GAON LAW GROUP leverages its extensive expertise in tax and corporate advisory to provide effective solutions for a wide range of complex and unpredictable administrative regulations and enforcement risks, always aiming to protect clients’ most valuable rights and interests.

Recent regulatory developments have significantly increased the direct authority of agencies such as the Financial Services Commission, Financial Supervisory Service, Fair Trade Commission, and National Tax Service, resulting in greater complexity and heightened risk for corporations.

The Administrative Regulation Response Team at GAON LAW GROUP is composed of leading experts, each with extensive practical experience in their respective fields. In the tax domain, Senior Partner Kang Nam-kyu, who has served with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the National Tax Service, and various local government committees, provides comprehensive guidance—ranging from tax law interpretation to all stages of the administrative appeals process. Partner Kim Song-kyung, with a background in the National Tax Service’s Litigation and Investigation Bureaus and experience as a public prosecutor, offers unmatched expertise in audit and investigation strategies.

In finance and antitrust regulation, Senior Partner Kwon Ki-dae, a former prosecutor with direct experience at the Board of Audit and Inspection and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), brings deep insight into regulatory agency operations. Partner Kang Woo-jun, an experienced antitrust attorney, offers balanced perspectives from both regulatory and defense sides. The team is further strengthened by Senior Advisor Shin Dong-seung, a former Chief Judge of the Seoul Administrative Court, who contributes essential judicial insight.

To complement its capabilities, GAON LAW GROUP works with Professor Emeritus Park Jung-hoon (Attorney, Judicial Research and Training Institute Class 15), a preeminent authority in Korean administrative law. Professor Park brings 28 years as a judge and law professor at Seoul National University, with a profound impact on both the theory and practice of administrative litigation, appeals, procedures, and investigations—always informed by comparative perspectives from German, U.S., French, EU, and Japanese law. He has played key roles in bodies such as the National Police Commission, Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Central Disciplinary Committee, and Central Administrative Appeals Commission, and has been instrumental in drafting and amending the Administrative Procedures Act, Administrative Litigation Act, and the new Basic Administrative Act. Professor Park’s advisory experience spans nearly all administrative sectors—including finance, antitrust, ISDS, construction, environment, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, taxation, procurement, data protection, public enterprises, industrial regulations, education, disciplinary actions, and local government—supporting both corporate and individual clients with insight that bridges academic theory and practical application.

Administrative regulations—such as license revocations, business suspensions, fines, permit denials, filing rejections, and overlapping or excessive legal requirements—can inflict substantial harm on companies, making timely, proactive responses essential. Effective solutions often demand a multidimensional approach that extends beyond the literal wording of statutes, drawing on the general principles of administrative law and comparative legal understanding.

GAON LAW GROUP’s Administrative Regulation Response Team uniquely blends premier practical experience with deep academic insight to present the most persuasive arguments before administrative agencies and courts. The team is dedicated to promptly remedying client disadvantages, minimizing potential losses, and proactively supporting administrative and public bodies with reliable advisory services. Through these efforts, the team not only advances the rule of law in administration but also helps prevent unnecessary litigation before it arises.

The Gaon Law Firm’s Family Office Center provides its clients with comprehensive and reliable solutions for all aspects of asset management including bequests, gift transfers, guardianship, trusts and corporate successions. The Family Office Center comprises experts in trust, tax and gift and estate law to provide comprehensive solutions. In addition to helping to resolve disputes caused by transfers of asset , we provide solutions to pre-emptively avoid possible issues that might arise when dealing with wealth and asset management. Especially in an era of massive demographic changes caused by fluctuations in birth rate, an increasing ageing population, the diversification of families, and more. We also advise on all matters related to corporate succession planning so that family-owned businesses may be efficiently transferred from generation to generation.

The Criminal Law Team of GAON LAW GROUP is dedicated to delivering high-quality legal services through proactive defense strategies and meticulous, client-centered support that builds lasting trust with our clients.
Drawing on extensive experience in investigations, trials, and legal administration, the team provides objective legal advice rooted in established legal principles and informed by practical insight. With a comprehensive approach aimed at eliminating unjust outcomes and protecting clients’ legitimate interests, GAON’s Criminal Law Practice ensures the highest standard of defense representation.
Through close collaboration with the firm’s Tax Group, Corporate Advisory Team, Administrative & Regulatory Response Team, and Family Office Center, we provide truly integrated, one-stop solutions for even the most complex and interrelated legal issues.

GAON LAW GROUP’s Corporate Team provides legal services on M&A and investment structures, corporate finance and corporate control, antitrust, disputes arising from power dynamics, and other general corporate governance matters.

GAON LAW GROUP’s Tax Group provides comprehensive tax services to businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals with respect to a wide spectrum of substantive tax issues, including national taxes, local taxes, customs duties, and other government levies. The Tax Group engages in both tax advisory and planning, as well as tax controversy involving tax audit defense, tax appeals and litigation. The Tax Group practices before all levels of the tax authorities, including the District and Regional Tax Offices as well as the National Tax Service, the various administrative appellate bodies, including the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea, the Administrative Appeals Commissions, the Customs Appeal Committee, and the Tax Tribunal, and all levels of the judiciary, including the Administrative/District Courts, the Courts of Appeal, and the Supreme Court.

We develop customized strategies that take into account the particular wishes and needs of the donor/testator and address all aspects of wealth transfer to the next generation, from structuring the most legally appropriate and tax-efficient gift and/or estate planning to the seamless execution and implementation of those plans. We also can assist in the resolution of family and inheritance disputes related to wealth transfers.

With the complete revision of the 2011 Trust Act, trusts are now being used for numerous matters such as construction, real estate, asset management, and property succession. GAON’s Family Office Centre is the first in the financial sector to launch an asset succession strategy programme which can offer the optimal trust and estate planning that reflects the grantor’s wishes. We offer services covering a wide spectrum of issues, including continuous asset management, estate planning for transferring assets to spouses and children, and property protection and management for disabled and elderly individuals. We also help with corporate succession planning; the trust and tax teams work to collaborate with one another in order to present the most ideal plan for the client’s every asset. We also operate the tax advisory and litigation work that may surface during the processes of starting, operating and closing an inheritance trust.

Corporate succession begins to occur more frequently as the ageing population increases. Gaon’s Family Office Centre proposes the best trust solutions that enables companies of clients to be passed down for many generations to come. We design a master plan for corporate succession and design an additional trust structure for asset management. We study cases from overseas that have maintained a company for over 100 years through the separation of corporate voting rights and dividends which helps us tailor succession solutions to specific circumstances faced by our clients. We provide succession planning assistance for the future and growth of companies through organic collaboration between the Gaon tax and corporate advisory team.

Domestic litigation is not a simple matter of legal and/or property issues but can be emotionally demanding and draining. The GAON Law Group’s Family Office Centre not only plays the role of a facilitator who supplies clients with structured resolutions for marital and family disputes, but also actively supports clients in achieving the best possible outcome.

Led by Mr. Soon-Jung Kwon, the Criminal Law Team is composed of highly experienced professionals including Attorney Ki-Dae Kwon and Attorney Song-Kyung Kim, each recognized for their expertise across criminal, tax, and financial investigations. Together, they deliver sophisticated, strategic responses to any legal challenge.

The GAON Criminal Law Team has extensive experience across a broad range of matters, including corporate control disputes, tax and white-collar crimes, fair trade violations, securities and financial crimes, foreign exchange violations, technology leakage, trade secret misappropriation, intellectual property infringement, defamation, media response, medical malpractice, and regulatory issues in the pharmaceutical, food, and biotechnology sectors. The team also delivers strategic responses to administrative investigations by authorities such as the Board of Audit and Inspection, the National Tax Service, and the Korea Fair Trade Commission.

The Corporate Team advises on all processes of M&A deals, from the establishment of the deal structure to negotiation of terms, drafting contracts, the closing, and post-closing maintenance. We work with our clients to obtain the maximum benefits while minimizing risks, in furtherance of the clients’ business objectives. In addition, the Corporate Team works closely with our Tax Group to address comprehensively potential issues that may arise from the deal.

We advise on all processes of the investment, from the establishment of the investment structure to negotiation of terms, drafting and reviewing contracts, the closing, and post-closing maintenance. Our Corporate Team, in cooperation with our Tax Group, provides in-depth advice on all tax issues which may arise in the course of corporate transactions.

A dispute over corporate control has special characteristics, which require that necessary and appropriate legal steps and measures be taken in the appropriate order and at the proper time for the intended results to be obtained. If the timing is missed or the wrong course is taken, at any point, irreversible consequences might ensue. These matters must be handled in close cooperation between the client and legal advisors.

Our Corporate Team, with deep experience in successfully engaging in various forms of corporate control battles and hostile takeovers with respect to both listed and unlisted companies, provides the most optimal solutions for our clients by working closely with them to develop and implement the appropriate plan of action. We can also assist our clients in any litigation that may arise in the course of a battle for corporate control.

Companies may confront various fair trade and antitrust law issues in the course of business operations, such as monopoly, unfair transactions, agency transactions, and subcontracting. Recently, many claims for remedies and relevant disputes have been brought to or filed with the Fair Trade Commission, courts and other government agencies. Thus, it is essential to make decisions after thoroughly reviewing foreseeable legal issues and analyzing relevant risks in connection with transactions with another party.

Our Corporate Team represents our clients in Fair Trade Commission inspections, court proceedings, or any other disputes, and effectively brings up fair trade and antitrust issues to the authorities on behalf of our clients. Our Corporate Team also provides in-depth advice on those issues regulated by the Fair Trade Commission, including franchise, direct sales, labelling and advertisement, and M&A filing.

The bio & healthcare industry has the most complicated regulatory restrictions. There are a myriad of laws governing the industry, and each relevant statute, including the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act, the Medical Devices Act, the Cosmetics Act and the Health Functional Foods Act, imposes complex requirements concerning permits and licenses, labelling and advertisement, and recalls. Any failure to meet these requirements may result in a suspension of business, suspension of items, imposition of penalties, etc., which can adversely affect business operations.

GAON LAW GROUP’s Corporate Team, with deep legal expertise and experience in the bio & healthcare area, provides legal advice on compliance with the above laws and regulations and represents our clients in relevant investigations and dispositions by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the prosecution, the police, and other regulatory authorities. Further, we assist our clients in promoting corporate value by effectively protecting their intellectual properties and responding to their customers’ complaints in respect of product liability, etc.

GAON LAW GROUP’s Corporate Team provides legal services in connection with issues that may arise in the course of ongoing business operations, including contract-related issues and foreign exchange issues. We do not merely inform our clients about relevant risks but proactively endeavor to find solutions together with our clients.

In 2022 Gaon Law Group launched the Sports and Entertainment Team, a group of seasoned experts dedicated to addressing the broad spectrum of legal issues arising in the sports and entertainment industry.

The past three decades, the sports and entertainment industry in Korea has seen a steady and incremental development of a set of rules that regulated and governed the mechanisms of each sector within the industry. More recently, however, accelerated changes in the tech industry and the realization of a global market, coupled with the emergence of new and powerful players, have fundamentally changed the industry itself, in which the traditional rules and legal concepts may not fully respond to the new issues that arise from the new circumstances and changed business models.

GAON Law Group’s Sports & Entertainment Team provides customized legal advisory services to address the different needs and expectations of the various players in the industry, taking into account the differing interests and perspectives of the each, whether they be the studios, developers, producers, production companies, financial service providers, distributors, platforms, artists, management, professional athletes, or agencies, etc., and assist them navigate during times of change.

The Sports & Entertainment Team members have a deep and comprehensive knowledge of and experience in the sports and entertainment field itself, and thus they understand the issues related to content creation, financing, distribution agreements, copyright laws, unfair competition, fair trade, defamation, portrait rights, publicity rights, risk and reputation management, to name but a few. Such expertise in and understanding of the industry gives the Team ability to identify and address the issues before they become problematic, or to resolve existing conflicts through negotiated settlements or litigation, if necessary.

Investment, M&A, Reorganizations, and Cross-Border Dealings

from initial investments, conversions of sole proprietorships into corporate structures, company reorganizations and M&A deals of considerable size, the Tax Group works with clients to achieve their strategic objectives in the most tax efficient manner by carefully reviewing tax reduction strategies and identifying risks in advance. In addition, the Tax Group assists clients with ongoing operational issues to ensure compliance with tax laws. The Tax Group also works closely with the Corporate Group to comprehensively address relevant legal issues that may arise

• Tax review of Company F’s preemptive rights in a corporate restructuring
• Advised on the structuring of M Media Company’s investment in a cable channel and disposition of equity in MBN
• Tax review on S Life Insurance Company’s gains from stock listing
• Advised on N1 Game Company’s establishment of a holding company in Europe
• Advised on S Trading Company’s Singapore consortium deal structuring
• Tax review of iHQ’s holding company establishment
• Tax review of special treatment of N2 Game Company’s stock option
• Tax review of S Food Company’s holding company structure
• Advised on N Holding Company’s acquisition of an European Internet company
• Advised on S Game Company’s Singapore holding company establishment and deal structure (transfer pricing)
• International tax review for sports stars A, C, R, and S
• Tax review of J Liquor Company’s conversion into a holding company
• Tax review of N Game Company’s grant of stock options prior to stock listing
• Advised on improvement of P Company’s transaction structures in respect of customs duties and the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act

Private Wealth/Inheritance and Gift Tax /Public-Benefit Corporations

The Tax Group is a leader in assisting clients in addressing individual tax issues, from increased reporting requirements for overseas/global assets to minimizing taxation on cross-border and/or inter-generational transfers of wealth.

Inheritance and Gift Tax rules can be bewildering and full of traps for the unadvised. This is even more so when cross border transfers are involved. The Tax Group has extensive experience in guiding clients navigate the myriad of rules, helping them to minimize taxes to the extent lawfully possible, whether purely domestic or involving international transactions. The Tax Group also works with an extensive network of foreign firms to ensure that tax issues of all relevant countries are comprehensively addressed.

The Tax Group also is very well versed with the tax issues related to public-benefit corporations and private foundations, and has assisted a number of clients to establish and/or operate them.

In addition to client engagements, the Tax Group actively participates in policy discussions in the inheritance and gift tax law area through tax-related scholarly associations, such as the Tax Law Association and the Special Litigation Practice Research Association. Also, the Tax Group continuously conducts research on estate planning involving trusts, such as an inter-vivos trust, a still nascent area in Korean tax law. Finally, Mr. Namkyu Kang, Managing Partner of the GAON LAW GROUP, has been a member of the Inheritance and Gift Tax Assessment and Review Committee of the National Tax Service since 2013 and has advised the National Tax Service on comprehensive gift taxation issues.

• Tax review of Company F’s preemptive rights in a corporate restructuring
• Advised on the structuring of M Media Company’s investment in a cable channel and disposition of equity in MBN
• Tax review on S Life Insurance Company’s gains from stock listing
• Advised on N1 Game Company’s establishment of a holding company in Europe
• Advised on S Trading Company’s Singapore consortium deal structuring
• Tax review of iHQ’s holding company establishment
• Tax review of special treatment of N2 Game Company’s stock option
• Tax review of S Food Company’s holding company structure
• Advised on N Holding Company’s acquisition of an European Internet company
• Advised on S Game Company’s Singapore holding company establishment and deal structure (transfer pricing)
• International tax review for sports stars A, C, R, and S
• Tax review of J Liquor Company’s conversion into a holding company
• Tax review of N Game Company’s grant of stock options prior to stock listing
• Advised on improvement of P Company’s transaction structures in respect of customs duties and the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act

Ruling Requests

The Tax Group assists clients get tax certainty on specific issues by obtaining tax rulings to address ambiguities in the tax law itself or ambiguity in the application of the law to a specific set of facts.

• Obtained a ruling on confirmation of a domestic non-resident status in connection with the application of the tie-breaker rule under the Korea-U.S. tax treaty
• Obtained a ruling on the deemed gift issue concerning gains from stock listing in connection with a stock transfer between prior and current officers of D Game Company
• Obtained a ruling on the deemed gift issue concerning gains from stock listing in connection with S Game Company’s majority stockholder and capital increase

Tax Audits

The Tax Group assists clients in addressing technical tax issues targeted by the tax authorities in preparation for, or arising from, tax audits. Audit defense may be performed on our own or through collaboration with other tax, accounting or law firms. Our trusted and respected reputation for integrity held by the members of the National Tax Service and the district and regional tax offices allows us to engage forthrightly and effectively in advocating for our clients.

• Assisted various clients in defense of corporate income tax audits
• Assisted in defense of several tax audits designated for potential conversion to criminal tax investigations
• Assisted Individual J in a comprehensive income tax (business tax) audit
• Assisted a venture company and its founder in a personal gift tax audit
• Assisted Company B, a regional distribution company, in a value-added tax return audit

Tax Appeal and Tax Litigation

The Tax Group has a proven record for successfully appealing and/or litigating tax assessments at all levels of administrative or judicial proceedings. In particular, Mr. Namkyu Kang, Managing Partner of the GAON LAW GROUP, has long been acknowledged for his successful representation in tax appeal and tax litigation cases on behalf of clients.

• Decision of no suspicion in a tax evasion criminal complaint case against a regional construction company’s representative (Prosecution)
• Revocation of imposition of customs duties on M Steel Company (Tax Tribunal)
• Revocation of a higher rate acquisition tax for purchase of K Group owner’s private house (Tax litigation)
• Revocation of a higher rate acquisition tax for converting A Group owner’s spouse’s private house into a gallery (Tax litigation)
• Revocation of inheritance tax for inheritance of land at the Yongsan redevelopment site (Tax litigation)
• Revocation of comprehensive gift tax on H1 Group owner stockholder (Tax litigation)
• Revocation of gift tax on H2 Metal majority stockholder’s family and officers (Tax Tribunal)
• Revocation of corporate tax and value-added tax on H3 Company (Tax litigation)
• Revocation of customs duties for H Importer’s importation of agricultural products imposed after denial of the claimed import price (Tax Tribunal)
• Revocation of value-added tax for H Distribution Group’s awards program (Tax Tribunal and tax litigation)
• Revocation of value-added tax for W Distribution Group home shopping’s awards program (Tax litigation)
• Revocation of KRW 28 billion corporate tax on E Distribution Group (Tax Tribunal)
• Revocation of gift tax on I Venture Company’s founder in relation to the exercise of preemptive rights (Tax litigation)
• Revocation of gift tax on J Venture Company’s founder for a rights issue at a high price (Tax Tribunal)
• Revocation of global income tax and value-added tax on D Chain’s representative (Tax Tribunal and tax litigation)
• Pre-assessment review of acquisition tax on P Development Company (Seoul Administrative Appeals Commission)
• Revocation of corporate tax on O Engineering Company in relation to refusal of unfair tax accounting (Tax litigation)
• Revocation of additional imposition of a reduced/exempt portion of acquisition tax on D Construction Company in relation to an industrial complex (Tax Tribunal)