Yonghwa Hong is an attorney at Kim & Chang who specializes in corporate criminal defense, anti-corruption, corporate compliance, and international legal affairs. He handles various litigation, legal advisory, and compliance matters related to corporate management. Additionally, he provides professional legal services in customs-related criminal cases, serious accident response, environmental law, data privacy, and cybercrime.

Prior to joining Kim & Chang, Mr. Hong served as a prosecutor for 18 years. During his tenure, he held key positions including Director of the International Cooperation Division at the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, Director of the International Crimes Investigation Department and Prosecutor of the High-Tech Crime Investigation Department at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, Director of the Public Security and Special Investigation Department at the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors’ Office, and Director of the Trial Division 2 at the Busan District Prosecutors’ Office. Through these roles, he gained extensive experience in investigating and prosecuting transnational crimes, anti-corruption cases, serious accidents, and customs violations.

During a two-year secondment at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. as a prosecutor, Mr. Hong managed projects related to cybercrime response and the recovery of criminal proceeds.

Separately, Mr. Hong served as Deputy Director at the Ministry of Finance and Economy, where he was a member of the Korean government delegation for Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the EU, ASEAN, Canada, India, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Having earned a certification as a Professional Prosecutor in International Crime, he was officially recognized by the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office for his high level of expertise.