“Substance Over Size, ‘Jeongdo (Righteous Path)’ Over Profit”…Sukkyoon Kang on Yulchon’s Golden Era [Invest&Law]

Ironclad Defense in Major Cases Including Lawsuits Involving Chey Tae-won and Koo Kwang-mo
Focus on Sustainable Growth and Unified Team Approach
Approaching 30th Anniversary, Eyes Set on a Global Future

Sukkyoon Kang, Chief Attorney at Yulchon LLC, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily on the 25th at Yulchon LLC in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Yulchon LLC has been making remarkable strides. The law firm has garnered significant attention from the business community by successfully defending high-profile cases involving top conglomerate leaders, such as the KRW 1.38 trillion asset division lawsuit of SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and the inheritance dispute of LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo, who head the nation's second and fourth largest groups, respectively. Additionally, Yulchon successfully advised on major M&A deals, including Carlyle Group's acquisition of Chungho Nice, KG Group’s acquisition of K Car, and DB Insurance’s acquisition of Portegra. Without merging with other firms and growing solely through its own efforts, Yulchon posted revenue of KRW 408.3 billion last year, thus establishing a stable presence in the “KRW 400 billion club.” Furthermore, Yulchon has led the future of the legal market by establishing the first ever 120-page “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Rule” among law firms, expanding beyond the traditional areas of litigation and legal advisory services.

The driving force behind this “Golden Era of Yulchon” is the leadership of Sukkyoon Kang (Judicial Research and Training Institute, 19th class), who has been at the helm for eight years. He cites Yulchon’s unique “community culture” and “upright management” as the core sources of synergy. Rather than pursuing quantitative competition through size expansion, the firm chose the path of a first-class law firm: bringing together experts from diverse backgrounds to work as one team and delve into the essence of each case, which has led to success in handling complex matters. With the firm's 30th anniversary approaching next year, Mr. Kang is outlining an ambitious vision for “global expansion.” The Asia Business Daily recently met with him to discuss these topics. The following is a Q&A.

-Yulchon is reputed for its exceptional closeness to clients. What is the secret behind this?

▲We made an early decision not to engage in a competition for size against other law firms. When the whole market reached a plateau with revenues around KRW 300 billion, we ran simulations and realized that simply chasing quantitative growth was not the solution. Therefore, we agreed on the idea that “rather than becoming the number one law firm, let us become a first-class law firm.” Yulchon’s access badges bear the vision: “A community of top experts walking the path of uprightness and aspiring for innovation.” We believe that our principle of prioritizing uprightness—especially when economic interests and justice conflict—and the community culture where lawyers and various experts respect and care for one another, have become the strong foundation for Yulchon’s decision-making and the secret to approaching clients with authenticity.

-Yulchon’s results stand out, especially in megaton-scale lawsuits involving top business groups. Why is that?

▲In order to pierce through the entrenched relationships that existing law firms have in major cases, the only way is to demonstrate overwhelming expertise and razor-sharp attack skills, firmly grounded in legal principles. In fact, looking at the Supreme Court’s reversal and remand rates, Yulchon boasts an overwhelmingly high statistic. A reversal and remand means overturning a disadvantageous ruling from a lower court—a dramatic turnaround. Companies, especially in crucial and complex matters that could determine their fates, are more meticulous in their scrutiny and selection of legal representatives. Thanks to Yulchon’s legal capacity and manpower to repeatedly challenge and dig into difficult legal issues on this final gateway—especially in lawsuits involving group chairmen—our clients trust us with their most important cases.

-There is fierce revenue competition among law firms in the KRW 400 billion range. What is your performance target this year?

▲Yulchon has always set growth targets in the low teens and achieved steady, stable growth without volatility. This year, too, we have set a growth target just above 10%. However, as there has been a substantial increase in work related to regulations this year, I anticipate that many major law firms will perform well. Yulchon will continue to place importance on steady growth without stagnation each year, balancing external expansion with substantial internal growth.

Sukkyoon Kang, Senior Partner at Yulchon LLC, is interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at Yulchon LLC in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 25th. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

-There is a strong focus on recruiting talent and organizational expansion. What are your plans for the second half?

▲Outstanding professionals from various fields have resonated with Yulchon’s vision and chosen to join us as a top priority. In the second half of the year, we plan to further strengthen areas such as fair trade and TMT (Technology, Media, and Telecommunications) by recruiting excellent talent. As regulatory work increases, the demand for law firm services concerning fair trade and personal data breach cases is rising. In particular, the newly launched integrated TMT Center is significantly expanding advisory services for new industries such as AI, data, and digital platforms. These organizations were created by proactively identifying our clients’ emerging needs. We are committed to providing close support to safeguard companies’ new growth drivers in this rapidly changing regulatory environment.

-Yulchon’s response to the AI era is among the fastest in the industry, and the firm was the first to establish an AI governance rule. Could you elaborate?

▲I completely agree with the statement, “AI may not replace lawyers, but lawyers who leverage AI effectively will replace those who do not.” Yulchon established an AI Task Force proactively around 2022 when ChatGPT emerged, and since early 2013, we have consolidated litigation documents containing lawyers’ rigorous arguments into a 43-terabyte (TB) central server as intellectual assets. Based on this, we launched our internal closed AI system, “AiYul.” For organizations such as hospitals and financial companies that handle sensitive information, concerns about accountability become significant when adopting AI. Demand for advisory on establishing AI governance rules is also increasing among our clients. Our direct experience of developing a comprehensive 120-page AI Governance Rule will serve as a robust defense tool for clients in the future.

-Next year marks Yulchon’s 30th anniversary. What is your ultimate vision and goal for the future?

▲Without a doubt, “globalization.” When we were ranked fourth or fifth in the past, maintaining our position may have felt comfortable. However, now, as the top law firms’ capabilities become more similar, competition in the domestic market has become exceedingly fierce. It is time to turn our gaze outward and find new frontiers. According to 2025 Bank of Korea statistics, Korea’s legal service balance shows an abnormal structure: outbound payments total KRW 3.4 trillion while inbound revenue is only KRW 1.3 trillion, amounting to an annual deficit of about KRW 2.1 trillion. Starting in the second half, we will expand our cross-border advisory services to support overseas expansion of Korean companies and proactively address trade and customs issues. We are committed to evolving into a first-class law firm that demonstrates Korea’s overwhelming legal competitiveness on the global stage.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.