On the 31st, Law Firm YK confirmed the appointment of Professor Kim Hwa-jin from Seoul National University School of Law as an advisor. Professor Kim is recognized as a prominent expert in corporate governance and ESG matters in South Korea.
Professor Kim Hwa-jin at Law Firm YK [Photo: Law Firm YK]
Professor Kim is acknowledged as a pioneer in corporate law studies in South Korea and brings extensive experience in both institutional design and corporate consulting. He holds a degree in Mathematics from Seoul National University, a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School, and a Doctorate in Law from the University of Munich, Germany. He has contributed internationally, teaching corporate governance at the University of Michigan, Stanford University, Tel Aviv University, and New York University, and publishing in journals associated with Oxford and Cambridge. He is currently the Chairman of the Board at Samsung Securities and a Senior Outside Director at Hyundai Mobis. His works, such as "Ownership and Management" (2005), "Mergers and Acquisitions" (2008), and "Corporate Governance and Corporate Finance" (2010), have been recognized as distinguished academic resources by the National Academy of Sciences of Korea and are widely utilized in governance education.
His involvement in institutional design and policy advice includes roles as Chairman of the Governance Improvement Advisory Committee of the National Pension Service and Chairman of the Voting Rights Committee of the Korea ESG Standards Institute. He also served as a public director of the Korea Financial Investment Association. Presently, he is focusing on board operations, internal control, ESG regulatory responses, and shareholder protection measures at Samsung Securities and Hyundai Mobis. He has also held positions as an outside director and Chairman of the ESG Committee at HD Hyundai and participated in the Hyundai Memorial Project Committee for the 20th anniversary of Asan Chung Ju-yung. His work, "Asan Chung Ju-yung Legacy" (2021), published at Seoul National University, garnered significant interest.
At a seminar on commercial law amendments held on the 11th, co-hosted by YK and the Korea In-house Counsel Association, Professor Kim addressed "The Future of Korean Corporate Governance and Amended Commercial Law." He remarked on the importance of ESG, shareholder protection, and commercial law amendments, while also emphasizing the need to assess the capacity to implement these changes.
Professor Kim is anticipated to provide targeted guidance at YK on several issues, including shareholder meeting disputes, damages lawsuits following commercial law amendments, general shareholder protection during management rights sales, enhancements in board operations and internal control, and strategies for the ESG institutionalization process.
YK representatives noted, "Professor Kim's association with YK at a time of significant commercial law amendments and rising ESG regulations is crucial for addressing the institutional challenges our corporate clients face." They further expressed confidence that his academic and practical experience will offer valuable insights into the corporate decision-making process.