General Criminal Litigation

[Attorney Yoon Young Hoon] Granting a motion for reconsideration in a case of falsification of a private document (Seo...

The 재정신청 procedure allows a court to review a prosecutor's decision not to indict, and its admission rate has been criticized as virtually meaningless at under 0.5%. In this case, although the prosecution and the high prosecutor's office declined to prosecute and dismissed an appeal regarding the client's complaint of private document forgery, law firm Hanbyul thoroughly examined the case records and legal issues and succeeded in obtaining a court decision granting the review; attorney Yoon Young-hoon said he was glad to clear the client's grievance and will continue to do his best.

2/21/2021

Creating deepfakes while in the military, from jail time to forced transfer

Hanbyol Law LLC Attorneys Eunseok Heo and Yongjun Heo warned of possible arrest and notice to appear in 1-4 weeks based on suppression of evidence

2/3/2026

Hacker used my account for 2 years, I don't know his address, can't sue him?

Hanbyol Relocated Attorney: Limit access to case records before summary judgment is granted, obtain materials after finalization and recommend civil procedure

2/3/2026

Even a M.D. Fooled...'No-Record' Diet Scams, How to Beat Them?

Eunseok Heo, Attorney at Law: Use Expertise as a Supplement to Prove Fraud

1/30/2026

Crosswalk accident, 500K fine to perpetrator before settlement?

A Lawyer Who Moved Away: Summary Judgment Only Quickly Establishes Criminal Liability, But Doesn't End the Damages Issue

1/29/2026

Stalking settlement offers, 'poisoned chalice'...legal pitfalls?

Attorneys Eunseok Heo and Jeonsoo Kim warn that direct contact after warning risks worsening case

1/27/2026

Sex Crime Plea Agreements, 'Opinion Only' Appointments...A Poisoned Chalice?

Jeonsoo Kim, a lawyer at Hanbyul Law Firm, explained that partial appointment, which involves only requesting an opinion of counsel, is possible, but requires the submission of a formal appointment.

1/20/2026

"I was falsely accused of rape. Can I see the other woman's statement?"

Attorneys who have moved away: Criminal case records, including sex offense affidavits, are generally exempt from public disclosure

1/15/2026

A flying iron chair to break up a group fight...here's how to get paid for it

Lawyer who moved away from firm: Offering settlement first could hurt bargaining power; lawyers advise coordination

1/15/2026

I thought it was an abandoned bike...Momentary mistake sends middle schooler between courts, 'ex-con'...

Kim Jeon-soo, a lawyer at Hanbyul Law Firm, recommended that settling with the victim and submitting a settlement agreement is key to getting the protective order reduced.

1/13/2026

"She kissed me first..." Woman says she 'doesn't remember' the next day

Lawyer warns that hasty admissions and apologies can be legal confessions

1/8/2026

"A shake of the head and bam?"...'Minor' hit-and-run cop called 'minor', Supreme Court rules...

Kim Jeon-soo (Hanbyul Law Firm) emphasized that injury certificates are key evidence to prove escape value

1/2/2026

Can't be repaid even with recovery or bankruptcy?...Daniel damages are so large that even the lawyers...

Lawyer Jang Sung-soo (Hanbyul Law Firm) warned that the damages owed to Daniel were non-indemnifiable and at risk of income garnishment.

12/29/2025

AVMOV Subscriber "I commented and got points, am I getting caught?"...Lawyer...

Attorney Han Byul recommends proactive, controlled response as subscription and activity records can be investigative leads

12/29/2025

[Kim Yong Won] A special law for sibling welfare support is also a civil issue - Weekly Kyung...

[Kim Yong-won, Managing Attorney] A Special Act for Hyungje Bokjiwon Is Also a People's Livelihood Issue - Weekly Ky...

5/17/2016

[TF현장] 'MOLCA' alert: 'My naked body?

Amid growing concerns about hidden cameras in women's-only spaces such as bathhouses and saunas, women say they feel unable to confront or challenge suspected phone users and are anxious about their safety. Operators say they will hand over any offenders to the police, and the Supreme Court has ruled that factors like location, angle, distance, and emphasis on specific body parts must be weighed to determine clandestine filming, but the standards remain vague and lawyers warn this could make all women potential victims.

8/24/2015

Possibility of deportation...complicated process, unclear if you have a claim

Attorney Kim I-sik explained that if an arrest warrant is issued and the person does not comply or cooperate, prosecution may be suspended and the case could fall under the Korea-U.S. extradition treaty. If the U.S. requests extradition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Justice procedures and an extradition trial would follow and a judgment could lead to forced extradition, but it is unclear whether a request will actually be made and whether domestic extradition proceedings will proceed due to complex and lengthy procedures.

8/4/2013

"I don't trust Supreme Court justices... The court is the handmaiden of the regime."

Former prosecutor Kim Yong-won (now head of law firm Han Byul) investigated the 1987 Busan Brotherhood Welfare Center case and released more than 3,000 people after uncovering the truth about Park In-geun's illegal imprisonment and embezzlement of government subsidies, but the Supreme Court did not recognize the crime of illegal imprisonment in the second appeal in November 1988, and strongly criticized former prime ministerial candidate Kim Yong-joon, who was the presiding judge at the time. "I don't trust the Supreme Court," Kim said, pointing to the obstruction of the investigation by the Busan District Prosecutor's Office (including Park Hee-tae, then the Busan District Prosecutor), and criticized the judiciary as "the handmaiden of the regime," saying that the Supreme Court had ruled to deprive him of his physical freedom in the name of "protection.

5/12/2013

[Busan Gyeongnam] Ko Chang-pyo manipulative espionage case, appeal hearing also acquitted

The Catholic Human Rights Committee announced that the Seoul High Court's 11th Criminal Division dismissed the prosecutor's appeal in the retrial of Go Chang-pyo, who was forcibly taken, illegally detained, and tortured by the national intelligence service in 1983 and falsely framed as a spy, serving many years unjustly. The lower court had previously recognized the torture and coercion of confessions, excluded the suspect interrogation records as evidence, and acquitted him; the appellate court also found that the prosecution failed to prove the voluntariness of the confessions. The committee said it hopes the ruling will ease the suffering of Go and his family and warned that an appeal to the Supreme Court would further deepen his wounds.

7/18/2012

The 'most powerful jailbreak of all time' that left a judge baffled

Former Korea Communications Commission chairman Choi Si-jung, indicted on charges of receiving 800 million won related to the Pie City development project, missed a hearing on whether to suspend execution of his detention because he underwent aortic aneurysm surgery, a fact that surprised the judge and prosecutor. While the prison warden’s discretion to allow outside medical treatment may make the surgery procedurally lawful, critics say it suggests preferential treatment for a powerful figure, and legal experts contend that the operation and roughly 20 days of hospitalization effectively suspended the arrest warrant and may have been unlawful.

6/18/2012

[Busan Kyungnam] Kim Yong Won, 'Is there a judge who has gone to heaven?

Attorney Kim Yong-won held a publication ceremony in Yeongdo, Busan for his second book, 'Is There a Judge or Prosecutor Who Went to Heaven?', attended by about 500 people. The book criticizes entrenched malpractices in the legal profession—such as preferential treatment for former judges and prosecutors and so-called 'sponsor' judges/prosecutors—from various logical perspectives, urging judicial integrity and hoping to prompt public awareness and reform. Attendees praised Kim for his past exposure of the Hyeongje Bokjiwon scandal while a prosecutor, and Kim emphasized his long-standing commitment to defending the weak.

3/13/2012

Dae-Sung, victims, and how 'settlement' trials will be affected

Daesung (Kang Dae-sung) of BigBang has reportedly reached a settlement with the victim's family. Because the charge of professional negligence causing death is not a private or consent-dependent offense, investigation and prosecution will continue regardless of the settlement, but the agreement may influence the prosecutor's sentencing recommendation and the court's punishment. Prosecutors and defense lawyers say that considering the victim was already seriously injured in a prior accident, the crash occurred at night, Daesung has no prior record, and a settlement was reached, a suspended sentence is more likely than immediate imprisonment.

7/26/2011

Former prosecutor and lawyer "Jeon Kwan-yewoo's crimes were committed in collaboration with the current judge-prosecutor"

Former prosecutor-turned-lawyer Kim Yong-won sharply criticized the ethics of judges and prosecutors and the practice of preferential treatment for former officials, saying former senior judges and prosecutors collect huge retainers and success fees not to draft better briefs but to contact and lobby current judges and prosecutors by phone, profiting greatly in a short time. He warned that such favoritism amounts to criminal collusion between retired and sitting judges/prosecutors, blamed the concentration of investigative and prosecutorial powers in the prosecution for human rights violations and legal disorder, and urged creation of an independent oversight body like Japan’s Kensatsu Shinsakai.

4/7/2011

Attorney Kim Yong-won "Opposing the Lee Guinam Reforms...They Are Trying to Lord It Over the People"

Attorney Kim Yong-won sharply criticized Justice Minister Lee Gui-nam’s opposition to the reform proposals as an attitude of “ruling over the people,” and pointed to the prosecution’s unchecked powers and arbitrary investigations, prosecutions, and non-prosecution decisions that have burdened the public. He argued the special investigation office should be placed under the Prime Minister’s office with personnel independence, that an independent review body like Japan’s prosecutor review board is needed to scrutinize and check prosecutorial power, and that the constitutional rule requiring police to route warrant requests through prosecutors should be amended in the long term. On judicial reform he said prioritizing outside participation in judicial personnel committees is more important than simply increasing the number of Supreme Court justices, and that a compliance officer system to monitor corporate wrongdoing should be introduced with its scope limited to listed companies.

4/7/2011

"Stare decisis - Structural absurdity, potential for court error"

Former prosecutor-turned-lawyer Kim Yong-won argues in his book “Is There a Judge or Prosecutor Who Went to Heaven?” that judges, prosecutors, and lawyers are increasingly unlikely to “go to heaven” the longer they serve. He points to frequent miscarriages of justice caused by preferential treatment for former officials, structural corruption, and prosecutorial deference to power, citing historical and recent examples such as the Jo Bong-am case and the Samsung Engineering litigation. He also notes that the adversarial nature of legal practice can encourage lawyers to provoke disputes or use improper methods to win, making realization of justice difficult.

3/21/2011

'Mercedes Benz without brakes' 'brakes' on MB judiciary

3/21/2011

"Military authorities shrug off hundreds of millions in fraud by active duty officers"

Claims have emerged that military authorities knew that active military police officer Lt. Col. Park posed as a private foundation director and defrauded investors of hundreds of millions of won, yet neglected the investigation for over six months or attempted to cover up the case. The victim hired a lawyer to demand a confrontation and investigation into criminal and military law violations and filed a civil suit and wage seizure request, but Park has applied for discharge and recovery is uncertain because military retirement pensions are exempt from seizure.

3/21/2011