'Rotok' Dispute Settled... Expectations for Legal Tech Growth Potential

Analysis Shows Lawyers' Psychological Burden Effectively Alleviated
Also Seen as Positive Signal for Legal Tech Investment

The legal tech industry evaluated that the cancellation of disciplinary actions by the Korean Bar Association against lawyers registered with 'Rotok' has opened the door to growth.

Eom Bo-woon, Director of Law&Company (right), is expressing his position before attending the second review of the Ministry of Justice's Lawyer Disciplinary Committee regarding the discipline of lawyers registered with 'Lotok' held at the Ministry of Justice in the Government Gwacheon Complex on the morning of the 6th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 27th, Min Myung-gi, CEO of Law & Good, said in a phone interview with Asia Economy, "The most significant meaning is that it has been confirmed within the lawyer community that disciplinary actions cannot cause harm," adding, "When lawyers try to enter the public domain, having disciplinary records can have a negative impact, but since the psychological burden on lawyers has been effectively relieved, I expect the use of platforms to increase."

A legal tech industry insider said, "As a result, the cancellation of disciplinary actions against 123 lawyers acknowledges the positive aspects provided by the platform," and added, "If we move towards enabling use under improved conditions, it could serve as a positive signal for investment in the legal tech industry."

The venture and startup sectors also welcomed the Ministry of Justice's decision. The Korea Venture Business Association stated, "Legal tech innovative companies are now free from the shackles of unfair sanctions by the Bar Association and have opened the path to actively enhance their competitiveness in the global market," and added, "(This Ministry of Justice decision) signifies that Korea's legal tech industry has entered a new era and proves that the proposition of promoting innovative company development and consumer benefits through fair and free market competition is not wrong." The Korea Startup Forum also said, "We hope legal tech companies will fully unleash their long-suppressed potential, compete confidently in the global market, and have their innovation recognized."

Rotok plans to engage in public interest activities for legal consumers going forward. A Rotok representative explained, "We have already been providing legal support for small business owners and have supported legal consultations for victims of jeonse fraud, among other public interest activities, but we will strengthen these efforts further." Along with this, they plan to review all ongoing services, marketing methods, and ensure there are no violations of the Attorney-at-Law Act and advertising regulations.

The legal tech industry holds the position that dialogue with the Korean Bar Association is necessary. Rotok has formally requested a dialogue with the Bar Association. Min Myung-gi, CEO of Law & Good, also said, "I believe the Korean Bar Association should recognize legal tech companies as partners and create an open forum to seek coexistence and mutual growth," adding, "Only then can this Ministry of Justice decision truly shine."

On the morning of the same day, Han Dong-hoon, Minister of Justice, said, "Although the disciplinary actions against 123 lawyers were canceled, we concluded that institutional improvements are also necessary regarding the business methods of judicial platforms," and added, "I believe this was a decision made after considering various factors, and the Ministry of Justice will support the Bar Association and the industry in establishing new systems accordingly."

The Ministry of Justice held a lawyer disciplinary committee meeting at the Government Complex Gwacheon the day before and accepted the objections filed by 123 lawyers disciplined by the Bar Association for using Rotok. For 120 lawyers, no charges were found, and for three lawyers who used sentencing prediction services, a 'non-disciplinary warning' was issued. Since a non-disciplinary warning is not a disciplinary action under the Attorney-at-Law Act, the disciplinary actions against all 123 lawyers were effectively nullified.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.