Mr. Woorin SUNG is a partner at DR & AJU LLC. His practice is primarily focused on Shipping & Aviation, International, General Civil Disputes, Corporate, National Defense, and Block Chain.
After graduating from Korea Maritime & Ocean University with a degree in Navigation Science, Mr. Sung joined STX Pan Ocean in 2008 and for three years embarked on various types of merchant vessels, such as cargo ships, container ships, and oil tankers. He is one of the few attorneys in Korea with experience as a marine navigator, and his strengths lie in cases involving maritime accidents, such as sinking of vessels, ship fires, and ship collisions, and subsequent post-accident measures, dispute cases arising from charter contracts, shipping contracts, and bills of lading, and maritime insurance.
Prior to obtaining his law license, he was a legal intern at London-based maritime law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP and New York law firm Kim & Bae PC. After obtaining his law license in 2015, he worked as an associate at HMP Law. Currently, at DR & AJU LLC, he represents both domestic and foreign clients in a range of areas such as Shipping & Aviation, General Civil Disputes, Commercial, Criminal Defense Litigation, Administrative Procedure & Litigation, Construction & Real Estate, Labor & Industrial Accident Investigations, Maritime Arbitration, and general corporate advisory and litigation.
With the above rich experience and expertise, Mr. Sung has provided legal advisory for public institutions such as the Incheon Port Authority, the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology, Korea National Oil Corporation, and Korea Power Exchange. He has also served as a public interest committee member of the Shipping Industry Committee and a legal counsel to the Korea Coast Guard. Currently, he serves as a legal counsel and a policy advisory committee member of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and a legal counsel to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority, and Guri City.
He was selected by the Legal Times as Lawyer of the Year (2020) and Leading Lawyer of the Year (2022) in the area of Shipping and listed in Rising Stars 100 (2022), a ranking of the top 100 attorneys under the age of 45 that are either junior partners or senior associates. He was also selected as The Legal 500 Asia Pacific's Recommended Lawyer for Shipping (South Korea).
Mr. Sung has been recognized as a top lawyer in the “2024 Korea Law Firms Consumer Reports,” published by The Law Times. The report surveyed consumer satisfaction with legal services by domestic corporate legal teams.
Represented a shipping company in investigations, criminal litigations, and maritime safety inquiries involving a case in which 15 casualties resulted from the collision of the 336-ton tanker Myeongjin-15 and a fishing boat
Represented Incheon Port Authority in a lawsuit over the payment of port facility usage fee in a case involving the ship fire incident on the Auto Banner docked at Incheon Port
Represented a shipowner in maritime safety inquiries involving a sinking of a tug-boat moored in the Yeonan Pier in Incheon
Represented the bereaved family members of victims of the cargo ship Samsung NO.1, which sank near Wando County, in litigation for damages caused by illegal activities of the shipowner, etc.
Represented the Korean government in litigation involving the collision of a container ship Milano Bridge with a crane at Busan Port
Consulted the Korea National Oil Corporation, which managed loading and discharging facilities, in a case involving an oil spill by the oiler Kahla
Represented a shipowner in criminal litigation involving injuries caused by the collision of water sports vehicles in the Bukhan River
Represented the bereaved family members of victims of the Kyoto 1, which sank in the Taiwan Strait, in a damage suit against the shipowner in the U.A.E.
[Cases involving charter contracts and other maritime and air transport contracts (Dry Case)]
Represented Woori Bank, the holder of the bill of lading, in litigation on a claim for payment under a letter of credit against a shipper who had transported sea freight without permission
Represented a charterer (a domestic shipping company) in Hong Kong International Arbitration Center (HKIAC) on a claim for charterage against a shipping company in Singapore
Represented a seafarer in litigation on a claim for accident compensation under the Seafarers’ Act against the shipping company that is a party to the seafarer labor contract
Represented and consulted a Japanese shipping company on the priority rights upon ships and seizure of ships in domestic ports
Represented and consulted Ambrey Risk, a British maritime security company, on permission under the domestic Act on the Prevention of Damage to Ships on International Voyages from Piracy
Consulted a domestic bank on the opening of an import letter of credit and transaction in the maritime transportation
Provided legal advice on a vessel purchase agreement with a shipowner in Greece for the introduction of a cruise ship to Korea
[Consultation on ship or aircraft financing]
Consulted a domestic securities company on the structure of refund guarantee using RG management accounts in connection with shipbuilding
Represented and consulted Qatar Fuel, a state-owned shipping company of Qatar, on entering a purchase contract with an oil tanker owned by a domestic shipping company
[Cases involving port management and port authorities]
Represented Busan Port Authority in a petition for provisional disposition for suspension of bidding procedures related to the harbor hinterland complex development project of Busan New Port near Mt. Yokmang
Represented Incheon Port Authority in litigation involving the collection of anchorage fees for users of national mooring facilities outside port areas
Represented Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority in litigation involving the fees for indirect occupancy of the dolphin facility
Consulted on the subject of the duty to preserve investment costs of a non-management port authority
Consulted on the sale of buildings and sites of a passenger terminal of Incheon Port
Consulted on the participation of a port authority in a harbor hinterland complex development project proposed by the private sector
Consulted on implementation of technical advice when approving an implementation plan of a non-management authority
Consulted on the appropriateness of the calculation of private investment expenses in private investment projects on ports
[Consultation on the implementation of policies by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Korea Coast Guard]
Consulted on the Special Act on Investigating the Truth of the April 16 Sewol Ferry Disaster and Building a Safe Society
Consulted on the application of IMDG Code and IMSBC Code for sea freight
Consulted on requests from the Sewol Ferry Special Investigation Committee
Consulted on the amendment of the Coast Guard Act concerning the adjustment of the investigative authority between the prosecution and police
Consulted on the execution of maintenance payments for aircraft owned by the Korea Coast Guard
Consulted on type approval of ballast water treatment systems
Consulted on the delegation of designation of sea lanes outside the port limit under the Act on the Arrival, Departure, etc. of Ships
Consulted on the selection of the operator for the Busan New Port
Consulted on the amendment to the Enforcement Decree of the Ship Officers Act
Represented the franchise headquarters of Hanam F&B in civil litigation involving the violation of the Fair Transactions in Franchise Business Act
Represented Monalisa Co., Ltd, a domestic manufacturer of sanitary papers, in patent litigation, including a trial to invalidate trademark registration
Represented Ssangyong C&B Inc., a face mask manufacturer, in litigation concerning the unpaid product payment
Represented a client in criminal litigation concerning embezzlement at the MG Community Credit Cooperative
Carried out a lawsuit for revocation of dismissal of a high-ranking official of the Korea Coast Guard in connection with the sinking of the Sewol Ferry
Represented Korea Western Power Co., Ltd. in arbitration on penalty for delay related to the supply contract of Taean Thermal Power Plant
Getting the Deal Through - Port and Terminal 2024 (Korean Chapter), Lexology (2024)
Legal Issues Related To The Acquisition Of Wind Turbine Installation Vessels In Korea, Mondaq (2023)
Getting the Deal Through - Port and Terminal 2023 (Korean Chapter), Lexology (2023)
Getting the Deal Through - Port and Terminal 2022 (Korean Chapter), Lexology (2022)
Ship Arrests And Maritime Liens In South Korea, Mondaq (2021)
A Study on Legal Issues Concerning Floating Cities, Journal of Korean Maritime Police Science. Vol. 13, No. 2. (Corresponding author)
Study on Improving the Seafood Self-Help Fund System (Lead Researcher and Co-author)
Research Services for Legal Reforms Regarding Search and Rescue Laws, Including the Enactment of the Private Rescue Act, Etc. (Lead Researcher and Co-author)
Research Services on the Legal Reforms of the Water-related Leisure Activities Safety Act (I, II) (Lead Researcher and Co-author)
