InterLEX (asialaw): South Korea (asialaw)

Key contacts

Partner: Hyunchai Isabelle Sohn

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Partner: Jaehoon Lee

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Quick facts

Number of Lawyers

Number of Partners

Languages

Korean, English, French, Japanese

Network Memberships

KICA (Korea In-house Counsel Association), FKCCI (French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry)

Key practice areas

Labour and employment (asialaw)

Firm overview

InterLEX is proud to be recognized as the “Best Law Firm in Korea” by Legal Times in 2023, a testament to our commitment to legal excellence and client service. Our Managing Partner, Jaehoon Lee, and Partner, Hyunchai Isabelle Sohn, have consistently been distinguished as “Leading Lawyers,” underscoring the firm’s continued leadership in the legal field. Jaehoon Lee was recently recognized by Korea’s leading media, JoongAng Daily, and Korea In-House Counsel Association as the “Best Lawyer of Korea” in labor & employment law practice. With specialized expertise in Corporate Law, Labor and Employment, and Litigation, InterLEX offers comprehensive legal services tailored to meet the unique needs of both local and international clients. Our English-fluent lawyers are bilingual and culturally adept, enabling us to navigate the subtleties of cross-cultural legal matters. We stand as a trusted legal partner, ensuring that language and cultural barriers do not impede legal success.

Our esteemed clientele includes industry leaders such as Samsung, CBRE, Kia Corporation, Hyundai Motor Group, JB Financial Group, Garuda Indonesia, Danaher, GlobalData, Edwards, Zyle Motors, Wemakeprice, Singsong, Helixmith, and Yamaha Music, among many other distinguished names who rely on our counsel. We take pride in our role as trusted legal advisors, providing strategic support in complex advisory matters and critical litigation. Our clients consistently commend our firm for delivering solutions that are both effective and efficient, helping them navigate the legal landscape with confidence and clarity.

Our global and local expertise allows us to deliver seamless legal services that exemplify leading international standards while respecting Korean legal nuances. At InterLEX, we remain committed to exceeding our clients’ expectations and advancing their interests through innovative, client-centered legal strategies. We continue to uphold the highest standards of service, ensuring our clients receive the best possible outcomes in all their legal matters.

Practice areas & sector specialisations

Dispute resolution
Labour and employment

Address:

Teheran-ro 410

Seoul, 06192

South Korea

Tel:+82 10 7288 3811 / +82 2 6959 8089 Email:Contact Us Web Address:https://interlex.co.kr/

2025 Edition

Labour and employment (asialaw)

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InterLEX (asialaw)

1 practice area

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InterLEX (asialaw)

Overview

InterLEX provides corporate and litigation services related to labour and employment law. The firm has worked with various Korean government entities, including the Korea Industrial Technology Association and Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, providing legal guidance to IT companies such as Naver and Coupang and startups like Ongyeol and Dames. In collaborations, the firm assists numerous international clients across the US, Europe and China. With experience advising both local and global clients, InterLEX helps organisations address complex labour issues through customised, practical solutions based on Korean employment law. Key partners of significance at the firm include Hyunchai Isabelle Sohn and Eunzip Kwon.

Linked Reviews

Labour and employment (asialaw)

Work highlights

Advised a client in the chemical business on a significant workforce restructuring initiative necessitated by consecutive years of deficit in certain business units following the Covid-19 pandemic. The challenge involved navigating Korea's strict labour laws, which only permit dismissals for ‘justifiable cause’, and managing potential resistance from the labour union. The case's significance lies in its legal and voluntary completion without union interference, particularly notable in an economic climate where re-employment opportunities were limited.

Successfully defended a major Korean media group at the Supreme Court against claims for statutory severance pay from numerous workers. The firm effectively argued that these workers were freelancers, not employees under the Korean Labor Standards Act. The court's August 2023 ruling in favour of the client clarified ambiguous precedents on freelancer status, mitigating significant legal and financial risks for companies using multiple freelancers. This landmark decision protected the client from various labour law obligations and set an important precedent in Korean employment law.

Successfully represented a client in the bus manufacturing industry in the Supreme Court, securing a suspension of execution on a W3 billion enforcement penalty imposed by the Labor Relations Commission. The penalty, stemming from employee dismissals during corporate liquidation, was challenged as excessive and lacking legal basis. This landmark case is significant as suspensions of Labor Relations Commission penalties are rarely granted, setting an important precedent in Korean labour law and providing crucial financial relief for the client during its management crisis.

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