The Korean Bar Association said the number of this year's bar exam passers still reflects an "excessive supply," calling to cut the figure to 1,500 or fewer starting next year and to announce the passers' quota before the exam.
In a commentary on the 24th, the association said, "We extend our congratulations and welcome to the 1,714 passers of the 15th bar exam," but noted, "Given the structurally saturated legal market, this reduction falls far short even of a realistic proposal."
The Ministry of Justice announced the passers of the 15th bar exam on the 23rd. A total of 3,364 people took the test this year, the most ever, but 1,714 passed, 30 fewer than last year's 1,744. This is the first time the number of passers has been cut by at least double digits while the number of applicants has increased.
The association said, "Thanks to the association's continued calls for cuts, the number of passers, which had been fixed in the high 1,700s since 2020, has begun to shift downward," but added, "It is regrettable that the adjustment level falls far short of the realistic proposal the association presented to reflect the severe saturation of the legal market."
The association maintains that the number of passers should be reduced to 1,500 or fewer. Because the legal market is already saturated, median income for lawyers is 30 million won a year, below the average wage income of 45 million won for regular employees, and some lawyers handle fewer than one case per month on average. The association said the main reason is that the current number of lawyers in Korea exceeds the appropriate level by more than 5,000.
The association also cited the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) as a reason to reduce the number of new lawyers. The association said, "With AI being introduced in the legal field, some forecasts say up to 80% of lawyer tasks could be automated by 2030," adding, "There are also studies finding that expanding the supply of legal professionals leads to a decline in the quality of legal services."
It also raised issues with how the number of passers is determined. The association said, "This year again, the number was set not before the exam but at the management committee meeting on the very day of the announcement of passers, in about two hours and 30 minutes," calling it "an opaque 'backroom decision' practice that is hard to accept." It added, "Of the 15 committee members, five are law professors, while only three are lawyers who can reflect voices from the field."
It said the on-the-job training and training system also needs to be redesigned. The association said, "In a situation where the market cannot absorb the continuous output of personnel, a structure propped up by association training entrenches a reality in which young lawyers, even after finishing training, fail to secure employment opportunities and are forced into opening solo practices," adding, "Association training is spreading the misconception that it can substitute for market absorption."
The association called on the Ministry of Justice to implement the following: cut next year's number of passers to 1,500 or fewer; announce the number before the exam; and prepare mid- to long-term supply and demand policies reflecting AI proliferation and population decline.