[Interview] Wang Miyang, President of the Korean Women Lawyers Association, "Advocating for Women's and Children's Rights for Over 20 Years... Opening a 'Renaissance' Era for the Women Lawyers Association"

Published 06 Mar.2024 17:04(KST)

"I will do my best to advocate for the human rights of women and children and to enhance the rights and interests of women lawyers. I will create a 'Renaissance' era for the Korean Women Lawyers Association so that our members can grow closer and everyone can feel a sense of fulfillment and pride in the association's activities."

On the 22nd of last month, Wang Mi-yang (56, Judicial Research and Training Institute Class 29, photo) was inaugurated as the 13th president of the Korean Women Lawyers Association (hereafter KWLA) and expressed her aspirations for the future.

[Image source=Beomryul Newspaper]

Wang passed the 39th Judicial Examination in 1997 and began her career as a lawyer in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province after completing the Judicial Research and Training Institute in 2000. Since then, she has worked in various fields, including as a specialist at the Seongnam Women's Hotline, a member of the Korean Family Law Counseling Center's legal team, and a professional counselor at the National Grievance Handling Committee, helping socially vulnerable groups who were in blind spots of assistance.

The KWLA was established in 1991 to advocate for human rights, realize social justice, develop women’s policies based on gender equality, and promote the rights and exchanges of women lawyers. Wang actively participated in KWLA activities from 2011 and contributed to the organization’s incorporation as a legal entity. She has served as general affairs director, vice president, and senior vice president, leading efforts to unite women lawyers. In 2019, she became the first woman to be appointed Secretary General of the Korean Bar Association, overseeing its administrative affairs.

The following is a Q&A.

Q. You will lead the Korean Women Lawyers Association for two years.

A. I am grateful to the KWLA members, fellow women lawyers, seniors, and juniors. At the same time, I feel the weight of responsibility. I will do my best for the two goals KWLA pursues: "enhancing the rights and interests of women lawyers" and "advocating for the human rights of women and children." As of last month, there are about 11,000 women lawyers registered with the Korean Bar Association. Compared to when I started practicing law in 2000, when there were fewer than 100 women lawyers, this is a significant increase.

Some say, "Now that the number of women lawyers has increased, is there still a need for the KWLA?" I believe such views come from not understanding KWLA’s role in the field of women’s and children’s human rights. Also, just because the absolute number of women lawyers has increased, it does not necessarily mean their rights and interests have improved proportionally. I believe the KWLA will only become unnecessary when issues of women’s and children’s human rights violations disappear. KWLA members are top legal experts in the field of women’s and children’s human rights.

They have conveyed voices from the field to the National Assembly and government, contributing to legislation and policy-making. The KWLA is the "open arms" of the Korean Bar Association and the Seoul Bar Association. I believe the KWLA examines human rights areas that these two organizations have not fully addressed with a more delicate sensitivity as women. Going forward, the KWLA will remain faithful to its role as a public interest organization.

Q. What is the biggest concern among women lawyers recently?

A. Like most professionals in a competitive society, the biggest issue for women lawyers is developing their careers as experts. More specifically, for unmarried women lawyers, the goal is to fully demonstrate their abilities, gain recognition, and establish themselves as lawyers.

Married women lawyers all face concerns about balancing work and family. To help women lawyers resolve these concerns and difficulties, we plan to expand mentoring programs and hold more frequent meetings between seniors and juniors.

We also plan to strengthen exchanges with women’s professional organizations such as the Women Doctors Association, Women Korean Medicine Doctors Association, IT Women Entrepreneurs Association, and Women Construction Professionals Association. We aim to create opportunities for women lawyers and businesswomen to interact and engage in social contribution activities together. Thanks to the solid foundation laid by previous KWLA presidents, we now have an environment where new challenges can be undertaken. I am grateful to all the executives and members who have led and will continue to lead the KWLA together.