Mino Han

⚒️ What do you do?

I’m a partner at the Seoul office of Peter & Kim, an International Arbitration boutique with offices worldwide.
People would call me a ‘construction guy’ because I specialize in complex international construction disputes. 

But I also work on investor-state disputes and other commercial arbitrations. What I love most about my job as an international arbitration lawyer is the oral advocacy. Always a thrill to persuade the Tribunal with my words!  

🏆 What is your proudest achievement?

In 2021, I had a lengthy hearing over the course of 2 weeks – every day from 11:30pm till 6am (- yes, it was tough!). It was during the pandemic and took place virtually, and involved a lot of adrenalin and military bootcamp-style time-management. After that, I felt like I could overcome any circumstances and handle any type of hearing.
Good news: We won the case! So, it was all rewarding in the end. 

⌛ There are now 25 hours in a day! How do you spend your extra hour?

I’m a serious bookworm – which is not only limited to reading books. I habitually buy books with nice covers (I do judge a book by its cover), browse through bookstores and watch booktube videos from all around the world.   

🚀 If you weren't a lawyer, what would you do?

I would probably be a bookstore owner, with some German pastry in the corner and good café lattes. Come by, if you need a good book recommendation.   

😋 Your favourite food haunt (bonus points if it's off the beaten track!)

It’s really off the beaten track … my mom’s homemade pasta with kimchi added to the tomato sauce! Complex flavours, bringing Europe and Korea together in one plate.  

*This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.