Using a Joint Work Without Consent in South Korea — No Crime, but Damages Nonetheless
In South Korea, using a joint work without a co-author’s consent is no crime but is civil infringement. Suwon High Court 2025Na13164 awarded damages.
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Landlord Succession After a Foreclosure Sale in South Korea
In South Korea an auction purchaser succeeds to the landlord’s position by operation of law and the former landlord is discharged. A tenant may object within a reasonable period, but the Supreme Court rejected the objection on three grounds.
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Rehiring After the Retirement Age in Korea
In South Korea, rehiring after the retirement age is the employer’s prerogative — unless an established practice has created a legitimate expectation.
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Built Exactly as the Drawings Said, and a Defect Appeared — How Far Does a Contractor’s Liability Reach in South Korea
Under South Korean law a contractor that builds to the design drawings bears no warranty liability, and a 2026 judgment extended that reasoning to negligence in tort.
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Inheriting Cooperative Equity in South Korea
A South Korean cooperative member is automatically withdrawn on death; the equity refund vests in each heir by statutory share. One heir may claim alone.
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Holdover Tenant and Landlord Self-Help in South Korea
Under Korean law a tenant’s holdover possession is lawful until the security deposit is exhausted by accrued rent, after which it becomes a tort. A landlord who cuts utilities or changes the door lock code faces criminal liability and may forfeit rent for that period.
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Commercial Lease Termination for Rent Arrears and Rent-Waiver Enforceability in South Korea
Two Supreme Court of Korea rulings from June 2026 explain when a landlord may terminate a commercial lease for three periods of rent arrears, and why a rent waiver never disclosed through a business registration amendment cannot bind a buyer of the building.
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Employee Invention Compensation in South Korea
On June 24 and 25, 2026 the Supreme Court of Korea reversed four employee invention compensation cases. Internal rules setting triggering conditions and a review procedure fix a payment time subject to an uncertain time limit, so the ten-year period runs from that date.
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National Pension Division After Divorce in South Korea
A Seoul court cancelled a divided pension award: excluding the separation period with no substantive marital relationship left the marriage under five years.
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How to Dispose of Treasury Shares in South Korea
Effective March 6, 2026, South Korea requires cancellation of treasury shares within one year and pro rata disposal to all shareholders on equal terms. Learn the exceptions for third-party disposal and when a bylaws amendment is mandatory.