[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] Lee Jong-yeop, the newly appointed president of the Korean Bar Association (58, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 18), voiced sharp criticism of the judiciary on the 22nd, emphasizing judicial independence.
At the Korean Bar Association’s regular general meeting held at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, Lee stated, "The starting point of judicial independence is the independence of court personnel appointments, and without the functioning of personnel independence, one cannot expect the separation of powers to be realized."
He continued, "Our people want the courts to be respected as guardians of justice, free from political influence," adding, "Judicial independence must be upheld by the courts themselves. The courts must now reflect on whether they are truly independent."
Lee said, "From the distant judicial scandal to the recent ongoing friction between the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution, and controversies surrounding judicial impeachments and judicial appointments, the public cannot help but feel disappointment and concern about the entire legal community," emphasizing, "The cause of reform must not blind the eyes of justice or damage and distort the rule of law."
These remarks by Lee are interpreted as targeting Chief Justice Kim Myung-soo, who has been embroiled in controversy over 'false explanations' and 'political appointments' related to the refusal to accept the resignation of Busan High Court Judge Lim Seong-geun.
Meanwhile, Lee also expressed his position on the recently highlighted issue of protecting the exclusive practice rights of lawyers.
He stated, "We will strive to produce an appropriate number of lawyers in line with our economy and population size," and strongly opposed the government's unilateral policy of oversupplying lawyers, making it clear that the number of successful candidates in this year's bar exam should be reduced to around 1,200.
Lee graduated from Gwangseong High School in Incheon and Seoul National University School of Law. After completing the Judicial Research and Training Institute as class 18, he was appointed as a prosecutor at Incheon District Prosecutors' Office in 1992. He then served as a prosecutor at Yeongdeok Branch of Daegu District Prosecutors' Office and Changwon District Prosecutors' Office before opening his law practice in 1995.
He served as Public Relations Director of the Incheon Bar Association in 2005, General Affairs Director in 2011, and president of the Incheon Bar Association in 2017. On the 27th of last month, he was elected as the 51st president of the Korean Bar Association, winning 8,536 votes (58.67%) out of 14,550 valid votes in the final runoff.
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