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Legal insights and news from Hwaum.
[Case] Establishment of a Foreign-Invested Joint Venture by a Hong Kong Company and a Korean Company
How does a company from Hong Kong and a Korean company make an joint company?
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[Case] Response to the Evaluation Committee for Sanctions Regarding Unauthorized Use of Funds in a National R&D Project
IITP Decision: No Grounds for Sanctions
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What Is a Foreign Joint Venture? - Case of Establishing a Korean Corporation through Joint Investment by Vietnamese Investors and Koreans
This is a case study of two individual investors from Vietnam and one individual Korean investor establishing a joint venture corporation in Korea with a total capital of KRW 150 million. It also explains the requirements for registering a foreign-invested company and the reasons why it is not possible to obtain a Certificate of Registration of a Foreign-Invested Enterprise.
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Everything You Need to Know About Establishing a Foreign-Invested Company
When a foreign individual or foreign company wishes to start a business in Korea, one of the most common options is to establish a Korean corporation. Unlike a Korean branch of a foreign company, a Korean corporation established with foreign investment is a separate legal entity incorporated under Korean law and is subject to the Korean Commercial Act and Korean tax laws. However, a company does not automatically qualify as a “foreign-invested company” under the Foreign Investment Promotion Act simply because its shareholders are foreign nationals or foreign entities. To obtain foreign-invested company status, the company must satisfy certain requirements regarding the amount of investment, shareholding, or participation in management. It must also complete the necessary procedures, including foreign investment notification, remittance of the investment funds, corporate registration, business registration, and registration as a foreign-invested company.
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Case Study: Foreign Direct Investment Filing - Vietnamese Corporation
Hwaum Law Office recently handled the foreign investment filing required in the process of a Korean individual investor acquiring a Vietnamese corporation. The basic details of this case are as follows. Foreign Direct Investment Filing Certificate Issued • Investor: Korean individual • Investee: Vietnamese corporation • Declared Amount: USD 7,581 • Investment Details: Foreign Direct Investment Filing in connection with a Korean individual’s acquisition of a Vietnamese corporation This case involved a situation where the investor was staying locally in Vietnam rather than in Korea, and therefore the foreign investment filing procedure was carried out through a power of attorney. A foreign investment filing is not simply a procedure of submitting a filing form, but requires comprehensive review of the investment structure,
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Foreign-Invested Enterprise Registration case: KRW 100 Million Investment by a U.S. Corporation
We would like to introduce a recent foreign-invested enterprise registration case handled through VIOLA, Law Firm Hwaeum’s foreign investment notification and foreign-invested enterprise registration service. Foreign Investment Notification Successfully Completed Company Name: OOO Korea Co., Ltd. Investment Details: U.S. corporation; foreign investment of KRW 100 million Date of Completion: March 17, 2026 Key Documents Processed: Foreign Investment Notification Form Certificate of Registration of a Foreign-Invested Enterprise Business Registration Certificate OOO Korea Co., Ltd. is a Korean corporation established with a KRW 100 million investment by a U.S. corporation.
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Foreign-Invested Company Incorporation Case: Korean-Chinese Joint Venture with an Investment of Less Than KRW 100 Million
We would like to introduce a recent foreign-invested company incorporation case completed by Law Firm Hwaum. This case involved the establishment of a foreign-invested company through a joint investment by individual investors from Korea and China. Foreign-Invested Company Incorporation Company Name: OOO Co., Ltd. Investment Ratio: Korea 60% : China 40% Investment Capital: KRW 10 million Date of Incorporation: May 8, 2026 Key Documents Processed: Securities Acquisition Report Business Registration Certificate In this case, the Chinese investor traveled to Korea and directly deposited the investment funds in cash into the company. In principle, the establishment of a Korean company by a foreign investor requires an investment of at least KRW 100 million.
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Foreign-Invested Company Incorporation Case: Investment of Less Than KRW 100 Million by a Singaporean Corporation
We would like to introduce a recent foreign-invested company incorporation case completed by Law Firm Hwaeum. This case involved the establishment of a Korean company by a Singaporean corporation. Foreign-Invested Company Incorporation Company Name: OOOO Korea LLC Investor: Singaporean corporation Investment Capital: KRW 15 million Date of Incorporation: November 18, 2025 Key Documents Processed: Securities Acquisition Report Business Registration Certificate OOOO Korea LLC is a Korean limited liability company established by a Singaporean corporation with a capital investment of KRW 15 million. In principle, the establishment of a Korean company by a foreign investor requires a minimum investment of KRW 100 million.
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Case: Foreign-Invested Enterprise Registration — KRW 100 Million Investment by a U.S. Corporation
We would like to introduce a case of foreign-invested enterprise registration handled through VIOLA, Law Firm Hwaeum’s foreign investment notification and foreign-invested enterprise registration service.
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SK Telecom SIM Hacking Damages Lawsuit: Initial Complaint Filing Completed
Hwaum Law Firm Completes Initial Filing of Damages Lawsuit in SK Telecom SIM Data Breach Case
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Hwaum Managing Attorney Jae-kwon Jung Appointed as Inaugural Auditor of the National Gangwon Specialized Science Museum
On May 1, 2025, Jae-kwon Jung, an attorney at Hwaum Law Firm, was appointed as the inaugural Auditor of the National Gangwon Specialized Science Museum, which is scheduled to open in the second half of 2025. As an executive officer of the museum, Attorney Jung will serve a three-year term and oversee audit and related governance functions.
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Hwaum Managing Attorney Jae-kwon Jung Appointed as a Member of the Researcher Rights Protection Committee
Jae-kwon Jung, Our main attorney at Hwaum Law Firm, has been appointed as a member of the 3rd Researcher Rights Protection Committee, a statutory committee established under the National Research and Development Innovation Act.
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