Mr. Byung Kuk Kim is the head of the 'Global Business Strategy Center' of Shin & Kim’s overseas group.
He is in charge of outbound and inbound-related consulting for domestic and foreign companies and is in charge of researching national-level projects by various government and industry-academia institutions.

Mr. Kim started as an IT, media, and entertainment industry analyst at Daishin Economic Research Institute and Daishin Securities Research Center, specializing in the automotive sector from 1999 to 2012. In 2011, he was ranked number two in Global Automotive Sector in the Wall Street Journal Asia Best Analyst survey.

Completing an IMBA from Guanghua School of Management, Peking University in China, he established a local research and consulting firm 9K Research in China in February 2016. Over the next 7 years, he provided cross-border consulting and research services for major Korean conglomerates, such as Hyundai Motor Company (i.e. Strategic Technology Division, Fuel Cell Division, Commercial Business Division), Samsung Electronics, SK Chemicals, LG Chem, Amorepacific Corporation, and Iljin Group (Iljin Hysolus Corporation).

Since 2020, he has led major research projects, including the Analysis Project of the Mobility Industry in the US, EU, and China ordered by the Innovation Growth Promotion Planning Team of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Korea and the Market Trends Analysis of the Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, AdTech, Bio Industry in China ordered by the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI).

With the mobility industry as his main field of expertise, Byung-Kuk Kim has rich experience in global expansion strategies and overseas collaboration consulting services for environmentally friendly, new and renewable energy and recycling industries. Notably, he has successfully created a strong network with about 1,800 foreign companies and startups across the industries.

Corporate & Market Intelligence

• Advised a leading Korean automotive company H on the identification and evaluation of global technology startups and potential collaboration opportunities
• Conducted benchmarking research on the organizational structures and operating models of Chinese AI companies for a leading Korean semiconductor company S
• Conducted open innovation research for leading Korean chemical companies S and L to identify Chinese plastic recycling companies and potential business partners
• Conducted research for Amorepacific Corporation on Chinese startups leveraging e-commerce technologies and digital marketing capabilities

Global Strategy Consulting

• Advised a leading Korean automotive company H on its China market entry strategy for hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles, as well as related joint venture and fuel cell business initiatives
• Advised Iljin Hysolus on its China market entry strategy and joint venture project for its hydrogen storage tank business
• Conducted research for SK Chemicals on local logistics and materials companies in connection with a proposed joint venture in China
• Advised Amorepacific Corporation on deal sourcing and collaboration partner development strategies involving Chinese beauty-tech companies
• Advised KGC on strategic partnership opportunities in China for its JungKwanJang brand
• Conducted competitor benchmarking research and provided strategic advice to a leading Korean e-commerce company C

Financial Advisory

• Advised a leading Korean cosmetics ODM company on the divestment of its operations in China
• Advised numerous Korean companies, including a leading Korean steel company H, on the divestment of their operations in China

Government & Public Projects

• Advised the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy of Korea on proposed U.S. outbound investment regulations, a master plan addressing potential trade disputes under the Belt and Road Initiative, and research on U.S. outbound investment regulation
• Conducted strategic analysis of the mobility and next-generation vehicle ecosystems in the United States, the European Union, and China for the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Korea
• Conducted research on China’s AI, 5G, and blockchain ecosystems for the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI)
• Conducted research on labor management strategies for companies operating in Vietnam, India, and China for the Korea Labor and Employment Service (KLES)
• Conducted research on Ukraine’s construction laws and regulations and market environments for the Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation (KIND)
• Conducted in-depth research on the market entry environment for the construction industries of Bangladesh, the Philippines, and India for the International Contractors Association of Korea