By Park Si-soo
Lawyer We Chul-whan has been elected to head the Korean Bar Association (KBA) representing nearly 13,000 lawyers nationwide, the association said Monday.
We is the group’s first elected head since its founding in 1952. The KBA introduced the direct election system for the president last year.
He will take the helm of the KBA, Friday, and lead the organization for the next two years with the term being repeatedly renewable. The KBA president is entitled to recommend a candidate for judge posts at both the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court.
This is the first time that a lawyer based outside Seoul will lead the association, the KBA said. His office is located in Gyeonggi Province and he has served as the representative for lawyers in the province for the past four years.
The 55-year-old earned 2,782 out of 4,895 votes cast in the election as of 8 p.m., defeating runner-up Kim Hyun who earned 2,055. Nearly 40 percent of 12,325 eligible voters, or 4,895, cast their ballots.
The support rate of the two candidates was too close to call during a campaign that started in December. We ranked second in the first round of the election last week, after Kim. We, however, overtook Kim after winning support from another candidate Yang Sam-seung, the KBA said.
“As a lawyer with a humble background, I will do my best to bolster communication and harmony among lawyers,” We said.
Born in Jangheung, South Jeolla Province, he graduated from Sungkyunkwan University with a bachelor’s degree in law.