• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.3-22
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• 2012

The Korean Commercial Arbitration Board ("KCAB") recently amended its 'International Arbitration Rules' and the 'Arbitration Rules', which became effective on September 1, 2011. Under the amendment, the 'Arbitration Rules' will be referred to as the 'Domestic Arbitration Rules' and in principle apply only to domestic arbitration cases. Accordingly, the amendment removed all of the provisions relating to international arbitration cases. In addition, under the amendment, the 'International Arbitration Rules' will automatically apply to all international arbitration cases unless the parties agree otherwise. The amended 'International Arbitration Rules' establish new expedited procedures for the international arbitration cases before the KCAB. The KCAB has also instituted additional changes related to international arbitration cases including reduction in the filing and administrative fees and appointment of prominent international foreign arbitrators on its panel. The remuneration for arbitrators has also increased to bring them more in line with the fees provided by other leading international arbitration institutions. While several problems remain, these most recent revisions must be seen as a step in the right direction for the KCAB.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.137-160
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• 2014

These days, in line with the increase of opportunities in our country's firms to do transaction, large-scale M&A and investment with foreign firms incorporating arbitration clauses in the contracts have become general practice. Recently, Singapore has come to the fore as a place of arbitration and, particularly, Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC) was assessed as the favored international arbitration institution uniquely in Asia at the 2010 International Arbitration Survey: Choices in International Arbitration, along with the ICC, LCIA, and AAA/ICDR. Therefore, the country's firms need to understand properly the international arbitration procedure of Singapore. This study examines the international arbitration system of Singapore, focusing on the arbitration procedure of the SIAC. The Center revised arbitration rules twice in 2010 and 2013, and established the Court of Arbitration of SIAC in April 2013 for the first time in Asia in pursuit of stricter neutrality and promptness. It further seeks to run the arbitration procedure fairly by selecting a third country's people as an arbitrator, while its arbitration expenses are cheaper than those of the ICC. The study believes that for the country's international arbitration institutions such as the KCAB to jump forward as a world-class international arbitration institution, the Korean government should render positive support to them, learning from Singapore which does not spare any political and financial assistance to cultivate international arbitration institutions. On the other hand, KCAB should also try hard to improve in the aspects of neutrality, fairness, and promptness and to be selected as a trustworthy international arbitration institution by firms in Asian countries.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.27-50
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• 2016

International arbitration as a dispute resolution mechanism in Asia is growing in popularity. Singapore has long been acknowledged as a regional arbitration center but Korea is now facing an increased demand as an arbitration center as well. As Singapore competes with Hong Kong and other international arbitration centers, and as Korea tries to become an alternative to Singapore, both Singapore and Korea have updated their arbitral laws and arbitration rules to reflect the current international arbitration trends. This paper examines the recent changes in the arbitration laws of Singapore and Korea, with an emphasis on recent changes in Korean arbitration laws that are designed to increase Korea's popularity as a regional arbitration center. Though Korea's reputation as an arbitration center is increasing, it is still not viewed as a major arbitration service provider. It is against this backdrop that Korea's international arbitration laws and rules will be viewed, with suggested changes to increase Korea's reputation as not only a regional hub but a center of international arbitration.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.115-131
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• 2017

The purpose of this paper is to consider key issues and to categorize international arbitrations on industrial significance. Thus this study focused on synthesizing industrial significance, retaining international competitiveness, and securing national implications of international arbitration as a legal service trade system. To obtain these goals, the liberalization of international arbitration proxy service, invitation of international arbitration board regional offices such as PCA to AAA-ICDR, and drawing of international mediation institutions to invigorate the legal service market should be exerted. To revitalize the international arbitration, it would be renounced the control rights of economy-related disputes with internationalism while policies should be improved to enhance the execution of arbitration agreements and awards. It is emphasized the necessities of the process through the institutional mediation agency to resolve more court mediation and international dispute cases, and to handle international arbitration cases after training professional legal experience through cooperation with international arbitration boards such as LCIA, ICC, AAA, and PCA. Ultimately, to revitalize the international arbitration, the industrial significance of arbitration should be analyzed and the critical industrial influence of arbitration such as in the semiconductor, petrochemistry, and ICT sectors should be expanded to gain the competitiveness of the global legal service market with the assistance of institutional complementary measures.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.217-230
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• 2006

Singapore is a dual-track arbitration regime. Where seat of arbitration is Singapore, the governing procedural law for domestic arbitration is AA and for international arbitration is IAA. The parties may by agreement opt-out of and opt-into a specific regime. SIAC is a leading arbitral institution in Singapore. It offers wide range of services: administer arbitration proceedings, arrangement of logistics for arbitration hearing, appointment of arbitral tribunal for ad hoc arbitration in Singapore as well as registry and authentication of arbitral awards.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.159-176
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• 2012

The Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB) recently revised its International Arbitration Rules in a way that reflects its efforts to advance its procedures, leading directly to improved competitiveness as an arbitration institute. Apart from certain limitations, the KCAB's international arbitration rule revision introduced several new arbitration mechanisms, including fast-track arbitration and an empowered administrative office. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) released a revised set of arbitration rules (ICC Arbitration Rules), which have been said to be probably the most consulted-on arbitration rules ever. Even though the changes codify existing ICC court practice and add to the 1998 rules only provisions felt necessary in light of input from the users of arbitration, some of the changes will have huge implications for future aspects of arbitration mechanisms, especially those of KCAB. Although it remains to be seen what impact the ICC Arbitration Rules will have in practice, the new rules have been well received by the arbitration community and represent a modern set of provisions consistent with the current needs of the users of international arbitration. That is why, here in the Korean arbitration environment, further research is needed on the possibilities of introducing several elements of the revised ICC Arbitration Rules to improve the speed and cost efficiency of international arbitration.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.55-83
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• 2022

The United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (Singapore Mediation Convention) results in new challenges to the area of international dispute resolution by providing the enforcement regime for mediated settlement agreements, which have not been admitted as enforceable in some civil law countries, including Korea and Japan. Japan has struggled to promote international arbitration and international mediation, and such efforts were accelerated by the adoption of the Singapore Mediation Convention in 2018. In order to standardize arbitration proceedings and promote the practice of international arbitration, Japan produced two noticeable results: the new JCAA Arbitration Rules and the amendment to the Arbitration Act of Japan. In addition to that Expedited arbitration procedure and Interactive Arbitration Rules of JCAA present the new possibility of international arbitration procedure for civil law practitioners, the amendment to the Arbitration Act of Japan suggests significant implications to Korea for its manifest provisions regarding enforcement requirements and proceedings and its protection of Access to Justice for foreign law practitioners.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.25-49
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• 2015

That the arbitration will begin with an arbitrator to be done by the arbitrator is not too much to say. The arbitrator shall have a decisive influence on the outcome of an arbitration in any arbitral right to award arbitration. As demonstrated in sayings like "Good arbitration is a good arbitrator" and "Arbitration is as arbitrator", professionalism and fairness are the basis for the arbitration procedure. Parties qualifications and authority of the arbitrator shall be a dispute-resolution process, requiring special attention and special care because the careful review of the arbitration award itself exerts a significant influence on the selection of an arbitrator. Therefore, this paper, first, analyzes the meaning of international arbitrators as a general overview of international arbitrators, qualifications, etc. and looks for focuses of the role. Next, the purpose of this paper is to seek ways to expand trade and international arbitration institutions in international transactions by examining training plans such as for international arbitrators.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.32
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• pp.59-91
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• 2006

The Arbitration Act of Korea was promulgated in 1966. Since the promulgation of Arbitration Act of Korea, consecutive amendments took place in 1973, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2002. Among the various set of amendments, those of 1999 were designed to accommodate the UNCITRAL Model Law on international Commercial Arbitration of 1985. Korea has acceded to special international conventions on dispute settlement such as the New York Convention of 1958 and the Washington Convention of 1965. The Korean Commercial Arbitration Board(KCAB) administers the arbitration proceedings in accordance with its Arbitration Rules approved by the Korean Supreme Court. Since the establishment of the first Arbitration Rules in 1966. consecutive amendments took place in 1973, 1981, 1989, 1993, 1996, 2000 and 2004. The KCAB plans to enact the International Arbitration Rules, which will be available to disputing parties in addition to the KCAB Arbitration Rules. In 2005, arbitration applications received at KCAB recorded a historic high at 213 cases, an increase of 22% from 175 cases in 2000. But in 2005, the total amount involved in the arbitration cases decreases to US$ 129 million, a decline of 63% from US$ 346 million in 2000. The KCAB should take the following measures for activating the commercial arbitration system: the globalization of KCAB, the advertisement of arbitration system, the security of qualified arbitrators, and the enhancement of the secretariat service. In conclusion, the KCAB should make efforts for the development of the arbitration system and for the upgrade of customer satisfaction. Moreover the KCAB should make further efforts to grow into a global arbitration institution as well as strengthening relations with international arbitration institutions.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.50
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• pp.61-85
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• 2011

The agreement to arbitrate is a central feature of commercial arbitration and the lack of a valid arbitration agreement is recognised as a reason why any arbitral award may not be recognized as binding by the courts or may be set aside. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the China's present arbitration law and practice in respect of determination of the validity of international commercial arbitration agreement. Most arbitration laws only require an arbitration agreement to be "in writing". But the arbitration law of the China require an arbitration agreement shall contain the following: 1. The expression of application for arbitration. 2. Matters for arbitration. 3. The arbitration commission chosen. And China's present arbitration law and practice in respect of determination of the validity of international commercial arbitration agreement are somewhat different from the other nations.