Korea Law Center Spring Symposium 2025

Top Left: The Honorable Judge Richard Lee (Orange County Superior Court) delivering the keynote address; Top Right: Speakers and Attendees

Bottom Left: Professor Jean Lee (Kyung Hee University School of Law) speaking about martial law and the recent South Korean presidential impeachment; Bottom Right: Korean Lawyers in America Project Legal Research Associate Team, (L-R) Yonghyung Thomas Chung, Annie Hong, Allison Yoo, Serapia Kim, Semmie Lee, and SJ Lee

On May 10, 2025, the Korea Law Center hosted its Spring Symposium 2025, bringing together legal scholars, students, and members of the community to celebrate the achievements of the Korea Law Center's Korean Lawyers in America Project (KLAP) and discuss special topics in Korean law, including martial law and recent developments.

The day began with remarks from Dean Austen Parrish and the Orange County Korean American Bar Association (OCKABA) President Mandy Kim.

The symposium’s keynote address was delivered by the Honorable Judge Richard Lee of the Orange County Superior Court, who reflected on his career in public service and the significant influence of Korean values such as community, service, and diligence on his professional journey.

Following the keynote, the KLAP legal research associate team - Yonghyung Thomas Chung, Annie Hong, Serapia Kim, Semmie Lee, Seoungjun (SJ) Lee and Allison Yoo - presented original research examining the professional trajectories and contributions of Korean American lawyers.

In the afternoon, the symposium welcomed the President and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Orange County, Jayne Herring, who discussed the importance of a global perspective in our analysis of local legal issues. Professor Jean Lee of Kyung Hee University School of Law provided a deep dive into the South Korean presidential impeachment and martial law, shedding light on constitutional crises and political accountability in Korea's recent history. Professor Lee answered questions from attendees regarding the history of martial law in South Korea and how the presidential impeachment may impact future elections.

The afternoon concluded with presentations from Samuel Yu, Irvine Office Managing Partner at Kahana Feld, and Haran Kim, Legal Counsel at the Korean Consulate General, Los Angeles.

We would like to thank all the speakers and attendees for making the Korea Law Center Spring Symposium 2025 a success. We look forward to continuing to foster these important conversations and connections at the intersection of U.S. and Korean law.

Research Fellow Spotlight: Annie Hong

Annie Hong is a law student at UC Irvine School of Law, Class of 2026, where she serves as the Lead Articles Editor for the UC Irvine Law Review. This summer, she is working as a litigation summer associate at Allen Matkins, LLP. During her 1L summer, Annie externed at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California.

Prior to law school, she worked in local government in the City Manager's Office and is currently in her seventh year of service in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Finance Officer. Annie holds a Master of Public Administration and a B.A. in Cognitive Science from the University of Southern California.

Reflecting on her experience as a Korea Law Center Research Fellow, Annie shares: "Being a KLC Research Fellow has been an incredibly rewarding experience. From contributing to projects like KLAP and attending the International Association of Korean Lawyers (IAKL) annual conference, I've had the opportunity to deepen my understanding of Korean legal issues while connecting with a vibrant community of scholars and practitioners. It's a role that has broadened my perspective and strengthened my commitment to staying connected with the Korean community, both personally and professionally."

UC Irvine School of Law

2025 Commencement Ceremony

Left: UC Irvine Law 2025 Graduation Ceremony

Right: Dean Austen Parrish with KLC Research Fellows SJ Lee and Allison Yoo

On May 9, 2025, UC Irvine School of Law held its 14th commencement ceremony for the class of 2025.

Congratulations to our five Korea Law Center Research Fellows graduates, Yonghyung Thomas Chung, Yongsoo Kim, Rachel Lee, Seoungjun (SJ) Lee, and Allison Yoo! We are proud of all they have achieved and excited to see them embark on their journeys as attorneys.

Congratulations to our Research Fellows and the UC Irvine Law Class of 2025!

Research Fellow Alumni Spotlight:

Sophie Paeng

Sophie (Bo Hyun) Paeng graduated from UC Irvine Law in 2021 and is currently a litigation associate at the Los Angeles office of Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP. Prior to joining Squire, Sophie was a senior staff attorney at Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project, where she primarily represented immigrants with mental health and cognitive disabilities in removal proceedings. During law school, she was also an associate editor of the UC Irvine Law Review.

Sophie joined the Korea Law Center as a Research Fellow in 2018. Her most treasured memory with KLC is organizing the Public Interest Law Forum, a speaker series spotlighting Korean and Korean American public interest lawyers, in the spring of 2021. She was inspired by her pre-law school internship with GongGam Human Rights Law Foundation, which is South Korea’s first public interest law organization. Sophie is grateful to KLC for giving her the opportunity to educate the community about various career paths in public interest and the Korean and Korean American lawyers who are paving the way for others. Steering current and future attorneys toward public interest and pro bono work remains one of Sophie’s passions. Sophie remains actively engaged with UC Irvine Law by supporting the Korea Law Center and handling pro bono cases through the school's legal clinics.

Bae, Kim & Lee at UC Irvine Law

Left: Khary Hornsby, Assistant Dean of Global Programs with speakers and guests

Right: Andrew Chongseh Kim, Senior Foreign Attorney (BKL) at the podium

Inheritance Law for Korean-Americans: Descendants' Rights to Minimum Inheritance and Risks of Taxation for U.S. Citizens

On May 1, 2025, UC Irvine Korea Law Center, UC Irvine Law Global Programs, and Bae, Kim & Lee (BKL) hosted a seminar on unexpected inheritance rights and tax liabilities for Korean American heirs. Members of the community joined us to learn how Korean family and tax law affects inheritance, particularly for U.S. citizen children of Korean nationals. Speakers included Hye Eun Cheung, former Presiding Judge for the Seoul Family Court, Sungsoon Jang, Partner (BKL) specializing in inheritance and private wealth, and Andrew Chongseh Kim, Senior Foreign Attorney (BKL) specializing in cross-border disputes.

Many thanks to Professor Carrie Menkel-Meadow for her generous gift of the book Your Bright Future: 12 Contemporary Korean Artists from Korea.

We’re excited to add this book to Korea Law Center’s growing library. The Center is located on the second floor of the law school’s Multipurpose Academic and Administrative (MPAA) building. We welcome you to stop by and explore our collection.

Upcoming Events at the Korea Law Center

Seoul National University GSPA Summer Program at UC Irvine Law

Monday, July 7, 2025 - Friday, July 18, 2025

UC Irvine Law is once again honored and excited to host an esteemed group of scholars from Seoul National University's Graduate School of Public Administration (GSPA) at UC Irvine Law.

This program will bring together thirty scholars from Seoul National University's GSPA to attend lectures taught by UC Irvine faculty on the topics of trade, conflicts of laws, criminal law, negotiation, and corporate social responsibility, among others. The program will also include educational and cultural field trips to courts, museums, civic centers, public utilities, and networking with corporate counsel.

This program has been designed to build and strengthen the relationship between our two institutions and to form long-lasting friendships with the individual participants of the program through these experiences and the exchange of ideas.



We would love to connect with you! If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to KLC Program Director Grace Lee, glee@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.