Kim Jeong-wook, Seoul Bar Association President, "Will Request Disciplinary Action Against Lawyers Joining Legal Platforms"

Kim Jung-wook, President of the Seoul Bar Association [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Kim Jung-wook, President of the Seoul Bar Association, stated on the 27th, "Lawyers registered on legal platforms will request disciplinary action from the Korean Bar Association in accordance with the revised regulations on lawyer advertising."

At the '96th Seoul Bar Association Executive Half-Year Settlement Press Conference' held at the Bar Association Hall in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Kim said, "Petitions requesting disciplinary action have already been submitted against about 500 members who violated the Lawyer Act through false and exaggerated advertisements on legal platforms." The revised 'Regulations on Lawyer Advertising,' which prohibit members from joining lawyer introduction platforms such as LawTalk, is set to take effect on the 4th of next month, signaling a tough stance.

Kim criticized the legal platforms, saying, "Private companies are misleading the public by claiming to act in their interest while maximizing profits." He added, "If brokers flood the legal market, it could undermine the fairness unique to the legal market, and if the platform simply aims to increase profitability, the damage will be passed directly to the public." He further stated, "While platforms are convenient, we need to consider whether convenience alone justifies everything." The Seoul Bar Association has long criticized legal platforms like LawTalk as being unlawful.

Regarding the recent decision by the Bundang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province not to prosecute Naver's legal consultation service 'Knowledge Expert,' which was reported for violating the Lawyer Act, Kim pointed out, "I believe the opinion of the Minister of Justice also played a role." Last month, Minister of Justice Park Beom-gye expressed a favorable stance on the legality of online legal services during a meeting with startup officials, stating, "LawTalk does not violate the Lawyer Act."

On the amendment to the Tax Accountant Act, which removed the automatic qualification provision for new lawyers to become tax accountants, Kim commented, "If lawyers can perform tax accountant activities, it could provide the public with more choices in services." He questioned, "We need to consider whether it is appropriate to allow only tax accountants to exercise exclusive rights." He emphasized, "It would be problematic if lawyers tried to monopolize a large share, but in reality, that is absolutely not the case."