, and Director Kim Min-sook. Nunemiso Ophthalmology Clinic is a representative medical institution specializing in vision correction with extensive experience and high level of expertise in the field of Smile LASIK surgery. We are providing patient-centered medical services based on technology. Through this agreement, Daeryun plans to provide legal advice to Nunemiso Eye Clinic, and Nunemiso Eye Clinic has decided to provide discounts on vision-related medical services to Daeryun executives and employees. Hyeong-jin Koo, CEO of Nunemiso Eye Clinic, said, “We are pleased that the agreement with Daeryun is based on legal trust,” and added, “In particular, based on the know-how accumulated in the field of Smile LASIK, Daeryun will provide discounts on vision-related medical services.” “We will provide the best medical services to our executives and employees,” said Kim Kuk-il, CEO of Daeryun Management. “Daeryun has a medical pharmaceutical group with a large number of medical lawyers, including doctors, oriental medicine doctors, and pharmacists, and a corporate legal group that can provide comprehensive advice on hospital management.” He added, “We will work with experts in each field to deliver customized legal services for medical institutions and help Nunemiso Eye Clinic operate a stable medical service.” To keep up with demand, we have significantly strengthened the pharmaceutical rebate response team and medical pharmaceutical group by recruiting legal experts familiar with various fields such as pharmaceuticals, bio, healthcare, and fair trade. Reporter Cheon Ju-young (young1997@mydaily.co.kr)[View full article] Daeryun Law Firm signed an MOU with Noone Smile Eye Clinic (Click here)