Practice of domestic law is reserved to Korean law firms incorporated under the Attorney-at-Law Act or to Joint Venture Law Firm established in accordance with the Foreign Legal Consultant Act. Only locally trained lawyers can have equity in Korean law firms, but there is no such restriction on Foreign Legal Consultants firms and Joint Venture Law Firms. Foreign lawyers can in theory requalify as local lawyers, but only by undertaking the full domestic route to qualification taken by a Korean lawyer; there is no process for recognition of qualifications and legal practice experience obtained abroad and examination for admitting foreign lawyers as qualified local lawyers. Foreign lawyers and law firms can, nonetheless, establish a Foreign Legal Consultant Office to practice international and foreign country law. FLCs cannot practice domestic law or hire Korean lawyers for such purposes (altough limited joint handling of cases may be permitted). They can also establish Joint Venture Law Firms with domestic law firms, but this is admitted only when the foreign firm is based in a country that has concluded an FTA with Korea and subject to a capped foreign participation at 49%. However, this only applies when an FTA exists, and in all other cases market access for domestic legal practice is prohibited to foreign firm.
"Article 4 (Qualifications of Attorney-at-Law) 
A person who falls under any of the following subparagraphs is qualified as an attorney-at-law: <Amended 2011. 5. 17.>
1. A person who has passed the bar exam and completed the course of the Judicial Research and Training Institute
2. A person who is qualified as a judge or prosecutor
3. Those who have passed the bar exam
[...]
Article 7 (Registration of Qualifications) 
(1)To practice as a lawyer, you must register with the Korean Bar Association.
(2) A person who intends to register under Paragraph 1 shall apply for registration through the local bar association to which he intends to join.
(3) When a local bar association receives an application for registration under paragraph (2), it may attach a written opinion on whether or not the relevant attorney-at-law is qualified.
(4) The Korean Bar Association shall, upon receipt of an application for registration under paragraph (2), register it in the attorney-at-law roster without delay and notify the applicant of the fact.
Article 8 (Rejection of Registration) (1) The Korean Bar Association may reject registration through a resolution of the Registration Examination Committee under Article 9 if a person who has applied for registration pursuant to Article 7 (2) falls under any of the following subparagraphs: In this case, when registration is rejected in accordance with subparagraph 4, a registration prohibition period of at least one year and not more than two years shall be determined through a resolution of the Registration Examination Committee under Article 9. <Amended 2014. 5. 20., 2017. 12. 19.>
1. A person who is not qualified as an attorney under Article 4.
[...]
Article 21 (Law Office)
(1) A lawyer may open a law office.
(2) Law offices of attorneys-at-law shall be located in the region of the local bar association to which they belong.
③ Attorney-at-law may not establish more than one law firm under any pretext. However, if a separate office is located in an adjacent location and a lawyer resides there due to unavoidable reasons such as lack of office space, as determined by the Korean Bar Association, it shall be regarded as one office together with the original law office.
Article 21-2 (Requirements for Establishing Law Firms, etc.) Unless you are engaged in legal affairs or have completed training (limited to subparagraph 6), you cannot open a law office on your own or become a member of a law firm, law firm (limited liability), or law association.
[...]
Article 34 ( Prohibition of partnership with non-lawyers, etc.)
1. An act of introducing, arranging, or luring a party or other related person to a specific lawyer or office worker after receiving or promising to receive money, valuables, entertainment, or other benefits in advance;
2. An act of receiving or demanding money, valuables, entertainment, or other benefits in exchange for introducing, arranging, or inducing a party or other related person to a specific lawyer or office worker;
(2) Neither an attorney-at-law nor his/her clerical staff shall provide or promise to provide money, valuables, entertainment, or other benefits in exchange for introduction, mediation, or inducement in connection with the acceptance of legal cases or legal affairs.
(3) Neither an attorney-at-law nor his/her clerical staff shall mediate the acceptance of a legal case or legal affairs from a person prescribed in subparagraph 1 of Article 109, Article 111 or subparagraph 1 of Article 112, or allow such person to use his/her name.
(4) No person other than an attorney-at-law shall employ an attorney-at-law to open and operate a law office.
(5) A person who is not an attorney-at-law shall not receive a distribution of remuneration or other profits through work that cannot be performed unless he is an attorney-at-law.
[...]
Article 40 (Establishment of Law Firm) 
An attorney-at-law may establish a law firm to systematically and professionally perform his/her duties.
[...]
Article 45 (Members)
(1) A law firm shall consist of three or more lawyers, and at least one of them must have held a position falling under any subparagraph of Article 42 (1) of the Court Organization Act for five or more years in total. . <Amended 2011. 5. 17.>
(2) If the law firm fails to meet the requirements for members under Paragraph 1, it shall supplement within three months.
[...]
Article 58-2 (Establishment) 
An attorney-at-law may establish a (limited) law firm to systematically and professionally perform his or her duties.
[...]
Article 58-6 (Members, etc.) 
(1) A law firm (with limited liability) is composed of 7 or more lawyers, of whom 2 or more hold positions falling under any subparagraph of Article 42 (1) of the Court Organization Act for 10 years or more in total. must have been in
(2) A law firm (limited) may have an affiliated attorney who is not a member.
(3) If a law firm (with limited liability) fails to meet the requirements for members under Paragraph 1, it must be supplemented within 3 months.
(4)A law firm (limited liability) must have three or more directors. In this case, a person who falls under any of the following subparagraphs may not become a director:
1. Non-members
2. A person who was a director (limited to a person who was a director at the time the reason for cancellation occurred) of a law firm (limited liability) whose authorization for establishment was revoked, and for whom three years have not passed since the cancellation.
3. A person who is in the period of business suspension pursuant to Article 102
(5) A law firm (limited liability) may have one or more auditors. In this case, the auditor must be a lawyer.
Article 58-18 (Establishment)
Attorney-at-law may establish a law association to systematically and professionally perform his or her duties.
[...]
Article 58-22 (Members, etc.)
(1) A legal association is composed of seven or more lawyers, and two or more of them have held a position falling under any subparagraph of Article 42 (1) of the Court Organization Act for ten years or more in total. should be
(2) A law association may have an affiliated attorney who is not a member.
(3) If the law association fails to meet the requirements for membership pursuant to Paragraph 1, it shall be supplemented within 3 months. [...]" (Attorney-at-Law Act (변호사법, Enforcement Date: 7 November 1949 (Law No. 63), last updated on 19 December 2017 (By No.15251) [google translation])
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"Article 1 (Purpose) 
This Act stipulates matters necessary for qualification approval, registration, and business performance of foreign legal consultants handling foreign legal affairs in the Republic of Korea, authorization for establishment of joint venture law firm, and business performance, etc. 
Article 2 (Definition) 
The meanings of terms used in this Act are as follows: <Amended 2016. 3. 2.>
1. “Attorney” means an attorney under the Lawyer’s Law.
2. “Foreign Attorney” refers to a person who has obtained and holds a legal professional qualification equivalent to an attorney in a foreign country.
3. “Foreign Legal Consultant” refers to a person who has obtained qualifications as a foreign lawyer, obtained qualification approval from the Minister of Justice pursuant to Article 6, and registered with the Korean Bar Association pursuant to Article 10 Paragraph 1.
4. “Foreign Legal Consultant Office” refers to an office established in accordance with this Act to carry out foreign legal affairs.
[...]
Article 3 (Application for Qualification Approval)
(1) A foreign lawyer who intends to become a foreign legal consultant shall apply for approval of qualification as a foreign legal consultant to the Minister of Justice.
[...]
Article 4 (Job Experience)
(1) In order to be approved as a foreign legal consultant, an applicant must have three or more years of experience in legal affairs in the country of original license after obtaining the qualification of a foreign lawyer.
[...]
Chapter 4 Foreign Legal Consultant Office
 Article 15 (Application for Establishment, etc.)
(1) A foreign legal consultant falling under Article 16 (1) 3 belonging to an office or corporation established for the main purpose of performing legal affairs in the country of original license (hereinafter referred to as “head office”) A foreign legal advisory office may be established with the approval of the Minister of Justice.
[...]
Article 16 (Authorization of Establishment)
(1) The Minister of Justice may authorize the establishment of a Foreign Legal Consultant Office if all of the following requirements are met: <Amended 2016. 3. 2.>
1. The head office must have been legally established in a country that is a party to free trade agreements, etc., in accordance with the laws of that country, and has been operating normally for at least five years.
2. The head office has made a resolution or decision to establish a foreign legal advisory office as a representative office to carry out foreign legal affairs in the Republic of Korea.
3. The foreign legal consultant who will be the representative of the Foreign Legal Consultant Office must have a total of 5 years of legal service experience, including 3 years or more, in the country of original license after obtaining the qualification as a foreign lawyer.
4. The head office shall guarantee the performance of civil and commercial responsibilities related to the affairs of the Foreign Legal Consultant Office.
[...]
Chapter 5 Rights and Duties of Foreign Legal Consultants, etc.
 Article 24 (Scope of Business)
Foreign Legal Consultants may handle the following affairs: <Amended 2016. 3. 2.>
1. Advice on laws and regulations of the country of original license
2. Advice on treaties to which the country of original license is a party and generally accepted customary international law
3. Representation in International Arbitration Cases. However, affairs related to the laws of the Republic of Korea are excluded.
[...]
Article 34 (Prohibition of Employment, Partnership, Concurrent Office, etc.) 
(1) Foreign legal consultants or foreign legal advisory offices may not employ lawyers, judicial scriveners, patent attorneys, certified public accountants, tax accountants, and customs brokers.
(2) Foreign Legal Consultants or Foreign Legal Consultant Offices handle cases jointly with lawyers, judicial scriveners, patent attorneys, certified public accountants, tax accountants, and customs agents through partnership, business partnership, establishment of a comprehensive cooperative relationship, joint acceptance of cases, and any other means. No compensation or profits may be distributed.
(3) Foreign legal consultants or foreign legal advisory offices are lawyers, law firms, law firms (limited), law firms, judicial scriveners, judicial scrivener corporations, judicial scrivener corporations (limited liability), patent attorneys, patent firms, patent firms (limited liability), certified public accountants, and accounting firms. ㆍA tax accountant, a tax firm, a customs company, and a customs company cannot enter into an association contract, establish a corporation, participate in shares, or delegate management rights, and in any other way, law offices, law firms, law firms (limited), law associations, law firms, A judicial scrivener corporation, a judicial scrivener corporation (limited liability), a patent attorney office, a patent corporation, a patent corporation (limited liability), a certified public accountant office, an accounting firm, a tax accountant office, a tax corporation, a customs firm, and a customs law firm may not be jointly established, operated, or jointly operated. . <Amended 2013. 7. 30., 2016. 2. 3.>
[...]
Chapter 5-2 Joint Venture Law Firm <Newly established on March 2, 2016>
Article 35-2 (Establishment) 
(1) A law firm, law firm (limited liability), or law association is a joint venture with a person established for the main purpose of performing legal affairs regardless of its legal form in a country party to a free trade agreement or the like publicly notified by the Minister of Justice. to establish a law firm.
(2)In cases where a foreign joint venture participant has offices, such as offices, local offices, local corporations, branches, and branch offices in multiple countries, the main purpose of which is to carry out legal affairs, the provisions of paragraph 1 are based on the country where the office where the highest decision-making is located is located. Determine the parties to the free trade agreement, etc.[This article was newly established on March 2, 2016]
[...]
Article 35-8 (Participant in Joint Venture) 
(1) A domestic joint venture participant who establishes a joint venture law firm must satisfy the following requirements:
1. Legally established in accordance with the Attorney-at-Law Act and operated normally for at least 3 years
2. Having at least 5 lawyers who have held positions falling under any of the subparagraphs of Article 42 (1) of the Court Organization Act for at least 5 years in total, and at least 3 of them must be members of the relevant domestic joint venture participant; [...]
(2) A foreign joint venture participant who establishes a joint venture law firm must satisfy the following requirements:
1. It must have been legally established in a country party to a free trade agreement, etc., in accordance with the laws of that country, and have been operating normally for at least three years.
2. Having at least 5 foreign lawyers with experience in legal affairs for at least 5 years after obtaining foreign lawyer qualifications, and at least 3 of them must be members of the foreign joint venture participant.
[...]
Article 35-11 (Senior Attorneys and Senior Foreign Legal Consultants) 
(1) Notwithstanding Article 34 (4) of the Attorney-at-Law Act, a joint venture law firm shall have at least two senior attorneys-at-law and senior foreign legal consultants who satisfy all of the following requirements:
1. Must be a member of a joint venture participant
2. A person who has held a position falling under any of the subparagraphs of Article 42 (1) of the 「Court Organization Act」 for a total of 5 years or more, or who has been in legal service for a total of 5 years or more, including 2 years or more in the country of original license after obtaining the qualification as a foreign lawyer must have experience in
3. In the case of a foreign legal consultant, the country of original license must be a party to the free trade agreement, etc. announced by the Minister of Justice pursuant to Article 35-2 (1).
(2) The number of senior foreign legal consultants in a joint venture law firm cannot exceed the number of senior attorneys-at-law.
(3) Notwithstanding Article 35-15 Paragraph 3, Article 21 Paragraph 3 and Article 48 Paragraph 3 of the Attorney-at-Law Act (including cases applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Articles 58-16 and 58-30 of the same Act), joint venture legal affairs Senior attorneys-at-law and senior foreign legal consultants within a corporation may concurrently serve as joint venture participants with permission from the Minister of Justice.
(4) If a joint venture law firm fails to meet the requirements for the number of senior attorneys or senior foreign legal consultants under paragraphs 1 and 2, it shall be supplemented within three months. [This article was newly established on March 2, 2016]
Article 35-12 (Affiliated Attorney-at-Law and Affiliated Foreign Legal Consultant) 
(1) Notwithstanding Article 34 (4) of the Attorney-at-Law Act, a joint venture law firm may have an affiliated attorney-at-law who is not a senior attorney-at-law and an affiliated foreign legal consultant who is not a senior foreign legal consultant.
(2) In the case of foreign legal consultants under Paragraph 1, the country of original license must be a party to the free trade agreement announced by the Minister of Justice pursuant to Article 35-2 Paragraph 1.
(3) The number of foreign legal consultants belonging to a joint venture law firm cannot exceed the number of affiliated lawyers.
(4) If the joint venture law firm fails to meet the requirements under Paragraph 3, it shall be supplemented within three months.
[...]
Article 35-16 (Equity)
(1) A foreign joint venture participant cannot hold more than 49/100 of the joint venture law firm's shares.
(2) If there are multiple foreign joint venture participants in a joint venture law firm, when paragraph 1 is applied, the sum of the shares of each foreign joint venture participant shall be the standard.
(3) Joint venture participants may not transfer all or part of their shares without the consent of all other joint venture participants.
[...]
Article 35-19 (Scope of Business)
A joint-venture law firm may perform affairs other than the matters in each of the following subparagraphs to the extent that it does not conflict with this Act and other Acts.
1. Representation for judicial procedures or legal procedures in the State, local governments and other public institutions, and preparation of legal documents for such procedures;
2. Entrusted representation for preparation of deed under each subparagraph of Article 2 of the Notary Public Act
3. Labor field advice
4. Representation of affairs whose main purpose is to gain or lose rights related to real estate, intellectual property rights, mining rights, and other rights in the Republic of Korea for which registration or registration with an administrative agency is a requirement for establishment or opposition, and Preparation of documents for the purpose
5. Representation of family and inheritance affairs in cases where a national of the Republic of Korea is a party or related property is located in the Republic of Korea, and preparation of documents for this purpose. [...]" (Foreign Legal Consultant Act(외국법자문사법, Enforcement Date: 26 September 2009 (Law No. 9524), last updated on 4 August 2016 [google translation])
Attorney-at-Law Act (변호사법, Enforcement Date: 7 November 1949 (Law No. 63), last updated on 19 December 2017 (By No.15251) [google translation]
Foreign Legal Consultant Act(외국법자문사법, Enforcement Date: 26 September 2009 (Law No. 9524), last updated on 4 August 2016 [google translation]
[<a href="http://www.law.go.kr/LSW/lsEfInfoP.do?lsiSeq=199768#">Act</a>],[<a href="http://www.law.go.kr/LSW/lsInfoP.do?lsiSeq=180681&ancYd=20160203&ancNo=13953&efYd=20160804&nwJoYnInfo=Y&efGubun=Y&chrClsCd=010202#0000">Act</a>]