ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the new phenomena that have accompanied the numerical growth of the Korean bar. It discusses the pros and cons of the growth of the bar which have been vehemently asserted by two sharply divided proponents: the legal establishment and the academics. The chapter introduces the changes in the role of lawyers. The Korean legal community is struggling over a critical question: to increase or not to increase the number of lawyers. No single issue has more haunted the entire Korean legal world than the optimal size of the bar. The only practical path to becoming a licensed attorney in Korea is to pass the National Judiciary Examination run by the government. One distinctive pattern of legal practice that has flourished since 1980 is the law firm. Until 1980, only a few “firms” existed in Korea. It was not until 1982 that the law officially recognized the “law firm” as an independent legal entity.
