Despite the Rise in Lawyers, Barriers Remain... 81% of Small Claims Are 'Pro Se' [Law School’s Impact on the Legal Market②]

Demand for Legal Aid Services Such as Litigation Representation Is Rising

In 98% of Claims Under 10 Million Won,

At Least One Side Has No Lawyer


53 Cities, Counties, and Districts Have No Resident Lawyers

76.5% of Registered Lawyers Are Concentrated in Seoul

Legal Aid Corporation Short 35 Lawyers of Its Authorized Staff

Mr. A, who lives in Daegu, considered traveling all the way to Tongyeong, Gyeongnam last August to receive legal consultation. This was because there were no available appointment slots on his desired dates at the Korea Legal Aid Corporation office near his home. Upon discovering that the Tongyeong branch had open slots, he made a reservation, but the booking was not properly processed. He then made a reservation at the Busan branch, but tried the Tongyeong branch again, hoping to get an earlier appointment. After hearing his circumstances, a staff member at the corporation said, "Tongyeong is too far from Daegu," and searched for a closer branch. Ultimately, his consultation was scheduled in Gimcheon, Gyeongbuk.

Mr. A's case illustrates that, even with 40,000 lawyers in Korea, access to legal services remains a challenge. Since the introduction of law schools, around 1,700 lawyers have been produced each year, but many people still cannot receive the legal support they need when and where they need it.

Legal Aid Demand Remains High Despite More Lawyers

According to the Korea Legal Aid Corporation, legal consultations provided by the corporation decreased by 23% over four years, from 1,184,692 cases in 2021 to 910,164 cases last year. In contrast, legal aid services—including litigation representation—rose from 142,855 cases to 148,157 in the same period. Criminal legal aid cases increased by about 56%, from 11,253 to 17,519. This indicates that there continues to be significant demand for legal aid among groups who struggle to hire private attorneys.

The increase in legal aid cases can also be attributed to an expansion in the scope of assistance and target groups. Cases directly tied to livelihood, such as wage arrears, illegal lending, and personal rehabilitation or bankruptcy, often require legal representation. Last year, the corporation included single parents raising underage children as eligible for free legal aid and broadened support for small business owners. Support was also expanded for children and adolescents facing debt inheritance crises, long-term small-amount defaulters, and disaster victims.

The problem is that it is difficult for the public sector alone to meet all this demand. The corporation operates 18 regional branches, 42 local offices, and 74 sub-branches nationwide, but as of the end of last year, there were only 110 lawyers on staff—35 short of the authorized number of 145. Total full-time staff, including administrative employees, came to 644, falling short of the authorized 781.

8 Out of 10 Small Claims Are 'Pro Se'

Even in the private legal market, the barrier to using the services of a lawyer remains high. Small civil claims—the cases that people most frequently encounter in everyday life—are conducted mostly without lawyers. According to the National Court Administration, there were 507,804 small claims cases (valued at 30 million won or less) in 2024. Among them, in 81% of cases, neither the plaintiff nor the defendant hired a lawyer, while only 2.3% had lawyers on both sides.

The lower the amount in dispute, the less likely either party will have a lawyer. In 386,430 small claims cases involving amounts under 10 million won, in 98% of cases at least one side did not have legal representation. Of the 805,366 civil litigation cases overall, 456,803—56.7%—involved claims of 10 million won or less.

The underlying reason is cost. When the amount at stake is only a few million to 10 million won, legal fees can often outweigh any actual benefit, even in the event of a win. Furthermore, even if a party prevails, it is not guaranteed that all of the legal fees actually paid can be claimed from the opposing party. Attorney fees to be borne by the losing side are also capped in proportion to the amount at stake. As a result, parties often forgo hiring lawyers after weighing the costs against the likely benefit of litigation.

Lawyers Clustered in Seoul... 53 'Attorney-Free Zones'

Geographical disparities in access to legal services are also growing. According to the Korean Association of Law Schools, among the country's 252 cities, counties, and districts, there are 53 so-called "attorney-free zones" with not a single resident lawyer. Although the number of lawyers has increased, they remain concentrated in the greater Seoul area and major cities, leaving many regions without adequate access to legal services.

This regional concentration is evident in registration statistics as well. According to the Korean Bar Association, of the 39,276 registered lawyers as of this month, 30,033, or 76.5%, belong to the Seoul Bar Association. Of the 32,240 lawyers in practice, 24,557 are affiliated with the Seoul Bar. The growth in the number of lawyers has not translated into an even distribution matching regional legal demand.

Efforts by regional law schools to foster local legal talent have also failed to correct this imbalance. The Korean Association of Law Schools explains that many graduates move to the Seoul metropolitan area due to better job prospects and opportunities to attract clients, frustrating the intention behind regional talent quotas. The association stated, "We are currently reviewing measures to help law graduates settle in the regions, such as linking them with local governments and public agencies."

Choi Bongkyung, president of the Korean Law Professors Association, stated, "If it is difficult to place one lawyer in every attorney-free zone, a system could be designed where one lawyer provides consultation and advisory services across several areas." He added, "We could also consider increasing regional law school quotas, along with policies requiring subsidized students to provide public legal services in the region for a certain period after graduation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.