For two years in a row, the Human Rights Law and Policy Forum (HRLF) has organized internships for our students to Seoul, South Korea, as part of a credit-bearing Legal Placement course. These internship opportunities aim at providing students with exposure to law-related issues in East Asia as a part of the School’s commitment to developing the next generation of lawyers with global perspectives. The internship also enables our students to acquire the experience of working and living aboard.

This year, 10 students from the JD and LLB programmes were selected for the Legal Placement.

The law firms and organisations participating in the programme include:

• Save the Children Korea, an independent organization established to engage in relief efforts for victims of the Korean War, including war orphans, mainly in Busan.

• Kim Chang & Lee Law Firm, the oldest and one of the most established law firm in Seoul.

• L, K, B & Partner Law Firm, a leading law firm set up by ex-judges and prosecutors specialized in the practice of criminal law and regulatory compliance.

• Transitional Justice Working Group (TJWG), a group that seeks to provide humanitarian relief for victims of massive human rights abuses perpetuated by DPRK.

• KU-KIEP-SBS EU Centre, a Centre that conducts education and research activities on EU affairs and strengthen academic cooperation with EU intuitions.

• Human Asia, an organization that aims at strengthening the respect for human rights across Asia through its research and advocacy.

Below are the testimonies from our participants:

“… I was assigned to the oldest law firm in Seoul, Kim, Chang & Lee. I have heard from local students that this internship opportunity is extremely precious and competitive. Two other students and I worked under the direct supervision of the managing partner. Both the internship and MUPR competition are great opportunity for students to develop public speaking and diplomatic skills.” — Jessica Wu

“The Seoul Legal Placement Programme is a great way for students to get involved with Human Rights in all sorts of different contexts. I was placed in the EU Centre of Korea University, where I helped write a paper about the EU’s Human Rights position regarding North Korea. This was a truly unique opportunity to learn more about how Human Rights are implemented around the world.” — Justin Chung

“I was an intern at a Korean law firm, one of the emerging firms in charge of civil and criminal litigation. We were able to assist the Korean lawyers with legal researches — comparative research with a focus on the difference between the common law jurisdiction and the civil law jurisdiction.” — Yoon So In

“I worked in the Transitional Justice Working Group, which is also my first time being with a NGO. It was amazing to see a small group of less than 10 people from a diverse background producing different reports on such an important yet often overlooked issue.” — Frankie Wong

“It was a valuable and memorable experience for me to have an internship in Kim, Chang & Lee law firm, which is the oldest and one of most prestigious international law firm in South Korea. During the internship, we were assigned to conduct research on anti-competition law, copyrights law and corporate law in South Korea… Yet, what is perhaps more valuable and what may continue to guide my future career are those inspiring life principles from my supervisors who advised me to always embrace the future, to always control time rather than be controlled by time, to nurture the enthusiasm about everything around me not only the law, and to have the bravery to question authority… This is a precious experience I would never forget.” — Yipin Chen