On September 20, the Korean Association of Private Law celebrated its 30th anniversary with an autumn academic conference themed “Possession and Principles of Control in the Digital Age” at the RYSE Hotel in Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. The event was co-hosted by the Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice (KICJ), the Institute for Legal Studies at Yonsei University and the Institute for Legal Studies at Chonnam National University.

The conference commenced with an opening address by Sung Po An, President of the Korean Association of Private Law, followed by welcoming remarks from Honorary Professor at Yonsei University, and a congratulatory speech from the President of the KICJ.

The academic sessions featured a series of in-depth presentations addressing key legal challenges in the digital era. The key topics discussed were “The Current Landscape and Legislative Direction of Virtual Asset Regulation,” in which the complexities and evolving nature of virtual asset laws were outlined and “Governance Structures of DAO Corporations.” DAO, or Decentralized Autonomous Organization. DAO refers to organizations that operate through blockchain technology, diverging from traditional corporate governance models.

Further discussions included analysis on “The Property Law Framework of Digital Assets” and examination of “Control and Civil Law Status of Virtual Assets,” which was supported by international case studies. Presentations on “The Origins and Typologies of Possession” and “The Concept and Protection of Possession in Pandektistik Jurisprudence” followed.

The conference offered a comprehensive exploration of the legal implications of digital transformations, providing a platform for robust discourse on the principles of possession and control from various legal perspectives. This event marked a significant milestone for the Korean Association of Private Law, reflecting on its past contributions and setting a forward-looking agenda for legal scholarship in the digital age.