Overview
Yonghyun Jo, who concluded his tenure as a Presiding Judge at the Seoul High Court on February 13, 2020, now oversees the ClassHankyul’s Seocho office. He is a graduate of Deokwon High School and Seoul National University College of Law and passed the 32nd National Bar Examination. Following his service as a Judge Advocate, Mr. Jo held various judicial roles, including Judge and Presiding Judge at different courts such as the Seoul Central, Seoul Southern, Chuncheon, Daegu, Jeonju District Courts, and the Seoul and Busan High Courts. He also served as the Chief Judge of the Cheonan Branch Court. During his 24 years as a judge, Mr. Jo spent seven years as a Supreme Court Research Judge (Head of the Department/General Civil Affairs), which is the longest period recorded and longer than a typical Supreme Court Justice’s term. He authored 1,734 review reports during his tenure as a Research Judge, and he frequently uses the number “1734” as a personal title. Nearly half of Mr. Jo’s judicial work was in criminal trials. He presided over high-profile corruption cases, including sentencing to three years in prison in the second trial of the “Dru King” case and two years in prison, with immediate incarceration, in the prosecutor sexual harassment scandal. He has written several legal texts, including "Summary of Court Practice in Civil Execution," "Commentary on Civil Law and Civil Execution Law," and "New Criminal Judgments." He also served as the presiding judge for settlement cases at the Seoul Central District Court and was the lead writer for the "Practical Manual on Provisional Remedies." His academic contributions include 29 articles and case commentaries published in the Court Comprehensive Legal Information, including an analysis of the “Adjustment of Investigative Powers between the Prosecution and Police.”
Experience
- 1990 Passed the 32nd National Bar Examination
- 1993 Judicial Research and Training Institute (22nd Class)
- 1996 Discharged from the Army as a Judge Advocate
- 1996 Judge at the Seoul Southern District Court (Civil Cases)
- 1998 Judge at the Seoul Central District Court (Criminal Appeals)
- 2000 Judge at the Chuncheon District Court (Civil Solo Cases/Warrants)
- 2002 Judge at the Daegu District Court (Criminal Solo Cases)
- 2004 Judge at the Seoul High Court (Criminal Appeals)
- 2005 Supreme Court Research Judge for 3 years (Exclusive/Joint Panel)
- 2008 Presiding Judge at the Jeonju District Court (Criminal Division Presiding Judge)
- 2009 Supreme Court Research Judge for 4 years (Head of Exclusive Panel/General Civil Affairs)
- 2013 Presiding Judge at the Seoul Central District Court (Corruption Cases and Settlement Cases Chief Judge)
- 2016 Chief Judge at the Cheonan Branch of the Daejeon District Court (Family Cases Chief Judge)
- 2017 Presiding Judge at the Busan High Court (Medical Cases Chief Judge)
- 2018 Presiding Judge at the Seoul High Court (Construction Cases Chief Judge)
- 2019 Presiding Judge at the Seoul High Court (Corruption Cases and Criminal Appeals Chief Judge)
- 2020 Managing Partner at Class LLC, Seocho Office
- 2023 Managing Partner at ClassHankyul, Seocho Office
- 2000 Chair of the Yanggu County Election Commission
- 2012 Member of the Ministry of Justice's Commercial Law Revision Committee
- 2016 Publication member of the "Summary of Court Practice (Civil Execution)"
- 2014 Executive Director of the Korean Criminal Law Association
- 2016 Chair of the Cheonan City Seobuk District Election Commission
- 2019 Member of the Legal Ethics Committee
Education
- 1987 Deokwon High School
- 1991 Seoul National University Deplanement of Law (LL.B.)
- 2001 Visiting Scholar U.Va (LL.M), USA
Representative Matters
- - Secured acquittals in the Home & Shopping representative recruitment bribery case and the Marineon crash case involving KAI employee
- - Represented Yonhap News Agency in securing a court order for provisional suspension of the contract termination effects against Naver and Kakao
- - Handled litigation and provided counsel for the Namyangju Pyungnae District 4 urban development project
- - Managed litigation and provided advisory services related to duty-free shops, including HDC Shilla Duty-Free and Seoul C&C Korea
- - Served as Acting President of the Korea Specialty Contractors Association
Publications
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Books
- - Co-authored Practical Guide for Courts: Civil Execution (Court Administration Office, 2014)
- - Co-authored New Criminal Judgments (Seoul Central District Court, 2014)
- - Lead author of Provisional Measures for Determining Temporary Status (Judicial Practice Manual, 2016)
- - Co-authored Commentary on the Civil Execution Act, 4th Edition (2018)
- - Co-authored Commentary on Property Law, 5th Edition (2019)
- Published 29 papers/case commentaries in the Court Comprehensive Legal Information, including:
- - 1. "A Study on the Amendment of Article 312 of the Criminal Procedure Act in the Proposal for Adjusting Investigation Rights of Prosecutors and Police" (Legal Times, 2019)
- - 2. "The Relationship between the Damages Claims of Partition Owners and the Repair Deposit Claims of the Residents' Representative Association" (In Commemoration of Justice Park Byung-Dae’s Term, 2017)
- - 3. "The Effects of a Third Party’s Breach of Duty to Deposit under Article 248(3) of the Civil Execution Act" (Civil Execution Act Practical Research IV, 2016)
- - 4. "Compensation for Non-Performance of Property Rights Claims" (Major Case Commentaries during Chief Justice Yang Sung-Tae’s Term, 2015)
- - 5. "Whether a Notification of Transfer of Claim Can be Considered 'Exercise of Rights Outside of Litigation' for Statutory Period Compliance" (Major Case Commentaries during Chief Justice Yang Sung-Tae’s Term, 2015)
- - 6. "The Validity of Dispositions of Real Estate in Name Trusts in Relation to the Creditors of the Name Trustor" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 93, 2013)
- - 7. "Legal Relationships in Cases of Disposal of Real Estate in Name Trusts Involving Three Parties" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 89)
- - 8. "Compensation for Non-Performance of Property Rights Claims" (Problems in Civil Litigation, Vol. 21)
- - 9. "Principles of Successive and Extinguishing Claims in Auctions Involving Possessory Liens" (In Commemoration of Justice Ahn Dae-Hee’s Term, 2012)
- - 10. "Criteria for Polluters under Article 10-3(3)(2) of the Soil Environment Conservation Act" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 91)
- - 11. "The Meaning of 'Costs Required for Compulsory Execution' under Article 53(1) of the Civil Execution Act" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 87)
- - 12. "The Statute of Limitations for Claims of Repayment and Delay Damages on Interest for Private Loans" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 85)
- - 13. "Purpose of the 'Two Years or More Service' Requirement for Stock Option Exercise under Article 340-4(1) of the Commercial Act" (BFL No. 47)
- - 14. "Criminal Liability under the Public Official Election Act for Providing a False Statement of Support for a Candidate to the Media" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 88)
- - 15. "Establishment of Civil Liability for Abuse of Transactional Position" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 81)
- - 16. "Priority Rights in Lease Transfers or Subleases" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 83)
- - 17. "Meaning of 'Significant Negligence' under Article 566(4) of the Debtor Rehabilitation and Bankruptcy Act" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 83)
- - 18. "Standing to Sue in Environmental Harm Cases" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 81)
- - 19. "Permissibility of One-on-One Identification Procedures (Showups)" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 80)
- - 20. "Effectiveness of Annulment of Fraudulent Transactions on the Creditors of the Beneficiary" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 79)
- - 21. "Validity of Debt Waiver Agreements by Executives Whose Duties Were Suspended Due to Management Measures by Mutual Credit Associations" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 72)
- - 22. "Effect of Lease Rights and Priority Rights When a Small-Scale Tenant Completes a Separate Lease Registration and Later Loses Priority Rights Due to Relocation of Residence" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 68)
- - 23. "Criteria for Establishing Placement Plans for Gas Stations under Article 4 of the Special Measures Act on the Designation and Management of Development-Restricted Areas (before Amendment by the Ministry of Construction and Transportation, Ordinance No. 464, August 10, 2005)" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 64)
- - 24. "Settlement between Plaintiff and Defendant in Independent Party Intervention Lawsuits" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 54, 2006)
- - 25. "Whether Terms Concerning the Start Date of Liability are Considered 'Important Content' Subject to Explanation Duties" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 57)
- - 26. "Completion of Construction by Creditors of a Builder Who Defaults on a Multi-Unit Building Purchased from Korea Water Resources Corporation" (Supreme Court Case Commentary No. 60)
- - 27. "Research on Multi-Level Marketing" (Daegu Case Research Association, 2004)
- - 28. "Alternatives to Detention at the Warrant Stage" (Judicial Research and Training Institute, 2004)
- - 29. "Regulation of Cybersquatting" (Judicial and Regulatory Materials, No. 103)
Yonghyun Jo
Attorney at Law
T. +82-2-591-1734
F. +82-2-591-1735
E. yhjo1734@classhklaw.com