Myungin Bae, one of the three founders of prominent South Korean law firm Bae Kim & Lee (BKL) in Seoul, passed away yesterday at the age of 93, with local media outlets reporting that a chronic illness caused his death.
Joonki Yi, the senior managing partner at BKL, recalled Bae as “a figure who set the standard for the legal profession based on principle and dignity”.
“At a time when the role of legal professionals was more limited than it is today, he pioneered new areas and laid the foundation for BKL,” Yi said.
“His firm belief in pursuing ‘the right path’ established the organisation’s direction, and his commitment to upholding it resonates deeply with younger members of the legal profession.”
Before co-founding BKL with Insub Kim and Jung Hoon Lee in December 1986, Bae was most notably the Korean minister of justice from June 1982 to February 1985.
At BKL, he led the growth of the firm’s litigation practice alongside Kim and Lee, who were a former judge and prosecutor, respectively.
Bae began his legal career as a prosecutor in 1958. He served in prosecutorial roles until 1982, concluding his tenure as chief prosecutor at the Gwangju High Prosecutors’ Office, with a background primarily in criminal law.
BKL is currently the second largest law firm in South Korea by revenue, with an annual turnover of KRW440.2 billion (USD293 million) in 2025. According to the Korean Ministry of Justice website, the firm employs 602 Korean bar attorneys as of March 2026.
Bae is survived by his wife Aeja Kang and son Ikjoon as well as daughters Moonkyung and Eunkyung.
