Sungbum Lee

Practice Areas

FTA ∙ Trade

Customs Investigation ∙ Customs Audit

Customs Appeal ∙ Authoritative Interpretation

Foreign Investment

International Arbitration ∙ Litigation

MENA

Career

Sungbum Lee is a partner at Yoon & Yang LLC. His main practice areas include customs and international trade.

Sungbum Lee represented the Korean government in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s countervailing duty investigation and represented companies including the Hyundai Motor Company in U.S. Section 232 investigations. Furthermore, Mr. Lee successfully represented domestic companies in safeguard investigations into automobiles by the Philippines government, and assisted domestic companies in responding to economic sanctions by the United Nations, United States, EU, Iran, and Russia. Mr. Lee has also successfully represented the Korean government in Investor-State Dispute Settlement disputes filed by foreign investors based on the BIT and FTA, and advises numerous companies on FTA country of origin verification, customs review, and item classification issues.

Professional Memberships

Admitted to bar, Korea (2005); New York (2011)

Publications

Parallel Proceedings in the Context of ISD Arbitration, Investment Treaty Arbitration Edition 8, Law Business Research (Co-author, 2021-2023)

Korea Chapter, The International Trade Law Review, Law Business Research (Co-author, 2017-2019)

Korea Chapter, Investor-State Arbitration, The International Comparative Legal Guide, Global Legal Group (Co-author, 2018)

Work Highlights

Advised on countervailing duty investigations by the United States regarding galvanized steel sheet, line pipe, cold rolled, and hot rolled steel

Supported Section 232 investigation into US automobiles

Advised on safeguard matter against automobiles in the Philippines

Advised on Korea-US FTA investment dispute

Advised on Korea-US FTA origin verification case

Advised on Korea-ASEAN FTA origin verification Case

Advised on Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement origin verification case

Languages Spoken

Korean and English

Experience

2013-present: Yoon & Yang LLC

2014-present: Advisor, Legal Advisory Group for Overseas SMEs, Ministry of Justice

2014-present: Member, Regulation Review Committee, Korean Agency for Technology and Standards

2014-present: Member, Customs Evaluations Committee, Seoul Regional Customs

2012-13: Kim & Chang

2011-12: First Secretary, Trade Dispute Settlement Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

2010-11: Second Secretary, International Legal Affairs Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

2006-10: Second Secretary, FTA Service & Investment Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

2005-06: Second Secretary, FTA Goods Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Clients

Hyundai Motor Company, Kia, Hyundai Steel, Hyundai Rotem, KEPCO

Education

Awards