South Korean law firm HwaHee has officially opened a new office in northern Seoul to shorten physical distances with corporate clients located in the central business district, according to managing partner Lee Myung-soo. The expansion establishes a secondary business hub outside the firm’s main headquarters in southern Seoul.
Expanding into the Central Business District
The new office, situated in the Seoul Finance Center, aims to improve field mobility by cutting down decision-making layers. According to Lee, the firm has chosen not to appoint a separate branch manager or representative director for the northern location. Instead, veteran partner attorneys across specialized fields will directly oversee local operations on-site to deliver immediate judgments and advanced solutions.
Targeting Specialized Legal Practices
HwaHee designed the northern outpost to provide close insights across core areas including finance, corporate legal affairs, human resources and labor, taxation, real estate, Board of Audit and Inspection responses, police investigations, large-scale litigation, and fair trade.
Proximity to Government Institutions
The firm also aims to strengthen legislative and government affairs advisory services due to the office’s close proximity to the Seoul Government Complex, as stated by Lee.
Focusing on Domestic Footprint
When asked about additional domestic or overseas expansion plans, Lee stated that the firm’s immediate focus remains on firmly establishing the northern office and advancing its advisory services. The northern branch marks HwaHee’s first domestic office expansion since the firm was established in 2003 through the merger of Hwabak and Woobang.
Firm Scale and International Reach
HwaHee operates domestic offices in northern and southern Seoul alongside international offices in Tashkent and Jakarta. The firm also performs work in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi through a strategic cooperation with VILAF. According to the Ministry of Justice, HwaHee employed 368 lawyers qualified under South Korean law as of August 2026.
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