Legal Counsel, Korea

Airbnb was born in 2007 when two hosts welcomed three guests to their San Francisco home, and has since grown to over 5 million hosts who have welcomed over 2 billion guest arrivals in almost every country across the globe. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that make it possible for guests to connect with communities in a more authentic way.

The Community You Will Join:

Airbnb’s Legal team embodies the company’s innovative, forward-thinking spirit. At the frontier of the new sharing economy, Airbnb is breaking new ground in matters of policy, law, and government relations. Where some see obstacles, we see the opportunity to find creative, practical solutions, right at the cutting edge. Our adventurous, fast-moving legal team is committed to building a team of talented, collaborative and self-motivated legal professionals across the globe who believe in Airbnb’s mission and leading as a 21st century company.

Airbnb’s Legal Department is a global team that will require working with diverse international colleagues around the world. The successful candidate will be someone who is adaptable, collaborative and embodies Airbnb’s Core Values. Candidates will be required to approach complex legal issues with a balance for local and global perspectives, while being adaptable to cultural differences and nuances. A genuine and demonstrated interest in Airbnb and a commitment to ethics, integrity and fostering a workplace that emphasizes diversity and belonging is a must.

The Difference You Will Make:

We are looking for a bright and talented attorney to join our APAC legal team as Legal Counsel, supporting a broad range of legal matters for South Korea. The role will serve as the legal point of contact, providing guidance across a wide array of legal topics as they arise. We’re seeking someone who is passionate about Airbnb and travel, and who exercises sound judgment in balancing legal risk with business strategy. You should be able to work independently in a fast-paced and demanding environment and have a proven ability to quickly master new areas of law. We value adaptability and collaboration, and we’re looking for someone who can navigate ambiguity and shifting priorities with flexibility, patience, and poise. Based in Seoul, you will be a key member of the APAC legal team and will report to the Lead Counsel for South Korea.

A Typical Day:

• Act as an effective and trusted partner to the fast-paced and high-performing Airbnb Korea team. These include business development, partnership, marketing, communications, and public policy.
• Deliver clear, effective, and practical guidance that enables our business partners to achieve their objectives while mitigating legal risk, including regulatory compliance, consumer protection, e-commerce laws, competition, privacy, marketing, commercial, and labor.
• Stay up to date on legal and regulatory developments affecting Airbnb’s businesses.
• Collaborate effectively with colleagues across APAC and globally to ensure consistent, aligned legal advice.
• Build and maintain strong relationships to establish yourself as a trusted partner to key stakeholders.
• Clearly communicate legal risks and mitigation strategies to both legal and non-legal audiences, considering regulatory and other relevant factors which consider practical solutions to mitigate legal risk whilst keeping business priorities at the forefront.

Your Expertise:

• Qualification in South Korea is a must. Qualification in a major common law jurisdiction is a plus.
• Native-level command of Korean (written and oral). Business-level English (written and oral) is essential.
• 4-8 years post-qualification experience. In-house (secondment) in an MNC or start-up is a plus.
• Consistently delivers creative, thoughtful and business-oriented results that appropriately balance growth and risk.
• Ability to spot key risks, analyse and practically assess risk, and provide actionable recommendations.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, excellent organizational and analytical skills.
• Team player, highly collaborative with excellent communication and listening skills.
• Self-starter, driven and able to work autonomously while prioritizing competing tasks in a fast-paced, challenging environment.
• Intellectually curious, open-minded, adaptable, comfortable with ambiguity and risk, and energized by dynamic change.
• Empathetic, caring and humble.
• Some international travel may be required

Our Commitment To Inclusion & Belonging:

Airbnb is committed to working with the broadest talent pool possible. We believe diverse ideas foster innovation and engagement, and allow us to attract creatively-led people, and to develop the best products, services and solutions. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply.