The tax team at Yulchon handles a wide range of tax work, with particular strength in tax litigation. Recently, the team has been active in its tax consulting practice and assisting large multinational corporations in defending against comprehensive Korean tax audits. The team is led by Dong Soo Kim, a seasoned professional with over twenty years of experience and a background as a judge. Yun Heui Cho, who heads the tax dispute practice, focuses on tax litigation and consulting. Co-head of the international tax practice, Yong Whan Choi, advises multinational corporations, particularly in the ICT and semiconductor industries, on issues such as transfer pricing and restructuring. Key members include Min Young Sung, Kyu Dong Kim, and Tae Hyoung Kim, who specialise in international tax, cross-border transactions, and transfer pricing, respectively.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The team is well versed in tax laws and regulations, real-time government policies and ideas, characteristics and habits of government officials, and understands how to meet the needs of customers.’

  • ‘Other law firms and accounting firms try to coordinate government tax authorities with client companies, so it may be difficult to meet the needs of client companies completely. However, the team negotiates and resolves successfully, prioritising meeting the needs of the client company. It produces good results not only because of its expertise, but also because it has a deep understanding of government tax authorities and client companies and has reliability and flexibility.'

  • ‘Yulchon has top-tier tax knowledge in Korea, the best quality of tax opinion, and excellent collaboration with lawyers, CPAs and ex-tax officers from tax authorities. They are also very well contactable and have a lot of knowledge of the industry.’

  • ‘Yong Whan Choi is second-to no-none as he is very client-friendly and all around the clock, very responsive. He always has a deep dive and provides the best solution to clients. I am moved by his diligence and responsiveness. He is also very sensitive to market trends and tax news, which is reflected in his opinion.'

  • ‘Extensive knowledge of global tax issues in many different countries is one of many strengths that Yulchon has. Yulchon's team was able to provide prompt responses over a call on different tax issues in many different countries, whereas other tax firms usually need time to review the material to provide a clear explanation. I believe prompt and clear explanation comes from extensive experiences in the field.’

  • ‘Kyu Dong Kim directly worked with our team throughout many different projects. I am really amazed at his outperforming knowledge on tax issues, and our fund was able to receive the tax reclaim that we requested. Again, I really appreciate Kyu Dong Kim's quality service.'

  • ‘Yulchon is the best law firm in Korea, showing excellent performance in the tax sector and providing legal advice on risk management in the tax sector as a global company.’

  • ‘Yong Hwan Choi is in charge of our international and domestic tax issues and provides legal advice with expertise and insight into the work.'

Key clients

  • Amazon
  • Google
  • Microsoft
  • Qualcomm
  • Corning
  • Cadence Design Systems
  • Koch Industry Group
  • PTC
  • Airbnb
  • Netflix
  • Agoda
  • Shutterstock
  • Bank of America Merrill Lynch
  • Goldman Sachs
  • TPG capital
  • Macquarie
  • Morgan Stanley
  • L’Oréal International
  • UPS
  • Meritz Alternative Investment Management
  • Hyundai Asset Management
  • Mirae Asset Global Investments
  • Coupang
  • British American Tobacco
  • Samsung Electronics
  • SK Hynix
  • LG Energy Solutions
  • Lotte Group
  • IGIS Asset Management
  • KTB Investment & Securities
  • Prudential
  • Kayak (Hotels Combined)
  • Société Générale
  • JP Morgan Chase Bank
  • Mastern Investment Management
  • ARA Korea Asset Management
  • Trescal
  • Agilent
  • Certa Insurance Partners
  • SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile)

Work highlights

  • Successfully represented Hewlett-Packard in tax litigation challenging withholding tax rate on dividends based on beneficial ownership and subsequently represented them in tax audit.
  • Advised Mastern Asset Management and KB Asset Management in relation to the acquisition of a majority interest in a Luxembourg joint venture company through a Korean real estate fund.
  • Successfully represented Prada Korea in a tax audit involving various transfer pricing issues.

Lawyers

Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Dong Soo Kim

Other key lawyers

Yun Heui Cho, Yong Whan Choi, Min Young Sung, Kyu Dong Kim, Tae Hyoung Kim, Won Gyo Han