Wee-Soo Han

  • Partner
  • T. +82-2-3404-0541
  • F. +82-2-3404-7687
  • E. weesoo.han@bkl.co.kr

Overview

Wee-Soo Han is a partner at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC. Based on 26 years of work experience as a judge [including his military service period (as an advocate judge)], Mr. Han's practice focuses on tax disputes and administrative and constitutional litigations and other general civil/criminal litigations.

Mr. Han served at Seoul District Court as a judge, Judicial Research and Training Institute as a professor, and Seoul Administrative Court as a presiding judge. Since joining BKL in 2008, he has won many lawsuits such as tax, administrative, and constitutional lawsuits. He was a member of National Human Rights Commission of Korea, the president of Korean Society for Media Law, Ethics and Policy Research, a legal advisor of National Tax Services and Korea Customs Service, and a member of Central Administrative Appeals Commission. He is an expert in civil litigations, administrative, and constitutional litigations. He wrote many papers and was once appointed on the recommendation of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court on 14 January 2015.

Representative Experience

2008-Present Bae, Kim & Lee LLC
2005-2008 Presiding Judge, Seoul High Court
2004-2005 Presiding Judge, Daegu High Court
2002-2004 Presiding Researcher, Constitutional Court of Korea
2001-2002 Presiding Judge, Seoul Administrative Court
1999-2001 Professor, Judicial Research and Training Institute, Supreme Court of Korea
1997-1999 Presiding Judge, Daegu District Court
1996-1994 Judge, Seoul High Court
1994-1996 Examination Officer, National Court Administration
1993-1994 Judge, Seoul High Court
1991-1993 Judge, Busan High Court
1990-1991 Judge, Masan District Court
1987-1990 Judge, Seoul Civil District Court
1985-1987 Judge, Seoul Criminal District Court
1982-1985 Judge Advocate, Republic of Korea Army
See More
2019-2022 Advisory Chief, Military Human Rights Committee, Ministry of National Defense
2012-2018 Non-standing Member, National Human Rights Commission of Korea
2012-2014 Legal Adviser, Tax Law, National Tax Service
2011-Present Legal Adviser, Korea Customs Service
2011-2014 Member, National Tax Law Interpretation and Review Committee, National Tax Service
2010-2014 Commissioner, National Environmental Dispute Resolution Commission
2009-2015 Commissioner, The Administrative Appeals Commission, Central Administrative Appeals Commission
2009-2011 The 5th Chair of Korean Society for Media Law, Ethics and Policy Research

Representative Matters

Won the constitutional complaint case concerning the housing market stabilization policy (found constitutional by the Constitutional Court)
Criminal case of bribery and embezzlement by the management of A Group
Won the lawsuit seeking revocation of the refusal to correct corporate tax imposed to Korail in connection with the termination of a land sale and purchase agreement for the Yongsan international business district
Won the representative action claiming damages from the government by the KEPCO shareholders in connection with the approval of electric charges (Supreme Court)
Successfully defended an Oil Company B on a lawsuit seeking to enforce a foreign arbitral award in Korea in connection with disputes among shareholders
Won the constitutional complaint case concerning the housing market stabilization policy (found constitutional by the Constitutional Court)
Criminal case of bribery and embezzlement by the management of A Group
Won the lawsuit seeking revocation of the refusal to correct corporate tax imposed to Korail in connection with the termination of a land sale and purchase agreement for the Yongsan international business district
Won the representative action claiming damages from the government by the KEPCO shareholders in connection with the approval of electric charges (Supreme Court)
Successfully defended an Oil Company B on a lawsuit seeking to enforce a foreign arbitral award in Korea in connection with disputes among shareholders
Successfully represented client in the constitutional case seeking the affirmation of the unconstitutionality of the laws and regulations on the examination of dental professional (rendered by the Constituional Court to be unconformable to the constitution)
Successfully represented client in the constitutional case seeking the affirmation of unconstitutionality of the public announcement of the Japanese Wartime Comfort Women Agreement between South Korea and Japan (rejected by the Constitutional Court)
Won the lawsuit seeking affirmation of unconstitutionality of the Act on Broadcast Advertising Sales Agencies (found constitutional by the Constitutional Court)
Successfully represented client in the constitutional case seeking the affirmation of the unconstitutionality of the Korea Communications Commission Act on the screening of postings on the internet (rendered by the Constitutional Court to be conformable to the constitution)
Won the constitutional complaint case concerning the public notice on importation of U.S. beef (found constitutional by the Constitutional Court)
Criminal case involving the violation of the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act by religious organization C's executives
Won the lawsuit seeking revocation of the refusal to correct value-added tax imposed to telecommunications company D with respect to the mobile phone subsidies (Supreme Court)
Won the civil lawsuit concerning group E's merger and acquisition of a domestic construction company EA
Won the tax lawsuit concerning the requirements of application of special cases to transfer income tax on the shares of venture companies under the Act on Restriction on Special Cases Concerning Taxation
Won the lawsuit seeking revocation of the refusal to approve the establishment of a regional chamber of commerce and industry (Supreme Court)

Education

1990 University of Pennsylvania Law School (LL.M.)
1983 Seoul National University (LL.M.)
1982 Judicial Research and Training Institute, Supreme Court of Korea
1980 Seoul National University (LL.B.)

Selected Activities

Publications
Civil Act Commentary (Co-author, Korean Society of Judicial Administration, 2016)
Tax Law Issues I: The Effect of Post-Import Declaration Price Adjustment on Customs Duty (Co-author, Kyungin Publishing, 2015)
Media-Related Lawsuits (Co-author, Korean Society of Judicial Administration, 2007)
A Study on the Regulation of Hate Speech - Focus on the legislative obligations under international human rights law, The Journal of Constitution Vol. 30, pp. 141-200 (Constitutional Court of Korea, 2019)
Regulation on Advertisement and Freedom of Expression, The Journal of Constitution Vol. 18, pp. 341-410 (Constitutional Court of Korea, 2007)
Practical Issues relating to Lawsuits Seeking Disclosure of Information, Human Right and Justice No. 304, pp. 31-60 (Korean Bar Association, 2001)

Qualifications

2009 Certified Tax Consultant (Korea)
1982 Korea