On the 31st, Law Firm YK disclosed that it has appointed Professor Kim Hwa-jin from the Seoul National University School of Law as an advisor. Professor Kim is recognized as an expert in corporate governance and ESG matters in Korea.
김화진 법무법인 YK 고문 [사진=법무법인 YK]
Professor Kim is noted as a pioneering scholar in corporate law studies in Korea, with expertise in both institutional design and corporate consulting. He graduated from Seoul National University's Department of Mathematics and earned a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School and a Doctorate in Law from the University of Munich, Germany. His international academic involvement includes teaching corporate governance at the University of Michigan, Stanford University, Tel Aviv University, and New York University, and publishing articles in Oxford and Cambridge journals. He is currently the Chairman of the Board at Samsung Securities and a Senior Outside Director at Hyundai Mobis. His publications such as "Ownership and Management" (2005), "Mergers and Acquisitions" (2008), and "Corporate Governance and Corporate Finance" (2010) are recognized by the National Academy of Sciences of Korea and serve as essential texts in governance studies.
Professor Kim has contributed to institutional design and policy consultation in roles such as Chairman of the Governance Improvement Advisory Committee of the National Pension Service, Chairman of the Voting Rights Committee of the Korea ESG Standards Institute, and as a public director of the Korea Financial Investment Association. He currently addresses board operations and internal control, ESG regulation responses, and shareholder protection measures at Samsung Securities and Hyundai Mobis. Additionally, he has been an outside director and Chairman of the ESG Committee at HD Hyundai and participated in the Hyundai Memorial Project Committee for Asan Chung Ju-yung's 20th anniversary, publishing "Asan Chung Ju-yung Legacy" (2021) at Seoul National University.
On the 11th, during a seminar on commercial law amendments organized by YK and the Korea In-house Counsel Association, Professor Kim discussed "The Future of Korean Corporate Governance and Amended Commercial Law," indicating that while ESG, shareholder protection, and commercial law amendments are progressing well, the capability to manage them requires consideration.
At YK, Professor Kim is anticipated to offer guidance on issues such as handling disputes at shareholder meetings and damages lawsuits due to commercial law amendments, reviewing shareholder protection during management rights sales, enhancing board operations and internal control, and developing strategies in the ESG institutionalization process.
Law Firm YK commented that Professor Kim's association with the firm during a time of emerging commercial law amendments and ESG regulations is significant for addressing institutional challenges encountered by corporate clients. The firm expects that his academic and practical experience will contribute valuable insights into corporate decision-making processes.