In Seoul, South Korea, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam today met representatives of the local legal sector with a view to strengthening Hong Kong-Korea legal co-operation. He also attended a joint legal workshop co-organised by the two places.

In the morning, Mr Lam visited the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board International and met its chairman, Prof Chang Seung-wha. The two had a lunch together with representatives from the Korean Council of International Arbitration, during which they discussed enhancing co-operation between Hong Kong and Korea on cross-border business dispute resolution and arbitration, and on legal matters.

In the afternoon, Mr Lam attended a legal workshop themed “Strengthening Business & Legal Cooperation: Korea & Hong Kong” and co-organised by the Department of Justice and the Korean Ministry of Justice.

In his opening remarks, Mr Lam highlighted that Hong Kong, as the only bilingual common law jurisdiction in the world using both English and Chinese, is home to a large pool of lawyers with extensive international experience, and maintains a close connection with the legal system of the Chinese Mainland.

As a centre for international legal and dispute resolution in the Asia-Pacific region, Hong Kong provides fair and efficient dispute resolution services that help enterprises to leverage investment and business opportunities in China, he added.

Looking ahead, he said he expects the Department of Justice to continue building on a strong foundation of partnership with Korea.

Mr Lam then had dinner with Deputy Minister in the Korean Ministry of Justice’s International Legal Affairs Department Chung Hong-sik, during which they exchanged views on opportunities for legal co-operation, and on the latest developments in legal and dispute resolution services.

Mr Lam will conclude his visit and return to Hong Kong tomorrow morning.