Business · Companies · 3 hrs ago
Hwawoo chief says companies must prepare early for criminal investigations
Lee Myung-soo, head of South Korean law firm Hwawoo, says companies need to respond early to criminal investigations.
South Korea’s new system separates investigation from prosecution, giving police and the Central Investigation Agency a central role in the early stages.
The first account of a case can shape later decisions on whether to bring charges and how a trial proceeds, Lee said.
He warned that police, the new agency and other investigative bodies could conduct overlapping probes.
Repeated investigations and follow-up requests could prolong cases, adding costs and uncertainty for businesses.
Lee says companies should prepare coordinated teams with expertise across the process and review their criminal-risk controls.
Hwawoo managing partner Lee Myung-soo says companies need to prepare early for criminal investigations as South Korea changes its investigative system.
He says police and the new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency are becoming decisive in the early stages of corporate cases.
Lee warns that overlapping investigations and repeated referrals between agencies could prolong cases and raise companies’ costs and uncertainty.
He calls for tailored strategies and coordinated teams of specialists rather than reliance on a few former officials.
Hwawoo has set up a corporate criminal strategy center and is hiring experts with police backgrounds.
- Who
- Lee Myung-soo, managing partner of the Hwawoo law firm.
- What
- He says companies need to strengthen early responses and redesign how they manage criminal risks.
- When
- October 24, 2026; Lee was interviewed on the previous 2nd, according to the article.
- Where
- Hwawoo’s office in Seoul’s Gangnam district.
- Why
- Changes to South Korea’s investigative system place greater importance on the initial investigation, while creating risks of overlapping probes and delays.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Hwawoo set up its own generative AI platform, Chat Hwawoo, and began using it across its work.
Hwawoo launched the Corporate Criminal Strategy Center to coordinate corporate criminal risk management.
Lee was interviewed at Hwawoo’s office in Seoul’s Gangnam district.
Yonhap published its interview with Lee.
- Interviewee
- Lee Myung-soo, 59, Hwawoo managing partner
- Investigative agencies
- Police and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency
- New center
- Corporate Criminal Strategy Center (CCDSC), launched earlier this year
- AI platform
- Chat Hwawoo, established last year
- Interview location
- Hwawoo’s office in Seoul’s Gangnam district
What people are saying
The decisive point and the golden time for defending corporate criminal cases have shifted to frontline investigative agencies such as the police and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.
The importance of an early response will grow even further.
If the case’s framework becomes fixed around a recommendation to indict after an unsuccessful early response, overturning it will entail enormous costs and risks.
AI is a powerful tool that helps that judgment, but it is not a party that replaces judgment and responsibility.