Mr. Seong-Jin Choi is a partner of Shin & Kim and his major practice areas include corporate crime, high-tech crime, financial crime, money laundering, intellectual property rights, personal information protection, information and communications, forensic science, etc.

Starting his career as a prosecutor at the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office in 1997, Mr. Choi had been in charge of special investigations at Northern Branch of the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office, Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office, etc. In particular, he investigated politicians and large corporations as a member of the presidential election funds investigation team of the Central Investigation Unit of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office. In addition, he participated in the implementation project for Korea Information System of Criminal-Justice Services (KICS) of the police, prosecution service, courts and the Ministry of Justice and was dispatched to the Special Prosecutors’ Office on DDos, while accumulating experience in forensic science including information and communications and digital forensic science and in cybercrime investigation, serving as Digital Forensic Science Officer and Forensic Science Planning Officer at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office.

In addition, Mr. Choi worked at the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit of the Financial Services Commission, engaging in the anti-money laundering task, such as the analysis of illegal financial transaction and foreign exchange transaction.

Corruption Crimes such as Corporate Crimes, Bribery, and Financial Crimes

• Specialized in special investigations at the Central Investigation Division, Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office, Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office, etc.
• Advised on case of embezzlement and breach of trust relating to officers and employees of major retail distributors, telecommunication companies, banks, hospitals and state-owned companies
• Advised on case of violations of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act, including insider trading or stock price manipulation relating to large companies
• Advised on case of corruption, including bribery, relating to parliamentarians, mayors, professors, public educational officials, police officers, banks and officers and employees of construction companies

Industrial Secrets Protection, Trade Secret Infringement, Personal Information Protection, and Intellectual Property Rights

• Specialized in intellectual property rights at the Criminal Division VI of the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office
• Advised major telecommunication companies, retail distributors, multinational travel agencies and HR companies on case of infringement of personal information
• Advised a mid-sized company and a cosmetics company on case of infringement of business secrets
• Advised on case of fraud and violations of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection relating to virtual currency IOC and hacking

Election Act, Collective Action, and Labor-Management Relations

• Advised on case of violations of the Election Commission Act relating to various elective offices, including the parliamentarian and union president
• Represented in civil and criminal disputes regarding the relocation of the Noryangjin Fish Market
• Represented in civil and criminal disputes within a religious foundation
• Represented in an unfair dismissal retrial case following the dismissal of an employee
• Represented in a criminal case for violation of the Labor Standards Act of a medium-sized company

Foreign Exchange, Anti-money Laundering, Virtual Currency

• Represented in an internal affairs case of a large church and a medium-sized company in violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act
• Represented in a criminal case of fraud and occupational embezzlement in connection with the issuance of tokens
• Represented in a criminal case involving violation of the Customs Act by an arms importer
• Advised an overseas virtual currency exchange on the Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information Act

Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, and Cosmetics

• Represented in a case where a multi-level cosmetics company was prosecuted for violation of the Cosmetics Act
• Represented in a criminal case against a pharmaceutical company for violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act
• Advised on case of medicine-related rebates, illegal claim for insurance benefits, establishment of a medical institution by a non-medical practitioner and introduction/brokerage/inducement of patients for profit-making purposes
• Represented in a criminal case against a detoxification company for violation of the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act in connection with its indirect exports
• Advised a foreign company on the Medical Devices Act

Media and Entertainment

• Advised on defamation of celebrities and civil and criminal cases

Cross-border Criminal Matters and E-Discovery

• Advised on internal investigations into a Korean subsidiary of a multinational company and an affiliate of a large company
• Represented in a criminal case against a foreign automotive company for violation of the Motor Vehicle Management Act
• Represented in a criminal case against a multinational online platform company for violation of the Telecommunications Business Act
• Represented a foreign casino company in a criminal investigation
• Represented in an embezzlement case of a Korean subsidiary of a foreign company
• Represented in a fraud case against a foreign food export company
• Represented in a criminal case involving the intimidation of a foreign ambassador to South Korea
• Advised on extradition of officers/employees of a foreign company and advised multinational companies in criminal cases
• Handled e-discovery in connection with a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation of a Korean conglomerate
• Advised corporate clients on various subjects, including anti-money laundering, FCPA and World Bank sanctions

Compliance, Internal Investigations, and Digital Forensics

• Advised on internal investigation of a Korean subsidiary of a multinational corporation
• Advised on internal investigation of embezzlement in the business affairs of a foreign publishing company
• Advised on PC and server analysis to secure evidence in a virtual currency theft case
• Advised on mobile analysis in a case of secret leakage at a Korean platform company
• Advised on digital forensics for information leakage related to medical device manufacturing
• Advised a multinational online service company on AML/CFT compliance
• Advised a foreign company on anti-corruption compliance