By Reuben Staines
Staff Reporter

The ruling and opposition parties have agreed to push for the introduction of a U.S.-style law school system by around 2007, despite strong opposition from the legal community.

Reps. Lee Eun-young of the Uri Party and Park Se-il of the Grand National Party said Monday they plan to introduce a bill to the National Assembly next month requiring prospective lawyers to attend a three-year graduate law school before sitting the bar exam.

Currently students can become lawyers without even studying law at undergraduate level if they are able to pass the bar exam.

Park, a first-term lawmaker and presidential aide during the Kim Young-sam administration, said the reform is urgently needed to prepare for the opening of the domestic legal market. ``Legal education should be more specialized. Now lawyers are only educated on basic legal concepts,’’ he said.

The adoption of the U.S. law school model has been on the government’s agenda since 1995 and was one of President Roh Moo-hyun’s pledges during the 2002 election.

Park believed the Justice Ministry is now ready to implement the new lawyer education system. ``This is the first attempt to reform the legal system in 100 years, so there are many things to consider. However, it is clear the direction we have to move in,’’ he said.

The bill is likely to give educational institutes a grace period of two years to meet requirements to be recognized as law schools, meaning the system would be fully implemented by 2007. Intra-party committees are still working out details for a draft bill.

However, many practicing lawyers have expressed opposition to the proposal, arguing that the legal environment here is different to that of the U.S. and that the move would have a negative impact on the legal sector. The Seoul Bar Association said 65 percent of its members do not want the U.S. system adopted.

Park Sung-pil, research director at Seoul School of Integrated Sciences and Technologies (aSSIST), said the resistance from the legal community is natural due to fears that it will increase the number of practicing lawyers. The aSSIST offers a Master of Law degree through Chicago’s Northwestern University.

``For decades, Korean lawyers have been somewhat privileged,’’ he said. ``Once they pass the bar exam they can make a lot of money without facing much competition.’’

Park thought the law schools would enhance legal services in South Korea and help ensure lawyers can compete when the legal market opens.

rjs@koreatimes.co.kr