Bae, Kim & Lee and Trade Remedy Association to hold seminar on bonded factory regime

Law firm Bae, Kim & Lee announced Friday it will co-host a seminar with the Korean Trade Remedy Association on Sept. 10 at the firm's headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The event will focus on the theme "Changing Trade Environment and the Bonded Factory Regime: Harmonizing Trade Remedies and Industrial Competitiveness."

The seminar was organized to assess the benefits and institutional challenges of the bonded factory system in light of shifting global trade conditions — including the deepening of protectionism and the expanded use of trade remedy measures — and to explore ways to secure both industrial competitiveness and a fair trade order.

The gathering is expected to bring together a broad range of stakeholders from industry, the legal profession, academia and research institutions to compare domestic and international regimes and examine their impact on key industries, offering practical insights for corporate practitioners navigating a rapidly changing trade environment.

The seminar will open with welcoming remarks from Choi Chang-hwan, president of the Korean Trade Remedy Association and a professor at Dankook University, before proceeding through two sessions and a general discussion. In the first session, Bae, Kim & Lee attorney Joo Sung-jun will present on the current state of bonded zone management systems at home and abroad and the direction of domestic institutional reform. Ewha Womans University professor Cho Young-jin, a former member of the Korea Trade Commission, and Jung Jae-ho, vice president of the Korea Institute of Public Finance, will then join the discussion on improving the bonded factory regime.

In the second session, Lee Go-eun, a researcher at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, will present on the implications for the steel industry. Korea University School of Law professor Cho Su-jung and Bae, Kim & Lee adviser Lee Chan-ki will serve as discussants, addressing the impact of trade remedy measures on the steel industry.

The closing general discussion will be moderated by Heo Kyung-wook, a Bae, Kim & Lee adviser and former vice minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. He will be joined by Kim Tae-hwang, a professor at Myongji University, and Lee Cheon-gi, a researcher at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, to discuss ways to strike a balance between the effectiveness of trade remedy systems and industrial competitiveness.

Bae, Kim & Lee was founded in 1980 and is one of South Korea's leading large law firms, with a roster of roughly 900 professionals including more than 600 attorneys. The firm provides one-stop legal services through a network of overseas offices and specialized teams in key markets including China, Vietnam and Singapore, and has been recognized for its capabilities by major international organizations, including eight consecutive years on the "Global 200" law firm ranking. The firm also established South Korea's first pro bono committee among domestic law firms in 2001 and has maintained ongoing social contribution activities since.