The Global Commerce Institute (GCI) of Lee & Ko was established in 2017 as the first dedicated research, education, and analytical institute on international trade by a major Korean law firm. Since its inception, GCI has meticulously analyzed trade and industrial legislation of major countries as well as evolving global trade rules, while diligently responding to advisory requests from both government agencies and corporations, including assessments of their domestic implications.

GCI combines the expertise and experience of leading domestic and international trade professionals and legal practitioners to provide tailored solutions to the trade challenges faced by companies. Through in-depth research and practical support, the Institute helps businesses anticipate and respond to shifting regulatory environments. Furthermore, GCI facilitates platforms for information exchange to strengthen global trade networks and broaden collective knowledge.

Beyond functioning as a research and analytical body, GCI aspires to serve as a reliable partner not only in resolving trade-related difficulties but also in supporting successful overseas expansion and investment. GCI is committed to turning the uncertainties of international trade and investment into opportunities.

Major Cases

Publications
Issue Briefs (2024–2025)

Analytical Reports

Guidebook on the U.S. Foreign Investment Review System (CFIUS) (April 2023)
Commentary on U.S. Export Control Measures Against Russia (April 2022)
Interpretation of USMCA Rules of Origin: Focus on Automobiles and Automotive Parts (October 2020)

Seminars / Forums (2024–2025)

The First 100 Days of the Trump Administration (Second Term): Evaluation and Response to Trade and Tariff Policies (Apr 16, 2025)
U.S. Election Results and Global Trade Policy Trends (Nov 20, 2024) – Co-hosted with the In-house Counsel Association of Korea
Seminar on Enhancing Legal Capacity in Trade (May–Sep 2024) – Co-hosted with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE)
EU Battery Policy Utilization Seminar for Companies (Jun 4, 2024) – Co-hosted with the Battery Industry Association
[Central Asia Session] Supply Chain / Business Strategy of Korean Companies and Central Asia (Dec 15, 2024) ( https://youtu.be/M98jdfdFX8o )
[India Session, Part II] Interview with the Ambassador of India to Korea (Oct 7, 2024) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuO7LRRAG14 )
[India Session] India’s Business Environment and Entry Strategies (Aug 9, 2024) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zh3Fdc9nxs )
[Indonesia Session] Indonesia’s Business Environment and Entry Strategies (Apr 8, 2024) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc3R2dJjygE&t=3695s )

External Advisors - Domestic

Junha Kang, Professor, College of Law, Hongik University
Junsung Ko, Senior Research Fellow, Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET)
Taeho Park, Professor Emeritus, GSIS, Seoul National University; Former Director, GCI
Youngkwan Yoon, Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science & International Relations, Seoul National University; Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Chul Chung, President, Korea Economic Research Institute; Former Vice President, KIEP
Wook Chae, Visiting Professor, Yonsei University Global Leaders College; Former President, KIEP
Yoon Hur, Professor, GSIS, Sogang University

External Advisors - International

Claude Barfield, AEI, U.S.
Wendy Cutler, Asia Society Policy Institute, U.S.
Eric Emerson, Steptoe, U.S.
Bernard Hoekman, European University Institute (EUI), Italy
Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, ECIPE, Belgium
Patrick Messerlin, Sciences Po, France
Sebastien Miroudot, OECD
Jeffrey Schott, Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), U.S.
Xinquan Tu, China Institute for WTO Studies, China
Shujiro Urata, RIETI, Japan

Publications Archive
GCI has consistently published Issue Briefs since 2018, covering a wide range of global trade issues including:

WTO reform and dispute settlement (2019)
U.S.–China trade conflict and global supply chains (2020–2021)
EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) (2022)
Implications of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) (2022)
Global trade outlooks (annual)
Digital trade agreements and emerging rules (2021)

Past Seminars / Forums (Selected)

Understanding the Middle East (Oct 23, 2023) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zPI3v6kjeY&t=6034s )
Business Environment and Entry Strategies in the Middle East (Dec 18, 2023) ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhVhAnn_vJs&t=284s )
EU Battery Policy Utilization Seminar (Jul 26, 2023)
Global Trade Outlook Seminar (Jan 12, 2022) – Co-hosted with KITA and Seoul National University GSIS
U.S.–China Conflict over Semiconductors: Prospects for Supply Chain Realignment (Jun 24, 2021) – Co-hosted with the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association
Outlook on Section 232 Measures (Oct 31, 2019) – Co-hosted with FKI
Korea–Indonesia Trade and Investment Relations Seminar (Jakarta, Oct 1, 2019) – Co-hosted with KOTRA and SBM-ITB
CPTPP Launch and Expansion Prospects (May 7, 2019) – Co-hosted with FKI and the Korean Society of International Economic Law
Korea–Vietnam Trade and Investment Relations Seminar (Hanoi, Nov 16, 2018) – Co-hosted with Thai Nguyen University, KOTRA, and VCCI
GCI Inaugural Seminar (Mar 9, 2018)