Domestic large law firms have begun operating a "tailored public relations team for the Lee Jae-myung government." This is due to the demand from clients who need to respond to various policies and legislation being pursued by the new government. Law firms are successively recruiting people from the Moon Jae-in government, which has similar tendencies to this government.
◇ Recruiting labor and health bureaucrats, high-ranking legal professionals... "Strengthening advisory and public relations capabilities together"
The public relations organization of law firms is commonly referred to as "GR (Government Relations)." This means work related to the government, and in this context, the government refers not only to the executive branch but also encompasses the legislative and judicial branches.
According to reports from the legal sector on the 6th, law firms have recently been focusing on recruiting talents to communicate with the new government. Lee & Ko recruited Ahn Kyung-deok, a former Minister of Employment and Labor during the Moon Jae-in government, as an advisor last May. Around the same time, BAE, KIM & LEE LLC also recruited Park Hwa-jin, a former Vice Minister from the Moon Jae-in government. Both individuals are regarded as experts in labor legislation and policy, with over 30 years of experience. This appears to be a move to prepare for labor issues, such as the Yellow Envelope Law (amendment to the Trade Union Act), extension of retirement age, and the 4.5-day workweek, which the current government and ruling party are expected to actively promote.
Shin & Kim LLC recently recruited Kwon Deok-cheol, a former Minister of Health and Welfare who served as Vice Minister during the Moon Jae-in government. Additionally, Kim & Chang recruited Kim Gang-rip, a former Vice Minister of Health and Welfare during the Moon Jae-in government. He was also mentioned as a candidate for the first Minister of Health and Welfare under the Lee Jae-myung government. BAE, KIM & LEE LLC brought in Oh Chang-hyun, a former head of the Health Industry Promotion Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, as an advisor. A representative from BAE, KIM & LEE LLC noted, "This is aimed at strengthening advisory capacity in the regulated bio and healthcare sectors."
Yulchon recently recruited Moon Seung-wook, a former Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy during the Moon Jae-in government, as an advisor. This is to enhance corporate advisory in response to the tariff and trade policies of former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. Yulchon also strengthened its public relations efforts by bringing in Choi Yong-seon, a former deputy head of defense industry at the Moon Jae-in government, as a specialized committee member.
There are also firms that have recruited high-ranking legal professionals. Yulchon has brought in Jo Nam-gwan, a former Vice Administrator of the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office who served as Director of the Criminal Affairs Bureau and Acting Prosecutor General during the Moon Jae-in government. Shin & Kim LLC has recruited Jang Young-soo, a former Chief Prosecutor of Daegu. The former chief prosecutor held positions such as Director of the Legal Affairs Bureau and Legal Advisor at the Ministry of Justice.
The frequent moves of government officials from the Moon Jae-in government to law firms is also attributed to timing factors. High-ranking public officials are prohibited from working at law firms of a certain size for three years after retirement, but many bureaucrats who resigned during the Moon Jae-in government became eligible for employment this year. A representative from a large law firm said, "By recruiting individuals who align with the new government and have expertise, we intend to strengthen both advisory and public relations sectors. It seems there is also an impact from the fact that the previous government's term was short, allowing certain government officials' employment restrictions to lift at this time."
◇ From organizations dedicated to 'Lee Jae-myung regulations' to response teams for policies related to commercial law, real estate, and labor
Large law firms are establishing organizations to respond to the new government's policies. A notable example is the "Regulatory Reform Solutions Team" recently launched by Yoon & Yang LLC. This dedicated organization addresses the regulatory reforms of the Lee Jae-myung government and includes advisors such as Park Kwang-on, a former floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Choi Jong-moon, who served as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs during the Moon Jae-in government.
BAE, KIM & LEE LLC recently established a "Governance Solutions Center," while Shin & Kim LLC set up a "Corporate Governance Strategy Center," and Jipyeong LLC launched a "Management Rights Dispute and Shareholder Engagement Response Center" to address corporate risks related to amendments to commercial law.
Additionally, Shin & Kim LLC and Jipyeong LLC have launched the "Project REITs Task Force" and "Project REITs Integrated Support Center," respectively, to meet advisory needs related to the project REITs system set to be introduced with the revised Real Estate Investment Company Act in November. Furthermore, Lee & Ko has established a "Labor Compliance Team" that will handle advisory related to personnel, labor, and safety in response to changes in labor policies.