Advisor
Sung Kyu LEE
Antitrust & Competition
Sung Kyu Lee is a leading specialist in the Antitrust & Competition Practice Group at Lee & Ko. He has over two decades of distinguished experience at the Korea Fair Trade Commission (“KFTC”), where he held senior positions across key divisions, including the Abuse of Market Dominance, Merger Review and Cartel Investigation. During his tenure at the KFTC, Mr. Lee played a pivotal role in handling a wide range of high-profile merger reviews, cartel investigations, and abuse of dominance cases.
In addition to his extensive public sector career, Mr. Lee also served as Senior Director for Fair Trade Policy at Coupang Inc., one of Korea’s leading platform companies, where he managed and advised on complex regulatory compliance and platform-related competition issues.
Mr. Lee holds a Ph.D. in Law from Hanyang University, where his doctoral research focused on the anti-competitive implications of big data. His academic expertise, combined with his deep practical experience in competition law enforcement and policy development, enables him to provide strategic and well-rounded advice to clients navigating complex antitrust challenges in both traditional and digital markets.
In addition to his extensive public sector career, Mr. Lee also served as Senior Director for Fair Trade Policy at Coupang Inc., one of Korea’s leading platform companies, where he managed and advised on complex regulatory compliance and platform-related competition issues.
Mr. Lee holds a Ph.D. in Law from Hanyang University, where his doctoral research focused on the anti-competitive implications of big data. His academic expertise, combined with his deep practical experience in competition law enforcement and policy development, enables him to provide strategic and well-rounded advice to clients navigating complex antitrust challenges in both traditional and digital markets.
Representative Cases
- [Merger Review] (KFTC side)
- Divesture order for the Delivery Hero’s acquisition of Woowa Bros., the leading food delivery app in Korea (2020)
- Failing firm analysis for Jeju Air’s attempted acquisition of Eastar Jet (2020)
- Review of Binggrae’s acquisition of Haetae Ice Cream (2020)
- Review of Hyundai Heavy industry’s attempted acquisition of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (2020)
- Review of KT Skylife’s acquisition of Hyundai HCN (2020)
- Review of Korean Airlines’ acquisition of Asiana Airlines (2021)
- Asset divesture order for Kolon Chemistry’s acquisition of Kohap Chemistry’s nylon film manufacturing facility (2003)
- [Other Competition Law Implementation] (KFTC side)
- Drafted the KFTC’s Guidelines on Information-Sharing Cartels (2022)
- Led cartel investigation into mobile payment service providers (2021)
- Oversaw several fair trade investigations including Lotte’s violation of the Large-Scale Distribution Act (pork supply case) and Apple’s abuse of superior bargaining position (2019–2020)
- Directed multiple e-commerce advertising and labeling investigations involving false or exaggerated claims (2013)
- Managed regulatory initiatives on large conglomerate business groups (2003–2005)
- Conducted numerous abuse of dominance and unfair trade practice investigations (1999–2002)
- [Platform Regulation] (Private-sector experience)
- Led Coupang’s strategic response to the KFTC’s proposed Online Platform Act and related competition regulations (2022-2025)
- Supervised compliance and investigations under the Fair Trade Act, E-Commerce Act, Large-Scale Distribution Act, Subcontracting Act, and Unfair Contract Terms Act (2022-2025)
Education
| 2025 | Hanyang University, Graduate School of Law – Ph.D. in Law |
|---|---|
| 2007 | Washington State University – M.B.A. |
| 2004 | Seoul National University, Graduate School of Public Administration – M.A. |
| 1999 | Seoul National University – B.A. in Economics |
Work Experience
| 2025-Present | Lee & Ko |
|---|---|
| 2022-2025 | Coupang Inc., Senior Director, Fair Trade Policy |
| 2021-2022 | Director, Cartel Investigation Division, KFTC |
| 2020-2021 | Director, Merger Review Division, KFTC |
| 2019-2020 | Director, Office of Appeals, KFTC |
| 2016-2019 | Delegate, Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Korea to the OECD |
| 2015-2016 | Dispatched to the Presidential Secretariat |
| 2013 | Director, Electronic Transactions Division, KFTC |
| 2012-2013 | Director, Public Relations Team, KFTC |
| 2007-2010 | Senior Deputy Director, Competition Policy Division, KFTC |
| 2003-2005 | Deputy Director, Conglomerate Division, KFTC |
| 2002-2003 | Deputy Director, Merger Review Division, KFTC |
| 1999-2002 | Deputy Director, Unfair Practice Investigation Division, KFTC |
Languages
| Korean and English |
Publications / Presentations / ETC
- Member of Platform Policy and Adverting Transaction Consulting Committee of Kyunggi Province (2025-2027)
- “Concept of Big Data from the Competition Law Perspective and its Potential Anti-Competitive Concerns: Focusing on the Retail Market of Korea” (Doctoral thesis in Law, Hanyang University, 2025)
