- Sejin Kim, one of Korea's leading attorneys specializing in economic security and trade, and Byungchun Choi, a policy strategy specialist, join the firm, strengthening its international trade and economic security practice.
- “In an era defined by economic security, we go beyond regulatory compliance to help companies grow globally.”
[From left, Sejin Kim and Byungchun Choi]
Shin & Kim LLC (Jong-Han Oh, Managing Partner) has recruited Sejin Kim as Senior Foreign Attorney, and Byungchun Choi, Advisor, to strengthen the firm’s capabilities in navigating the evolving challenges of global trade and economic security.
As technological rivalry between the United States and China intensifies, the global supply chains are restructured, and industrial policies tighten across major economies, companies are facing increasingly complex international trade and economic security challenges, alongsoide heightened geopolitical risks. In response, Shin & Kim has expanded its international trade and economic security practice with the addition of leading practitioners in the field. The firm will analyze risks arising from shifts in the global trade environment and policy landscape, connect those insights to clients’ industrial strategies and investment decisions, and help companies convert challenges into opportunities.
Sejin Kim is one of Korea's foremost authorities on economic security and trade policy. Having served as Director of the Trade Dispute Settlement and Legal Affairs Division at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, he brings rare firsthand experience in shaping Korea’s trade strategy at the highest levels of government. In this role, he oversaw Korea’s responses to WTO disputes and the development of external trade strategies, managed complex issues at the intersection of supply chain management and economic security across strategic industries including defense, nuclear energy, batteries, and shipbuilding, and participated in a range of international trade negotiations.
Prior to his government service, Mr. Kim built his expertise over nearly a decade at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, where he handled complex international disputes — including international commercial arbitration, investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), overseas litigation, and WTO disputes. Most notably, he represented a Korean company in Korea's first outbound ISDS case brought against a foreign government, conducted under the UNCITRAL and ICSID Rules, and contributed to Korea’s successful defense in the WTO dispute concerning U.S. safeguard measures on washing machines (DS546).
Mr. Kim graduated summa cum laude from Seoul National University with a degree in Political Science, earned a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law, and was admitted to the New York State Bar. He also holds an LL.M. in International Investment Law from Seoul National University Graduate School and completed doctoral coursework in the field.
He is recognized for his ability to design industry strategies that integrate regulatory analysis across evolving legal and policy environments. In recognition of his contributions — including Korea's successful defense in a WTO dispute with the United States — he has received numerous honors: a Commendation from the Minister of Personnel Management (2023), a Commendation from the Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources(2021), the Grand Prize in the Counseling and Arbitration (2021), and the Myres S. McDougal Prize from Yale University (2016). His publications include Conditional Free Trade: Great Power Strategies for Survival (2025) and International Investment Arbitration and Public Policy (2014).
Mr. Kim remarked, "The shifts companies face in trade and the industrial environment are not merely regulatory risks — they represent a structural transformation that demands a fundamental rethinking of business models." He added, "Shin & Kim will help companies turn this period of transition into new opportunities by analyzing global geopolitical and policy developments, and by providing counsel that integrates expertise in economic security, trade regulation, and international dispute resolution with strategies for global expansion."
Byungchun Choi, who joins the firm as Advisor alongside Mr. Kim, brings extensive experience in policy planning and implementation across the National Assembly, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, a political party, and an economic research institute. As a parliamentary aide, he participated in legislative activities spanning finance and fair trade. He subsequently served as an advisor to a presidential commission overseeing national policy initiatives, and later as a policy advisor to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, where he was responsible for planning and coordinating key municipal policies.
Mr. Choi is widely regarded as a policy specialist with rare, firsthand experience across multiple stages of policy development — having worked directly at the National Assembly, presidential commissions, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government. He also served as Director of the New Growth Economy Institute, where he conducted research on macroeconomics, industrial policy, fiscal policy, and regulatory reform. He continues to provide policy advice and strategic planning support to government ministries and private sector clients. He is also a known policy commentator and the author of several widely-read publications, including Good Inequality (2022), Winning Political Science (2024), and the Korean Issues series (2018–2021).
Mr. Choi said, “In today’s business environment, a company’s success increasingly depends on its ability to proactively respond to geopolitical developments and global regulatory changes. As the Korean government implements strong policies to stabilize supply chains, promote advanced industries, and attract foreign investment, we aim to provide practical strategies that help companies make the most of available government support.”
Managing Partner Jong-Han Oh noted, “As companies navigate increasingly complex economic security challenges amid the ongoing reshaping of global supply chains, tightening trade regulations, and rising geopolitical tensions, the addition of Mr. Sejin Kim and Mr. Byungchun Choi will further strengthen Shin & Kim’s international trade and economic security practice. The firm remains committed to providing strategic and practical counsel in a rapidly evolving global regulatory environment.”
