On the 31st, Law Firm YK announced the appointment of Professor Kim Hwa-jin from Seoul National University School of Law as an advisor, recognizing his expertise in corporate governance and ESG in Korea.

김화진 법무법인 YK 고문 [사진=법무법인 YK]

Professor Kim is a pioneer in corporate law in Korea, known for his institutional design and consulting work. Educated in mathematics at Seoul National University, he earned a Master of Laws from Harvard and a doctorate from the University of Munich. Internationally active, he has taught at universities like Michigan and Stanford, and published in prestigious journals. He is Samsung Securities' Board Chairman and Hyundai Mobis' Senior Outside Director. His influential books include "Ownership and Management" (2005), "Mergers and Acquisitions" (2008), and "Corporate Governance and Corporate Finance" (2010).

Professor Kim has advised on institutional design as Chair of the Governance Improvement Advisory Committee of the National Pension Service and Chair of the Voting Rights Committee of the Korea ESG Standards Institute. He focuses on board operations, internal control, ESG regulation, and shareholder protections at Samsung Securities and Hyundai Mobis. He was an outside director and ESG Committee Chair at HD Hyundai, and contributed to the "Asan Chung Ju-yung Legacy" (2021) publication for its 20th anniversary.

During a seminar on commercial law amendments on the 11th, co-hosted by YK and the Korea In-house Counsel Association, Professor Kim discussed "The Future of Korean Corporate Governance and Amended Commercial Law," emphasizing the need for capacity to implement ESG, shareholder protection, and legal amendments.

At YK, Professor Kim is anticipated to advise on shareholder meeting disputes, damages lawsuits post-commercial law amendments, general shareholder protection during management sales, board operation improvement, and corporate strategy development amid ESG institutionalization.

YK noted the significance of Professor Kim's role amid rising commercial law and ESG regulations, expressing confidence that his academic and practical expertise will offer valuable corporate decision-making insights.