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Young Min Seo
Partner
- TEL 82 2 6182 8595
- FAX 82 2 6003 7023
- E-MAIL ymseo@hwawoo.com
Biography
Young Min Seo is a partner at Yoon & Yang LLC, and his main areas of practice include criminal defense, digital forensic, intellectual property, financial crimes, corporate criminal matters such as embezzlement and breach of trust, and response to serious accidents.
As a former prosecutor in the Advanced Criminal Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Mr. Seo established the office’s first-ever Digital Forensic Center—an unprecedented initiative within the Korean prosecution service. He pioneered the application of digital forensic investigation techniques to major financial crimes, special investigations, and high-tech trade secret theft cases. He also served in key leadership roles including Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Daegu and Incheon District Prosecutors’ Offices, Inspector General at the Ministry of Justice, Director of Scientific Investigation at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, and Division Chief of the Advanced Criminal Investigation Division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office (handling IP and trade secret cases), Chief of Criminal Division 5 at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office (handling finance and capital markets), Chief of Special Investigations at the Ulsan District Prosecutors’ Office, and Chief of Criminal Division 5 at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office (handling public security and special crimes). He is a leading expert in digital forensic, criminal IP (including trade secret theft), internal corporate investigations, financial and securities crimes (Capital Markets Act violations), white collar crime (embezzlement and breach of trust), and serious accidents.
As a former prosecutor in the Advanced Criminal Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Mr. Seo established the office’s first-ever Digital Forensic Center—an unprecedented initiative within the Korean prosecution service. He pioneered the application of digital forensic investigation techniques to major financial crimes, special investigations, and high-tech trade secret theft cases. He also served in key leadership roles including Deputy Chief Prosecutor at the Daegu and Incheon District Prosecutors’ Offices, Inspector General at the Ministry of Justice, Director of Scientific Investigation at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, and Division Chief of the Advanced Criminal Investigation Division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office (handling IP and trade secret cases), Chief of Criminal Division 5 at the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office (handling finance and capital markets), Chief of Special Investigations at the Ulsan District Prosecutors’ Office, and Chief of Criminal Division 5 at the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office (handling public security and special crimes). He is a leading expert in digital forensic, criminal IP (including trade secret theft), internal corporate investigations, financial and securities crimes (Capital Markets Act violations), white collar crime (embezzlement and breach of trust), and serious accidents.
Practice Areas
Experience
- 2019-present Yoon & Yang LLC
- 2022-present Member of Korean Academy of Industrial Security
- 2019-present Advisor, Trade Secret Protection Center of Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency, Korea Intellectual Property Office
- 2018-19 1st Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Daegu District Public Prosecutors’ Office
- 2017-18 2nd Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Incheon District Public Prosecutors’ Office
- 2016-17 Inspection Officer, Ministry of Justice
- 2015-16 Chief Prosecutor, 1st Criminal Division of Daegu District Public Prosecutors’ Office
- 2014-15 Chief Prosecutor, 1st High Technology Crime Investigation Division of Seoul Central District Public Prosecutor’s Office (Digital Forensics, Leakage of Trade Secrets)
- 2013-14 Chief Prosecutor, 5th Criminal Division of Seoul Southern District Public Prosecutors’ Office (Finance, Securities)
- 2012-13 Prosecutor, Scientific Investigation Division of Supreme Prosecutors’ Office
- 2011-12 Chief Prosecutor, 5th Criminal Division of Seoul Western District Public Prosecutors’ Office (Special Investigation, Public Safety)
- 2010-11 Chief Prosecutor, Special Investigation Division of Ulsan District Prosecutors’ Office
- 2010 Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Special Investigation Division of Daegu District Public Prosecutors’ Office
- 2008-09 Trainee, Stanford University
- 2004-06 Prosecutor, Special Investigation Division / Advanced Criminal Investigation Division, Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office
Education
- 1996 Judicial Research and Training Institute
- 1992 Korea University School of Law, LL.B.
Qualifications
Admitted to bar, Korea (1996)
Representative Matters
[Internal Corporate Investigations]
- Led an external forensic investigation into accounting irregularities caused by embezzlement by executives and employees of Korea’s largest dental implant company.
- Conducted internal investigation and analysis regarding workplace harassment allegations involving a major conglomerate’s R&D staff.
- Investigated potential misappropriation of trade secrets by a corporate research center from a competitor, focusing on risk assessment and internal controls.
- Conducted internal fraud investigations involving embezzlement and breach of trust in connection with the Lime Asset Management case for Shinhan Investment Corp., KB Securities, Woori Bank, and others.
- Investigated misconduct including employee embezzlement at financial institutions such as Kyongnam Bank.
[Corporate Criminal Defense]
- Represented SK Innovation (now SK On) and LG Chem in battery technology leakage cases; advised Samsung SDI and W-Scope Korea on trade secret misappropriation involving battery separator technology.
- Defended Medytox in a high-profile trade secret dispute with Daewoong Pharmaceutical over botulinum strain technology.
- Responded to a major semiconductor technology leakage case involving Samsung Electronics and Chinese entities.
- Advised on alleged violations of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act involving SangSangIn Savings Bank.
- Represented clients in capital market manipulation cases, including the high-profile Deutsche Motors stock price manipulation investigation.
- Defended Shinhan Investment, Woori Bank, Shinhan Bank, and KB Financial in capital markets-related criminal investigations.
- Provided criminal defense representation for corporate embezzlement and breach of trust cases involving companies such as POSCO, Asiana Airlines, SK Shieldus, Woori Bank, Taekwang Group, Hyungji Fashion Group, Gaon Group, Hyundai Card, Kiturami, and Kyongnam Bank.
[Response to Serious Accidents]
- Advised and represented clients in serious industrial accident cases involving POSCO, Samsung C&T, Coupang, Choil Aluminium, and SK Shieldus.
Languages
Korean and English
