Changhun Lee

Practice Areas

Since beginning his legal career as a public-service advocate in 2004, Mr. Changhun Lee has built extensive experience as a legal practitioner. He is currently a partner at Shin & Kim, where he serves as the Head of both the AI & Digital Competition Team and the Investigation Team within the firm’s Antitrust & Competition Group. In 2021, he was appointed to Shin & Kim’s Management Committee and has since been actively involved in the firm’s management.

Early in his career as a public-service advocate, Mr. Lee handled various matters involving the Korean government and administrative agencies, including multiple cases relating to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between Korea and the United States. Since joining Shin & Kim in 2007, Mr. Lee has spent nearly two decades representing multinational clients before the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) and the courts across a wide range of antitrust and competition matters involving AI & Digital Competition, Competition in the ICT industry, Competition in the platform sector, cartels, abuse of market dominance, unfair trade practices, improper subsidies, and subcontracting issues. He has also played leading roles in a number of high-profile disputes with significant public and social implications.

Mr. Lee has an extensive track record in high-profile domestic and international antitrust matters and is widely recognized by clients for his strategic acumen, exceptional command of complex cases, and unwavering client advocacy—often described as “shark-like” for its tenacity and determination. He rose to prominence in a landmark abuse-of-dominance investigation involving a global semiconductor company, widely regarded as a defining case in Korean competition law. Moreover, in a notable cartel dispute, he represented a global electronics manufacturer and secured a complete victory against multiple major law firms, defeating the restitution claims in their entirety. Substantial portions of his written submissions were cited verbatim in the court’s judgment.

Reflecting his standing in the field of antitrust and competition law, Mr. Lee currently serves as a Planning Director of the Korean Competition Law Association, an External Affairs Director of the Platform Law & Policy Association, a Steering Committee Member of the Seoul National University Center for Competition Law, a Director of the Korea Competition Forum, and an Advisory Counsel of the Korea Information & Communication Industry Institute. Since 2019, he has also been invited by Chambers and Partners to contribute to the Korea chapter of the annual Chambers Global Practice Guide covering cartel and antitrust litigation.

Mr. Lee passed the New York State Bar Examination after completing his studies in the United States and subsequently gained experience working at the global law firm Steptoe & Johnson LLP.

Career

Planning Director, Korea Competition Law Association (Present)

External Affairs Director, Platform Law & Policy Association (Present)

Steering Committee Member, SNU Center for Competition Law (Present)

Director, Korea Competition Forum (Present)

Counsel, Korea Information & Communication Industry Institute (Present)

Shin & Kim LLC (2007-Present)

Member, Korean Civil Code Amendment Committee, Ministry of Justice (2014-2016)

Secondee, Steptoe & Johnson, Washington D.C., USA (2013-2014)

Advisory Member, Content Dispute Resolution Committee (2011-2012)

Member, Committee for Respect of Rights and Interests of Tax Payers, Jongno District Tax Office (2011-2012)

Judge Advocate (2004-2007)

Judicial Research & Training Institute of the Supreme Court of Korea (2002-2004)

Professional Memberships

Korean Bar

Patent Bar, Korea

Certified Tax Accountant, Korea

Publications

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Antitrust Litigation 2025: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Lexology In-Depth Dominance and Monopolies (Edition 13) 2025: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Cartels 2025: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Lexology Panoramic (formely Getting the Deal Through) – Cartel Regulation 2025: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Antitrust Litigation 2024: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Lexology In-Depth Dominance and Monopolies (Edition 12) 2024: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Cartels 2024: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers In-Depth Overview – An Introduction to Competition/Antitrust 2024: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Litigation 2024: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Lexology Getting the Deal Through – Cartel Regulation 2024: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Antitrust Litigation 2023: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

The Law Reviews – The Dominance and Monopolies Review (Edition 11) 2023: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Cartels 2023: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Lexology Getting the Deal Through – Cartel Regulation 2023: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Main Contents and Implications of the Fair Trade Commission’s Law Enforcing System Improvements, Lawtimes (2023. 1)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Litigation 2023: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Antitrust Litigation 2022: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Cartels 2022: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Antitrust Litigation 2021: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Cartels 2021: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Antitrust Litigation 2020: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Law & Practice(Q&A) Main Section 2020: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

Chambers Global Practice Guides – Cartels 2019: Korea Chapter (Co-authored)

China-Korea Market & Regulation Law Center (“MRLC”) – China-Korea IP & Competition Law Annual Report 2019 (Co-authored)

China-Korea Market & Regulation Law Center (“MRLC”) – China-Korea IP & Competition Law Annual Report 2018 (Co-authored)

China-Korea Market & Regulation Law Center (“MRLC”) – China-Korea IP & Competition Law Annual Report 2017 (Co-authored)

China-Korea Market & Regulation Law Center (“MRLC”) – China-Korea IP & Competition Law Annual Report 2016 (Co-authored)

Considerations Over Excessive Royalty Controversies, Economy Law Case Study Volume No. 9, Economy Law Case Study Research Committee, Bobmunsa (2015. 11)

Legal Issues Related to SEPs and FRAND, Global IP Trend 2015, Korea Institute of Intellectual Property (Co-authored, 2015. 12)

Overview and Assessment of Main Contents of “Review Guidelines on Unlawful Exercise of Intellectual Property Rights”, Journal of Competition Issue No. 179 (2015. 3)

IFLR IPR Guidelines Revised – Tackling unreasonable behaviour 2015: South Korea Special Focus (Co-authored)

China-Korea Market & Regulation Law Center (“MRLC”) – China-Korea IP & Competition Law Annual Report 2015 (Co-authored)

A Brief Study on Inclusion of Behavior Types of Royalty Rebate – focusing on behavioral requirements for exclusive dealing, Journal of Competition Issue No. 176 (2014. 9)

China-Korea Market & Regulation Law Center (“MRLC”) – China-Korea IP & Competition Law Annual Report 2014 (Co-authored)

Several Problems in Tax Law Concerning Cases of Golf Club Acquisition – focusing on business transferee’s secondary tax obligation liability limit and accounting management of business rights, Seoul High Prosecutor’s Office Litigation Materials Package Volume No. 10 (2006)

Work Highlights

Represented a multinational semiconductor company and a Korean automobile company in abuse of market dominance cases

Represented Group S and Group H in unfair assistance cases

Represented a multinational automobile manufacturer, a Korean credit card company, and a Korean construction company in cartel cases and related damages lawsuits

Represented a Korean automobile company in an unfair trade practice case

Represented a Korean insurance company, a Korean bank, a Korean cable manufacturer, and Korean construction companies in cartel cases

Represented Company Y and Company H in the defense sector in cartel cases

Represented Company D in a bid-rigging case

Represented a Korean construction company in an unfair labeling and advertising case

Represented a Korean construction company in an unfair subcontracting case

Represented the General Insurance Association of Korea in an unfair trade practice case

Represented a Korean construction company in an unfair subcontracting case

Represented several Korean automobile manufacturers in an emissions-related lawsuit

Represented a Korean tire manufacturer in a dispute over discontinuation of operations

Represented a Korean oil refining company in a dispute over settlement of payment

Represented a Korean bank in a KIKO-related dispute

Represented a Korean university in a dispute over the licensing and approval of a branch campus and urban development planning

Education