Shin & Kim Launches AIDC Infrastructure Center, Offering Integrated Support for Major AI, Semiconductor, and Data Center Projects

[Front row, from left, Partner Kyoung Soo Chang, Senior Advisor Jeoung Yeol Yu, Senior Partner Yun Seok Jang, and Senior Partner Sinook Kang; back row, from left, Partner Sang-Hyun Lee, Partner Bo Kyung Lim, Senior Foreign Attorney Sejin Kim, and Senior Foreign Attorney Hyunju Helen Pak.]

• Strengthens integrated advisory services for Korea’s national strategic industries, including AI, semiconductors, and data centers
• Provides end-to-end legal support—from site selection and permitting to power procurement, AI and data regulation, technology protection, investment, and financing

Shin & Kim LLC (“Shin & Kim”), led by Managing Partner Jong-Han Oh, has announced the launch of its AIDC (AI Data Center) Infrastructure Center to meet the evolving legal needs associated with Korea’s efforts to foster AI, semiconductors, and data centers as national strategic industries and to provide integrated legal services for related projects.

The launch comes as the Korean government strengthens policy support for AI, semiconductors, and data centers ahead of the Special Act on the Promotion of the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Industry (the “AIDC Special Act”), which is set to take effect in March 2027. This policy push is expected to spur investment and accelerate large-scale project development across all three sectors. AI and data center infrastructure projects, in particular, involve a complex and interconnected range of legal and policy issues, including site selection and permitting, large-scale power procurement and grid connection, energy supply, AI and data regulation, the protection of national core technologies, investment, and financing. This complexity calls for an integrated, multidisciplinary approach.

Shin & Kim has established a strong track record by advising on a wide range of major data center projects in Korea and abroad. Its experience spans the full data center lifecycle and includes advising IGIS Asset Management on the development, operation, and sale of its Hanam data center. The firm has also advised on the development of the Goyang Samsong Data Center—the largest hyperscale data center in the northwestern Seoul metropolitan area. Its experience further includes Samsung C&T Corporation’s data center project in Pyeongtaek, Smilegate’s data center project in Munbong, Goyang, multiple data center development projects undertaken by Actis, and the development of a data center in Yongin by Warburg Pincus and Wide Creek Asset Management. In addition, the firm has advised clients on power grid impact assessments relating to electricity supply for data centers.

Building on this experience, Shin & Kim will leverage its data center expertise to expand its capabilities across AI and other advanced-industry infrastructure sectors. The Center will bring together expertise from across the firm to establish an integrated advisory platform covering the entire project lifecycle.

Professionals specializing in real estate, projects and energy, privacy and cybersecurity, AI governance, intellectual property, trade and industrial policy, domestic and cross-border investment and M&A, and project finance will work in close collaboration. The Center will support clients across the project lifecycle, from project structuring and site selection through development and permitting, power and energy procurement, AI and data regulatory matters, technology protection, investment and financing structuring, and operation and sale.

The AIDC Infrastructure Center’s key services include:

• due diligence on data center sites and project-related rights, as well as advice on the development, construction, operation, and sale of data centers;
• advice on development project finance; power procurement through renewable energy, natural gas-fired generation, and nuclear generation; grid connection; power grid impact assessments; and power supply agreements;
• advice on ICT regulatory matters involving AI, data, and telecommunications, as well as AI commercialization and data center service agreements;
• IP and technology protection advice covering AI training data, copyright, technology development and use agreements, trade secrets, and national core technologies; and
• investment and financing advice covering domestic and cross-border investment, project finance, acquisition finance, refinancing, fund-related matters, and GPU financing.

The Center will also provide comprehensive advice on government support programs, permits and approvals, foreign investment and incentives, and overseas expansion.

The Center will be jointly led by Partner Kyoung Soo Chang (Judicial Research and Training Institute, Class 32), who heads Shin & Kim’s Real Estate Group and has advised on numerous data center development and investment projects, and Senior Advisor Jeoung Yeol Yu, who brings extensive policy experience in industry, trade, and investment gained through his work at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and his tenure as President of the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).

Approximately 100 leading professionals from relevant practice areas across the firm will participate in the Center. They include Senior Partner Yun Seok Jang (Judicial Research and Training Institute, Class 30), head of the Corporate Finance Group; Senior Partner Sinook Kang (Judicial Research and Training Institute, Class 33), head of the ICT Group; Partner Sang-Hyun Lee (Judicial Research and Training Institute, Class 29), head of the Projects and Energy Group; Partner Bo Kyung Lim (Judicial Research and Training Institute, Class 30), head of the IP Group; Senior Foreign Attorney Sejin Kim, head of the Center for Trade, Industry and Public Affairs; and Senior Foreign Attorney Hyunju Helen Pak, who specializes in international finance and investment transactions. Together, they will provide coordinated, multidisciplinary support across the full range of issues arising in complex AIDC projects.

Managing Partner Jong-Han Oh (Judicial Research and Training Institute, Class 18) commented, “Our work on a broad range of projects involving data centers, AI, semiconductors, and digital infrastructure has enabled us to develop extensive experience and strong advisory capabilities across these sectors. Through the AIDC Infrastructure Center, we will continue to deliver integrated, tailored solutions throughout the lifecycle of AIDC projects while supporting the continued growth and competitiveness of Korea’s national strategic industries.”