The Korea Law Center congratulates Kwon Soon-il on his appointment to the Supreme Court of Korea this fall. Justice Kwon was a visiting scholar at Boalt Hall from 2001-02, where he worked on securities regulation with faculty while on research leave from the Korean judiciary. Ever since, Justice Kwon has been an enthusiastic member of the Berkeley Club, as the alumni club in Korea is known, and has welcomed several Berkeley faculty members to Seoul. He has been a great supporter of the new Korea Law Center at Berkeley and provided valuable advice about its programs.
Justice Kwon fondly describes his year of study at Boalt Hall as “an experience that has provided a deep insight and broad perspective, one that has played an important role in pursuing my career as a judge.” Justice Kwon served as a judge for almost thirty years before his recommendation for appointment to the Supreme Court by Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae. He received his official nomination from the President of Korea, Park Geun-Hye, and was confirmed by the National Assembly in a 233-5 vote.
Justice Kwon received his LL.B. from Seoul National University in 1985. Shortly after, he started his judgeship at Seoul Criminal District Court. He received an LL.M. from Columbia Law School in 1992. He was as a presiding judge of the Seoul Administrative Court and chief judge within the research team of the Supreme Court of Korea in the 2000s. Justice Kwon has pursued interests in public housing and healthcare, workers’ compensation, labor standards and the socially under-served. Some of his recent career highlights include his key role in implementing a rigorous recruitment process for new judges and launching the Judicial Policy Research Institute at National Court Administration (NCA) as Chief of Planning, then as Coordination and Vice Minister.
Justice Kwon continues to maintain close ties with Berkeley Law and is a strong supporter of its new Korea Law Center. “I will cherish my Berkeley memories and education forever.”