On the 31st, Law Firm YK revealed the appointment of Professor Kim Hwa-jin from Seoul National University School of Law as an advisor. Professor Kim is recognized as a prominent expert in corporate governance and ESG in Korea.
김화진 법무법인 YK 고문 [사진=법무법인 YK]
Professor Kim is known as a pioneer in the field of corporate law in Korea, with expertise in institutional design and corporate consultancy. He studied mathematics at Seoul National University and earned a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School, followed by a Doctorate in Law from the University of Munich. His international academic contributions include teaching corporate governance at the University of Michigan, Stanford University, Tel Aviv University, and New York University, and publishing in Oxford and Cambridge journals. Presently, he is the Chairman of the Board at Samsung Securities and serves as a Senior Outside Director at Hyundai Mobis. His works, such as "Ownership and Management" (2005), "Mergers and Acquisitions" (2008), and "Corporate Governance and Corporate Finance" (2010), are recognized by the National Academy of Sciences of Korea as significant academic resources in governance studies.
His involvement in institutional design and policy consultation extends to roles such as Chairman of the Governance Improvement Advisory Committee of the National Pension Service, Chairman of the Voting Rights Committee of the Korea ESG Standards Institute, and public director of the Korea Financial Investment Association. He is currently addressing issues including board operations and internal control, ESG regulation response, and shareholder protection at Samsung Securities and Hyundai Mobis. Previously, he was an outside director and Chairman of the ESG Committee at HD Hyundai and participated in the Hyundai Memorial Project Committee for Asan Chung Ju-yung’s 20th anniversary, publishing "Asan Chung Ju-yung Legacy" (2021) at Seoul National University.
During a seminar on commercial law amendments co-hosted by YK and the Korea In-house Counsel Association on the 11th, he addressed "The Future of Korean Corporate Governance and Amended Commercial Law." He remarked on the importance of ESG, shareholder protection, and commercial law amendments while questioning the capacity to manage these aspects effectively.
At YK, Professor Kim is anticipated to advise on shareholder meeting disputes, damages lawsuits following commercial law amendments, shareholder protection during management rights transactions, board operation improvements, internal control enhancement, and corporate strategy development amid ESG institutionalization.
YK commented, "Professor Kim's addition comes at a critical time as commercial law amendments and ESG regulations gain prominence, offering significant preparatory implications for institutional challenges faced by corporate clients." The firm expects that "his academic and practical experience will yield constructive advice in corporate decision-making processes."