This article was published on Aug. 28, 2025, at 3:28 p.m. on the ChosunBiz MoneyMove site.
Personnel from private equity fund (PEF) management firm UCK Partners are leaving in droves. Due to the solidification of UCK's 'military academy' image, which has been pointed out in the industry, UCK has taken a tough response with a request for a preliminary injunction against former employees, but there are concerns that this may backfire.
According to the investment banking (IB) industry on the 28th, four personnel from UCK Partners' investment team left the company this year. They are either moving to other management firms or preparing for personal startups.
Personnel turnover has been cited as a weakness of UCK. In particular, there have been frequent instances of mid-level personnel, who support the organization's backbone, moving to other management firms, leading UCK to be nicknamed the 'military academy' of the PE industry. While this may sound good at first glance, it also carries the dishonorable connotation of frequent personnel turnover.
An IB industry insider noted, 'UCK is well-known as a junior military academy for PE, and that means many practitioners are leaving,' adding, 'It's hard to expect performance bonuses until one becomes an executive, and compared to management firms of similar size, the base salary and bonuses are relatively low.'
Last year, UCK sold its portfolio company Medit to MBK Partners for 2.46 trillion won. Recently, bonuses related to the Medit sale were distributed, and there were reports that some personnel resigned immediately after receiving the bonuses, but UCK stated that these rumors are not true. The bonuses from the Medit sale were fully paid in 2023.
To break the vicious cycle, UCK has taken a tough approach. It recently filed a request for a preliminary injunction against a former employee, Mr. A, who moved to competitor Premier Partners, claiming that Premier Partners is a direct competitor and thus taking issue with Mr. A's resignation.
However, there are concerns that the card played as a last resort may negatively impact UCK's reputation. Lawsuits against individuals in an industry with frequent job changes are rare, and there is a perception that the intent of the lawsuit is a form of 'intimidation.'
Another IB industry insider mentioned, 'It seems that UCK's intention is not to win the lawsuit or to bring Mr. A back, but rather to raise awareness among the remaining personnel,' adding, 'It's like wielding a whip rather than a carrot, and this could actually prevent good talent from coming to UCK.'
The largest shareholder of UCK Partners is CEO Kim Soo-min. Currently, CEO Kim, along with Shin Sun-hwa and Kwak Seung-woong, hold equity in a 4:3:3 ratio.
According to venture investment information firm the VC, UCK has a total staffing of 25, with 13 people leaving and 12 new hires in the past year. However, the company explained that this is because 'we recruit interns every year,' emphasizing that 'it just appears that there are many resignations because interns are also covered by the four major insurances,' and noted, 'We understand that no one has left due to dissatisfaction with performance bonuses.'