Partner
TEL |
+82-2-6386-6345 |
E-MAIL |
seonghwan.ju@leeko.com |
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Seonghwan Ju is a partner in Lee&Ko's Financial Regulation & Digital Finance Practice, specializing in the areas of financial regulation and digital finance.
He specializes in traditional financial regulation, as well as review and regulatory advice on new businesses in Korea, including financial companies, big tech and fintech, digital finance, and virtual asset providers, as well as inbound and outbound business models. He also has extensive experience and know-how in legislative consulting, statutory interpretation, regulatory sandbox applications, and responding to inspections, investigations, and sanctions by financial authorities. In particular, he has provided advice and counsel to the Financial Services Commission, the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and the Bank of Korea on financial regulation and digital finance, and has received awards and commendations for his contributions .
Prior to joining Lee&Ko, he served as a financial regulator at the Financial Supervisory Service and participated in the task force on the revision of the Capital Markets Act at the Financial Services Commission. He is also certified as a Korean Institute of Certified Public Accountants (KICPA) and has knowledge in accounting and taxation. He also has a degree in financial engineering, which gives him a deep understanding of financial structures, including advanced financial derivatives. This depth and breadth of legal, accounting, and financial knowledge, coupled with his experience as a financial regulator and law -making practitioner, enables him to provide accurate and practical solutions for his clients, and he has been recognized as a Rising Star by The Legal 500, Legal Times, and others.
Education
2024 |
UCLA School of Law - LL.M (Specialization in Business law - Securities Regulation Track) |
2023 |
Seoul National University School of Law – Ph.D. (Candidate) |
2017 |
Seoul National University School of Law - J.D. |
2011 |
Korea University - B.A. in Business, Financial engineering |
Work Experience
2017-Present |
Lee & Ko |
2022-2024 |
Advisory Board Member, Seoul Para Sports Association |
2021 |
Financial Consumer Protection Act Response Task Force member, Korea Financial Investment Association |
2019 |
Enactment of the Act on Online Investment Business and User Protection (P2P Act) Task Force member, Financial Services Commission |
2012-2014 |
Financial Supervisory Service(FSS) |
2013-2014 |
IOSCO Enforcement Committee member |
2013 |
Financial Services Commission(FSC) - Financial Investment Services and capital market act - Amendment Task Force |
2011 |
KPMG-Samjong |
Expertise
Non-banking Financial Institutions |
Banking |
Financial Compliance |
Banking & Financial Holding Companies |
Tax Ruling and Legislative Consulting |
Capital Markets Compliance |
Insurance |
Digital Finance |
NFT(Non-Fungible Token) |
Metaverse |
Virtual Asset Regulation · Investigation Response |
Admissions & Qualifications
Admitted to bar, Korea(2017) |
Certified Public Accountant, Korea(2011) |
Languages
Representative Cases
[Fintech / Digital Finance / New Business / MyData]
- Advised global platforms, payment service providers, e-commerce and IT companies on new business structure.
- Business model and compliance advice for big tech and fintech companies
- Advised on the structure and regulation of authentication business for financial companies, identity verification organizations, etc.
- Advised non-financial companies, such as financial companies and IT companies, on regulations for entering the fintech and digital sectors (financial separation, licensing, etc.)
- Advising on MyData Service Providers, Licensing and Business Conduct Regulation
- Advice on financial platform licensing, operations, governance and business structure
- Advice on innovative financial services designation
[Digital Assets / Virtual Assets / NFTs]
- Consultation on NFT and Metaverse Platforms
- Review of new business models utilizing blockchain technology
- Review of operating model of virtual asset service provider
- Review of financial company's entry into the virtual asset industry
- Advising on hacking cases of virtual asset exchanges
- Advice on establishment, notification, and acquisition of virtual asset exchanges
[Financial Regulation]
- Responding to Inspections and Investigations by Financial Authorities and Investigative Agencies
- Responding to Financial Supervisory Service inspections of A banks, B banks, etc. (violations of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, Specified Financial Information Act, Corporate Governance Act, and Banking Act)
- Financial Supervisory Service inspections of A securities company, B securities company, etc. (violation of capital market law - market-making activities)
- Responded to FSS inspections of A securities company, S company, D company, etc. (violation of the Capital Market Act)
- Responded to an FSS inspection of an S company (violation of the Electronic Financial Transactions Act)
- Responded to an FSS inspection of D Insurance Company (violation of the Insurance Business Act)
- Responded to a complaint against Company G (fraudulent receipt, pyramid scheme, etc.)
- Responded to a Financial Supervisory Service investigation of Company N (violation of the Credit Information Act)
- Responded to a Financial Supervisory Service investigation of Company W (violation of the Lending Act)
- Prosecutor's investigation against global company E (violation of Foreign Exchange Act)
- Responded to a prosecutor's investigation against Company T (violation of the Lending Act)
[Financial Investment / Capital Markets]
- Advising on broker-dealer business conduct, CIB business models, PEF clearing and fiduciary investments
- Advised on short selling regulation and business model for lending transactions
- Review of regulation under the Capital Markets Act under new business models
- Advised on licensing and registration under the Capital Markets Act
- Advising on corporate governance of financial investment companies
- Review of capital market law regulations on business models of fintech companies
- Advised on unfair trade (use of non-public information, market manipulation, etc.) cases
[Anti-Money Laundering] (AML/CFT)
- Conduct anti-money laundering compliance implementation and remediation projects
- Conducting independent audit engagements
- Advice on establishing anti-money laundering systems and regulations
- Advice on anti-money laundering related bylaws and business manuals
[Banks / Financial Holding Companies]
- Advised on regulation of business conduct of banks
- Advised on the preparation of internal control standards, bylaws and business checklist for banks
- Advised on the sale of Korean won/foreign currency bonds held by banks
- Advised a bank on BIS ratio
- Review of a bank's credit rating model utilizing scraping technology
- Advising on corporate governance (board of directors, major shareholder qualifications, etc.)
- Advised on internal control system (compliance officer, dual positions, conflict of interest system, etc.)
- Advised on banking separation regulations
[Insurance]
- Review of new business models for insurers
- Advising insurers on building and operating platforms
- Advising insurers on underwriting documentation compliance
- Advised on reorganization of insurance sales organization
- Advised an insurer on entering the fintech and digital finance sector
[Financial Consumer Protection]
- Building compliance for financial firms with the Financial Consumer Protection Act
- Advising on the regulation of the Financial Consumer Protection Act for each financial business sector
- Advising financial platforms on the regulation of financial consumer protection law business activities (brokerage, advertising, etc.)
- Advising on disputes related to financial consumer protection
[Foreign Exchange Transactions]
- Advising a global foreign company on violations of the Foreign Exchange Act
- Advised on foreign currency transaction law issues in cross-border transactions of virtual assets
- Advised on small foreign currency transfer business and small foreign remittance business
- Advised on registration as a foreign exchange institution
- Advised on foreign exchange reporting
[Statutory Interpretation and Legislative Counseling]
- Consultation on legislation for Association A
- Consultation on amendments to the Enforcement Decree of the Foreign Exchange Transaction Act for B Association
- Consultation on amendment of the Electronic Financial Transactions Act for Company A
- Consultation for Company H, Group T, Company C, and Association H in relation to voting interpretation application to the Financial Services Commission
- Consultation on an opinion letter on a bill submitted to the National Assembly by D Association
- Application for Statutory Interpretation of Financial Laws and Regulations
[Financial Authorities and Financial Institutions Related Areas]
- Financial Services Commission (Financial Intelligence Unit)-Financial Supervisory Service Legal Advice
- Korea Financial Telecommunications and Clearings Institute
- Financial Security Institute
- Korea Securities Depository
- Korea Asset Management Corporation
- Credit Recovery Committee
- Korea Information Society Agency
Awards and Recognitions
2025 |
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2025 'Leading associates' - Fintech and financial services regulatory |
2024 |
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024 'Rising Star' - Fintech and financial services regulatory |
2022 |
Financial Services Commission Chairman's Award (for advancing anti-money laundering policy) |
2022 |
Legal Times ‘Rising Star’ ‒ Financial Regulation & Compliance |
2016 |
Governor of the Bank of Korea’s Award |
2012 |
Financial Services Commissioner 's Award |
Publications / Presentations / ETC
- Lecture on “AI and Service Law” at Seoul National University's Big Data, AI, and Fintech Advanced Expert Course (Apr. 2025)
- Financial Law Research Society, “Foreign Exchange Act and New Transactions: Focusing on Virtual Assets” (Financial Research Forum, Feb. 2025)
- Research on the regulatory system of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act and the application of new transactions: Focusing on Virtual Assets (Co-author, Banking Law Review, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2024. Nov.)
- Presentation on major cases and regulatory trends of stable coins (Bank of Korea, Nov. 2024)
- Lectured on "Fintech and Financial Law" at the KDT Big Data Fintech AI Advanced Expert Course at Seoul National University, (Oct. 2024)
- Current Status and Prospects of Introducing Token Securities System (Monthly Homeland, Korea Land Institute, Vol. 512, 2024. 6.)
- Presentation on new business promotion and legal issues of virtual assets (Open Fintech Alliance, Financial Services Commission, June 2023)
- Study on rationalization of foreign exchange institution regulation and system revision (Ministry of Strategy and Finance, 2023. 4)
- Understanding Securities Token Guidelines (Korea Internet and Autonomous Policy Organization, 2023. 4)
- Central Bank-Issued Digital Currency (CBDC) and Virtual Asset Payment and Settlement Business (Bithumb Economic Research Institute, Dec. 2022)
- Study on how to improve the organization and wording of the Foreign Exchange Transaction Act (Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Dec. 2022)
- Digital Assets and Foreign Exchange Regulation (BFL, Seoul National University Center for Financial Law, Nov. 2022)
- Legal Points of Luna - Impact on Securities Regulation and Digital Asset Industry (Bithumb Economic Research Institute, Oct. 2022)
- Research on Development, Improvement and Application of Money Laundering Risk Assessment Indicators (Financial Intelligence Unit, 2022. 6)
- Development strategy for digital innovative finance (Financial Services Commission, 2022. 6)
- Lecture on “Credit Information Act”, Seoul National University Big Data and Fintech Course (May 2022)
- Lecture, “Fintech and the Law”, 4th Industrial Revolution Academy, Seoul National University AI Institute (March 2021)
- Major Contents and Legal Issues of the Online Investment and Financial Business Act (Co-author, BFL, Seoul National University Center for Financial Law, July 2020)
- South Korea Enacts World's First Law on P2P Financing (Legal500, 2020)
- Overseas Examples of Financial Institutions' Investment in Fintech Companies and Proposals for Legislation to Facilitate Investment (Financial Services Commission, March 2019)
- The Right to Freedom of Information and the MyData Industry (Co-author, BFL, Seoul National University Center for Financial Law, Jan. 2019)
- Review of the My Data Industry and the Credit Information Act Amendment Bill (Co-author, Nice Credit Insight, NICE Evaluation Information CB Research Center, Winter 2018)
- Analysis of the Legal Structure and Regulatory Proposals for P2P Lending - Focusing on Case Studies of P2P Lending in the U.S. and the U.K. and the Direction of P2P Lending Regulation in Korea (Co-author, Financial and Economic Law Prize Winning Papers, Bank of Korea, 2016)