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As Korean Wave culture, including K-pop and K-dramas, continues to spread worldwide, the number of tourists and residents traveling between Korea and Southeast Asia has surged. At the same time, various crimes targeting these individuals have also become more prevalent, causing difficulties for diplomatic and judicial authorities in each country. Against this backdrop, Attorney Chon Hyeong Hwan, a former police officer who had worked at YK Law Firm until recently, established Mega-X Law Office and began providing legal services simultaneously in Seoul and Bangkok, Thailand.

In an interview held on the 12th at the Mega-X office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Managing Partner Chon shared his thoughts on the purpose and vision behind establishing Mega-X, stating that the firm aims to become “a practical legal hub connecting Korea and Southeast Asia.”

Managing Partner Chon, a graduate of the Korean National Police University, was commissioned as a police lieutenant and served for approximately 13 years at institutions including the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency and Jeonju Wansan Police Station. During that time, he led investigative teams dedicated to sex crimes, domestic violence, and juvenile cases. He later became an attorney and joined YK Law Firm, where he served as head of the police criminal defense division and as a partner attorney. He also established a police response center composed of former police officer-attorneys and advisors, leading the handling of numerous major criminal cases reported in the media.

Regarding his decision to leave a law firm and open his own law office, Chon said, “In Korea, while personally handling numerous criminal cases at a large law firm, I felt limitations in terms of the distance from clients, frequent changes in the attorney in charge, and a high-cost structure.” He added, “I started this firm to provide reliable and accessible legal services directly handled by a criminal defense attorney with a police background.”

Mega-X, which positions itself as an international law office, has established offices in both Seoul and Bangkok. The Bangkok office provides legal services for Koreans undergoing investigations or trials in cases involving fraud, investment disputes, and other matters between Korean residents and locals.

“Even when an interpreter is present, clients often feel linguistic and cultural barriers in direct communication with Thai attorneys,” Chon said. “I work with Thai attorneys to develop case strategies through comparative legal interpretation and multiple meetings. As a result, some clients have told us that it felt as though they were receiving Thai legal consultation in Korean.”

Mega-X Law Office is a firm specializing in criminal cases, with a structure in which attorneys who understand the flow of investigations from the police and prosecution stages through trial handle cases directly. This gives the firm a competitive edge over other law firms. In particular, Mega-X offers fixed-fee packages of 390, 590, and 790, emphasizing reasonable attorney fees. Centered on the clear value of “direct handling by the managing partner,” the firm aims to be a criminal defense law office that is both strong in criminal cases and accessible to the general public.

At the Bangkok office, Thai local attorneys and staff members with extensive experience in criminal cases work together as a team capable of thorough and organic response, from consultation to participation in investigations and preparation of written submissions. The team also includes interpreters, negotiation strategists, and visa and immigration specialists, allowing the office to respond effectively to multinational cases. In addition, to ensure smooth communication with clients, the firm has placed a customer service specialist with experience at a major airline, creating a system through which clients can receive kind and accurate guidance at any time.

Recently, Mega-X has been focusing on sex crimes, drug cases, and economic crimes, including fraud and embezzlement. In the field of sex crimes in particular, the firm responds systematically from the initial investigation stage to strategies for obtaining no-suspicion decisions, based on Chon’s experience as a former head of a women and juvenile investigation team.

At the Thailand office, the firm’s main areas of practice include criminal cases involving Koreans overseas, investment fraud, voice phishing damages, and international divorce. Because Thai local attorneys and interpreters are stationed on-site at all times, one of the firm’s major strengths is that clients can proceed through the entire case process in Korean without language barriers.

In Korea, the firm also handles cases involving sexual misconduct and disciplinary proceedings for public officials, repeated online fraud cases, and investigative advisory work for the Korea Railroad Police, as Chon currently serves as a criminal law expert and advisory committee member for the Railway Police under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

As police investigative authority is expected to become even more independent in the future, Mega-X is continuing its research on “strategies for obtaining no-suspicion decisions at the police investigation stage.” In particular, the firm is conducting practical analysis on the interpretation of evidence in sex crime cases, changes in Supreme Court precedents, and strategies for obtaining no-suspicion decisions within the police-prosecution referral structure. It is also developing practical response strategies by analyzing international fraud cases frequently involving Koreans in Thailand and financial disputes with local women.

“Mega-X Law Office aims to establish itself as a criminal defense law firm that anyone can trust,” Managing Partner Chon said. “Beyond simply increasing accessibility through lower-cost packages, we will provide precise criminal defense directly handled by attorneys equipped with real practical experience and strategy.”

He added, “Going forward, we plan to further strengthen our response capabilities at the police investigation stage by recruiting additional former police experts, while expanding a dedicated consultation channel for foreigners at the Seoul office. Through this, we aim to provide trusted services to foreigners facing difficulties related to immigration, residence status, and criminal matters.”

“Ultimately, our goal is to grow into a mid-sized law firm specialized in criminal law and international civil matters, and to become a practical legal hub connecting Korea and Southeast Asia,” he said.

Source: Aju Business Daily, Reporter Kwon Kyu-hong, “[Legal Talk] Mega-X Managing Partner Chon Hyeong Hwan: ‘We Will Become a Practical Legal Hub Connecting Korea and Southeast Asia,’” June 16, 2025.
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