[Editor's note] There are people who wipe away neighbors' tear-filled eyes rather than clinging to the cold letters of the law. Instead of basking under bright lights, they go directly to island villages and remote areas with no lawyers—so-called "lawyerless villages"—to provide free legal counseling. It has already been 13 years. A total of 1,228 lawyers have become a solid support in 1,414 towns, townships, and neighborhoods nationwide. Here are the warm voices of those who have quietly walked toward the lowest places.
"An 80-something grandfather and a 70-something grandmother—both were basic livelihood security recipients. Before the grief of their son's sudden death had even subsided, a court order for attachment arrived. The son's 10 million won debt was inherited by the parents. With no money to pay immediately and no means to hire a lawyer, the village lawyer was their only hope. The law and the system are the rights of the vulnerable. I will work hard so that people do not suffer unfairness for lack of knowledge."
Lawyer Yeom Seong-jun (8th bar exam), who has been serving as a "village lawyer" for six years in places including Wonju, Gangwon Province, recalled the most memorable case in an interview with ChosunBiz on Dec. 26 last year. At the time, Yeom helped the elderly couple through the "special limited approval of inheritance" system, which can be applied for within three months from the day one learns that the inherited debt exceeds the assets.
Yeom said he is committed to village lawyer work because he has felt the "blind spots in legal welfare." He noted that systems like limited approval of inheritance often go unused simply because people do not know about them.
Yeom said, "I do feel sorry for the creditors, but limited approval of inheritance is a legitimate system created by the state to protect the economically vulnerable," adding, "I cannot stop my village lawyer work because people who do not know the law and find themselves buried in debt need at least one place to ask."
Yeom's main job is as in-house counsel in the sports industry. He is a veteran who has worked at a public agency and a major construction company, but his life after work differs from that of most lawyers. After work, he takes calls from local residents seeking advice, and on weekends he drives himself around Gangwon and Gyeonggi provinces. Below is a Q&A with Yeom.
─ What was the most rewarding counseling case as a village lawyer?
"In general, many people cannot respond because they do not know the system. I remember a job seeker living with a sick father in a semi-basement one-room in Goyang. Their home was designated for redevelopment, so they had to move, but they had no way to secure moving expenses immediately. They heard from others that 'the redevelopment association gives moving expenses' and went there, only to be told, 'Tenants are not eligible.'
Upon review, it was a case where the tenant could receive residential relocation expenses and moving costs under the Land Compensation Act. I contacted the association directly, but their position was, 'We cannot pay. Sue us.' We eventually filed an administrative suit, I provided free representation, and secured about 11 million won. I still vividly remember the young person's sigh of relief."
─ Do young people also seek out village lawyers?
"Yes. There was a case of a single mother I met at a multiunit housing complex in Goyang. She moved into the top-floor unit of a low-rise apartment with a terrace while raising a 6-month-old baby, but it was structurally close to a rooftop addition. The rainwater pipe was clogged, and water pooled on the terrace and flowed into the home, yet the builder refused to act, saying it was 'not a defect.'
"Then several sturdy men started coming and going, acting intimidating, and she called me in a trembling voice asking me to come right away. When I went to the scene, the very fact that multiple people were entering a home with a young woman and a baby was a problem. I stopped them immediately, and that opened the way to resolving the dispute."
─ Are there difficulties when counseling older people in rural villages?
"It is not easy at first. But my father's hometown is Wonju, so when I bring up local landmarks, specialties, or regional foods, the emotional distance narrows naturally. At some point, they accept me like a grandson or son. Once that trust builds, the stories they have kept inside pour out, and the legal issues surface in the process."
─ What do you think is needed to vitalize the village lawyer system?
"We should make good use of the village 'head.' It is more effective to inform the head about the system than city hall or the township office. In rural areas, the head is the window to the outside and the center of the network. Once, I was called by the head to the senior center, and the grandmothers there gathered on the spot and peppered me with questions. I remember counseling as we shared instant coffee and sliced rice cakes."
─ As in-house counsel, weekdays must be difficult for this work.
"First, I consult by phone. I do about one phone consultation a week, and if in-person is needed, I make time. For Gangwon, I go once every month or two with the mindset of 'going for some fresh air' and meet one or two people. Goyang is close, so I sometimes meet at a café."
─ Has the village lawyer experience helped with your main job?
"Yes. There are many cases you do not usually encounter, and beyond litigation, you consider various resolution methods such as arbitration or mediation. You also learn how to make use of the roles of village elders. It is an experience that broadens your perspective as a lawyer."