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  • AMCHAM Joint Private Equity & Venture Capital / Cross-Border Investment Committee Meeting
    • DATE & TIME

      Friday, May 16, 2025

      11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

    • VENUE

      Red Ume (Lower Lobby), Fairmont Ambassador Seoul

    EVENT DESCRIPTION
    Join us for a timely discussion on how geopolitical shifts are reshaping global investment strategies-and what it means for Korea's evolving role in private markets.

    Key Discussion Topics:
    • Perspectives from top industry leaders actively involved in private equity, private credit, and venture debt-both from the GP side executing deals and the LP side managing capital allocations.
    • Emerging trends in cross-border private equity transactions involving Korea, including key takeaways and lessons learned. The discussion will also draw on best practices from the U.S. and Europe relevant to Korea’s evolving investment landscape.
    • A deep dive into the rapid rise of private credit globally-and how it’s creating strategic opportunities for mid-market firms, large corporations, financial sponsors, and Korea’s broader economy.
    Detail
    TOPIC Opportunities and Challenges of Cross-Border Investments in the Current Geopolitical Environment
    COST Member Companies: KRW 102,000
    Non-Member Companies: KRW 124,000
    RSVP/PAYMENT BY Noon, Wednesday, May 14, 2025
    * No refunds or cancellations after this date and time.
    * Please complete registration in advance. No walk-ins or payments accepted at the door.
    * 2 complimentary admissions for Founding Partners.
    About the Speakers

    • [Speaker] Andrew Joo, Managing Director, Stanford Management Company
      Andrew Joo is a Managing Director at Stanford Management Company (SMC), Stanford University’s department managing its endowment. Prior to joining SMC, Andrew spent over two decades as a technology entrepreneur, operator and investor, sourcing and managing investments across buy-out, growth equity, and private credit at Affirma Capital and later as Managing Partner of Fortress Investment Group Asia. He started his finance career as an investment banker at JPMorgan after having served five years as an Officer in the U.S. Army. Andrew serves on several Corporate Boards, Foundations, and is a guest Lecturer for Private Equity and Entrepreneurship at MIT and Yonsei University. Andrew earned a B.S. from the United States Military Academy, West Point and an M.B.A. from MIT Sloan School of Management.

    • [Speaker] Joseph Lee, Partner/Head of Global Growth, IMM Private Equity

      Hae-Joon Joseph Lee is a Partner/Head of Global Growth of IMM Private Equity. Prior to joining the company, Mr. Lee worked at Fortress Investment Group, Morgan Stanley and Skadden, Arps in New York. Mr. Lee received a BA in Chemistry from Princeton University and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Mr. Lee is a member of the New York State Bar and a CFA charterholder.

    • [Moderator] Chris Kim, Senior Foreign Attorney, Bae, Kim & Lee LLC
      Chris Kim practices regulatory investigations, funds and asset management, financial regulations, derivatives, securities, licensing, insurance and compliance matters. Prior to joining Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, Mr. Kim served as head of Legal at Barclays Korea advising on complex regulatory matters, various products and transactions. Mr. Kim also worked at a number of global banks in Hong Kong, Singapore and Korea.

    • [Panelist] James Lee, CEO, EquitiesFirst
      James Gee-Chul Lee is the Managing Director and South Korea CEO at EquitiesFirst. 

      In his role, James oversees EquitiesFirst's Seoul operations as well as leads its origination development and deal execution efforts in conjunction with the firm's global operations team. James is also responsible for formulating and driving the firm's business strategies and initiatives in line with regulatory requirements. 

      Prior to joining EquitiesFirst, James was a senior finance lawyer and primary relationship manager at Kim & Chang for the firm’s key global institutional clients. James started his career as a currency trader at Hyundai International Merchant Bank in 1996 in Seoul. After graduating from law school in the US, he spent eight years across New York, Hong Kong and London as an M&A and capital markets lawyer for law firms Sidley Austin, Skadden Arps and Clifford Chance. After returning to South Korea in 2010, he worked as General Counsel for Bank of America Merrill Lynch Korea for six years before joining Kim & Chang.

      James holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration Management from Korea University and earned a JD from Vanderbilt University Law School.

      James is based in the Seoul office in South Korea.

    • [Panelist] Steve Jun Byun, Managing Partner, Widus Partners
      Steve is the Managing Partner and Founding Member of Widus Partners. Steve has advised and invested in growth and venture stage companies in Korea, Hong Kong, and the US since 2008. Before founding Widus Partners, he has experience working as a corporate lawyer specializing in private equity and M&A transactions at Ropes & Gray, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and Kim & Chang in Hong Kong and Korea. Steve also worked at KPMG in the Financial Advisory Services group in Seoul and San Francisco, advising on various cross-border deals. Steve received his JD from Northwestern University School of Law, MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and his BA from the University of California, Berkeley.
    Contact

    (email) committees@amchamkorea.org

    (phone) 02-6201-2229

Founding Partners
Corporate Partners
  • American Chamber of Commerce in Korea
    Address
    50Fl., Three IFC, 10, Gukjegeumyung-ro, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 07326, Korea
    Name of Representative
    James Kim
    Business Registration No
    771-82-00210
    E-Commerce No
    2019-서울영등포-0027
    Tell
    +82-2-6201-2200
    Fax
    +82-2-6201-2233
    E-mail
    amchamrsvp@amchamkorea.org / membership@amchamkorea.org
    Monday through Friday, 9:00am to 6:00pm (Closed on Korean Public Holidays.)
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