Ryang-Ok Ku
Senior Foreign AttorneyIntroduction
Ms. Ryang-Ok Ku is a senior foreign attorney who graduated from a law school in Osaka and acquired Japanese lawyer qualifications.
As an attorney at an Osaka-based law firm, she represented clients in various civil, criminal, family, and administrative disputes, provided legal services to Japanese companies, and advised Korean companies on their expansion into Japan. Ms. Ku also represented the plaintiff and won a major hate speech case against the Korean minority in Japan, which was a notable victory at the Japanese Supreme Court.
After serving as a visiting scholar at New York University, School of Law, Ms. Ku earned a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex Law School in the United Kingdom, worked as an in-house attorney at the Seoul office of Blizzard Entertainment Inc., where she handled English and Japanese contracts and provided legal support to the Japanese business team, and completed a Ph.D. program in International Law at Korea University.
Areas of Expertise
Professional Career
- 2024-PresentShin & Kim LLC
- 2020-2024Blizzard Entertainment Inc., Seoul office
- 2013-2020Dandelion Law Office, Japan
- 2009-2013Asunaro Law Corporation, Asunaro Law Office, Japan
- 2008-2009Legal Training and Research Institute of the Supreme Court of Japan
Other Career Experiences
- 2022-PresentMember, International Human Rights Law Association of Japan
- 2021-PresentMember, Korean Society for International Law
- 2019-2020Vice Chair, International Branch, Committee on the Rights of the Child, Osaka Bar Association; Chair, Committee for Investigation of Serious Bullying Incidents in Osaka Prefectural High School
- 2019-PresentMember, Asian Law and Society Associations
- 2018-PresentMember, Human Rights Protection Committee, Japan Federation of Bar Associations
- 2009-PresentMember, International Committee, Children's Rights Committee, Criminal Defense Committee of Osaka Bar Association
Key Experience
- Represented a Korean-Japanese citizen in a civil damages action for hate speech
- Advised on import and export, international commercial transactions and contracts for small and medium-sized companies in Japan
- Advised a Korean mobile application company in connection with its launch in Japan
- Advised a Korean start-up company on its entry into Japan
- Represented a defendant in labor appeals
- Advised on game industry, including reviewing and defending against legal risks in the planning of gaming leagues and various global events
- Advised on Japanese transfer of personal information to third parties and matters in connection with the Personal Information Protection Act
- Advised on the Funds Settlement Act and Electronic Commerce Act of Japan
Education
- 2021-2023Korea University, Graduate School of Law (Ph.D. coursework completed, International Law)
- 2018-2019University of Essex, School of Law (LL.M., International Human Rights Law)
- 2017-2018New York University School of law, U.S.-Asia Law Institute (Visiting Scholar)
- 2006-2008Osaka City University, School of Law (J.D.)
- 2002-2006Osaka City University, College of Law (LL.B.)
Qualifications
- 2009Admitted to bar, Japan
Languages
Japanese, Korean, English, Chinese
Professional Activities
Publications
- Japan's Violations of International Law in its Mass Denationalization of the Korean Minority in Japan, Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Justice, [Justice] No. 68 (Jun. 2024)
- Japan’s Violation of International Human Rights Law and the Challenges Ahead by the Utoro Arson Case and Hate Crimes in Japan, Korean Bar Association [Human Rights and Justice] No. 505 (Aug. 2023)
- Korean-Japanese on Trial in Japan, Sechang Publishing House (co-authored, Aug. 2023)
- Hate Speech in Japan, Chapter 5 The Current Movement of Hate Speech, Cambridge University Press, (co-authored, Jan. 2021)
- Comparison of International Legal Practice on Hate Speech and Hate Crimes and Japan's Challenges, [Freedom and Justice] Vol. 71 No. 9, Japan Federation of Bar Associations (co-authored, Nov. 2020)
- To What Extent Can Hate Speech Be Regulated?, Lawyers Associations of Zainichi Korean, (co-authored, Mar. 2016)
Speaking Engagements
- Presentation, “Session: Sovereignty, Human Rights and Historical Memory”, Asia Law and Society Associations (2019)
- Lecture, “A Leading Case of Hate Speech and Minority Rights in Japan”, NYU, School of law, U.S.-Asia Law Institute (2018)
- Lecture, “A Case of Hate Speech: A Supreme Court Ruling in Japan and Reflecting on Minority Rights from a Comparative Perspective”, U.C. Santa Cruz (2018)
- Presentation, “Session: Internet & Privacy”, International Associations of Korean Lawyers (2015)