Election for President of the Korean Bar Association on 17th and 20th
Kim Jung-wook, a Link to the Law School Generation
Ahn Byung-hee, Trust Built Through a Second Challenge
Geum Tae-seop, Parliamentary Experience and Detailed Pledges
As the election for the 53rd President of the Korean Bar Association approaches on January 17 and 20, the three candidates are intensifying their strategies and making every effort to secure last-minute votes. The election is a competition among candidates Kim Jeong-wook (46, 2nd Bar Exam), Ahn Byung-hee (63, 7th Military Legal Officer Exam), and Geum Tae-seop (58, 24th Judicial Research and Training Institute), listed in ballot order, and is regarded in the legal community as a “fierce three-way race.” Each candidate is leveraging their strengths through various methods such as regional campaigns, SNS campaigns, and tailored pledges to win over voters.
Candidate Kim Jeong-wook is expanding his support base among young lawyers by emphasizing the value of “protecting professional jurisdictions.” He is the only candidate in his 40s, and if elected, he will become the first president in his 40s and the first law school graduate to hold the position since the introduction of direct elections.
He has served as Secretary-General and Vice President of the Korean Bar Association, as well as Vice President and President of the Seoul Bar Association, engaging in various activities to protect professional jurisdictions, such as abolishing the special exemption system for career civil service qualification exams and blocking legislation granting patent attorneys joint litigation rights. Since 2015, he has strongly advocated for the abolition of the law school vacancy replenishment system, solidifying support among law school graduate lawyers. On December 26 last month, he held a solo protest in front of the Gwanghwamun Government Complex opposing the vacancy replenishment system. A young law school graduate lawyer said, “Candidate Kim has strong support among law school graduate lawyers,” adding, “If young lawyers actively participate in voting, his chances of winning will increase.”
Candidate Ahn Byung-hee lost by 135 votes to the current president, Kim Young-hoon, in the 52nd election in 2023. A lawyer with experience in Seoul Bar Association administration said, “His experience touring the country and directly communicating with members at that time seems to be a great help in building his support base for this election as well.” Candidate Ahn, who presents himself as an “ordinary lawyer,” is appealing for support from local members across the country, including the metropolitan areas of Incheon, Namyangju, Uijeongbu, and Goyang, as well as Chungbuk, Sejong, Jeonbuk, Jeju, Daegu, Ulsan, Gwangju, and Cheongju.
He is introducing his main pledges and activities through his YouTube channel “Ahn Byung-hee TV” and communicating with voters in various ways, such as sharing short-form videos that reveal election camp meetings and campaign scenes. Candidate Ahn also participated in a protest urging the abolition of the vacancy replenishment system by visiting the Ministry of Education in Sejong City on December 26 last year.
Candidate Geum Tae-seop is emphasizing practical problem-solving with the ambition to utilize his 30 years of legal experience and personal network accumulated as a prosecutor, lawyer, and member of the National Assembly. As a former member of the National Assembly with high name recognition, his candidacy has attracted significant attention from the legal community even before the election.
Candidate Geum is delivering his main pledges to members using card news. Under the title “Young Lawyer Starter Pack,” he proposed support such as a 1%p interest subsidy on credit loans, free provision of various paid subscriptions, and profile photo shoots. In addition, he shared specific pledges such as resolving parking issues for lawyers at the Seoul Southern Detention Center and improving the inmate letter-sending system to be more lawyer-friendly. A lawyer with experience in association affairs said, “The detailed and specific pledges resonated with me,” adding, “Although they may seem minor, the fact that he reflected small inconveniences experienced in practice into his pledges stood out.” Candidate Geum also shared legal information with members, stating that “significant changes are expected in civil appeal trials starting this March,” separate from the election.
Meanwhile, this election has drawn attention for the candidates’ campaign activities using “Pung,” a KakaoTalk short-form service launched in September 2023. Pung is a feature accessible from the profile at the top of the KakaoTalk home screen, allowing users to share short videos and images for 24 hours. This new method, unseen in previous Bar Association president elections, enables candidates to share pledges and messages in real time, strengthening communication with members.
The policy debate will be broadcast live on January 9 at 2 p.m. on the Korean Bar Association Election Commission’s YouTube channel. Early voting will take place on the 17th, and the main election on the 20th.
Reporter Ahn Hyun, Legal News
※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.
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