Lee & Ko (lead attorney Kim Sang-gon) announced on the 3rd that Choi Seok-young, a senior advisor (former ambassador of Korea to Geneva), has been appointed as the new director of the International Trade Institute at Lee & Ko. Previously, Park Tae-ho, an honorary professor at Seoul National University (former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Trade Negotiation Headquarters), served as the institute's first director.
The new director Choi has been serving as an advisor at Lee & Ko. Before joining Lee & Ko, he served for 37 years as a diplomat, engaging in various tasks in the field of international trade. He has held positions such as ambassador of Korea to Geneva, economic trade ambassador at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, chair of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Council for Trade in Services, chief negotiator for free trade agreements (FTAs), ambassador for the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations, and secretary-general of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) organization.
With the appointment of the new director Choi, the International Trade Institute at Lee & Ko plans to strengthen research and analysis of international trade policies, enhance advisory services for corporations and government, hold international seminars, and expand its collaboration network with domestic and international research institutions.
Kim Sang-gon, lead attorney at Lee & Ko (23rd Judicial Research and Training Institute), said, "With the appointment of the new director Choi, research and advisory services aimed at responding to changes in the global trade order will be further strengthened," adding, "I expect this will be an important opportunity for the International Trade Institute at Lee & Ko to further solidify its status as a specialized research institution within the law firm."