[21st National Assembly New Figure] Kim Mi-ae, Former Female Worker at Textile Factory and Bar Exam Passer, "I Will Propose a Law Allowing Lawyers Without Attending Law School"

Kim Mi-ae, the elected member of the United Future Party (Busan Haeundae-eul), is watching the vote counting broadcast at the United Future Party Busan City Party Office in Suyeong-gu, Busan, on the 15th of last month.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Jin-Young Hwang] Among the 300 elected members of the 21st National Assembly, 151 are first-term lawmakers entering the Assembly for the first time. More than half of the total seats in the National Assembly are filled with new faces. We present the ‘21st National Assembly New Faces’ series, introducing the first-term lawmakers of the 21st National Assembly and sharing their aspirations.

Kim Mi-ae, elected member of the United Future Party (Busan Haeundae-eul), stated, "Law schools are an established system and cannot be abolished, but they have made it impossible for a dragon to emerge from a small stream," adding, "I will propose a bill to allow people to become lawyers without attending law school."

On the 4th, in a phone interview with Asia Economy, Kim mentioned, "The reality is that many law school students come from wealthy families," and said, "There is a difference from the starting point."

She plans to maintain the current law school system while introducing a preliminary bar exam system that allows people to become lawyers without going through law school, thereby creating an additional ladder of opportunity to become a lawyer.

In the last general election, Kim won 53,900 votes (52.8%) in Busan Haeundae-eul, defeating the incumbent lawmaker Yoon Jun-ho of the Democratic Party of Korea, who received 46,799 votes (45.9%).

She said, "During the campaign, I heard a lot of people say that someone like Kim Mi-ae should be sent to the National Assembly," and added, "I think I received support not only from my district but also nationwide."

Due to difficult family circumstances, Kim dropped out of Pohang Girls' High School and worked as a female worker in a textile factory in Busan. At age 29, she enrolled in the night program of Dong-A University Law School and passed the 44th Judicial Examination in 2002.

She has been actively involved in women, children, and human rights fields, serving as an advisory lawyer for the Busan Association for the Disabled, and founded Hanol, a women’s specialized law firm composed of female lawyers.

Kim, a single mother who has never married, is raising three children: one adopted child and two nieces/nephews of her older sister.

She began her political career as the senior vice chairperson of the Busan branch of the Liberty Korea Party and took a more active role in politics by serving as the campaign committee chairperson for Busan mayoral candidate Suh Byung-soo during the 2018 local elections.

Kim said, "I am a proponent of free market economy," adding, "Although I came from a difficult family background, I wanted to work hard and live a wealthy life. I thought this party aligned better with the life I pursue."

She expressed her desire to work on the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee.

She said, "I once served as an auditor for our apartment complex, and even though it was a new apartment, the elevator maintenance cost exceeded 10 million won. Upon investigation, I found that it was a private contract," adding, "It took a year to change it to a competitive bidding process after discovering illegalities. I faced slander and reduced my work as a lawyer to focus fully on this."

She continued, "In apartment complexes and other multi-family housing, the local government heads have management authority, but since there are no responsible officials, related laws exist but are ineffective," and said, "Ensuring that existing laws function properly is also a reason why I want to become a member of the National Assembly."

She stated, "On the first page of my election leaflet, it says ‘I will work only for the people,’" and expressed her aspiration, "I will practice warm politics that empathizes with the people and responsible politics."