President Lee Jae-myung Expresses Personal Agreement on Reviving the Bar Exam, Suggests Diversification in Legal Professional Training

President Lee Jae-myung expressed personal agreement regarding the revival of the abolished bar exam.

On the 25th, President Lee Jae-myung responded to a citizen's request for the revival of the bar exam during a town hall meeting held at the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju. He said, "It is a difficult topic, but personally, I agree to some extent."

At this meeting, a citizen stated, "With the abolition of the bar exam, one can only become a lawyer or a judge through law school, which is only attended by 'gold spoon' individuals," suggesting the revival of the bar exam. Another citizen reiterated, "With the abolition of the bar exam, one can only become a lawyer or a judge through law school, which is only attended by 'gold spoon' individuals," urging for the revival of the bar exam.

In response, the President mentioned, "I was discussing the revival of the bar exam while having lunch with the chief policy officer and the spokesperson today. It seems there is a problem with the pathway to training legal professionals. I briefly worried whether it is becoming a system of cronyism rather than merit-based."

Highlighting the Need for Alternative Pathways while Maintaining the Law School System

President Lee suggested the necessity for alternative pathways without denying the law school system itself.

He stated, "Personally, I believe that since the law school system has already been established for a long time, it would not be easy to abolish it. However, should all paths to becoming a legal professional only go through law school? Isn’t it possible to verify a lawyer's qualifications even if they do not graduate from law school, as long as they have the capability?"

The current system for training legal professionals changed after the introduction of law schools in 2009, leading to the abolition of the bar exam in 2017, which now allows only law school graduates to take the bar exam. This has led to persistent criticism regarding the increased barriers for economically disadvantaged groups to enter the legal field.

However, President Lee added, "I think about this, but it is a matter that will provoke intense debate socially and politically, so it is not something I can easily discuss," indicating a cautious approach.

This is interpreted as reflecting an awareness that societal consensus is necessary for institutional changes, given the intense debates that occurred during the introduction of the law school system between the legal community, academia, and civic groups.

Meanwhile, according to the Ministry of Justice, the bar exam for selecting legal professionals in South Korea was conducted 59 times from 1964 until its abolition in 2017.

President Lee Jae-myung is a graduate of the 28th bar exam in 1986.

Since 2018, only those who graduate from a three-year law school can obtain a lawyer's qualification upon passing the bar exam.

It is known that completing the three-year law school program requires approximately 100 million KRW in tuition fees.

Image Source: President Lee Jae-myung held a town hall meeting with citizens from Gwangju and Jeonnam at the Asia Culture Center in Gwangju on the 25th. / News1 (provided by the Presidential Office), Students receiving admission consultations during the joint admission briefing for the 2024 academic year held at the AT Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul on August 24, 2023. / News1, Reference photos for better understanding of the article / gettyimagesbank