Jongbaek Park, who leads the Blockchain and Crypto-asset team, mainly advises on blockchain, cryptoasset, fintech, personal information protection, compliance obligations relating to open source software, info-communications industry, cross-border/domestic financial transactions, asset management and real estate investment, capital markets and private fund investment. Mr. Park also has provided advisory services for various committees and governmental agencies regarding vcrypto assets, STOs and open source related issues.

Mr. Park began his career as lawyer in 1992. With the Chevening Scholarship awarded by the Foreign Commonwealth Office, U.K. in 1999, he studied at the London School of Economics, earning an LL.M. degree (International Financial Law). He worked at the London headquarters and Hong Kong branch of Richards Butler, a UK law firm, for about one year. After returning to Korea, he focused his practice on a wide range of financial and corporate transactions. Starting from 2007, his practice was extended to advising on open-source software licenses and compliance issues. He then became a member of the FSFE and also led the Korea Open Source Software Law Center. Since 2016, while advising on mainnet blockchains, ICO, STO, DeFi, NFT, Game tokens, tokenization, DAO projects and a variety of business models using blockchain technologies and virtual assets including payment gate service using payment tokens, he has not only participated as a speaker or panel member in numerous international and domestic conferences on almost every crypto-asset related issues and new legislation, and the regulatory sandbox, but has also actively engaged in the task force with the National Pariament to make a draft bill for governing the overall virtual asset industry. He has also led Bae, Kim & Lee LLC Blockchain and Crypto-asset Conference held periodically for a couple of years. Mr. Park has recently authored “Crypto Sapiens and Changing Order (Sejong Books, 2023)” based on his extensive work experience in advising many corporations and governments in regard to the blockchain area.

Mr. Park graduated from the Department of Law of Seoul National University and earned an LL.B. from Seoul National University and LL.M. from Seoul National University School of Law. He completed the 18th training course of the Judicial Research and Training Institute. He joined BKL in November 2013.

Representative Experience

• 2013-Present Bae, Kim & Lee LLC
• 2009-2013 Managing Partner, APEX LLC
• 2002-2008 Managing Partner, Sewha Park & Goo
• 2000-2001 Richards Butler, London & Hong Kong Office
• 1992-1998 Attorney, Aram Law Firm

Representative Matters

• Advised Bank of Korea on its mock CDBC
• Advised Hashed on its venture capital fund to invest in crypto companies
• Advised CRIT Ventures on its investment in an blockchain fund
• Advised Upbit on its agreement related to a NFT-trading platform and on Travel Rule
• Advised Sejong Telecom on its STO sandbox for beneficiary certificates of real estate funds
• Advised Ava Labs on its decentralized exchange
• Advised Binance on the Act on Reporting and Using Specified Financial Transaction Information
• Advised Ethereum Foundation on Layer 2 blockchains
• Advised Avalanche
• Advised Funble on its STO sandbox for trust beneficiary certificates
• Advised Nine Chronicles on NGC issuance structure and regulations
• Advised LINE on its LINK issuance, white paper, and investors
• Advised Hancom on its open source compliance such as Hancom Office
• Advised Samsung SRA on its investment in Aberdeen Asset Management Fund in the UK, Bosch Logistics Center in Germany, and Paramount REITs Fund in the US
• Advised National Pension Service on its overseas alternative investment

Education

• 2000 London School of Economics and Political Science (LL.M.)
• 1989 Judicial Research and Training Institute, Supreme Court of Korea
• 1987 Seoul National University (LL.M.)
• 1985 Seoul National University (LL.B.)

Publications

• Crypto Sapiens and the Changing Order (Sejongbooks, 2023)
• Open Source Software License (Communication Books, 2016)
• Study on How Countries that Opened Their Legal Markets Manage and Supervise Foreign Legal Advisors (International Legal Affairs Division of Ministry of Justice, 2004)
• About Allocation of Profits from the Listing of Life Insurance Company (Law Times, 2004)
• About Legal Issues surrounding BTO (Chungbuk Development Institute, 2000)

Activity

Avalanche Summit, panel discussion on ‘Regulation beyond the US and the EU’ (2023)

Awards

• The Legal 500 - Leading Lawyer (2023-2024)
• Who's Who Legal - Leading Practitioner (2022-2024)
• Awarded British Empire Medal from the U.K. government (2024)
• Lexology - Client Choice Awards (2024)
• Legal Times - Leading Lawyer (2022-2023)