Launch of the Unified Legal Profession System Subcommittee... Park Eun-jung, Former Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Appointed as Chairperson

Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo: "Gradual Increase of Legal Career Requirement with 3-Year Grace Period is Fortunate... We Must Reflect on Shortcomings"

On the afternoon of the 22nd, at the Mugunghwa Hall on the 16th floor of the Supreme Court Main Building, Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su is presenting the appointment certificate to Chairperson Park Eun-jeong at the Law Unified System Subcommittee appointment and commissioning ceremony. Photo by Supreme Court

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin, Legal Affairs Specialist] The 'Unified Legal Profession System Subcommittee,' which will research and review measures to improve the judicial appointment process for the stable establishment of the unified legal profession system, officially commenced its activities on the 22nd.

Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo stated in his opening remarks, "We must seriously reflect on the various concerns and criticisms regarding the recent amendment to the Court Organization Act and on the shortcomings we have had so far."

At 2 p.m. that day, the appointment and commissioning ceremony for the Unified Legal Profession System Subcommittee was held at Mugunghwa Hall on the 16th floor of the Supreme Court main building, with Chief Justice Kim in attendance.

The establishment of the Unified Legal Profession System Subcommittee was decided at the 15th meeting of the Judicial Administration Advisory Council (Chairman: Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo).

On that day, former Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission member Park Eun-jung was commissioned as the chairperson. Among the 10 members recommended by the Ministry of Justice, the Korean Bar Association, the Korean Association of Law Professors, and the Council of Law Schools, seven external members and three internal members were appointed. Including Chairperson Park, eight of the 11 members are external members.

Three judges were selected as internal members: Chief Judge Jang Jun-hyun of Suwon District Court, recommended by the National Council of Court Presidents; Chief Judge Kim Shin-yu of Yeongwol Branch, Chuncheon District Court, recommended by the National Council of Judges Representatives; and Judge Kim Ja-rim of Uijeongbu District Court.

External members include Park Yang-ho, a prosecutor from the Ministry of Justice's Prosecution Division recommended by the Ministry of Justice; lawyer Han Young-hwa (2nd Policy Director of the Bar Association), recommended by the Korean Bar Association; Professor Lee Dong-jin of Seoul National University Law School, recommended by the Council of Law Schools; Professor Lee Gye-jung of Seoul National University Law School, recommended by the Korean Association of Law Professors; Professor Lee Guk-woon of Handong University Law Department; lawyer Lim Seon-sook; and former SBS News Director Choi Won-seok, totaling seven external members.

In his remarks, Chief Justice Kim said, "The partial amendment to the Court Organization Act, which postpones the stepwise increase of the minimum legal career required for judicial appointments by three years and actively reflects matters to meet the diverse expectations and requests of the public, was passed by the National Assembly on the 9th and promulgated yesterday. I consider it fortunate that we have secured some time to improve the system to smoothly recruit judges necessary to promptly and faithfully guarantee the public's right to trial while stabilizing the unified legal profession system."

He continued, "We must seriously accept the various concerns and criticisms regarding this amendment to the Court Organization Act and reflect deeply on the shortcomings so far. Going forward, the court will actively strive to establish and develop a unified legal profession system suited to our circumstances by reflecting diverse social perspectives and forming public consensus, centered on the subcommittee."

At the first meeting held immediately after the appointment and commissioning ceremony, the members received reports on ▲ the introduction of the Judicial Administration Advisory Council and related regulations ▲ the formation process of the Unified Legal Profession System Subcommittee ▲ discussions related to the unified legal profession system and the amendment process of the Court Organization Act ▲ an overview of the judicial appointment process, and then discussed the research and review methods and schedule of the subcommittee.

Future agenda items for research and review by the subcommittee include ▲ methods and procedures for appointing legal professionals to establish the unified legal profession system ▲ securing judicial support personnel (such as judicial researchers) for the establishment of the unified legal profession system ▲ judicial working environment and court trials under the unified legal profession system.

The unified legal profession system refers to a system where judges are selected from among lawyers with a certain amount of legal career experience. It is a concept opposed to the existing career judge system, where young legal professionals who passed the judicial examination and completed the Judicial Research and Training Institute are immediately appointed as judges.

As support for the unified legal profession system grew, the minimum career requirement for judicial appointments was scheduled to gradually increase from 5 years until this year, to 7 years by 2025, and to 10 years from 2026.

However, as the career criteria increased, the rate of excellent candidates applying for judgeships significantly decreased, causing problems such as increased workload for judges.

Accordingly, a bill to lower the career requirement for judicial appointments from 10 years to 5 years was discussed in the National Assembly but was rejected. However, the National Assembly recently passed an amendment to delay each stage of the career requirement increase by three years.

On the afternoon of the 22nd, at Mugunghwa Hall on the 16th floor of the Supreme Court main building, Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su and the committee members are taking a commemorative photo at the appointment and commission certificate awarding ceremony of the Unified Legal Profession System Subcommittee. Photo by the Supreme Court

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