This article was displayed on the ChosunBiz RM Report website at 10:24 a.m. on Mar. 17, 2026.
A base fee of 600,000 won per case. The experience of serving as a state-appointed counsel at the Constitutional Court—which was once considered close to an "honorary post"—has recently drawn renewed attention in the legal community. That is because the full rollout of the retrial-complaint system, which makes even final court judgments subject to review, is expected to sharply increase Constitutional Court cases. There is a view that experience as a state-appointed counsel, as a pathway to building constitutional litigation experience, could take root as a meaningful credential in the legal market going forward.
According to legal sources on the 16th, there are 80 state-appointed counsels active at the Constitutional Court this year. When the Constitutional Court issued a recruitment notice in October last year, 720 people applied nationwide, resulting in a competition rate of 9 to 1. Although lower than last year's rate (9.8 to 1), it rose from 2023 (8 to 1) and 2024 (8 to 1).
Until now, many in the legal community have effectively viewed Constitutional Court state-appointed counsel as an honorary role. The pay is low compared with fees for general law firm cases.
The base fee per case for a Constitutional Court state-appointed counsel is 600,000 won. Additional fees are paid for pleadings, evidentiary proceedings, attendance at hearing dates, and so on, but the total fee per case is capped at 2 million won.
An attorney who served as a Constitutional Court state-appointed counsel for two years said, "Unlike general civil or criminal trials, constitutional complaint cases require both public law issues and constitutional interpretation, which take considerable time to prepare," adding, "It is true there is an assessment that the pay is not sufficient compared with the effort invested."
However, the legal community expects the popularity of Constitutional Court state-appointed counsel to rise further. That is because there is a strong possibility that Constitutional Court cases will surge with the full implementation of the retrial-complaint system on the 12th.
The number of annual cases the Constitutional Court estimated it could handle during the legislative process is up to 15,000. That is about five times the current annual caseload (around 3,000).
Under the Constitutional Court Act, appointing an attorney is mandatory for a retrial complaint. For this reason, demand is likely to grow for attorneys with extensive experience in such cases. With many law firms already actively recruiting attorneys from the Constitutional Court, the credential of "Constitutional Court state-appointed counsel" itself can be evaluated as experience that demonstrates practical expertise in constitutional litigation.
An attorney said, "The biggest appeal of serving as a Constitutional Court state-appointed counsel is that you can engage in mandatory public-interest work while simultaneously building experience in retrial-complaint cases," adding, "As retrial-complaint cases are expected to increase, attorneys with relevant practical experience will naturally gain greater market competitiveness."
To be assigned a Constitutional Court state-appointed counsel, an applicant must have an average monthly income below 3 million won or be part of a vulnerable group. However, if there is a public-interest need, anyone can be assigned a state-appointed counsel regardless of income. A retrial complaint can also be assigned a state-appointed counsel even if the income requirement is not met, if it is determined to have significant constitutional meaning.