Kim & Chang

Corporate Investigations & White Collar Defense; Anti-Corruption & Corporate Compliance; Corporate Governance & Shareholder Disputes; Aerospace & Defense

Kook Hyun Yoo is a partner and heads the Corporate Investigations & White Collar Defense Practice of Kim & Chang.

Mr. Yoo is widely recognized as a veteran criminal defense attorney who has worked on many high-profile criminal defense cases involving both domestic and foreign-invested companies across a broad spectrum of industries. He has advised senior management of global companies in connection with complex investigations and enforcement actions involving various criminal enforcement and other regulatory authorities.

As the head of the Corporate Investigations & White Collar Defense Practice, Mr. Yoo has overseen a dramatic expansion of the firm’s traditional criminal defense practice to cover crisis management situations, corporate internal investigations and incidents involving corporate fraud, waste and abuse. Mr. Yoo has been involved in cross-border investigations involving careful coordination between the Korean and head office entities to respond to enforcement actions by Korean and relevant foreign authorities.

Another aspect of the expansion of the firm’s criminal defense practice has been the establishment of the Anti-Corruption & Corporate Compliance Practice, underscoring the importance of corruption-related matters (including those related to the US FCPA and UK Bribery Act) and corporate compliance in general.

Mr. Yoo is also the chair of the Aerospace & Defense Practice and has overseen the establishment of a group of dedicated attorneys who are familiar with government contracting practices as well as investigations, such as those relating to military classified information.

Mr. Yoo continues to serve as a leader in various legal fields. In 2002-2003, he served as a member of the National Human Rights Commission.

Mr. Yoo first joined Kim & Chang in 1978. A year later he was called to the Public Prosecutors' Office to serve. After a distinguished 20-year career as a public prosecutor, during which he took part in and later supervised many complex criminal investigations. Mr. Yoo returned to the firm in 1999.

During his years of public service, Mr. Yoo served as the Human Rights Director of the Ministry of Justice and led the government delegation to the United Nations Human Rights Commission in 1991-1992. Prior to rejoining the firm, he was the Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Suwon District. For his public service, Mr. Yoo was awarded numerous honors from the government, including the Order of Service Merit Red Stripe and the Service Merit Medal.

Mr. Yoo received his Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees from Seoul National University. He has also received an LL.M. degree from George Washington University. He is admitted to the Korean bar.

Korean and English

Admitted to bar, Korea, 1975

George Washington University Law Center, Washington, D.C. (LL.M., 1984) Graduate School of Law, Seoul National University (LL.M., 1976) Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea (1975) Seoul National University (LL.B., 1973)