Korean legal professionals look to AI to enhance productivity

[Graphics by Song Ji-yoon]

The Korean legal industry is increasingly recognizing the importance of mastering artificial intelligence (AI) to remain competitive as technology rapidly evolves and leads to changes in the industry.

Dozens of legal professionals gathered in a lecture hall in eastern Seoul on a Saturday two weeks ago for an advanced course on the use of AI tools in the legal context. Led by a lawyer who is a pioneer in the Korean legal AI field, 28 of the 30 available seats were filled for the four-hour lecture, which was indicative of the high level of interest in the topic. Most attendees were lawyers from law firms or corporate legal teams, with some traveling hours from different regions to attend the event. The audience also included accountants and corporate staff.

Around ten attendees had previously completed a basic course and wanted to deepen their understanding of AI applications in legal work. Each course costs 550,000 won ($397) and the total investment for both courses to 1.1 million won, which the attendees felt was a worthwhile amount.

The lecture hall reflected the Korean legal community‘s efforts to join the AI revolution before it is too late, with legal professionals striving to adapt and thrive as AI and “legal tech” advance. AI technology offers unprecedented productivity improvements, but also raises concerns about a widening gap between those who can and cannot use AI effectively, potentially deepening the “AI divide” in the legal market.

“In the past, lawyers acted as firefighters, responding immediately when a fire broke out. But in the future, they must become designers who prevent fires from breaking out in the first place,” the lecturer said, emphasizing that whether legal professionals survive or become obsolete depends on their ability to harness AI.