South Korean President Lee Jae-myung Revives Debate Over Bar Exam

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has reignited a long-standing debate over the reinstatement of the national bar exam, a move that has drawn both support and criticism from legal professionals. The Korean Law Professors Association (KLPA) has publicly called on the president to follow through on his stated intention to review the possibility of reviving the exam, separate from the current law school system.

Background on the Bar Exam Debate

For years, South Korea’s legal education system has centered around law school. Prior to the current system, prospective lawyers took a national bar exam. During a town hall meeting in Gwangju in June of last year, President Lee Jae-myung expressed a degree of agreement with the idea of reinstating the bar exam, stating that individuals with the necessary skills should be able to qualify as lawyers even without a law school degree. He reportedly instructed the head of the Blue House policy office to explore potential improvements to the system related to the bar exam’s revival.^[1]

KLPA Calls for Action

The KLPA issued a statement on March 12, 2026, urging President Lee to develop and implement a concrete plan for reinstating the bar exam. The association argues that the exam is desired by a majority of the South Korean public.^[1] They also responded to recent reports that the government was not considering a plan to select 50 to 150 additional lawyers annually through a separate bar exam, calling the denial “ununderstandable” given the President’s prior directive.^[1]

Proposed “New Judicial Examination”

The KLPA proposes a “New Judicial Examination” that would function as a civil service exam to select professional judicial officers. They suggest that over 200 public-service judicial officers should be selected through this new exam, based on the number of retired judicial officers over the past decade. The association emphasizes the need for clear selection criteria and a distinct separation between the new exam and the existing bar exam, arguing that this would help eliminate judicial corruption stemming from collusion between public and private legal sectors.^[1]

About the Korean Law Professors Association

The Korean Law Professors Association comprises professors, lecturers, and law doctors from 139 law schools nationwide (excluding 25 law schools, law departments, and similar departments). The organization has been a vocal critic of the current law school system.^[1]

President Lee Jae-myung’s Background

Lee Jae-myung has been serving as the 14th president of South Korea since 2025. He is also a lawyer.^[4]