The Digital Trade Program is a core research initiative of the Digital Trade Research Center, Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS), Yonsei University. The Program focuses on interdisciplinary research on digital trade and the digital economy, with particular attention to the geopolitics of standards, critical and emerging technologies, and the digital transformation of emerging Asia. By combining international political economy, international relations, and technology policy perspectives, the Program aims to generate theory-driven and policy-relevant insights that contribute to global digital governance and capacity building.

 

Major Research Areas 

•  • Digital trade and digital economy
•  • Geopolitics of standardization in digital, critical, and emerging technologies
•  • International rule-making and economic security
•  • Digital economy and innovation in emerging Asia (ASEAN and beyond)

 

Members

Program Leader

Prof. Heejin Lee
Professor, Graduate School of International Studies, Yonsei University

•  •  Lee, H., & Chan, S. (2025). The World’s First AI Standards Summit – Will there be a Lasting Impact? Global Asia. December 2025.

 

Research Faculty and Fellows

Dr. YoungKyung Ko

 

Ph.D. Research Professor, Digital Trade Research Center

 •  Research Interests: Research Interests: Emerging Markets, ASEAN Economy, Digital Trade, Corporate Finance & Governance

 •  Education:

•     Ph.D. in Finance, Korea University
•     M.S. in Area Studies, Yonsei University, 
•     BA in Sociology, Yonsei University,

Profiles: LinkedIn | Google Scholar

Selected Publications:

•  •  Ko, Y., Subramaniam, R., & Devi, S. (2024). Capital Market Effects of Corporate Transparency and Sustainability: Evidence from an Emerging Economy. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 18(3), 688–711. https://doi.org/10.1108/JABS-02-2023-0071​

   •  Ko, Y., Najaf, K., Rashid, A., & Devi, S. (2022). Does COVID-19 Influence the Maturity Management of Industrial Sectors? Evidence from Global Data. Journal of Global Operations and Strategic Sourcing, 15(4), 628–646. https://doi.org/10.1108/JGOSS-11-2021-0091
   •  Ko, Y., Kim, W., & Wang, S. (2019). Debt Restructuring through Equity Issues. Journal of Banking and Finance, 106, 341–356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbankfin.2019.07.002

   •  고영경. (2025). 아세안 4개국 전기차 지원정책의 효과성 비교 연구: 정책설계와 자국 브랜드의 역할. 모빌리티연구, 5(2), 61-84. https://doi.org/10.23257/mobile.5.2.202509.003

   •  조현석, 고영경. (2025). Entrepreneurship in Emerging Asia: Indonesia’s Agritech Startup Ecosystem. 기업가정신연구, 6(1), 117-145. https://doi.org/10.22815/JES.2025.6.1.117
   •  Ko, Y., & Park, Y. R. (2023). 7UPs in Asia. Seoul: PY Books. (In Korean)

   •  Ko, Y. (2021). ASEAN Super App War. Seoul: Page2 Books Press. (In Korean)

   •  Ko, Y. (2024). Indonesia: A Bright Future in Uncertain Times. In D. Ryu & G. Lee (Eds.), Economic Issues & Trends 2025: Korea’s Economic Direction. 21st Century Books. (In Korean)

•  

Prof. Jooyoung Kwak
Professor, School of Business, Yonsei University

 

 

Dr. Mi-jin Kim

Research Fellow (National Research Foundation of Korea), Graduate School of International Studies, Yonsei University

•  •  Ph.D. Dissertation (2025): Navigating Geopolitics in Global Standards-setting: Power Dynamics in the Mobile Communications Sector

• Profiles: Linkedin | Google Scholar

  Selected Publications:

•  •  Heejin Lee and Mi-jin Kim. (2025). From Standards Adopter to Standards Author: The Case of the Republic of Korea. Background paper prepared for World Development Report. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2025/brief/worlddevelopment-report-2025-background-papers

   •  김미진, 이희진. (2025). 디지털 시대의 기술 표준화와 인권: 중국 New IP 와 EU AI 표준화 사례를 중심으로. 표준인증안전학회지, 15(3), 50-65. DOI : 10.34139/JSCS.2025.15.3.50

   •  Mi-jin Kim, Doyoung Eom and Heejin Lee. (2023). The geopolitics of next generation mobile communication standardization: The case of open RAN. Telecommunications Policy, 47 (10), 102625. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2023.102625

   •  Mi-jin Kim, Heejin Lee* and Jooyoung Kwak (2020). The changing patterns of China’s international standardization in ICT under techno-nationalism: A reflection through 5G standardization. International Journal of Information Management. October Volume 54:102145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102145

•  

Jihong Kim
Ph.D. Candidate

•  •  Research Focus: Digital trade and international standardization in geopolitical rule-making

• Selected Publication:
   •  Kim, J., & Lee, H. (2025). A dispute between Netflix and SK Broadband in South Korea: Who should pay the network usage fees?. Telecommunications Policy, 49(3), 102913. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2025.102913
•  

Projects

•  •  National Research Foundation of Korea. Strategies and Policies for Standardization from the Perspective of Economic Security (2024.6–2026.5)

•  •  ASEAN–Korea Center. ESG Practices in ASEAN Companies: Case Studies (2025.7–2025.12)

•  •  Ministry of Industry and Trade. Digital Trade Education Program (2022.7–2026)

•  •  KDI Knowledge Sharing Program (KSP). UK–ROK Partnership on Building Capacity in Digital Standards and Critical Technologies (2024)

•  •  KDI KSP. Australia–Korea Partnership on Critical Technology and Digital Economies (2023)

 

Media & Columns

•  •  Ko, Y. ASEAN Watch. JoongAng Ilbo Opinion Column (2025–Present)

•  

• Conferences & Events

•  •  The Political Economy of Latecomers in the Digital Era, Humboldt University of Berlin & Yonsei University, Berlin, June 24–25, 2025

•  •  Korea Association of International Development and Cooperation, Winter Conference, Seoul, December 11, 2025

•  •  Society for Standards Certification and Safety, Spring Conference, Seoul, May 31, 2024

•  

• Awards

•  •  Best Paper Award, The 14th KNDA Academic Paper Awards
      Min-jin Kim & Juyoung Sung, "Quantitative Measurement of Diplomatic Discourse Through the Diplomatic Temperature Index (DTI) Model: Focusing on the ROK-U.S. Tariff and Georgia Detention Incidents"