This article was written under the pessimistic outlook that the research tradition of Korean legal history is unlikely to continue into the future. Since the introduction of the law school system, law schools have increasingly taken on the character o...
This article was written under the pessimistic outlook that the research tradition of Korean legal history is unlikely to continue into the future. Since the introduction of the law school system, law schools have increasingly taken on the character of vocational institutions due to the regulation of bar passage rates. Even under the former college of law system, the status of Korean legal history had already been under threat in terms of course offerings, and this situation has worsened further, making it difficult to expect the continuation of future scholars in this field. Methods of archival research and lists of important sources in legal history—once informally passed down through senior scholars during the author’s graduate studies—are now at risk of disappearing due to the lack of a succeeding academic generation. This article is written מתוך such concerns. By presenting, within a single piece, ways to approach the field of Korean legal history, it aims to provide useful information for future students who may wish to study this discipline.