Lee & Ko honored by North Korean defector youth school for legal education, financial support

Lee & Ko has received a plaque of appreciation in recognition of its support activities for youth who defected from North Korea.

The law firm announced Tuesday that it received the plaque from Haneul Kkum Middle and High School — the country's first alternative school for North Korean defector youth — on Friday, in recognition of its legal education and financial support for the students.

Haneul Kkum Middle and High School was established in 2003 as the first alternative school of its kind in South Korea. Accredited by the Gyeonggi Province Office of Education, it currently operates six grade levels covering both middle and high school curricula.

In presenting the plaque, school officials said they were "deeply grateful to Lee & Ko for walking alongside the school and, through legal education and financial support, conveying the value of the rule of law to North Korean defector youth and becoming a steadfast partner in preparing for reunification together."

Since March, Lee & Ko has held regular legal lectures designed to give students practical knowledge relevant to their daily lives. Topics have covered constitutional law and the rule of law, voice phishing and multi-level marketing fraud prevention, labor law covering part-time work and employment contracts, real estate and tax law, capital markets settlement and financial law, and criminal law with case studies on road traffic regulations and cybercrime.

The firm has also provided hands-on exposure to the justice system through court visits, while continuing monthly financial donations to help students complete their studies in a stable environment.

Yoon Gyeong-seop, an attorney on the North Korean Defector Legal Support Team of Lee & Ko's pro bono committee, said it was meaningful to contribute to the stable social integration of North Korean defector youth. "We will continue to provide sustained attention and support going forward," Yoon said.

Meanwhile, Lee & Ko continues to demonstrate its global competitiveness in major international legal rankings. This year, the firm maintained Tier 1 ratings across all eight practice areas in the IFLR1000 financial and corporate law directory for 15 consecutive years, and recorded the highest ratings across all categories in the Asialaw rankings for six consecutive years.

The firm has further validated its capabilities across all practice areas by winning the most awards — five categories — at the Asia-Pacific Awards 2026 hosted by Benchmark Litigation, and claiming the most wins among domestic law firms at The Asia Legal Awards 2026.