An Honest Lawyer?

'At first, I was afraid of losing my status, but now I feel proud of myself.'
Amidst the rubble wrought by the judicial corruption scandals, stands solicitor Park In Hwan(45). He has lost all the privileges of the prosecutor he once was, and now only works as a court-appointed attorney.
Since he opened his private office in 1995, he has handled 320 court-appointed cases which averages out to 10 per month. His clients are the ones that cannot afford a lawyer, the poor and dispossessed, who are generally not well-served by the scales of justice.
According to the lawyer's association, Mr. Park clearly has the record for most cases received in such a period. In return he receives a nominal fee paid for by the government.
Park started his legal career as a prosecutor in 1987 and handled many crimes involving violence. However, his ultimate goal was to work for the poor and he turned his formidable legal skills away from prosecuting to defending those without money but still entitled to the best defense.
He felt shocked when he encountered the world of private lawyers. 'When I was a prosecutor all I got a month was just 1,700 dollars at most, even though I frequently worked through the night. But as a private solicitor, whether I was idle
or not, I was guaranteed three times that amount of money. Private practise was tempting as it was challenging and lucrative, but I had never lost sight of my earlier wish to help the disadvantage. So I volunteered to take as many court-appointed cases as I could.'
Even though he has given up the opportunity to earn a lot of money, he does not own a house, and often meets contemptuous looks from his colleagues, he feels satisfied now.