Over 20 Years Helping North Korean Defectors
"When Determining the Level of Public Service,
The Direction Pointed by the Leader Is Important"
The public interest foundation Dongcheon, affiliated with the law firm Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, celebrated its 15th anniversary on June 17. Dongcheon was the first public interest foundation established by a Korean law firm in June 2009. Currently, seven full-time lawyers are active. Alongside Dongcheon, the Bae, Kim & Lee Public Interest Committee, which engages in public interest activities, includes about 240 experts across seven divisions.
On the 17th, marking the 15th anniversary, Kang Yong-hyun (74, Judicial Research and Training Institute Class 10), the 5th chairman, was succeeded by Yoo Wook (61, Class 19), a lawyer at Bae, Kim & Lee, who assumed the position of the 6th chairman. Yoo, a graduate of Paejae High School and Seoul National University’s Department of Public Law, and who completed graduate studies in law at Seoul National University, finished the Judicial Research and Training Institute in 1990 and has been practicing at Bae, Kim & Lee since 1993. He has been known for over 20 years for helping North Korean defectors and has steadily made a name for himself in the public interest field, including as head of Dongcheon’s NPO Law Center.
When asked about Dongcheon’s future direction during a meeting at Bae, Kim & Lee’s headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd, the new chairman Yoo replied that it is to serve as a “think tank” for public interest law policy.
Chairman Yoo said, “While Dongcheon has so far been a pioneer in public interest law activities, it now needs to take responsibility and fulfill the role of a ‘think tank’ supporting public interest law policy.” He pointed out that “when addressing issues faced by socially vulnerable groups such as North Korean defectors and people with disabilities, it is necessary to consider multiple stakeholders.” He added, “There is a clear ‘coexistence line’ where stakeholders can peacefully coexist, and going forward, Dongcheon will take on the role of finding that ‘coexistence line.’”
Chairman Yoo cited the theme of the 10 volumes of Dongcheon’s Public Interest Law Series, “Rights of Persons with Disabilities,” as an example. He said, “There used to be protests related to the mobility rights of persons with disabilities, and we intend to become an institution that, as legal professionals, finds ways to legally realize housing rights, the right to work, and access to medical care, so that such outcries can lead to the advancement of disability human rights.”
He identified the “will of the executive” as the foremost requirement for determining the level of a law firm’s public interest activities. He said, “People’s behavior patterns inevitably change following the direction indicated by their leaders,” adding, “Bae, Kim & Lee continuously encourages new lawyers to engage in public interest activities and actively participates in such efforts.” As he mentioned, the public interest activities of lawyers at Bae, Kim & Lee and Dongcheon are steadily increasing. According to the ‘2023 Bae, Kim & Lee & Dongcheon Public Interest Activity Report,’ the pro bono hours of lawyers at Bae, Kim & Lee and Dongcheon increased by 25% compared to 2022.
Chairman Yoo also expressed hope that public interest activities in Korean society would become more active through the “revitalization of corporate public interest foundations.” He cited the historic Swedish labor-management grand compromise known as the “Saltsj?baden Agreement,” saying, “If the fruits of Korean capitalism are gathered into corporate public interest foundations and then returned to society through them, a virtuous cycle can be created that benefits citizens, society, and corporations alike.” The Saltsj?baden Agreement, concluded in 1938, introduced a dual-class voting system to solidify the controlling family’s corporate governance rights while returning a significant portion of profits to workers and society through foundations. He said, “The financial flow toward public interest foundations must be unlocked,” adding, “If financial and human resources are supplied to NGOs, which are in very poor conditions, it will ultimately greatly help the many vulnerable groups who cannot raise their voices.”
As a lawyer, Chairman Yoo cited “Helper’s High” as the best aspect of public interest work. Helper’s High is a psychiatric term describing the feeling of happiness when helping others. He said, “As former chairman Kang Yong-hyun said, ‘Because I engaged in public interest activities, I was able to have a very rewarding career as a lawyer,’ I believe that ‘Helper’s High’ is essential to avoid falling into a rut and to continue working as a lawyer.”
Regarding his appointment as chairman, he first recalled the words of Kim In-seop (88, 14th Bar Exam), the lead lawyer at Bae, Kim & Lee when he joined in 1993. Yoo said, “As a first-year lawyer, the words I heard most from lead lawyer Kim In-seop were ‘value group’ and ‘get together.’ I heard countless times that Bae, Kim & Lee should not be just a business law firm but a group that establishes and pursues values in Korean society.” He added, “After hearing those words, I took a leading role in establishing the Public Interest Committee in 2001, the first in Korean law firm history, and Dongcheon in 2009. It is an honor and a joy to be able to realize the dreams and visions of public interest lawyers as chairman of Dongcheon.”
Reporter Jo Han-ju, Legal Times
※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
![Clutching a Stolen Dior Bag, Saying "I Hate Being Poor but Real"... The Grotesque Con of a "Human Knockoff" [Slate]](https://cwcontent.asiae.co.kr/asiaresize/183/2026021902243444107_1771435474.jpg)
