Chairman and Secretariat
Chairman
Seung Wha Chang
Chairman
Seung Wha Chang is the Chairman of KCAB INTERNATIONAL and Professor of Seoul National University (SNU) School of Law.
In mid-2000s, Prof. Chang took the lead in founding the Korean international arbitration community.
He was the founding Chairman of the Korean Council for International Arbitration (KOCIA)
and chaired the drafting committee for the original KCAB International Arbitration Rules and also drafted the KCAB Code of Ethics for Arbitrators.
At the same time, he played an active role to promote international arbitration in Asia,
while serving as the 3rd President of the Asia-Pacific Regional Arbitration Group (APRAG).
Since late 1990s, Prof. Chang has sat as an adjudicator/arbitrator for international dispute settlement tribunals nearly one hundred times.
He has served as an arbitrator (chairman or co-arbitrator) for various arbitral institutions,
including the ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC, VIAC, JCAA and KCAB. He also served as a Member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration.
Besides commercial arbitration, Prof. Chang has been recognized as a leading Asian adjudicator for States-to-States economic dispute settlement.
After serving as one of the most frequently appointed panelists/arbitrators for the WTO dispute settlement, in 2012,
he was appointed as a Member (Judge) of the WTO Appellate Body. After returning from Geneva, Prof. Chang also served for the Korean government as the Chairman of the Korea Trade Commission.
In 2022, he was appointed, for the first time in history, as an appellate review arbitrator for WTO dispute settlement.
In earlier days of his legal career, Prof. Chang practiced at Covington & Burling in Washington D.C., and served as a judge for Seoul District Court.
He is a former Dean of SNU School of Law. Prof. Chang has served for the Board of Directors of POSCO (as Chairman), LG and Hyundai Motor Co.
Prof. Chang holds law degrees from SNU (LL.B.) and Harvard Law School (LL.M. & S.J.D.). He has taught international arbitration,
investment and trade law courses as a tenured professor at SNU and, as a Visiting Professor, at various renowned law schools including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, NYU, Duke, Georgetown, UCLA, National University of Singapore, Hong Kong University, and Geneva University.
In 2007, Harvard Law School granted him an endowed visiting professorial chair title, Nomura Visiting Professor of International Financial Systems.
Prof. Chang is also Editor-in-Chief for Korean Arbitration Review, and an Advisory Board Member for the Journal of International Dispute Settlement (Oxford) and formerly the Journal of International Economic Law (Oxford).
Secretary-General
Steve Kim
Secretary-General
Steve Kim is the Secretary-General of KCAB INTERNATIONAL.
As a US attorney, Steve has extensive experience in the field of international arbitration,
and served as the Director of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution of the American Arbitration Association (New York).
During his tenure at ICDR, he helped to grow the ICDR to become the global number one international arbitration administration center.
Steve also served as a senior corporate counsel for Samsung Corning Precision Material,
advising on various corporate legal matters including dispute resolution, antitrust investigation,
intellectual property negotiation, JV and host of other high-profile matters.
Steve then went on to become the Korea country manager for CPA Global,
one of the largest intellectual property legal service providers based in UK. As a country manager,
Steve achieved multiple million USD in new sales and created a new business paradigm which helped CPA Global to become the largest IP service provider in Korea and other key Asian markets.
Steve served as a Korea consultant for one of the largest EU law firm, assisting the firm to develop new business in Korea and made inroads to new revenue stream in the field of dispute resolution,
IP, natural resources, technology and cross-border investment.
Recognizing the importance of helping new companies to grow beyond the Korean market,
Steve advised several start-up companies in various industries including livestock health management and blockchain technology.
Steve was invited to speak in numerous conferences to speak about business management, technology,
IP and other issues in various countries including China and Denmark.
Steve graduated from University of California San Diego (UCSD) in 1994 and received
his J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law (New York) in 1997. Steve is fluent in both English and Korean.
Director
Sangki Kam
Director (International Arbitration Team / International Cooperation Team)
Sangki Kam is the director of International Arbitration Team and International Cooperation Team of KCAB INTERNATIONAL. Since joining KCAB in 2008, he has performed multiple tasks such as promotion & education of arbitration, overall planning and management of KCAB, managing arbitration cases, and operating Los Angeles office.
Mr. Kam holds Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree, both in Law, from Sungkyunkwan University, Korea.
Members
Sangyub Lee
Deputy Director
Sangyub Lee is the Deputy Director in KCAB INTERNATIONAL. Before joining KCAB, he had worked as a journalist and an in-house counsel for the Korea Economic Daily, one of the most influential local newspaper companies. He had a role in trying to keep the public informed of KCAB’s achievements and potential through writing a variety of articles, especially covering international arbitration. Joining KCAB’s International Cooperation team, he is mainly in charge of promotion of KCAB INTERNATIONAL by managing diverse networks of the international arbitration community, also administering arbitration cases in English and Korean as a case manager.
Taehee Ahn
Counsel
Taehee Ahn is Counsel at KCAB INTERNATIONAL. He administers arbitration cases in English and Korean. Before joining KCAB INTERNATIONAL, he completed doctorate course (without degree) in international law, including investor-state arbitration. As an attorney licensed in the State of New York, he served as an arbitrator for Vis East Moot Competition and FDI Moot Asia-Pacific Regional Rounds.
Sungeun Kim
Director (Los Angeles Office)
Sungeun Kim is the Director of KCAB INTERNATIONAL Los Angeles Office. Prior to joining KCAB, she worked as a legal counsel for leading construction companies and a multinational insurance company. She also served Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office and KOTRA Los Angeles Intellectual Property Desk as a law clerk. She received a J.D. from Korea University and a B.A. in Anthropology from Seoul National University. She also earned an LL.M. degree at the University of Southern California. She was admitted to the Korean bar and passed the California bar. At KCAB, she manages international arbitration cases and provides ADR consultation for multinational companies in the U.S. She is native in Korean and fluent in English.
Hyun Ji Park
Director (Shanghai Office)
Hyun Ji Park is the Director of KCAB INTERNATIONAL Shanghai Office. She graduated from Ewha Womans University with Bachelor of English Language and Literature and obtained master’s degree in law in Jeonnam National University in Korea. She studied Chinese Civil and Commercial law in East China University of Political Science and Law in Shanghai (expected to graduate). As a Korean lawyer, she has worked in domestic law office, global entertainment company and overseas law firm advising on various legal matters for years. She promotes KCAB INTERNATIONAL and manages ADR consultation for multi-national companies in China. She is native in Korean and fluent in both Chinese and English.
Hayoung Yoo
Director (Hanoi Office)
Hayoung Yoo is the Director of KCAB INTERNATIONAL Hanoi Office. She graduated from Hanyang University with Bachelor of literature in Korean and English. Prior to joining KCABINTERNATIONAL, she worked at law firm in Korea and Korean bank in Vietnam. She is in charge of promotions and manages ADR consultation for multi-national companies in Vietnam. She is native in Korean and fluent in English and Vietnamese.