Korea Law Center Open House

Left: UC Irvine Law Dean Austen Parrish delivers opening remarks at the Korea Law Center Open House

Right: UC Irvine Law students, Visiting Scholars, and Korea Law Center Research Fellows engage in discussion and conversation during the Open House

On Tuesday, January 27, 2026, the Korea Law Center hosted an Open House Lunch, welcoming members of the UC Irvine Law community for an afternoon of conversation and connection. The event provided an opportunity to learn more about the Korea Law Center’s work, its research initiatives, and the many ways students can get involved.

The Open House brought together J.D. students, LL.M. students, Visiting Scholars, Korea Law Center Research Fellows, and other community members, fostering meaningful dialogue across academic and professional backgrounds. UC Irvine Law Dean Austen Parrish opened the program with welcoming remarks, followed by Korea Law Center Faculty Director Professor Sung Eun (Summer) Kim, who highlighted upcoming programs and introduced the members of the Korea Law Center team. Current Research Fellows shared insights into their experiences and projects, offering attendees a closer look at the Center’s ongoing engagement.

Reflecting on the event, attendee Candace Won shared, "I enjoyed meeting new people in the Korea Law Center and UC Irvine Law community. I was also very impressed by the supportive team and members behind the Korea Law Center at UC Irvine Law."

The Korea Law Center thanks everyone who joined us and contributed to a warm and engaging gathering, and looks forward to welcoming new students and collaborators in the year ahead.

Korean Prosecutors Association

Mentorship Panel

Left: Members of the Korean Prosecutors Association participate in the mentorship panel

Right: Panelists and organizers pictured following the panel (left to right): John Chang, Korea Law Center Research Fellows Laurance Kim and Gloria Yang, Sam Park, Irene Lee, Susan Har, Michael Yun, Alex Yi, and Joshua Lee.

On Wednesday, January 21, the Korea Law Center partnered with the Korean Prosecutors Association (KPA) to host a mentorship panel at UC Irvine Law. Seven KPA members—Irene Lee, Sam Park, Susan Har, John Chang, Michael Yun, Alex Yi, and Joshua Lee—visited campus to engage with students interested in public service careers.

Moderated by Korea Law Center Research Fellow Gloria Yang, the discussion offered insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of prosecutors, the panelists' individual career paths, and the diverse professional opportunities available to law students.

The Korea Law Center extends its sincere thanks to the Korean Prosecutors Association and the panelists for visiting the law school and generously sharing their time, experiences, and perspectives with our students.

Association of American Law Schools 2026 Annual Meeting

Song Hwan Kwon, UC Irvine Law LL.M. '26, attended the Association of American Law Schools Annual Meeting in New Orleans and shared the below reflection on the experience.

Participating in the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Annual Meeting, held January 6–9, 2026, in New Orleans, was both a humbling and inspiring experience. The conference brought together more than 2,000 legal educators from around the world, and I was honored to attend on behalf of the Korea Law Center. It was a privilege to engage with scholars and practitioners working in East Asia and comparative law, and to connect with colleagues who share a deep interest in the legal and policy dynamics of the Asia–Pacific region.

I was especially grateful to attend the reception hosted by UC Irvine Law Dean Austen Parrish, who served as President of the AALS and successfully concluded his term at this year’s conference. There, I had the pleasure of meeting UC Irvine Law Professor Robert Chang and other faculty members. Representing UC Irvine Law and the Korea Law Center at such a significant academic gathering filled me with great pride, and I came away with a renewed appreciation for UC Irvine Law’s growing influence and commitment to global legal engagement.

Song Hwan with Dean Austen Parrish, Florida State University Professor Henry Wang, and the Honorable Brian A. Jackson of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.

Constitutional Court of Korea Delegation

Above: Assistant Director of Judicial Administration Geonwoo Baek, Deputy Secretary General Yong Ho Kim, Dean Austen Parrish, Deputy Assistant Director Sujeong Lee, Professor Sung Eun (Summer) Kim, and Assistant Dean Khary Hornsby.

On December 2nd, a delegation from the Constitutional Court of Korea visited UC Irvine Law. The delegation, which included Deputy Secretary General Yong Ho Kim, Assistant Director of Judicial Administration Geonwoo Baek, and Deputy Assistant Director Sujeong Lee, met with UC Irvine Law Dean Austen Parrish, Assistant Dean Khary Hornsby, and Korea Law Center Faculty Director Professor Sung Eun (Summer) Kim.

The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between the two institutions, including discussion about renewing the existing Memorandum of Understanding and potential future initiatives. UC Irvine Law's Korea Law Center is honored to have the opportunity to host distinguished visitors from the Constitutional Court of Korea as Visiting Scholars. South Korea is also the largest country represented in UC Irvine’s LL.M. program, reflecting the strong ties between Irvine and Korea.

We sincerely thank Deputy Secretary General Kim, Mr. Baek, and Ms. Lee for their visit and for sharing their vision for advancing constitutional education.

Community Celebrations and Accomplishments

Left: Research Fellow Annie Hong with Michele Roberts, former Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association, and UC Berkeley School of Law Professor Amanda Tyler, former law clerk to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Right: Karen Shin, Associate at Blank Rome LLP, UC Irvine School of Law Class of 2019 and former Korea Law Center Research Fellow.

In December, Research Fellow Annie Hong attended the 2025 Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA) Awards Gala. At the event, she was honored with the WWCDA Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Outstanding Law Student Award. Established in honor of the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the award recognizes a student in the final year of legal education who exemplifies Justice Ginsburg’s commitment to excellence, perseverance, extraordinary work ethic, and tireless efforts to ensure justice for all. Annie’s receipt of this prestigious award reflects her remarkable achievements and commitment to advancing justice.

We are proud to share that UC Irvine Law and Korea Law Center alumna Karen Shin was recently featured as an expert speaker for the Center for Technology & Justice's Data Privacy in 2026 event, held on January 30. The program brought together leading scholars and practitioners to discuss emerging issues in data privacy and the evolving legal landscape. Karen graduated from UC Irvine Law in 2019 and is currently an Associate at Blank Rome LLP, where she focuses on data privacy and information security matters.

We would love to connect with you! If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to the Korea Law Center at klc@law.uci.edu.

The Korea Law Center is supported by charitable gifts and contributions, if you would like to donate to the center you can do so here: Give to UCI.