# Senior Legal Counsel – South Korea (Korean Speaking Only)

**Company**: Agoda
**Location**: Seoul
**Work arrangement**: onsite
**Experience**: senior
**Job type**: full-time
**Category**: Legal
**Industry**: Technology

**Apply**: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/agoda/jobs/8232592?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply
**Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_4328a1af-8e1

## Description

We are looking for a highly autonomous, strategic, commercial and regulatory-focused sole legal counsel to lead our legal function in South Korea.

As our only on-the-ground legal resource, you will act as the primary legal anchor for our local business, navigating a fast-moving and heavily regulated digital landscape, providing pragmatic advice to senior management while safeguarding our business interests.

The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in South Korean digital commerce regulations, privacy laws, and consumer protection.

**Responsibilities:**

- Regulatory Navigation: Monitor, analyze, and ensure compliance with South Korean laws relevant to tech platforms and OTAs, including the Electronic Commerce Act, Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising, and Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act.

- Data Privacy & Protection: Oversee absolute compliance with the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) regarding user data, cross-border data transfers, and cybersecurity protocols.

- Licensing & Audits: Secure and maintain necessary local operating licenses and lead responses to regulatory audits or inquiries.

- Partner and Contract Management: Draft, review, and negotiate all local commercial agreements, as well as manage stakeholders through negotiations from start to finish.

- Localization Review: Review platform terms and conditions, user interfaces, promotional campaigns, and cancellation policies to ensure full alignment with strict Korean consumer protection mandates.

- Turning legal advice into action: Work with stakeholders to move from legal analysis to implementation, helping teams understand their options, make informed decisions, and execute solutions.

- Litigation & Disputes: Manage customer disputes, claims filed with the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA), and coordinate external counsel for litigations.

- Corporate Governance: Manage local corporate secretarial work and ensure corporate governance alignments with the global headquarters.

- Risk Management: Identify legal risks early and develop proportionate, commercially workable mitigation strategies for the business.

**Required Qualifications:**

- Education: LL.B., LL.M. or J.D. degree.

- Experience: 5-10 years of post-qualification experience (PQE).

- Regulatory Expertise: Proven track record dealing directly with the KFTC, KCC, or PIPC, with deep knowledge of consumer protection and data privacy law.

- Language Proficiency: Native fluency in Korean and professional fluency in English.

- Soft Skills: Possesses an exceptional commercial mindset, high resilience, and the capability to make firm, risk-based assessments independently in an ambiguous environment.

**Preferred Qualifications:**

- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with sound judgment and attention to detail.

- Excellent academic credentials and experience working in a top-tier law firm and/or in-house legal team at a multinational company.

- Experience with travel, technology, online platforms, fintech or another regulated digital business is preferred.

- Ability to work independently and as part of a large, diverse and collaborative team.

## Skills

### Required
- South Korean digital commerce regulations
- privacy laws
- consumer protection
- Electronic Commerce Act
- Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising
- Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Act
- Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA)
- cybersecurity protocols
- contract management
- regulatory compliance
- Korean

### Nice to have
- travel
- technology
- online platforms
- fintech
- regulated digital business
- AI

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Source: [Apply at job-boards.greenhouse.io](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/agoda/jobs/8232592?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)