Back to Top

Center News

2023

• September 18, 2023: KLC Welcomes new Research Fellows from the UCI Law class of 2025. Seoungjun Lee is currently a 2L student at UCI Law. He is from Seoul, South Korea, but has spent more than half of my life studying overseas since 2007. He graduated from New York University, majoring in Politics. Before coming to law school, he served in the Korean military for two years and worked at an IP law firm for two and a half years as an IP Specialist. He did my summer internship at Lee &Ko, which is one of the big law firms in South Korea, after his 1L year. He is interested in practicing corporate law in the future, specializing in private equity, project financing, and mergers and acquisitions. Rachel Lee received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Southern California, where she majored in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. She is a member of the UC Irvine Law Review and is the president of the UC Irvine Tax Law Society. Prior to attending law school, she worked as a research assistant at a Hematology/Oncology lab at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and as a Reformer Pilates instructor. In her free time, she loves to go on walks and spend time with her family. Rachel is excited to bring together her Korean heritage and legal interests to make an impact on the Korea Law Center and the greater Korean legal community. Yongsoo Kim is currently a 2L student at the UC Irvine School of Law. He was born and raised in Los Angeles, although he has spent a few years living in Korea as well. He is interested in pursuing litigation and trial, and this past summer I worked at the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office. He is looking forward to a wonderful time with the Korean Law Center! Allison Yoo received her Bachelor’s degree from Barnard College of Columbia University, where she majored in art history. Before attending law school, she worked at a law firm in New York. During her 1L summer, she interned at two Korean law firms, where she worked on various projects with foreign attorneys in Korea. Her interests include exploring the art and food scenes of different cities and golf. Yonghyung Thomas Chung graduated from Dongguk University, South Korea, with an LLB in Law. After graduating from Dongguk University, he pursued an LL.M degree from the University of West London, where he focused on International Commercial and Business Law. In 2022, Thomas joined the UCI law Global LL.M program, where he served as the student representative for the LL.M class of 2023. Upon graduating from the LL.M program, Thomas has transferred into the J.D class of 2025. He is expecting to learn ‘how to be a lawyer’ through the experiential learning opportunities provided by UCI Law. In addition, he is excited to be able to have 2 more years of classes that spark his interests. Thomas is enthusiastic towards laws that cover ‘everything and everyone’ which include Copyright, Trademark, Business and regulatory law, such as Antitrust and Tax. 
• September 7, 2023: KLC Research Fellow Esther (Eun jean) Kye was awarded the Asian Pacific American Women Lawyers Alliance (“APAWLA”) Rising Leader Award. APAWLA has been promoting inclusion, empowerment and advancement of Asian Pacific American women in the legal profession for the past 30 years. Esther was recognized for her contribution to strengthening Korea-US relationships in the legal community, mentorship efforts focused on Asian women law students, and volunteer work with local bar associations. Esther thanks the KLC for its full support of her endeavors including networking with Korean visiting scholars, funding and executing an APALSA workshop comparing the US and Korea's criminal justice system, and building lasting relationships with Asian American attorneys by participating in national conferences. Photo >
• May 2023: A delegation from UCI Law visited South Korea to strengthen ties with the Korean legal community. The delegation, led by Dean and Chancellor’s Professor of Law Austen Parrish, included Assistant Dean, Chief Global and Executive Programs Officer Khary Hornsby, Professional Development Advisor, Global Programs Grace Lee, Professor Stephen Lee, Professor Ji Seon Song, and two of our J.D. students, who are Korea Law Center Fellows. Read more >

2022

• November 10, 2022: The Korea Law Center hosts a Forum on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Considerations in South Korea. The Panel brought together top attorneys, scholars, and practitioners from the U.S. and Korea to share their experiences, perspectives, and research on the most important and crucial current issues on ESG. Read more here.
• November 9, 2022: The Korea Law Center hosts a Career Advice Panel featuring Mr. June Yong Lee (Kim & Chang, Senior Foreign Legal Counsel) and Ms. Young Ham (Aptos Solar Technology, General Counsel/Controller), top U.S.-licensed attorneys who have had the experience of pursuing legal careers in the U.S. as well as Korea. Read more here.
• September 30, 2022: KLC hosted the visit of the Korean Consulate in LA to UCI School of Law. KLC gave an introd
  uction about UCI Law and KLC to the delegation led by Deputy General Consul Songhwan Kwon. Photo>
• September 28, 2022: KLC hosted, together with the UCI Global Programs Office, a welcome reception for Korean visiting scholars, fellows, and LLM graduate degree students. Participants enjoyed complimentary snacks while meeting with and building connections with each other. Photos>
• August 17, 2022: KLC welcomes Eunjean (Esther) Kye (J.D. class of 2024) as a Research Fellow. Joining KLC in Fall 2022, Esther received her Bachelor’s and Master's in Anthropology, respectively from Yonsei University and Seoul National University. Before attending UCI law, Esther worked in North Korean human rights and refugee advocacy collecting and analyzing human rights violation testimonies. She also contributed to research and cultivation of future scholars at the Seoul National University Asia Center. Her mission in law school is to create more opportunities for Korean and Asian students to thrive and ultimately give back to the local AANHPI community.
• August 17, 2022: KLC welcomes Bonggeul (Edward) Joo (J.D. class of 2024) as a Research Fellow, having joined the center in Fall 2022. Edward received his Bachelor’s from Cornell University, majoring in Political Science. After college, he matriculated in (did not graduate) the International Relations M.A. program at Seoul National University and fulfilled his mandatory military service as an Interpreting Officer in the ROK Air Force. Before attending UC Irvine School of Law, he spent time at the Korea Environment Corporation where his responsibilities included participating in international sustainable development projects and providing counsel to the ROK Delegation to the United Nations. His interests include various sports and eating out.
• July 19, 2022: Congratulations to Korea Law Center Visiting Scholar Professor Jae Hun Jeong (Ewha Law School) for the publication of his book, Korean Subcontract Law, available at https://book.naver.com/bookdb/book_detail.naver?bid=22587398.
• May 26, 2022: K-Law Consulting and the University of California, Irvine (“UC Irvine”) executed a “Collaboration Agreement” to develop a collaborative research partnership between the two institutions.As part of the agreement, Jinhee Lee, principal of K-Law Consulting and Sung Eun (“Summer”) Kim, professor at UCI Law and director of the Korea Law Center agreed to develop a research partnership focused on researching Korean legal information necessary for cross-border transactions and/or disputes between the U.S. and Korea that require resolutions related to Korean law and performing a comparative study of U.S. law and Korean law on topics that frequently arise in both jurisdictions. The research collaboration is expected to yield opportunities for Korea Law Center students and visiting scholars to build practical and experiential insights regarding Korean law and cross border transactions between the U.S. and Korea at K-Law Consulting.
• March 26, 2022: KLC hosted a kick-off event for its first Mentorship Circle. The event was an opportunity to navigate law school, post-graduation opportunities, and diversity within the legal profession. The event started with a panel, followed by smaller group discussions in which students had the chance to speak with each mentor. The Mentorship Circle event concluded with a celebration of the mentors, during which KLC presented each mentor with a plaque to recognize the mentors' leadership and commitment to KLC and UCI Law.

News Archive

2021

• October 11, 2021: KLC welcomes Damhee Hu (J.D. class of 2023) as a Research Fellow, having joined the center in Fall 2020. Damhee received her Bachelor's Degree from the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in both Molecular and Cell Biology and Psychology. She is a member of the UC Irvine Law Review and is actively involved in various campus organizations, including board memberships with the Women's Law Society, Intellectual Property Law Society, and First Generation Professionals. Prior to attending law school, she conducted research in a neurobiology lab. Her interests include dance and arts & craft projects.
• October 1, 2021: KLC welcomes Aidan Dong Kwan Kim as its newest Research Fellow. Kim (LL.M. ’21, J.D. Candidate, ’23) received his LL.B. degree from Korea Maritime and Ocean University in 2020. He studied maritime law, international law, and Korean law while also participating in mock trial and serving as director of the Welfare Department on the Student Council. After graduation, he worked in a construction firm in Korea and assisted civil execution of jobs and civil compulsory duties. Mr. Kim also researched the Labor Standards Act and the Minimum Wage Act with other lawyers. In mandatory military service, he served as a sergeant in the Republic of Korea Army. Mr. Kim completed his LL.M. degree at UCI Law in May 2021 and transferred into the J.D. program. His interests include labor and employment law. By participating in the Korea Law Center as a new research fellow, Mr. Kim hopes to utilize his Korean legal background and be a great asset to the Center.
  
• September 24, 2021: KLC hosted a Chuseok (Korean Mid-Autumn Festival) picnic at the William R. Mason Regional Park for the KLC visiting scholars and Korean LLM students. Photo>
• March 15, 2021: UCI Law leadership addresses rise in anti-Asian racism. Read statement here.
• March 15, 2021: The Korean American Bar Association of Southern California (KABA) is now accepting applications for the 2021 KABA Scholarships. Based on available funding, KABA will be awarding a number of $1,000 - $2,500 scholarships to law students in the Southern California area. Read more here.
• February 2, 2021: KLC launched the Public Interest Law Forum, a guest speaker series that spotlights Korean and Korean-American public interest lawyers. This first event featured a panel of speakers: Pilkyu Hwang, Jirim Kim, and Yae-Ahn Park, attorneys with GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation, which is South Korea’s first public interest law organization. Read more here.

2020

• October 8, 2020: KLC hosted a virtual celebration of the Honorable Richard Y. Lee’s ten-year anniversary on the bench. Judge Lee is the first and only Korean American judge to be appointed in Orange County Superior Court and has served as a leader for countless lawyers and students in the community. KLC Research Fellow Betty Kim ‘21 and law student Nick Nikols ‘21, who both served as Judge Lee’s externs in the summer of 2019, started the virtual celebration with a warm welcome. Following Dean Richardson’s opening remarks, Kim played a compilation of congratulatory messages submitted by lawyers, students, friends, and members of the community. The virtual celebration concluded with remarks from Judge Lee. He thanked Dean Richardson, Professor Summer Kim, and students who helped put the event together. The KLC would like to thank everyone who attended and supported the event.
• September 24, 2020: KLC had a Virtual Open House via Zoom on September 24. The event was an opportunity for the new visiting scholars from Korea, current/new Research Fellows and any person interested in KLC to introduce themselves to each other and learn more about KLC's programming and future plans.
• September 14, 2020: The Second Edition of the Korea Law Center Fall 2020 Newsletter is now available here.
• September 4, 2020: UCI Law Dean Song Richardson has received the Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award from the National Association of Asian Pacific American Bar Association.  Congratulations, Dean Richardson! Read more here.
• September 1, 2020: The First Edition of the Korea Law Center Fall 2020 Newsletter is now available here.
• August 28, 2020: The Eighth Edition of the Korea Law Center Summer 2020 Newsletter is now available here.
• July 28, 2020: The Seventh Edition of the Korea Law Center Summer 2020 Newsletter is now available here.
• July 8, 2020: The Sixth Edition of the Korea Law Center Summer 2020 Newsletter is now available here.
• June 29, 2020: Law and Privacy in the New Normal: Long-term COVID-19 Containment Strategy. The Center for Critical Korean Studies along with Korea University and the Korea Law Center hosted a webinar discussing privacy issues arising from South Korea's response to the coronavirus. The panel included distinguished speakers Professor Kyungshin Park, Myung-Hyun Chung, and No-Hyoung Park of Korea University, as well as Professor David Kaye of UCI Law.  The event was moderated by Professor Michele B. Goodwin of UCI Law. Read more here.
• June 19, 2020: The Fifth Edition of the Korea Law Center Summer 2020 Newsletter is now available here.
• June 15, 2020: The Fourth Edition of the Korea Law Center Summer 2020 Newsletter is now available here.
• June 14, 2020: The Korea Law Center welcomes Kate Shinhae Oh as a new Research Fellow. Kate grew up in Seoul, South Korea, and earned her BA in Political Science and Diplomacy at Yonsei University. Prior to attending law school, Kate worked as a reporter at a national daily newspaper in South Korea (Maeil Business Newspaper), covering various stories on politics, arts, and international affairs throughout three and a half years. Kate is currently working as a Judicial Extern for Justice Raymond J. Ikola at California Court of Appeal. Her interests include ballet, classical music, and weightlifting.
• June 1, 2020: The Third Edition of the Korea Law Center Summer 2020 Newsletter is now available here.
• June 1, 2020: California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) Presentation by Karen Shin (UCI Law alumna and former KLC Fellow). In a webinar hosted by the Korea Law Center, Karen Shin of Associate Attorney at Pepper Hamilton LLC, gave a presentation on changes to the California Consumer Privacy Act.
• May 26, 2020: The Second Edition of the Korea Law Center Summer 2020 Newsletter is now available here.
• May 19, 2020: Korea's Response to COVID-19: A Lesson To Be Learned. The Center for Critical Korean Studies along with the Korea Law Center hosted a webinar discussing South Korea's response to the coronavirus. The panel included distinguished speakers Insang Hwang, Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Korea, Helen Cha Roberts, President of Seegene Technologies, and Sunmin Lee, Professor of Epidemiology at the UCI Medical School. The event was moderated by Tyrus Miller, Dean of the UCI School of Humanities. Read more here.
• May 18, 2020: The First Edition of the Korea Law Center Summer 2020 Newsletter is now available here.
• April 1, 2020: The Korea Law Center welcomes Youneun "Kristie" Kang as its newest Research Fellow.Kristie received a BA in International Studies from Ewha Womans University in South Korea and was a research assistant to Professor Leif-Eric Easley, a professor in East Asian Studies. She is currently a 1L representative for Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) and Outreach Chair for If/When/How. Her interests include food appreciation, listening to crime podcasts, and room escape adventures.
• February 12, 2020: The Korea Law Center welcomes Sean Cho as its newest Research Fellow. Sean received a BA in Legal Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, and was the recipient of the Huang Scholarship, focused on improving U.S.-Asia relations and fostering leadership. He is currently a 1L and the Mod C representative for the Student Bar Association. His interests include cooking, learning about tea culture, and learning languages.
• February 14, 2020: The Council of Korean Americans and Korean American League for Civic Action are accepting applications from undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates for their fifth annual Public Service Internship program. More details >

2019

• November 16, 2019: Korea Law Center Visiting Scholars attend a performance of Aubergine (written by playwright Julia Cho) at the South Coast Repertory. From the website: “The perfect bite transcends time and cultural differences in this poetic tale of love, loss and healing...” Photo > Pictured: Korea Law Center’s Summer Kim (KLC Director), Sung Kyu Lee (LG Sangnam Press Foundation Scholar and KLC Visiting Scholar) and Jin Jae Yoo (Fulbright Scholar and KLC Visiting Scholar) together with Bruce Baek (who plays the role of “Uncle” in Aubergine).
• November 6, 2019: Korea Law Center Visiting Scholars visit the Orange County Superior Court. Photo >
• October 21, 2019: Director Jiyeon Lim (Ministry of Government Legislation) presented her research on anti-discrimination law at the Korea Law Center Visiting Scholar Monthly Roundtable.
• October 18, 2019: Korea Law Center’s visiting scholars and research fellows volunteered their time at the Second Harvest Food Bank Orange County. Second Harvest Food Bank provides food and fresh produce to more than 250,000 hungry children, seniors and families in Orange County. Photo >
• October 7, 2019: KLC Research Fellow Jinho Noh interviewed UCI Law alumna and inaugural KLC Research Fellow Sarah Choi, Associate Attorney at Cooley LLP. Read the interview here.
• October 7, 2019: A delegation from UCI Law led by Associate Dean Stephen Lee (and including UCI Law professors Swethaa Ballakrishnen, Summer Kim, and Ji Li) traveled to Seoul, Korea to participate in the 3^rd Shuttle Symposium between UCI and Korea University. Photo >
  
• September 16, 2019: The Korea Law Center hosts a fall semester welcome and Chuseok celebration. Read more here.
• Korea Law Center Research Fellows Piljoo Yoon and Cecilia Choy interview Korean and Korean American attorneys regarding the patent fight between Apple and Samsung. Read more here.
• August 12, 2019: The Korea Law Center hosts the 2nd Trans-Pacific Business Law Dialogue. Read more here.
• The Korea Law Center welcomes Betty Heeso Kim and Jinho Noh as Research Fellows. Betty is a Korean-American who grew up in Seoul, South Korea and Scottsdale, Arizona. At Brown University, she earned a BA in International Relations with a focus on East Asian Studies. During undergrad, she studied abroad in Paris at the Panthéon-Sorbonne, researching the rise of fast fashion and its effects on sustainability, as well as in Seoul at Yonsei University. Prior to attending law school, Betty also served as a director of alumni relations and business development for a national charter school network. After graduating law school, she plans to pursue civil litigation, primarily in IP and employment. Jinho received his BA in Psychology from UCLA. Prior to attending law school, he worked in the Pro Bono Committee of Bae, Kim & Lee LLC in Seoul, South Korea. During his 1L summer, he interned at Kim & Chang and participated in various projects, including those related to fintech such as cryptocurrency and bitcoin. After graduating law school, Jinho plans to pursue a career in international corporate transaction and bankruptcy law. 
• June 15, 2019: Korea Law Center Director Summer Kim hosted a reception for incoming and past visiting scholars and LLM students at the School of Life in Seoul, Korea. Photo >

2018

• November 19, 2018: UCI Law and the Korea Law Center Welcomed the Korea University School of Law for 2nd annual Joint Symposium. Read more here.
• The Korea Law Center welcomes Sophie Paeng (class of 2021) as a Research Fellow. Sophie received her BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley. Before coming to UCI Law, she worked at GongGam, a public interest law organization in Korea. She is interested in public interest law, with a focus on immigration and human rights.
• The Korea Law Center welcomes Piljoo Yoon and Yujin Choi as Research Fellows. Piljoo is a current LL.M. student at UCI Law, and previously worked for 10 years as a senior engineer at Samsung Electronics. He received his Bachelor of Laws from Seoul Cyber University. Yujin (class of 2021) received her BA in International Relations and Communications from USC. Before attending UCI Law, she worked in the marketing industry creating campaigns for smartphones. She is interested in intellectual property law, with a particular focus on copyright law.
  
• October 25, 2018: The Korea Law Center hosted an open house at UCI Law, where Dean Song Richardson and Korea Law Center Director Summer Kim shared information about the center's people, programming and future plans. Photos >
• October 25, 2018: The Korea Law Center congratulates UCI Law alumnus Josh Ji’s installation as the incoming president of OCKABA! Photo >
• October 12, 2018: Dean Song Richardson and Assistant Professor Summer Kim hosted a reception for incoming and past visiting scholars in Seoul, Korea Photos >
• The Korea Law Center welcomes Cecilia Choy (class of 2019) as its newest Research Fellow. Cecilia grew up in Upland, CA before receiving a BS in microbiology from UCLA. She attended graduate school at SUNY Buffalo and City of Hope Graduate School for Biological Sciences. She is involved with the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Student Bar Association and aspires to enter the field of intellectual property law.
• September 6, 2018: The Korea Law Center hosted its fall 2018 Visiting Scholars welcome at Sherman Library and Gardens. Photo >
• August 4, 2018: The Korea Law Center bid farewell to departing Visiting Scholars. Photo >
• July 13, 2018: Korea Law Center Director Summer Kim presented her paper on "Corporate Long Arms" at the 2018 Trans-Pacific Business Law Dialogue, "Pioneering at Trans-Pacific Vision on Corporate Law and Capital Market Law," hosted by Seoul National University. The Korea Law Center will host this conference next summer at UCI Law.
• June 27, 2018: UCI Law Dean Song Richardson profiled in July 2018 volume of Sisa Journal. Read (Korean) >
• June 15, 2018: The Korea Law Center congratulates Professor Carrie Menkel-Meadow for her appointment as a member of KCAB International's Panel of International Arbitrators.
• April 18, 2018: UCI Law Dean Song Richardson, Assistant Dean for LL.M. and International Programs Khary Hornsby and Assistant Professor Summer Kim met with Judge Wonje Sung, Mr. Hakgu Lee and Ms. Yunmi Hwang to discuss ideas and opportunities to further strengthen the partnership between UCI Law and the Supreme Court of Korea. In May 2017, UCI Law signed an MOU with the Supreme Court of Korea, and was the first U.S. law school to do so. Photo >
• March 29, 2018: UCI Korean American Alumni Chapter hosts a Korean American Leadership Reception in honor of UCI Law Dean Song Richardson. Photo >
• February 20, 2018: UCI Law Dean Song Richardson and Korea Law Center Director Summer Kim met with Consul General Wan-joong Kim and Consul Ji Hye Moon of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles to discuss opportunities for collaboration and partnership.

2017

• October 1, 2017: Korea Law Center welcomed the visiting scholars and LLM students at Shady Canyon Club House, hosted by Eugene and Carol Choi. Photos >
• Korea Law Center and Council for Korean Americans welcomed students and young professionals across various fields (medicine, entertainment, science, public interest, business, and law) to engage with and network with mentors and peers. The event was featured in Korea Times and Korea Daily. More details >
• This May, a group of UCI Law and Korea Law Center faculty, staff, and research fellows traveled to Seoul, South Korea, to form and strengthen new partnerships and research collaborations with the National Court Administration of the Supreme Court of Korea and Korea University Law School. More details >
• The Korea Law Center is delighted to welcome Korea University Professor Ha Yurl Kim to UC Irvine School of Law as a Visiting Professor in Fall 2017. Professor Kim is an expert in Constitutional Law.
• The Korea Law Center welcomes Tim Yoo and Karen Shin as Research Fellows. Tim received his B.A. in English from UC Berkeley. He worked as a summer associate at Yoon & Yang LLC in Korea and is currently serving as a part-time judicial extern for the Honorable Theodor C. Albert of the United States Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California. He is a member of the UC Irvine Journal of International, Transnational, and Comparative Law. Karen received her B.A. in Politics from New York University and served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Josephine L. Staton of the United States District Court, Central District of California. She is also co-chair for APALSA at UCI Law and is a member of the UC Irvine Law Review. 
• Korea Law Center hosted a panel discussion “Careers in Transnational & Cross-Border Law,” featuring five legal professionals whose work focuses on cross-border work in broader Asia. The panelists—Mincheol Kim, Jay Im, Youngwook Shin, Suzy Lee and Seung Baik—represented a variety of practices. More details >

2016

• Chaihark Hahm, Professor at Yonsei Law School and Berggruen fellow at The Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, joined us for a discussion of the U.S. and Korean Constitutions. The event was the first in a series of Public Lectures hosted by the Korea Law Center, and was sponsored by the Orange County Korean American Bar Association. View the event photos here, and the conversation in its entirety here.
• Prof. Summer Kim Receives Trailblazer Award from Orange County Korean American Bar Association Read more >
• Prof. Summer Kim, Research Fellow Sarah Choi meet with Korean-American leaders Read more >
• Korea University Leaders Visit UC Irvine Read more >

2015

• Friends of Korea Law Center Establish Endowed Scholarship Read more >
• Korea University Professor Kyungsin Park will visit UC Irvine School of Law in Spring 2017, teaching a seminar on “Current Issues in Online Surveillance and Data Protection”
• The Korea Law Center welcomes Sarah Choi (Class of 2018) as a Research Fellow. Sarah received her B.S. in Business Administration and the Cinematic Arts from the University of Southern California. She has served as a judicial extern for the Honorable Otis Wright, II of the United States District Court, Central District of California and is a member of the UC Irvine Law Review.