Ki-Sung Lee

Ki-Sung Lee is the founder and managing partner of JOOYON KRP IP & Law Firm. He has extensive experience in patent practice across the semiconductor, display, artificial intelligence, and software industries. His practice covers a broad range of memory technologies, including DRAM, flash memory, memory controllers, and solid-state drives, as well as system semiconductor technologies such as application processors, general-purpose processors, power management integrated circuits, display driver ICs, and image sensors. In recognition of the quality of his work, he has been repeatedly selected by clients as an outstanding patent practitioner.

Mr. Lee has managed the global patent portfolios of multinational technology companies and developed patent acquisition strategies across major jurisdictions. Recognizing the challenges Korean companies face when securing and enforcing patent rights in China—including language barriers, differences in legal systems, and limited access to reliable information on local examination and litigation practices—he relocated to China to develop practical, firsthand expertise. He subsequently spent three years working at a leading Chinese intellectual property law firm, where he gained direct experience with Chinese patent practice and developed an in-depth understanding of how local companies and patent professionals operate. Drawing on this experience, he provides patent strategies that accurately reflect the technologies and business objectives of Korean companies while remaining fully aligned with Chinese law and local practice.

Mr. Lee also has substantial experience and a strong professional focus in the field of standard-essential patents (SEPs). In the telecommunications and semiconductor sectors, he has worked on identifying, prosecuting, and securing patents relating to industry standards and has developed expertise in analyzing the relationship between technical standards and patent rights. His practice includes drafting claims and developing global prosecution strategies with careful consideration of their alignment with applicable standards. In particular, he focuses on building patent portfolios from the filing stage with a view toward their potential use as standard-essential patents, as well as their scope and enforceability across major jurisdictions.

Mr. Lee’s principal strength lies in designing patent strategies that go beyond merely obtaining registrations in individual countries. From the initial filing stage, he develops patent portfolios with careful consideration of claim scope, enforceability, and the practical use of patent rights, ensuring that Korean companies’ technologies can be effectively protected and commercialized across the IP5 jurisdictions—the United States, China, Europe, Japan, and Korea. By accounting for differences among national patent systems while maintaining a consistent global prosecution strategy, he delivers practical solutions for Korean companies expanding internationally or preparing for potential patent disputes with global competitors.

Mr. Lee has delivered lectures to global companies on strategies for obtaining effective and enforceable patent rights across the IP5 jurisdictions. He is also a co-author of Practical Guide to Drafting Contracts in China, published by the Korean Ministry of Justice, and has served as an instructor for the Korean Intellectual Property Office’s patent attorney training program. Through these activities, he continues to share his extensive knowledge and practical experience in Chinese and global intellectual property law with Korean companies and IP professionals.