This is the first book on Korean legal history in English written by a group of leading scholars from around the world. The chapters set forth the developments of Korean law from the Chosŏn to colonial and modern periods through the examination of codified laws, legal theories and practices, and jurisprudence. The contributors’ shared premise is that the evolution of Korean law can be best understood when viewed in terms of its interactions with outside laws. Each chapter integrates literature in Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Western languages into comprehensive analyses to make up-to-date research available to readers both inside and outside Korea. This volume provides a solid framework from which to approach Korean legal history in the perspective of comparative legal traditions.

Sets forth the evolution of Korea's law and legal system from the Chosǒn dynasty through the colonial and postcolonial modern periods.

As a result of globalization, the barriers between countries are coming down. There is more interaction between countries than ever and mutual understanding and communication have become essential considerations. In such an atmosphere, the Korea Legislation Research Institute has published this book to spread awareness of outstanding Korean law and of its legal system throughout the globe, as the authoritative sources of legal information for other countries. This book explains Korean law in nine chapters that focus on its distinguishing aspects. The nine authors who have participated are all prominent scholars who have contributed their expertise to the project.

Drawing from experts in legal practice, academia, and the judiciary, Korean Business Law: The Legal Landscape and Beyond provides clear and concise explanations of what the law means in relation to South Korea's often complex and changing business law environment. This book is written for a diverse global audience, from lawyers to business leaders, from professors to students, both inside and outside of Korea. Some of the many topics include: corporations, mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, the Korean judicial system, intellectual property, project finance, private equity funds, competition law, broadcasting/telecommunications, renewable energy law, corporate governance, legal risk management, labor law, real estate, trade law, and torts. "Jasper Kim's new book is a welcome resource for practitioners, scholars, and anyone interested in Korean business law." -- Susan Lawrence, Associate Director, Korea Institute, Harvard University "The contributors to this book have done enormous service by laying out the differences and similarities for an international audience." -- Evan Ramstad, Staff Reporter, Wall Street Journal "Kudos to Jasper Kim for bringing such a diverse group of scholars and practitioners together in one convenient and very readable book." -- Benjamin Hughes, Attorney, Shearman & Sterling, Singapore "A welcomed publication that could not have come at a better moment during this time of change, challenges, and renewed growth for Korea." -- Samuel S. Nam, Chief Administrative Officer, J.P. Morgan, Korea

This book is a detailed overview of the corporate and financial laws of Korea and analyzes current issues within those fields from both academic and practical perspectives, providing a unique tool for understanding Korean law in a business and financial context. The approach of the book is two-fold. On the one hand the book offers valuable insight into the fundamental principles of Korean business law, and landmark cases in the field. On the other hand there is extensive analysis of more recent developments and of current issues raised by recent court cases. The book combines coverage of Korean corporate law and Korean financial law and includes detailed examination of corporate law issues such as director liability, minority shareholder protection, and the dynamic practice area of mergers and acquisitions, and of financial law topics, including private equity, structured finance and foreign financial institutions. A rich and extensive resource with insight from leading scholars and practitioners, Korean Business Law will be of great benefit both to lawyers who have clients with business interests in Korea, and to scholars of international corporate law and governance.

ÔAs dynamic as legal change has been in South Korea, it has also been understudied, at least until the arrival of this wonderful collection of essays. The authors, who are all leading figures in the field, demonstrate convincingly that Korean experience is relevant to many of the contemporary questions in law and society studies, including how to understand the dynamics of legal change, the role of law in development, the nature of transitional justice, and law in the postcolonial state. Every law and society scholar should read this book.Õ Ð Tom Ginsburg, University of Chicago, US This book sets out a panoramic view of law and society studies in South Korea, considering the factors that have made this post-colonial war-torn country economically and politically successful. The contributors examine societal and historical conditions that are reflected in Ð or that were shaped by Ð the law, through a variety of lenses; including law and development, law and politics, colonialism and gender, past wrongdoings, public interest lawyering, and judicial reform. In dismantling the historical specificity of the way in which Korea studies are universally framed the contributions provide novel views, theories and information about South Korean law and society. Incorporating various perspectives and methodologies, and demonstrating a finely crafted application of general theory to specific issues, this compendium will prove insightful to law scholars and researchers looking to widen their perspective and broaden their knowledge on law and society in Korea. Law practitioners whose practice requires knowledge of the Korean legal system will also find plenty of information in this authoritative book.

This book provides an analysis of South Korean constitutional history since 1948. It furnishes an overview of the cultural and political context of Korean legal institutions, and it evinces an understanding of competing theories of the Rule of Law. The author provides an account of many important institutional transformations, including detailed discussions of Korean Supreme Court cases.