South Korea
Gowling WLG is the law firm of choice for South Korean entities pursuing international trade and investment opportunities and for global companies pursuing business opportunities in South Korea.
Expand with confidence across one of the world’s most dynamic corridors.
A global leader in electronics and semiconductors, with growing strength in life sciences, defence and clean energy, South Korea is built to scale. Whether you’re taking Korean innovation, capital or capability global, or bringing international investment and expertise into South Korea, you’re operating in markets that reward speed and sound judgement. The right structure, partners and sequencing can help you build trust, manage risk and capture value sooner.
Successful cross-border growth calls for advisors who can help you establish a strong position commercially and culturally, while keeping decisions and execution aligned on both sides of the corridor. With Korean-language capability, established Seoul relationships and credibility earned through years of experience supporting major South Korean companies and international businesses, we deliver integrated, practical legal support that helps translate cross-border ambition into sustained results.
Here’s what sets us apart:
Seoul-connected
Longstanding relationships across Seoul’s government, industry and investor communities help you move faster, from aligning stakeholders at home to identifying credible partners and pathways abroad. Working closely with trusted South Korean firms, we deliver coordinated support across negotiations and regulatory engagement, surfacing issues early and keeping momentum on track.
Credibility counts
We draw on extensive experience supporting South Korean companies, state-owned entities, and other market participants on significant cross-border mandates, as well as international businesses investing and operating in South Korea. That experience is reinforced through participation in South Korea-focused trade missions, giving you a sharper perspective on how deals are shaped by policy priorities, stakeholder expectations, and market practice.
Full-service strength, globally positioned
Cross-border mandates rarely fit neatly into one box. With integrated strength across capital markets, M&A, intellectual property, disputes, real estate, tax, employment, and beyond, your advice reflects the full commercial picture from day one. Whether the work involves acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, or market entry, we link Korean and global decision-making to on-the-ground execution across our offices in Canada, the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Sector-focused solutions
Sophisticated experience across defence, automotive, information technology, energy, life sciences, and other sectors means our guidance is grounded in real commercial cycles and technical realities. We deliver counsel that anticipates procurement timetables, commercialisation hurdles, export-control constraints, and financing windows, and helps you prioritise the legal steps that actually move your business forward.
Let’s begin a conversation
If you’re planning an inbound move into South Korea or preparing for outbound growth, let’s explore what success looks like. Connect with a member of our team to discuss your next move.
