Greetings from Onyul’s Chairman
Onyul has been consistently active in 2021.
Through research and undertakings on the workings and shortcomings of laws and regulations on direct support and conservatorship, Onyul assisted those with disabilities, including developmental, mental disabilities, and dementia, to be treated fairly and equally. Furthermore, to create an innovative non-profit ecosystem, Onyul acted as a legal support back office for non-profit start-ups, studied the regulations on non-profit organizations, and sought cooperation with other companies and public interest organizations. As a means to increase our social impact, Onyul visited middle and high schools that were in need of legal education and supported mentorship activities for under-privileged students. We also greatly expanded the internship program for undergraduate and graduate students. Onyul remains committed to public interest, including assisting North Korean refugees to facilitate their economic and societal integration into our society and providing legal and financial aid for public interest organizations.
Looking forward, Onyul will be agile in adapting to social changes brought by the pandemic and various technological advances, and proceed to discover novel ways for law firms and affiliate public organizations to contribute to the public interest of our society. We kindly ask for your continued support for the works of Yulchon and Onyul.
Thank you.
Greetings from the Yulchon Public Interest Committee Chairman
All members of Yulchon share the vision of 'a community of top professionals who pursue innovation on the path of righteousness'. With this vision in mind, members of Yulchon provide cutting edge services founded upon innovation and commitment to clients, as well as strive towards contributing to social development and public interest.
Even when the pandemic reached its peak in 2021, Yulchon worked to advocate not only Lawfirm Social Responsibility (LSR), but also the broader global concept of Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG). In addition, Yulchon held various public interest campaigns to facilitate its members’ everyday involvement in public interest. Although the campaigns were curtailed in scope due to limiting circumstances, we pledge to repay with more in the near future.
Yulchon will continue to serve the public interest of our society, support and encourage members who wish to participate, and continue to be a law firm dedicated to its social responsibilities.
Thank you.
Social Integration of the Intellectually Disabled
Onyul has been working to expand the Decision-making Support System, including Voluntary Guardianship. Onyul has carried out policy improvement activities to prevent Adult Guardianship from becoming an obstacle to the independence of the intellectually disabled (developmental disabilities, mental disorders, dementia). Through this, Onyul hopes to create a community where the intellectually disabled can be respected and treated equally.
○ Projects to vitalize the Voluntary Guardianship
○ Legal assistance for the disabled who have been subject to abuse and the elderly with dementia, in order to help them recover and become self-reliant
○ Awareness improvement projects for the Adult Guardianship System (including participating in movements to change judicial precedents related to the rights of the disabled and news article contributions).
○ Participating in writing opinions of private organizations on the national report submitted by the Korean government in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Related to Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities)
○ Expert guardianship activities for the development of guardianship practice (as of March, 2022, 23 cases of guardianship (supervisory) appointments, and 36 cases of appointments in total)
Onyul has supported the activation of Public Guardianship, which provides, with the support of guardians, a stable living basis for the intellectually disabled who are vulnerable.
○ Consultation with public guardianship agencies for the developmentally disabled, dementia patients, and the intellectually disabled.
○ Legal representation in filing for commencement of Adult Guardianship for the intellectually disabled who have difficulty using the Public Guardianship.
○ Training and maintenance for Public Guardians.
○ Education for experts in relevant areas such as disability advocates, adult protective services, aged welfare, social welfare, etc.
○ Education for the elderly and parents of the developmentally disabled.
Onyul has studied systems to support the developmentally disabled to enable them to become independent throughout their lives and live on their own.
○ Research project to support the livelihood of the developmentally disabled with low-income (Principal Investigator : Cheol Woong Jae, Professor of Hanyang University Law School)
○ Research project to support the livelihood of the middle-income class with developmental disabilities (Principal Investigator : Dong Gwi Lee, Vice President of Hosanna University)
In 2021, Onyul participated in public interest litigations in which Onyul demonstrated in-depth expertise, including a Constitutional Complaint against the current qualification for social workers and the forced labor of workers on salt farms.
○ Public interest litigations for the repeal of the 'disqualification clauses' that impose disqualifications and job denials solely due to the commencement of guardianship (Constitutional Court 2020HunGa8, Constitutional Court 2021HunNa1288)
○ Legal representation for termination of limited guardianship for the developmentally disabled who was under the limited guardianship (Seoul Family Court 2021HuGi278)
○ Policy improvement activities to support workers with developmental disabilities, as a follow-up measure to the so-called 'Shinan Salt Farm Incident' (filing with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea)
○ Support for establishing surnames of the unregistered and severely intellectually disabled (Andong Branch, Daegu Family Court 2021NeuDan1058)
Creating an Innovative Non-profit Ecosystem
Legal support for non-profit start-ups in collaboration with the Daum Foundation has developed into a more comprehensive service in its second year. In addition to more accessible legal advisory services such as mobile messengers, e-mails, telephone, face-to-face consultations, we conducted consumer-oriented legal support activities such as group studies on membership recruitment terms, personal information collection and use checklists, and lectures on establishment procedures for each organization.
In line with the rising importance of ESG (environment, society, and governance), Onyul is seeking new public services through collaboration with partner entities and public organizations, together with experts of the Yulchon ESG Center.
Research was conducted to examine the concept of non-profit organizations, the current domestic and foreign situations, issues under civil and tax laws, and ways to improve them.
○ A Study on the Major Issues of Non-profit Organizations under Civil and Tax Laws (Director of Research : Giseok Seo - Chair professor at Hanyang University Law School)
In 2021, Onyul participated as a legal advisor to the Bridge Society, an inheritance donation project conducted by NGO World Human Bridge, and helped public-interest organizations in need of legal support, such as the Korea Food for the Hungry International Organization (KFHI) and the Daum Foundation.
북한이탈주민 정착 지원
Kyu-hae Jeon, a lawyer at Onyul, is an executive secretary of the Subcommittee on the Improvement of the North Korean Refugee Law under the Law Support Committee of the Korean Bar Association. This project is co-organized by the Korean Bar Association and the Korean Bar Association Human Rights Foundation, and aims to improve the effectiveness of the settlement support system for North Korean defectors by revising the North Korean Refugee Act.
Onyul is conducting various support activities to help North Korean refugees grow into proud democratic citizens of our society. Onyul provides legal advice on the operation of unregistered alternative schools that educate students as well as solving legal issues encountered in real life, including legal education and mentoring for North Korean refugees. In this way, Onyul hopes to create an environment where young North Korean refugees can pursue their dreams.
Onyul is participating in The Bridge's North Korean refugee entrepreneurial support program. This program selects North Korean refugees who dream of becoming social entrepreneurs and provides various support for start-ups such as business management, marketing, and tax. As a legal advisor to the above program, Onyul provides legal advice for company operations. In the future, Onyul will continue to provide various support to North Korean refugee entrepreneurs so that they can cultivate their talents and actively engage in social and economic activities.
Press Release →
Kyu-hae Jeon, a lawyer at Onyul, participated in the 'Research on the Need to Establish a Dispute Mediation Committee on Inter-Korean Relations' organized by the Korean Bar Association's Unification Affairs Research Committee. Onyul hopes to prepare for the possible Korean unification through research on various topics pertaining to legislations on South-North Korean relations.
Increasing Social Value through Education
In 2021, Onyul visited 13 high schools with Yulchon lawyers to provide 'legal education outreach' on topics of interest to students and teachers at each school, such as science+law, juvenile law, legal stories portrayed in movies, intellectual property rights, and understanding of legal documents.
Since 2009, Yulchon and Onyul have been supporting the Seed School, which is operated by a non-profit organization. In 2021 also, Yulchon lawyers participated in Seed School career mentoring program as mentors to help underprivileged teenagers find their career paths and dreams.
Lawyer Kyu-hae Jeon of Onyul gave a law lecture at the Seocho Center of the Seoul 50+ Foundation under the theme of 'Understanding the Housing Lease Dispute' to senior citizens who are 50 years old or older. Onyul will continue to provide a variety of education to spread necessary and customized legal knowledge to seniors over the age of 50 who are preparing for the second chapter of their lives.
In cooperation with the Humanities Department of Seoul National University, Onyul continued to carry out the undergraduate internship program that has been held since 2017, while beginning the domestic law school internship program and the overseas law school internship program in 2021. Onyul will provide students who will mature into excellent lawyers with experience and with a foothold for growth in public service activities, and support them to form a network together.
Fulfillment of the Law Firm's Social Responsibilities
Yulchon established the Yulchon Center for the Study of Legal Theory in 2015, and operated it in tandem with the Graduate School of Law at Seoul National University. In 2021, Yulchon executed various supporting activities for the research on fundamental legal studies.
Yulchon Fundamental Legal Studies Award
Yulchon Center for the Study of Legal Theory established the Yulchon Fundamental Legal Studies Award in 2021 and granted awards to outstanding papers to foster successive generations in the field of fundamental legal studies and support research activities.
| Prize | Winner | Thesis |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prize | Min-guk Jang (Seoul National University School of Law) | Significance of the Citizen Participation Trial System from the Defendant's Point of View |
| Excellence prize | Kwang-heung Kim (Seoul National University School of Law) | Study on the Judicial Functions of Hansung-bu |
| Jae-hong Seo (Seoul National University School of Law) | Legislative Review of the Fair Allocation of Misfortune and the Right to Claim Compensations | |
| Sae-young Oh (Seoul National University School of Law) | Research History of Hans Kelsen and Gustav Radbruch in the Far East | |
| Participation Prize | Min-ji Kim (Seoul National University Graduate School of Asian History) | Enactment of China’s Modern Civil Law Consciousness of Rural People |
| Young-son Seo (Seoul National University School of Law) | What kind of literalism is it? Supreme Court Justice Shin Kim’s Literal Legal Interpretation | |
| Jong-woo Yoo (Seoul National University School of Law) | Formation and Development of Specific Feasibility Concepts | |
| Hyun-wook Lee (Sogang University Law School) | Analysis of Legislations Related to Military Service by Transgenders in Korea and Suggestions for Improvement | |
| Dong-Eui Hong (Chung-Ang University School of Law) | Establishment and Change of Danghwa Judicial Law in the Early Years of the Nanjing National Government |
Held Colloquium
| Round | Date | Title | lecturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28th | April 28, 2021 | The Law as a Reason | Researcher Dae-heun Kim (Korean Institute of Criminology and Justice) |
| 29th | May 26, 2021 | Deontology, Teleology, and Constitutional Interpretation | Professor Min-yeol Lee (Korea National Open University) |
| 30th | June 30, 2021 | The Issue of Violence and Sociality in Hannah Arendt’s Constitutionalism | Professor Man-kwon Kim (Kyunghee University Comparative Culture Research Institute) |
| 31st | July 21, 2021 | Invitation to the Restorative Justice World | Judge Soo-hee Lim (Senior Judge of Ansan Branch of Suwon District Court) |
| 32nd | Sept 13, 2021 | Psychological Understanding of Poverty | Professor Ji-won Huh (Korea University Department of Psychology) |
| 33rd | Oct 20, 2021 | Earth Law and Sustainable Freedom and Responsibility of Humans | Professor Tae-hyun Park (Gangwon University School of Law) |
| 34th | Nov 10, 2021 | Legal Theory of Critical Legal Substantivism | Chair professor Kim Dae-hwi (Sejong University School of Law, Law Firm Hwawoo) |
| 35th | Dec 8, 2021 | Commons-What Should I Say | Professor Young-hee Kim (Yonsei University School of Law) |
In 2021, Onyul helped public interest organizations in need of financial aid by funding labor costs of one public interest lawyer in Advocates for Public Interest Law (APIL), a non-profit public interest law organization, and by partially funding labor costs of activists at the Refugee Rights Center.
In 2021, Yulchon and Onyul carried out 'Warm Lunch Boxes in Our Neighborhood', a project designed to help vulnerable people such as local small business owners suffering from the COVID-19 incident, multicultural teenagers, and the elderly living alone. It is a mutually beneficial program that supports the vulnerable while helping the sales of restaurants in difficult situations by delivering warm food made at local restaurants to multicultural teenagers who are prone to neglect due to virtual schooling and dual income parents.
Since the agreement on job creation for severely disabled individuals with the Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled (KEAD) in 2010, Yulchon has developed tasks suitable for people with severe disabilities such as copying, mail organization and delivery, and cleaning, and has continuously hired workers with disabilities regardless of the type of disability. In addition, Yulchon has recruited 'advisors for the disabled' among expert groups to raise awareness, create and maintain jobs, and designate personnel from the general affairs team and human resources team to help disabled workers focus on their work. Yulchon was selected as the best employment place for the disabled for eight consecutive years from 2014 to 2021, and was the only law firm to be selected as the 'Korea's Best Employer' by the Ministry of Employment and Labor in 2015 and 2020.
Under the catch phrase 'A Wise Public Interest Life', Yulchon is conducting a campaign to use various social enterprises’ services and items in daily life, including joint purchases of handmade shoes made by disabled individuals in 'GIO', making eco-friendly soap souvenirs with 'Donggubat', a company holding a co-working space with disabled individuals, using the call service of 'Goyohan Taxi (The Quiet Taxi)' which hires drivers with hearing loss, and purchasing wreaths and bouquets from the social enterprises employing North Korean refugees.
Press Release →
Attorney Kyu Hae Jeon of Onyul is participating in the incubation project for social enterprises conducted by the Seoul 50 Plus Foundation Seocho Center. Onyul would like to actively support senior citizens over the age of 50 to engage in social enterprise start-up activities.
Total Amount of Donations and the List of Sponsors
Total Amount of Donations
An Introduction to Onyul
Law with a heart
Onyul’s vision is to create a better world of 'law with a heart', where legal professionals contribute their legal knowledge to society, so that all members of society may enjoy full access to the benefits of the legal system.
- Promoting legal aid activities for public interest organizations and individuals with neglected legal needs
- Developing legislation through research and activism in public interest work
- Implementing Adult Guardianship for individuals with cognitive disabilities and the elderly
- Training junior scholars and the next generation through activities such as the Seed School Program and Scholarship Programs
- Contribution to global society through international cooperation
The Structure of Onyul
Board of Directors
Chairman
Sai Ree Yun
Directors
Young Jun Kim, Dae Wook Bang, In Bo Song, Yong Pyo Yeom, Su Yeon Lee
Auditor
Sang Woo Song
Secretariat
Attorneys
Kwang Yeol Bae, Ye Hyeon Lee, Kyu Hae Jeon
Staff
Jun Il Nam, Mi Young Lee, Yoo Mi Seo
Public Legislation Team
Adult Guardianship Team
Global Social Contribution Team
Educational Support Team
Legal Content Team
Crime Victim Support Team
Community Services Support Team
General Affairs Team