Making sense of Korean numbers for foreign companies and investors
I'm Yonghyeon You, a Korean CPA with 10+ years of audit and advisory experience. I help HQ finance teams, CFOs of Korean subsidiaries and deal teams with statutory audits, accounting support, valuations and M&A in Korea — explained in plain English, directly on calls and in writing, even if your team has no Korean speaker.
How I can help
Statutory Audit
Audits of Korean companies under the External Audit Act — including whether your subsidiary needs one at all.
Accounting Support for Foreign-owned Companies
Closing, HQ reporting packages, and choosing or converting between K-GAAP, K-IFRS, IFRS and US GAAP.
Valuation
Fair value and Korean tax-method valuations of unlisted shares and businesses.
M&A Advisory (Buy-side & Sell-side)
Financial due diligence for buyers and transaction-ready numbers for sellers of Korean businesses.
Who I usually work with
- Foreign headquarters with a Korean subsidiary — wondering whether the entity needs a statutory audit, how the Korean year-end works, or why the local numbers don't match the group reporting package.
- Investors and acquirers looking at a Korean company — needing financial due diligence, a valuation, or a second pair of eyes on the numbers.
- Owners selling a Korean business to a foreign buyer — preparing the financials so the deal doesn't stall on accounting questions.
Latest insights
- Does your Korean subsidiary need a statutory audit? The thresholds explained (2026)
Which Korean companies must be audited under the External Audit Act — the KRW 50 billion test, the "2 out of 4" test, the different rule for limited companies (yuhan hoesa), and the deadlines HQ should know.
- K-GAAP or K-IFRS? Choosing the accounting framework for your Korean subsidiary's statutory audit
Why most foreign-owned Korean subsidiaries are audited under K-GAAP and convert to US GAAP or IFRS for the group package — and when K-IFRS is required or worth it.
- The Korean year-end audit timeline — what HQ should expect from November to April
A month-by-month view of the Korean statutory audit cycle for a December year-end subsidiary, with the legal deadlines and where it clashes with group reporting.