Based in Kim & Chang’s Seoul Office but also part of a team covering clients in the APAC region through the firm’s Hong Kong Office, Paul Cho is a senior foreign attorney in the firm’s Labor & Employment Practice advising on all employment and labor-related matters, including restructuring programs, collective bargaining negotiations and crisis management. He also handles all aspects of corporate law, including mergers and acquisitions, compliance matters, and provides counsel on civil and criminal litigation matters. 

Mr. Cho, who has more than 23 years of experience in Korea, is known by colleagues and clients for his expertise and ability to “think outside the box” when assisting clients across all business sectors in reaching practical solutions. 

Prior to joining Kim & Chang, Mr. Cho was Vice President and General Counsel of General Motors Korea Company, where he also served on the executive committee. He was involved in all key legal and business aspects impacting the company, including what has been considered by many in the business community as one of the most successful yet complex turnaround programs of a foreign-invested business in Korea. 

Earlier in his career, Mr. Cho was appointed an Assistant Attorney General for the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, where he served for four years in the Chicago office, and before then, worked as an associate attorney at the law firm of Sanchez, Daniels & Hoffman in Chicago concentrating on defense litigation. He also worked as an advisor in the International Finance Division of the Korean Ministry of Finance. 

He was also a co-chair of the Human Resources Committee and a Board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea giving various presentations/seminars on Korean labor and employment law. He also served as an advisory board member of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea’s Human Resources Committee. 

Mr. Cho regularly gives lectures in the local business community as well as overseas on all aspects of Korean labor and employment law in addition to strategic options and alternatives in regards to crisis management. He has also authored and co-authored numerous articles including “The American Bar Association Section of Labor and Employment Law (Korea Chapter),” “Towers Watson Employment Terms and Conditions – Asia Pacific (Korea Chapter)” and “PLC Employment and Employee Benefits Multi-jurisdictional Guide: South Korea.” He has also appeared on Bloomberg TV on several occasions to discuss Korea’s labor situation. 

For his efforts, Mr. Cho has been recognized as a “Leading Individual” in Employment by Chambers Asia-Pacific, Euromoney Publications PLC’s Guide to the World’s Leading Labour and Employment Lawyers, Who’s Who in Labour and Employment, Asialaw’s Leading Lawyers for Labour and Employment, and Legal 500 Asia Pacific. 

Mr. Cho earned his B.A. in Economics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1986 and J.D. from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law in 1989. He is admitted to the Illinois bar and US District Court, Northern District of Illinois.