Concerns Over Lawyer Oversupply

The Korean Bar Association (KBA), under the leadership of President Kim Jong-wook, has issued a strong appeal to limit the number of successful candidates in the upcoming 14th lawyer Examination to below 1,200. This announcement comes ahead of the scheduled release of examination results on April 25th, raising concerns about the increasing saturation of the legal profession in South Korea.

Impact on Justice and Public Trust

In a recent statement,the KBA emphasized the potential ramifications of an overabundance of lawyers. The association argues that intensifying competition among legal professionals could compromise their commitment to defending fundamental human rights and upholding social justice. This, in turn, could erode public trust in the judicial system.

As the competition for the overpower of lawyers is increasing, the lawyers who leave the mission of defending basic human rights and realizing social justice are leading to judicial distrust and public damage.

Historical Context and Current Trends

The issue of lawyer supply has been a growing concern as the establishment of law schools in 2012. Initially, the number of successful candidates was capped at 1,451. However, this number has steadily increased, with over 1,700 new lawyers entering the profession annually. This surge has led to a dramatic increase in the total number of lawyers in South Korea, more than doubling from 12,532 in 2012 to over 35,000 last year.

This rapid expansion contrasts sharply with other developed nations. For example, while South Korea has seen a meaningful increase, countries like Germany have maintained a more stable ratio of lawyers to the general population. According to recent data, South Korea’s lawyer-to-population ratio is significantly higher than that of Japan, a nation with a similar legal framework.

Saturation Point: A Comparative Analysis

The KBA contends that the South Korean legal market is reaching a saturation point. They highlight that the ratio of lawyers to the population is approximately twice that of Japan, while the number of new lawyers entering the field is roughly three times higher. This comparison underscores the potential for an oversupply of legal professionals in South Korea.

Unfulfilled Promises and Regulatory Concerns

The KBA also voiced concerns over the lack of progress in reducing and integrating adjacent qualifications that overlap with the work of lawyers. They argue that promises made to address this issue, in conjunction with increasing lawyer admissions, have not been fulfilled.

Instead of increasing the number of lawyers ’emissions on the premise of law, we promised to reduce and integrate adjacent qualifications overlapped with lawyers’ work, but it is not implemented at all.

Call for Objective Assessment and Reform

The association is advocating for a more objective and complete approach to determining the number of new lawyers admitted each year. They emphasize the need to consider factors such as population trends, declining birth rates, overseas legislative qualification systems, supply and demand dynamics, and the overall state of the legal industry.

The number of new emissions lawyers must be calculated objectively,reflecting the current situation of the population,population reduction,overseas legislative qualification system,supply and demand system,and the current situation of the lawyer industry.

Criticism of the Current Decision-Making Process

The KBA has criticized the current process for determining the number of successful candidates as being opaque and possibly biased. The Ministry of Justice announces the lawyer examination plan each September and finalizes the number of successful candidates through the Lawyer Test Management Committee on the day the results are released.This committee, chaired by the Vice Minister of Justice, comprises 15 members, including law professors, judges, lawyers, and officials from the Ministry of Education.

The KBA alleges that the number of successful candidates is frequently enough predetermined, with the committee’s decisions influenced by the interests of the majority of lawyers, rather than objective statistical indicators and real-world conditions.

With the approximate number of successful candidates,one of the most common plurality of plans is determined. The number of new lawyers was decided according to the interests of the majority of the lawyers every time without the objective statistical indicators and reality.

Demands for Openness and Disclosure

to address these concerns, the KBA is calling for a reorganization of the current deliberation procedure. They are demanding that the scope of the number of candidates for lawyers in 2026 be disclosed in detail this year,promoting greater transparency and accountability in the decision-making process.

The current deliberation procedure must be reorganized. This year, this year, the scope of the number of candidates for lawyers in 2026 should be disclosed in detail.