Lawyers Are Critical Of Reform Policies

The Korean Bar Association on Monday rebuked the Kim Dae-jung administration for the way it has implemented reforms. Hwang Gye-ryong, a member of the bar, said in a speech delivered to an annual gathering of lawyers that the current government is trying to suppress, under the guise of reform, those who advocate procedural justice and the rule of law.

He added that lawyers should actively participate in preventing the enactment of laws that are politically motivated or could infringe on people's basic rights in order to bring the rule of law to South Korea.

Chung Chae-hun, the association's president, said in his keynote speech that while criticisms mount and calls for reform are more vociferous than ever, policy agendas and procedures for implementing reforms are shrouded in confusion. He said the rule of law should be the basis for any reform.

At a symposium following the speeches, Moon Jae-in, a Seoul lawyer, said reforms based on the rule of law would restore democracy and human rights damaged through decades of authoritarian rule.

Justice Minister Choi Kyung-won also attended the gathering along with Choi Jong-young, chief justice of the Supreme Court and Yoon Young-chul, chief justice of the Constitutional Court.

by Kim Seung-hyun