Respected and beloved members of the Korean Bar Association, I am Attorney Kim Jung-wook, the 53rd President of the Korean Bar Association. I bow my head in gratitude to all the members of the Korean Bar Association who have opened a new era in the legal profession. As the first president elected in his 40s and the first to serve a three-year term following the amendment of our association’s bylaws, I feel the immense weight of the responsibilities entrusted to me. However, I am also filled with hope and excitement at the prospect of leading meaningful change that aligns with this new era. The core motto of my administration is "Communication." I am committed to maintaining open and continuous dialogue with our members. Please share your thoughts freely on the direction our association should take. I will take them to heart, identify key issues, and seek solutions. I will also strengthen communication with the public. We will eliminate widespread misunderstandings, such as the perception of professionals' self-interest, and improve the actual image of lawyers as those at the forefront of protecting human rights and justice, and upholding the rule of law. Based on public trust, we will communicate and cooperate with related organizations such as the National Assembly, the courts, and the Ministry of Justice to solve the many tasks that have accumulated. During the election for the association president, I mentioned 15 pledges. I will once again reaffirm my strong commitment to fulfilling my pledges during my term and will explain the tasks that I will pursue in the future from three perspectives. First, our external objectives: We will work toward: - Completing legislation to expand legal practice areas, - Restoring contingency fees in criminal cases, - Reclaiming legal fields encroached upon by non-lawyers, - Reducing the number of new lawyers, and - Codifying lawyers’ participation rights in administrative regulatory bodies. At the heart of these goals is strengthening our legislative advocacy efforts. We will devote all our resources to finalizing seven key bills, including amendments related to Attorney-Client Privilege (ACP), exemption of attorneys' legal fees from VAT, and revisions to the External Audit Act, which have already been introduced through our advocacy efforts. To reinforce our engagement with the National Assembly, I will personally lead the organization of a nationwide legislative lawyers' group focused on key electoral districts, and we will increase the staffing of our Legislative Support Center. The success of this initiative depends on the voluntary participation of many of our members. I earnestly request that you all work together with one mind and one heart for the advancement of the legal profession. I, along with the 53rd Executive Officers, will gather the support of our members and pass the bill to expand the profession during our term. Even if some bills do not pass, we will establish all the foundations necessary for completing the legislation. In addition, we will form a permanent consultative body with the courts, prosecution, and the Korean Association of Law Schools, led by the Korean Bar Association. We will discuss the sharing of judgments with the courts, restoring contingency fees in criminal cases, improving the next-generation electronic litigation system, and establishing consistent legal tech guidelines with the Ministry of Justice. We will request the Korean Association of Law Schools to reduce the number of admissions and abolish the vacancy supplement system to ensure an appropriate number of lawyers. I am fully aware of the deep concerns surrounding the introduction of record inspection functions for judicial scriveners (certified judicial scriveners) who do not have the right to represent in lawsuits, the debate over violations of the Attorney-at-Law Act due to the abuse of the pseudo-manager system (where individuals without actual managerial authority are falsely registered as managers and take over legal representation), and the amendment to the Civil Procedure Act that mandates the dismissal of appeals if the appellant fails to submit a statement of reasons for the appeal within 40 days without justifiable cause. I will collect the difficulties and opinions of our members and deliver them to the Court Administration Office, making the resolution of these issues my top priority. Second, as goals for improving the system and member welfare, we will actively implement the following: - Improving public interest activities and professional training systems, - Extending the patent agent practical training field training hub nationwide, - Supporting young lawyers, - Publishing the association’s commentary and improving the practical support package, - Establishing a lawyer's mental healing center and forming a nationwide partnership with a
   counseling firm, - Supporting work-life balance. Third, as a goal that requires mediation and coordination among members, I will: - Establish regulations for network law firms and a plan for mutual benefit among members, - Fairly recommend legal personnel while maintaining political neutrality. A network law firm is a firm that presents itself as a single legal entity while establishing branch offices in key locations across the country and maintaining an integrated system. By conducting large-scale, centralized advertising, it poses a threat to the legal services market in rural areas and small law firms. As a result, many lawyers are struggling to sustain their practices. However, if we unilaterally implement strong regulations without careful review simply to gain popularity, we will immediately face great resistance. In order to prevent a situation where proper regulations cannot be implemented due to legal disputes, we must devise a plan that maintains fairness while ensuring the entire legal profession can coexist. In consultation with the heads of local bar associations across the country, I have prepared six regulatory proposals that can be accepted by all members of the legal profession and can drastically improve the current problems. Some of these measures have already been implemented through the revision of the "Regulations on Lawyer Advertisements" on the 6th, and the remaining regulations will be reflected in the advertising regulations. As soon as the revision is completed, we will strictly apply it and not allow a single exception. While strictly implementing the first regulatory proposal, we plan to review changes in the lawyer market and implement the second regulatory proposal that we have prepared through various discussions if the effect is insufficient. Specifically, we are considering keyword advertising regulations using a competitive bidding method, a voluntary pre-review system for advertisements, and a ban on blog gatherings. During the current term, the association plans to recommend key figures in the legal profession. The Korean Bar Association has maintained thorough political neutrality and has been respected without any dispute over fairness. Together with the 53rd Executive Officers, I will ensure that the personnel recommendation process remains politically neutral, transparent, and fair. To begin, I will solicit recommendations for multiple candidates from the members of local bar associations. A new "Personnel Recommendation Review Committee," composed of individuals committed to political neutrality, will be formed to thoroughly assess the candidates. Based on their findings, I will exercise my authority to make recommendations in an objective and transparent manner. Esteemed members of the legal profession across the country, we are confronted with numerous critical issues within our industry, and each one presents a formidable challenge. In order to address these challenges, we must unite as one. As the president of the association representing the middle generation of the legal community, I will strive to foster unity and collaboration among lawyers, from senior veterans to newly qualified practitioners. The stronger the winds, the higher the kite soars. The greater the obstacles, the more resilient and powerful we, as lawyers, will become. As president of the association, no matter what challenges lie ahead, I will face them head-on, unwavering. I will firmly oppose any efforts to undermine the legal profession and will work tirelessly to uphold the dignity of our work. I kindly ask for your dedicated attention and support as we work together to achieve the necessary reforms for this new era. Thank you.

February 24, 2025
Kim Jung-wook, the 53rd President of the Korean Bar Association