Recently, domestic corporation A received an anonymous tip suggesting that 'employees are receiving bribes from clients.' A commissioned Yoon & Yang LLC, led by attorney Lee Myung-soo, to conduct an internal investigation. Yoon & Yang assigned this matter to the newly established Hwawoo Investigation & Intelligence Team (HIT) earlier this year.
A few months later, HIT reported to corporation A that the employee mentioned in the tip had indeed received golf entertainment and other forms of benefits from clients. This conclusion was drawn after obtaining consent from the identified employees to collect and analyze work laptops, company emails, and messenger data. HIT also confirmed that a former employee, who had filed a report on this case, experienced unfair treatment within the team before resigning.
Yoon & Yang established HIT earlier this year, led by Vice Administrator Kang Nam-il, a former deputy prosecutor at the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office. HIT aims to serve as a comprehensive specialized team responsible for everything from investigation responses to internal investigations in corporations. Since its inception, HIT has handled cases related to trade secrets, information security, accounting fraud, management disputes, mergers and acquisitions, supply chain, initial public offerings (IPO), and overseas anti-corruption laws (FCAP), as well as reviews related to anti-money laundering (AML). Recently, there has been a significant increase in requests for consultancy on employee misconduct related to accounting fraud and workplace harassment, needing external expert investigation.
Attorney Kang, who oversees investigation responses at HIT, was appointed as a prosecutor at the Southern District Prosecutors' Office in Seoul in 1997 and has held positions such as head of the policy planning division at the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office and chief of the financial and tax investigation divisions at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. He was promoted to prosecutor general in 2017 and served as the deputy prosecutor at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, head of the Deputy Minister for Planning and Coordination at the Ministry of Justice, and deputy prosecutor at the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office before serving as the chief prosecutor at the Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office in 2020.
While serving as the head of the financial and tax investigation division, Kang investigated cases such as the Seo Mi Gallery representative, who evaded taxes amounting to billions of won through transactions involving large corporations and art, a stock manipulation case using mobile messengers, and a substandard loan case linked to the Veterans Affairs. He also prosecuted Park Geun-hye's nephew-in-law, who avoided losses by selling stocks in anticipation of a decline in his company's stock price.
HIT includes not only attorney Kang but also numerous investigation experts and forensic specialists from the police and prosecution. Attorney Hong Kyung-ho, a 30th-year attorney from the prosecution, also plays a vital role in HIT. Attorney Hong is a former prosecutor at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office. He has been involved in major criminal cases handled by Yoon & Yang, including the Samsung C&T merger case, a multinational tobacco company tax case, the McDonald's hamburger patty case, and the Korean Air flight route change case. Attorney Im Hee-seong, a 37th-year attorney, has worked as a prosecutor at the Ansan District Prosecutors' Office and served as a special legal advisor in Jeju Island. He is also advising over 70 corporations belonging to the top 10 conglomerates as the head of the Yoon & Yang Digital Forensic Center.
HIT also comprises several former investigating officers from the police and prosecution. Attorney Cho Hyun-seok, of the first law school class, is from the Korean National Police Agency's investigation planning division, while expert Lee Gyu-chun is a former officer from the cyber investigation division at the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office, and expert Jung Chan-yong is a former investigator in the investigation information division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.
Attorney Im Hee-seong noted, 'HIT responds not only to investigation requests but also to various issues that require internal investigations in corporations, with investigation and forensic experts alongside specialized professionals tailored to specific industries and fields working swiftly as one team.' He further stated, 'Our goal is to accurately diagnose the inherent risks within each corporation, minimizing customer damage while responding to regulatory agencies.'