Today, the National Assembly approved a budget bill that includes a $ 3,038,461.54 increase in compensation for public defenders. Consequently, the compensation for general public defenders is set to increase to $ 423.08 in 2024.   The Korean Bar Association, led by president Kim Young-hoon, selected the increase in public defender compensation as one of its key projects before and after the start of the 52nd executive board’s term, and has proactively promoted it. Even before taking office, Kim Young-hoon founded the ‘Public Defender and public service advocates Association’, serving as its first president. He conducted research on ‘Measures to improve the remuneration payment system for efficient and faithful public defenders’, aiming to make it a reality, including increasing the remuneration of public defenders. As a result, the compensation for public defenders increased from $ 346.15 to $ 384.62 in 2023.   The reality is that the compensation for public defenders still does not sufficiently reflect the inflation rate and the increase in actual expenses incurred by lawyers in the process of handling cases. When preparing the budget for the Supreme Court, the Korean Bar Association expressed and reflected the opinion of increasing the budget for public defenders by $ 9,230,769.23 ($ 7,384,615.38 for general public defenders and $ 1,846,153.85 for public defenders only), but in the budget submitted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the entire amount was cut due to the deepening government budget deficit.   Accordingly, the president of the Korean Bar Association and related working-level officials have continued to make efforts to appeal the legitimacy of the budget plan by visiting the National Assembly frequently over the past two months and persuading members of the National Assembly. In this process, the contribution of the vice president of legislation support a new position established by the current executive office, was also significant.   Originally, the Korean Bar Association’s right to request a budget was not recognized, so in the past, the Korean Bar Association’s executive board responded in a relatively passive manner to the lawyer-related budget of the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Justice. However, this 52nd executive board took proactive action by directly visiting the National Assembly and running to establish and pass a budget plan related to lawyers. As a result, with the approval of this budget, the compensation for general public defenders, which was $ 384.62 in 2023, is planned to increase to $ 423.08 in 2024.   Increasing the remuneration of public defenders is not only limited to the remuneration of public defenders but also acts as a standard when appointing attorney members in other public institutions and organizations, so it is a very important project as it takes the first step in realizing attorney remuneration.   We welcome the National Assembly’s approval of the Korean Bar Association’s request to increase the compensation for public defenders. The approval of the budget for increasing the compensation for public defenders through the National Assembly is a key accomplishment achieved by the 52nd executive board of the Korean Bar Association. Originally, the public defender’s remuneration budget was under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, but the effect of increasing the remuneration ultimately leads to the protection of the public’s legal interests through the enhancement of lawyers’ public defender work. Therefore, the Korean Bar Association will continue to strive to realize attorney remuneration and protect and expand professional services regardless of ministry or jurisdiction. We declare that we will continue to make efforts for this.   2023. 12. 21. President of Korean Bar Association KIM Young- hoon

In a groundbreaking announcement on November 24, 2023(India local time), LAWASIA disclosed the results of its executive elections for the term 2023-2024. Attorney Eric Yang emerged as the Vice President, and Hongjoong Kim secured a position as an Exco Member.The election, conducted through online voting from November 1 to 17, witnessed active participation from councillors representing approximately 40 countries.This re-election marks Eric Yang's second consecutive term as Vice President, building upon his initial appointment in 2021. Mr. Eric Yang is a partner in the corporate, mergers and acquisitions practice group of leading Korean law firm Bae, Kim & Lee LLC and leads the firm’s Southeast Asia Practice. Since 2016, he has been a Member of the Executive Committee of LAWASIA, and from 2021 to the present, he has served as Vice President. Prior to joining Bae, Kim & Lee LLC in 2015, he worked at Yulchon LLC for 15 years and was seconded to Allen & Overy’s Hong Kong office.Mr. Yang holds several professional appointments, including the past Vice President (International Affairs) of the Korean Bar Association, Member of the Ministry of Justice Legal Advisory Group for Overseas Expansion of Small and Medium Enterprises.Specializing in cross-border transactions and overseas investment, Mr. Yang’s expertise extends to outbound mergers and acquisitions, construction, financial transactions, and dispute resolution in the Southeast Asia region, as well as energy and infrastructure projects.Hongjoong Kim, the newly elected Executive Committee Member, is a senior partner in the international arbitration and litigation group at Bae, Kim & Lee LLC, the leading law firm in Korea with over 750 professionals. Since 2006, HJ has been involved in numerous international disputes, applying his exceptional expertise to each case. His experience spans multiple industries, including post-M&A, distributorship, shipbuilding, aerospace, retail, automobile parts, oil, pharmaceuticals, and private equity.Since February 2023, Mr. Kim represents the Korean Bar Association as the Vice President (International Affairs) and Chairman of the International Committee. In this role, HJ is responsible for all international affairs, including attending or organizing international conferences, exchange meetings between bar associations at the national level, and discussions with government bodies on international matters like opening of the legal market.The election of Eric Yang and Hongjoong Kim to LAWASIA, a global association, featuring two Korean executives, not only signifies the elevated standing of the Korean legal profession but also aligns with LAWASIA's dedication to nurturing diversity, expertise, and international collaboration within the legal realm .LAWASIA is a progressive, political international organization for litigators, consisting of lawyers, practicing judges, and litigation professors across Asia and the Pacific. Established in 1966, LAWASIA has hosted its annual conference in Seoul, Korea, on three times, and Korean lawyers have been honored to serve three terms as president. For more information, please visit the [LAWASIA Website].