Kangcheon Lee, President of the Korea Certified Judicial Scrivener Association: “Establishing Judicial Scriveners as Legal Experts by Citizens’ Side”

Marking One Year in Office, President Lee Sets Agenda for Jeonse Fraud Response and Expansion of Practice Scope
"Attorney Monopoly Structure Blocks Citizens' Right to Choose"
Pushing for Mandatory Leasehold Registration and Representation Rights in Small Claims
"Judicial Scriveners Will Establish Their Role as Legal Professionals, Not Just Legal Assistants"

Kangcheon Lee, president of the Korea Certified Judicial Scrivener Association, marked his first anniversary in office on June 26 of last month. His vision of redefining the identity and role of judicial scriveners as "legal experts in everyday life" has been consistently reflected in both the internal operations of the association and its responses to external institutional developments over the past year.

Kangcheon Lee, President of the Korean Association of Certified Judicial Scriveners.

The moment he cited as the most symbolic was the "Legislation Forum on Housing Lease Registration" held at the National Assembly in January. During a period when jeonse fraud was repeatedly occurring, this forum?co-hosted by the Korea Certified Judicial Scrivener Association and the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice?discussed ways to institutionalize the registration of leasehold rights. Reflecting on the event, he said, "It was meaningful because judicial scriveners took the initiative in legislative discussions, and both the National Assembly and civil society joined forces."

Since 2022, the association has organized the "Public Interest Judicial Scrivener Group for Jeonse Damage Support" to provide on-site responses. President Lee believes that these practical experiences have led to discussions on institutional reform. He emphasized, "If the mandatory registration of leasehold rights is legislated, it can serve as a structural safeguard against jeonse fraud."

There have also been changes in organizational management. President Lee considers a "horizontal communication structure" to be essential, given the diversity in region, background, and years of experience among association members. He explained, "We have shifted the structure to activate committee-centered operations and to collect real-time feedback through online channels." He added, "Although the atmosphere was unfamiliar at first, it is gradually leading to more active participation."

Since the launch of the Lee Jaemyung administration, the association has been pursuing the revision of the Judicial Scrivener Act, legislation for representation rights in small claims cases, and other efforts to expand the scope of practice and improve related systems in line with the judicial reform agenda. President Lee stated, "To enhance access to justice, we must address the monopoly structure centered on attorneys," and added, "Restricting areas that judicial scriveners can handle ultimately reduces citizens' choices."

Technological changes, such as the spread of AI and the expansion of online registration, are also significant trends that cannot be ignored. He remarked, "Routine tasks are decreasing, while essential roles are being emphasized even more. As legal experts in daily life, judicial scriveners must pioneer new areas."

He identified three key tasks going forward: revising the Judicial Scrivener Act to include proxy work for judicial assistants, legislating the registration of housing leasehold rights, and enacting representation rights in small claims cases. He described these as "restoring equity with the Attorney-at-Law Act and enacting legislation for the public interest," and revealed plans to work with groups such as the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice and People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy to persuade the National Assembly. He added, "Starting in July, we will launch intensive activities to ensure the passage of related bills."

President Lee stated, "We will continue to pursue institutional reforms so that judicial scriveners are recognized not as mere assistants in the legal profession, but as legal experts standing alongside citizens." From the second year of his term, it is expected that his efforts will focus on turning this vision into reality.