- within Employment and HR and Transport topic(s)
Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB) International overhauled its arbitration rules in January 2026, revised cost structures, and updated fast track, expedited and early determine procedures.
In this episode of The Arbitration Acumen Podcast, J.P. Duffy, an international arbitration partner at Bracewell, sits down with Pui-Ki Emmanuelle Ta, KCAB International’s secretary-general, to discuss these changes in detail.
They unpack the new International Arbitration Court, modeled on the ICC’s, the two-level process for scrutinizing every draft award, and the thresholds behind the new fast track, expedited and early determination procedures. Pui-Ki also covers third-party funding disclosure, a new cost structure, and KCAB International’s Seoul hearing facilities, before looking ahead to a five-year vision of Seoul as Asia’s third arbitration hub.
Episode Highlights
[4:26] 47 International Cases in 2025, Led by Construction and Cross-Border Trade Disputes. Pui-Ki breaks down KCAB International’s 2025 caseload of 47 international cases, with construction, general commercial transactions, IT, trade and maritime disputes topping the industry list, and China, the United States, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Ireland as the top five foreign jurisdictions.
[7:52] A New International Arbitration Court, Modeled on the ICC, Takes Over Key Procedural Decisions. The new court replaces the secretariat as the body responsible for jurisdiction determinations, arbitrator appointments and challenges, consolidation, award scrutiny and arbitration costs. It has 15 members from 14 nationalities and is chaired by Professor Seung Hwa Chang, with the same core function as the ICC’s court, where Pui-Ki previously worked.
[11:07] Every Award Now Gets a Two-Level Scrutiny Review Before It Reaches the Parties. Pui-Ki explains how every draft award, final, partial or interim, first goes through counsel and then the Secretary General. Complex cases or dissenting opinions are referred to the court for a second-level review. KCAB International has also published an award checklist to help arbitrators draft clear, reasoned awards.
[12:43] Fast Track and Expedited Tracks Set Dollar Thresholds and Firm Deadlines for Awards. The fast track applies to disputes under $330,000 (or by party agreement) and targets a documents-only award within three months. The expedited procedure covers disputes between $330,000 and $2.6 million, with an award expected within six months of the sole arbitrator’s appointment.
[16:19] New Early Determination Mechanism Lets Tribunals Dismiss Meritless CLaims. Pui-Ki details the new early determination procedure. It is reserved for claims or defenses that cannot succeed based on the record already before the tribunal, such as time-barred claims, narrow issues and weak jurisdictional positions.
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