228.1
Gender, Law and Legal Professions in Korea
Since 1945 Korea has gone from colony to dictatorship to democracy. Educational opportunities for women have exploded in quantity and quality. The legal professions, once reserved only for men, have opened up to more balanced gender representation especially in the past few years, and the legal system of education has undergone a paradigm shift that many have predicted will be a boon for women entering the professions of law. At the same time, new laws protecting the place of women in society have been passed and seem to be working for the benefit of gender equity and equal rights. Women judges, legislators and business executives have become common forces often fighting for a more gender-balanced system.
This paper explores the changes that have occurred for women in the legal professions in Korea since women first became lawyers to the present day. This paper seeks to delineate these changes and to offer a socio-historical analysis of how this took place as well as where it might lead.