Younghei Jo

Younghei Jo

  • Foreign Attorney
  • T. +82-2-3404-6512
  • F. +82-2-3404-7307
  • E. younghei.jo@bkl.co.kr

Overview

Younghei Jo is a foreign attorney specializing in healthcare and regulatory law. Mr. Jo earned a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University, a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, and an LL.M. in International Taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Following his service as a First Lieutenant in the Republic of Korea Army, Mr. Jo pursued his legal education and later strengthened his corporate finance and tax advisory capabilities within the Federal M&A Tax Group at PwC in New York.

Starting in 2018, Mr. Jo contributed to Kim & Chang as a key member of its healthcare team, advising multinational pharmaceutical and medical device companies on regulatory approval and compliance matters involving the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Mr. Jo also successfully defended clients in drug pricing negotiations with the National Health Insurance Service and related reimbursement listings. In particular, Mr. Jo led proactive market-entry strategies relating to cybersecurity and clinical validation guidelines for AI-based diagnostic software and SaMD (software as a medical device). Furthermore, Mr. Jo served as a seconded attorney at GSK and Samsung Biologics, focusing on practical and operational risk management in on-site settings.

His practice further encompasses healthcare sector investigations, employment and labor compliance advisory work, responses to investigations by the Korea Fair Trade Commission, global data privacy matters, cross-border intellectual property litigation, and representation of multinational clients in tax audits conducted by the National Tax Service of Korea. Through this multidisciplinary experience, Mr. Jo continues to serve as a strategic advisor providing comprehensive legal, regulatory, and tax solutions.

Representative Experience

2026-Present Bae, Kim & Lee LLC
2024-2026 Kim & Chang
2023-2024 Co-founder, MDREX
2018-2023 Kim & Chang
2016-2018 Associate, PwC NYC M&A Tax
2010-2011 Samsung Electronics

Representative Matters

Represented global medical device companies in investigations conducted by the Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety*
Represented global medical device companies in investigations conducted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety concerning KGMP violations*
Defended global medical device companies in reimbursement pricing disputes and related litigation*
Represented global pharmaceutical companies in investigations conducted by the Korea Fair Trade Commission and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety concerning alleged vaccine collusion*
Advised clients on regulatory and market authorization strategies for SaMD and AI-based digital therapeutics*
Led internal investigations concerning rebates provided to healthcare professionals and violations of anti-corruption laws*
Advised clients on employee disciplinary actions, workplace misconduct, and HR compliance matters*
Represented global manufacturing companies in a regular tax audit and litigation challenging the audit findings*
Represented global audio licensing companies in investigations conducted by the National Tax Service concerning beneficial ownership and tax treaty matters*
* Experience prior to joining BKL

Education

2016 University of Florida Law School (LL.M.)
2015 University of Michigan Law School (J.D.)
2007 Cornell University (B.A.)

Selected Activities

Publications
Global Legal Insights: Pricing and Reimbursement 2022: Korea Chapter (Co-author, Global Legal Group, 2022)
Awards
Commendation from the Minister of National Defense for Service in the Joint Investigation Group for the ROKS Cheonan Incident (2010)

Qualifications

2017 New York