Senior Foreign Attorney
Young Jae CHO
International Trade
Expertise
Recently reviewed Professionals
In the areas of international trade, foreign investment, administrative laws and compliance, etc., Mr. Cho is well known for his in-depth expertise and extensive work experience. His practice goes far beyond traditional trade cases like trade remedies & disputes as he handles comprehensive regulatory matters involving foreign investment, product safety, energy, industrial complex, etc. In representing clients in complex, precedent-setting regulatory matters, he benefits from his work experience for decades in the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE), the Korea Trade Commission (KTC), and the National Economic Advisory Council to the President (NEAC).
Education
| 2015 | Chung Ang University, the Graduate School of Law (Ph.D.) |
|---|---|
| 2004 | State University of New York at Buffalo Law School (J.D. Cum laude) |
| 1998 | Seoul National University, Public Administration (M.A.) |
| 1993 | Passed the 37th Higher Exam for Civil Service |
| 1992 | Seoul National University, Business Administration (B.A.) |
Work Experience
| 2011-Present | Lee & Ko |
|---|---|
| 2024-Present | Technology Regulation Committee, Korea Agency for Technology & Standard (KATS), Member |
| 2024-Present | Science & Technology Policy Institute, Inspector General |
| 2023- Present | Management Evaluation Team for State-Owned Enterprises and Quasi-Governmental Institutions, MOEF, Member (Team Leader) |
| 2023-Present | Committee of Electricity Market Rule, Korea Power Exchange(KPX), Member |
| 2022-Present | Korea Trade Commission(KTC), Commissioner |
| 2022-Present | Trade Policy Advisory Council, MOTIE, Member |
| 2021-Present | IP Unfair Trade Advisory Council, KTC, Member |
| 2021-Present | Disciplinary Committee, MOTIE, Member |
| 2021-Present | Public Information Committee, MOTIE, Member |
| 2019- 2021 | Korean Society of Trade Remedies, Vice President |
| 2019- 2022 | Ministry of SMEs &Startups, Committee for SME Businesses, Member |
| 2019- Present | Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership, Committee for SME Businesses, Member |
| 2018-2024 | Korean Institute of Product Safety (KIPS), Non-executive Board Member |
| 2017-Present | Foreign Investment Advisory Committee, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency(KOTRA), Member |
| 2016-Present | Korean Arbitrators' Association, Director |
| 2016-2020 | Foreign Investment Zone Committee, MOTIE, Member |
| 2016-2018 | Generation Cost Assessment Committee, Korea Power Exchange, Member |
| 2015-Present | Korean Commercial Arbitration Board, Arbitrator |
| 2015-2021 | Regulatory Reform Committee, MOTIE, Member |
| 2015-Present | Management Evaluation Committee for State-Owned Enterprises and Quasi-Governmental Institutions, MOTIE, Member |
| 2015-Present | Advisory Committee for Strategic Trade Control, MOTIE, Member |
| 2015 | Management Evaluation Team for State-Owned Enterprises and Quasi-Governmental Institutions, Ministry of Culture, Sports &Tourism, Member |
| 2014-Present | Korea-US FTA Dispute Panel, Panelist |
| 2014-Present | Korea-EU FTA Arbitration Panel (Cultural Cooperation), Arbitrator |
| 2014-2018 | Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial technology, Non-executive Board Member |
| 2012-2018 | Outside Legal Counsel, MOTIE |
| 2011-2014 | Outside Legal Counsel, Ministry of Economy & Finance (MOEF) |
| 2009-2013 | Outside Legal Counsel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) |
| 2012-2014 | E-Commerce Mediation Committee, Ministry of Science, ICT &Future Planning(MSIP), Member |
| 2011- 2015 | Advisory Committee for Product Safety, Korea Agency for Technology &Standard(KATS), Member |
| 2011-2012 | Evaluation Committee for Foreign Economic Zone, MOTIE, Member |
| 2009- 2024 | Financing Committee for Overseas Mineral Resources Development, MOTIE, Member |
| 2011-2015 | Financing Committee for Local Investment, MOTIE, Member |
| 2011-2013 | Advisory Committee for Strategic Trade Control, Korea Strategic Trade Institute(KSTI), Member |
| 2010-2013 | Management Evaluation Team for State-Owned Enterprises and Quasi-Governmental Institutions, MOEF, Member |
| 2010- 2017 | Evaluation Committee for Employee Capacity, MOTIE, Member |
| 2008-2011 | Shin&Kim, Senior Foreign Attorney |
| 2007-2008 | KTC, Director, Injury Investigation Division |
| 2006-2007 | LG Electronics, Group Leader, Trade &Customs Group |
| 2005-2006 | National Economic Advisory Council to the President(NEAC), Director for Industry &Trade |
| 2004 | MOTIE, Senior Deputy Director, Office of Energy &Resources |
| 2003 | Supreme Court, Erie County, NY, U.S.A., Judicial Clerk for Honorable David J. Mahoney |
| 2002-2003 | State University of New York at Buffalo Law School, NY, U.S.A., Research Assistant for Contracts |
| 2000-2001 | KTC, Senior Investigator, Anti-dumping Investigation Division |
| 1994-1999 | MOTIE, Deputy Director, Office of International Trade &Investment |
Languages
| Korean and English |
Awards & Recognitions
| 2012-2026 | Leading Lawyer of Chambers Asia/Chambers Global (International Trade) |
|---|---|
| 2019-2022 | Who’s Who Legal: Korea, Leading Professional (Trade & Customs) |
| 2014-2022 | Best of the Best Lawyer (one of the World’s Top 30 practitioners in International Trade) (EUROMONEY/EXPERT GUIDES) |
| 2021 | Commendation from Minister of Trade, Industry & Energy(in relation to Product Safety) |
| 2009 | Commendation from Minister of Strategy & Finance(in relation to International Trade) |
Publications / Presentations / ETC
- A Study on Price Undertaking in light of Enhancing the Effectiveness(Report to KTC, Dec. 2021)
- A Study on Institutionalizing Trade Cooperation(Report to MOTIE, October 2020)
- The Developing Country Status under the WTO in relation to PSA(Report to MOEF, December 2019)
- What Changed in the new Electrical Appliances & Consumer Products Safety Control Act(Article to Safety Korea, 2018 summer)
- Implementing Mechanism of Korea-US Agreement concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy (Report to Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control, Dec. 2017)
- Analysis of the US AFA and Korean Government Subsidy Programs (Report to MOTIE, June 2017)
- International Trade Law Issues concerning New Bills on Statutory Businesses for SMEs (Report to co-growth Commission, June 2017)
- Legal Control System of Intangible Technology Transfer relating to Nuclear Power (Report to Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control, Oct. 2016)
- Regulatory Framework for Physical Protection of Nuclear Material in International Transport(Report to Korea Institute of Nuclear Nonproliferation and Control, Apr. 2016)
- A Study on the Causation Standard for the WTO Safeguard Measures(Article to International Trade Law, Feb. 2016)
- A Study on the Consistency between WTO/FTA rules and Import Charges for Petroleum(Report to Korea Energy Economics Institute, Aug. 2015)
- A Study on Injury and Causation Analysis under the WTO Safeguard Agreement and Anti-dumping Agreement(Ph.D. Thesis, Chung Ang University, Jan. 2015)
- The Strategy for Inducing Foreign Capital from China under New Economic Order in the East Asia(Report to MOTIE, Apr. 2014)
- In-depth Study on WTO Agreement on Safeguards and Disputed Cases (Report to KTC, Dec. 2013)
- A Study on the Application of International Trade Rules to Certain Statutory Businesses for SMEs (Article to International Trade Law, Oct. 2013)
- Legal Review of WTO Government Procurement Agreement concerning Privatization Criteria (Report to MOFA, Feb. 2013)
- Legal Review of Domestic Effect of International Treaties (Report to MOFA, Dec. 2012)
- Comparative Analysis on Export Control Regimes of US, EU, Japan & Korea in relation to Catch-All Regulation (Report to KITA, Nov. 2012)
- Draft of Anti-dumping section of the Korean Trade Remedy Act (Report to KTC, June 2012)
- In-depth Analysis on the Provisions and Cases of ISD(Investor-State Dispute) under the ECT(Energy Charter Treaty) (Report to MOTIE, Apr. 2012)
- Comparative Analysis on WTO Anti-dumping Agreement and Domestic Implementing Law(Report to KTC, Nov. 2011)
- Legal Review of Statutory Designation of Businesses Suitable for SMEs(Report to Co-growth Commission, Oct. 2011)
- Understanding and Utilizing the Korea-EU FTA(Article to International Trade, Apr. 2011)
- Understanding on How the Korea-US FTA legally works(Article to AMCHAM Journal 1st Quarter, Jan. 2011)
- Legal Review of Storage Projects of Mineral Resources by Foreign Governments and State Enterprises(Report to MOFA, Dec. 2010)
- Legal Review of Export Control of Rare Earth Materials by China(Report to MOFA, Dec. 2010)
- Legal Review of Sales Charges for Petroleum and Gas Importation (Report to MOTIE, Nov. 2010)
- Legal Review of Carbon Emission Trade and Institutionalization thereof (Report to MOTIE, Oct. 2010)
- A Study on Injury Investigation Involving Captive Market in the Anti-dumping Investigation(Report to KTC, Oct. 2010)
- A Study on Chinese VAT in Calculating Dumping Margin (Report to KTC, Jun. 2010)
- Legal Review of Determination of Threat of Material Injury and Material Retardation of Establishment of Domestic Industry (Report to KTC, Dec. 2009)
- A Study on Cooperation in the Areas of Energy and Natural Resources via FTA(Report to MOTIE, Aug. 2009)
- How to Balance the Conflicting Interests under WTO Anti-dumping Agreement? (Presentation to Seoul International Forum on Trade Remedies, Jul. 2009)
- Comprehensive Review of the Draft for the revised WTO Anti-dumping Agreement in the DDA Rule Negotiation. (Report to MOFA, Jun. 2009)
- A Study on Product Scope in the Anti-dumping Investigation-Interpretation of WTO Anti-dumping Agreement and Case Study (Article to Trade Remedy Review, Oct. 2006), etc.
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Chambers Global 2026 - Band 1 in 6 practice areas 2026.02.13Awards Ranking
'Chambers Asia-Pacific 2025’ Band 1 in 11 practice areas 2024.12.13Awards Ranking
Band 1 in 7 Practice Areas by "Chambers Global 2024" 2024.02.19Awards Ranking
'Chambers Asia-Pacific 2024’ Band 1 in 13 practice areas 2023.12.15