Shin & Kim LLC, led by Managing Partner Jong-Han Oh, announced that five of its attorneys have been selected as “2025 Best Lawyers” in the evaluation jointly conducted by JoongAng Ilbo and the Korea In-house Counsel Association.

Among the 11 practice areas reviewed, the following Shin & Kim attorneys were recognized: Senior Partner Je-Heum Baik (Judicial Research & Training Institute Class 20) in Tax; Partner Hyun Il Jin (Class 32) in Serious Accidents & Industrial Safety; Partner Geun-Bae Seok (Class 34) in ESG & Compliance Management; Partner Joe Juneyoung Jang (Class 35) in TMT & Data Protection; and Partner Jong Soo Kim (Class 37) in Labor & Employment.

In the newly established Tax category—introduced this year in light of increasing issues relating to customs duties and corporate tax—Mr. Je-Heum Baik was selected as a Best Lawyer. He has handled multiple large-scale tax disputes involving trillions of Korean won and is widely regarded as a leading figure in Korea’s high-value tax litigation practice. During his tenure as a tax specialist at Kim & Chang, Mr. Baik oversaw the resolution of what was then Korea’s largest tax case, valued at KRW 1.7 trillion, and he has continued to lead matters involving significant complexity and major legal issues.

In the Serious Accidents & Industrial Safety category, Mr. Hyun Il Jin was selected as a Best Lawyer. Widely reccognized as a leading expert in industrial accident matters, Mr. Jin previously served in key prosecutorial positions, including Head of the Labor Investigation Support Division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and Chief Prosecutor in charge of industrial accidents at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. Drawing on his expertise in statutory interpretation—demonstrated during his tenure at the prosecution through his authorship of the Commentary on the Serious Accidents Punishment Act and the Commentary on Labor Law by Key Issues, both published by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office—Mr. Jin has successfully identified and applied key legal principles in major cases. He has obtained a series of non-indictment and dismissal decisions in multiple serious accident matters, including a fatal accident at a golf course.

Mr. Geun-Bae Seok, Deputy Head of the Compliance Center at Shin & Kim, was selected as a Best Lawyer in the ESG & Compliance Management category. He was recognized for his work in establishing compliance frameworks and designing company-wide training programs to help corporations proactively manage risks. In this year alone, Mr. Seok has led compliance system enhancements and enterprise-wide training initiatives for several companies, including SK Gas, Hansol Group, and POSCO Future M, demonstrating his practical expertise in the field.

In the TMT & Data Protection category, Mr. Joe Juneyoung Jang was selected as a Best Lawyer. Having previously served as Chief Privacy Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer (CPO) at Coupang, he is recognized for his strong understanding of corporate operations and his ability to provide not only robust legal analysis but also integrated, practical solutions to complex business challenges.

In the Labor & Employment category, Mr. Jong Soo Kim was selected as a Best Lawyer. He is recognized for his expertise not only in labor law but also in related areas such as the Civil Act and the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, and he has further strengthened his academic foundation by completing the doctoral coursework in labor law at Seoul National University. His recent work includes representing the Ministry of Employment and Labor in securing a Constitutional Court decision upholding the constitutionality of the “single bargaining channel” system, as well as obtaining a Supreme Court remand in the wage-peak system case involving Incheon Transit Corporation. His successful representation in several high-profile Supreme Court and Constitutional Court cases was a key factor in his selection.

The JoongAng Ilbo–Korea In-house Counsel Association attorney evaluation, now in its third year, recognizes attorneys who have demonstrated outstanding performance in corporate advisory matters, based on fair and rigorous assessments by corporate clients and in-house counsel. To date, a total of 27 Shin & Kim attorneys have been selected through this evaluation.