Mr. Sejin Kim is a senior foreign attorney at Shin & Kim. His practice focuses on economic security and international dispute resolution.

His career spans senior roles in both private practice and government, giving him a rare, integrated perspective on international litigation, regulatory strategy, and public policy. He has handled a broad range of complex matters, including WTO disputes, investor–State dispute settlement (ISDS), international commercial arbitration, litigation before U.S. and European courts, as well as issues arising from export controls and economic sanctions.

Mr. Kim has been at the forefront of several landmark cases. He represented Korean companies in the first ISDS proceedings ever initiated by Korean investors against foreign governments, conducted under both UNCITRAL and ICSID rules. He also played a central role in Korea’s successful defense in the WTO washing machine safeguard dispute against the United States, protecting critical national and commercial interests in a highly sensitive trade context.

Until recently, Mr. Kim served as Director of the Trade Dispute Settlement Division at Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources, where he led the government’s international trade litigation and external trade strategy. In that role, he worked extensively on complex economic-security issues at the intersection of supply chains, regulation, and geopolitics, with a particular focus on strategic sectors such as defense, nuclear energy, batteries, and shipbuilding. His experience in these areas is marked by an ability to navigate overlapping regulatory regimes and translate them into clear, actionable solutions.

Mr. Kim now heads the firm’s Trade, Industry and Public Affairs Center, advising Korean and international clients on management and investment strategies informed by a deep understanding of global trade and industrial regulations. The Center’s work includes strategic guidance on cross-border investments, regulatory risk management, and the identification of business opportunities through public investment frameworks and policy instruments in both domestic and international settings.

He is the author of several highly regarded works, including International Investment Arbitration and Public Policy and The Era of Conditional Free Trade, and is widely recognized for his ability to bridge legal theory, public policy, and practice. His honors include commendations from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources and the Ministry of Personnel Management, the 4th Korean Legal Award in Arbitration, and the Myres S. McDougal Prize, a prestigious international law award conferred by alumni of Yale Law School.

Cross-Border Trade Regulation Advisory (for Strategic Industries)

• Advised on negotiation and conclusion of the Interagency MOU on Principles for U.S.-Korea Nuclear Export and Cooperation (Aug. 2024)
• Provided training on emerging trade rules in the cosmetics sector and advised relevant Korean firms on regulatory challenges in the U.S. and EU (Nov. 2024)
• Delivered training on defense trade regulations and advised on overseas sales in the U.S., EU, and Middle East (May 2024)
• Trained both state-run and private firms on renewable energy trade regulations and supported investment strategies abroad (U.S., EU, Middle East, Mar. 2024)
• Advised on AI regulatory trends and global expansion strategies in the U.S. and EU (Mar. 2024) Conducted seminars on emerging trade regulations for the battery industry and provided legal advisory support (U.S., EU, Dec. 2023)

International Trade Disputes (including WTO disputes)

• Acted as the General Counsel for MOTIE, which represents Korea as a disputing party, in DS 546, DS 594/571, DS 539, DS553, DS590 before the WTO panels and appellate body
• Acted as the General Counsel for MOTIE, which represents Korea as a third party, in DS 610, DS 611, and DS 616, before the WTO panels and appellate body
• Acted as counsel for the Korean government’s third-party participation in DS 600, DS 601, DS 602, DS 603, DS 604, etc.
• Acted as counsel for the Korean government’s third-party participation in numerous panel and appellate body procedures (e.g., DS 600, DS 601, DS 602, DS 603, DS 604, etc.)
• Acted as counsel for the Korean government in an ad-hoc investment arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules brought by a foreign investor against the Korean government

International Arbitration

• Acted as counsel for the Korean government in an ad-hoc investment arbitration under the UNCITRAL Rules brought by a foreign investor against the Korean government
• Acted as counsel for a Korean investor (a construction company) in an ad-hoc investment arbitration under UNCITRAL Rules brought against a North African state
• Acted as counsel for a Korean company in an ICC arbitration case relating to automobile distribution agreements in Brazil
• Acted as counsel for a Korean government agency in a KCAB arbitration case relating to a dispute on foreign acquirement of military commodities
• Acted as counsel for a Korean automobile part company in a SIAC arbitration relating to a commercial dispute on trade-secret issues
• Acted as counsel for a Korean investor in an ICSID investment arbitration brought against People’s Republic of China
• Acted as counsel for a Korean construction company in an investment dispute with the Vietnamese government

Cross-border Litigation

• Advised a Korean corporate client (an auto parts supplier) on a court action filed in the U.S. for the enforcement of an international arbitration award rendered against a U.S. competitor
• Acted as counsel advising a Korean electronics company who is involved in a U.S. litigation for alleged patent infringement
• Acted as counsel to a group of Korean institutional investors in a U.S. court lawsuit brought against a U.S. construction company
• Acted as counsel to a Korean company (a kitchen utensil supplier) which was involved in a U.S. litigation for alleged false advertisement
• Advised a Korean duty free business company in a U.S. court case where a French competitor filed a lawsuit against the Korean company in relation to a bidding process for airport duty free store
• Advised a Korean client in a U.S. court case where a U.S. competitor filed a lawsuit for the alleged misappropriation of the trade secret by the client
• Advised a Korean private equity fund client in a U.K. court case, where another equity fund company filed a lawsuit alleging the client's breach of private equity agreement
• Advised a Korean private equity fund client in a U.S. court where a Korean company filed a lawsuit against a U.S. joint venture partner seeking the proceeds from the sale of the funds under the joint venture agreement

International Export Control and Sanctions

• Advised the Korean Ministry of Unification on the reopening and operation of Gaeseong Industrial Complex under U.S. and U.N. sanctions regimes
• Advised the Korean conglomerate on the re-opening and operation of Mt. Geumgang resort and tourism program under U.S. and U.N. sanctions regimes
• Advised a Swiss construction company on investment and corporate dissolutions in North Korea
• Advised NGOs in transferring funds into North Korea under international sanctions regimes
• Advised NGOs on intellectual property and registering processes in North Korea
• Advised NGOs and the Korean government agencies on making payments for the use of intellectual properties registered in North Korea
• Advised NGOs in applying and receiving special licenses from OFAC (U.S. Treasury)
• Advised NGOs and corporate clients regarding general licenses under the OFAC regulations on North Korea economic sanctions
• Advised Korean banks on international sanctions against North Korea including the effects of secondary sanctions
• Advised Korean government agencies on international sanctions against North Korea and licensing procedures
• Advised the Korean Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on various matters concerning the U.S. and U.N. sanctions against North Korea