Soonam Kim

  • Partner
  • T. +82-2-3404-0311
  • F. +82-2-3404-0006
  • E. soonam.kim@bkl.co.kr

Overview

Soonam Kim is a partner at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC. Since 1987, the year when Mr. Kim was appointed as a judge, he served as such for three years, and later in 1990, he joined the Public Prosecutors Office.

Since then, Mr. Kim served as a public prosecutor for 28 years, and in May 2017, he left public service as the prosecutor general of the Supreme Prosecutors Office. During his tenure as a public prosecutor, he mainly worked in the Special Investigation Department and contributed to the eradication of corruption and unfair practices by handling various high-profile cases, including investigations on the receipt and misappropriation of illegal funds for presidential elections, the raising of slush funds, embezzlement and breach of duty by conglomerates, corruption of conglomerates involving the use of public funds.

After retiring from public office, Mr. Kim took a one-year program at Columbia Law School in the U.S. as a visiting scholar. During the visiting scholar program, he gave a special lecture entitled “Korea's Economic Development and Roles of Public Prosecutors Office (Rooting Out Corruption)” for law school students, and also completed a four-week executive program at Columbia Business School.

Representative Experience

2020-Present Bae, Kim & Lee LLC
2019-2020 Managing Partner, Law Firm Dong Gwang
2017-2018 Visiting Scholar, Columbia Law School
2015-2017 Prosecutor General, Supreme Prosecutors' Office of the Republic of Korea
2015 Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Supreme Prosecutors' Office of the Republic of Korea
2013-2015 Chief Prosecutor, Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office
2012-2013 Chief Prosecutor, Suwon District Prosecutors' Office
2011-2012 Chief Prosecutor, Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office
2010-2011 Director, Crime Prevention Policy Bureau, Ministry of Justice
2009-2010 Chief Prosecutor, Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office
2008-2009 Deputy Chief Prosecutor (3rd), Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office
2007-2008 Deputy Chief Prosecutor, Incheon District Prosecutors' Office
2004-2007 Senior Prosecutor, Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office
2003-2004 Senior Prosecutor, Director of Central Investigation Department, Supreme Prosecutors' Office
1997 Visiting Scholar, George Washington University Law School

Education

1989 Seoul National University (LL.M.)
1987 Judicial Research and Training Institute, Supreme Court of Korea
1982 Seoul National University (LL.B.)

Selected Activities

Publications
Study on the Indictment Modification System (Master's Thesis, Seoul National University, 1989)
Awards
Order of Service Merit (Red Stripes, 2008)
Service Merit Medal (1996)

Qualifications

1987 Korea