Joonhak Choi

⚒️ What do you do?

I am a member of the international arbitration & cross-border litigation group at Kim & Chang in Seoul, Korea. My practice focuses on international commercial arbitration involving post-M&A, joint venture, and shareholders disputes and advising clients on investment treaty matters. As I also speak Japanese, I frequently represent Japanese clients in both arbitration and litigation. 

What is your proudest achievement?
Winning the ROAP Asia 2022 Finals for oral submissions (with my teammate Tze Siong Ang at Allen & Overy). The Remote Oral Advocacy Programme is a six-month training course in international arbitration organized by Delos Dispute Resolution. At the finals, I had presented my oral arguments before a distinguished tribunal consisting of Lucy Reed, Sapna Jhangiani KC, and Nicholas Lingard; and as a junior lawyer, I was happy to see myself building my own style of advocacy.  

If you had 25 hours in a day, what would you do with the extra hour?
Learn how to make yummy snacks for my 15-month-old daughter. I love the way she squeezes into her mouth her favorite strawberries more than she can handle, and I am yearning to see my daughter one day enjoying my handmade snacks just like those juicy fruits! 

If you weren't a lawyer, what would you be?
Perhaps I would be a TV producer creating variety shows, which is what my wife actually does. We often talk about each other’s work and I boldly believe sometimes my ideas on making new entertainment shows aren’t that bad. (Guess what? My wife says she would have done a better job as a lawyer.) 

Your favourite food haunt is...?
“Dongbei” at Gwanghwamun, Seoul (just a few minutes’ walk from my office). The combination of grilled lamb skewers and a small bottle of Baijiu is my go-to choice after a long, hectic week. 

Note: Edited for clarity & brevity.