In this blog post, I will summarize my academic achievements and school activities during high school, examples of my consideration and cooperation, as well as my motivation for applying and my career plans.
Academic Experience and Reflections
During high school, I particularly enjoyed social studies courses. Although the wide variety of social studies subjects seemed overwhelming at first, my curiosity and passion were so strong that I actually wanted to study them all.
To broaden students’ options, our school required us to take common subjects such as Economics, Social Culture, and Korean History in our first year, and in our second year, we were divided into classes to choose from subjects like Ethics, Modern and Contemporary History, and Law and Politics. I chose four of these subjects—Social Culture, Law and Politics, Ethics and Philosophy, and Economics—and studied them in depth.
In the Law and Politics class, I built a foundation in legal and political structures by studying introductory topics such as the Constitution, democracy, and international politics. During class, we held mock National Assembly sessions to debate constitutional amendments, and I primarily took on the role of National Assembly Speaker to lead the discussions.
Through these mock National Assembly activities, I witnessed the intensifying clash of opinions between opposing sides and came to deeply appreciate the importance of laws and rules. To prevent the discussion from becoming emotional, I analyzed problems by referencing actual scenes of politicians in the National Assembly and worked to improve meeting rules to ensure the debate remained as rational and orderly as possible.
In the Ethics and Philosophy course, I compared Korean and Western ethical philosophies and learned the necessity of ethics and morality in any society. Through this course, I reflected on how ethics and philosophy contribute to the formation of social order and law.
In the Sociocultural Studies course, I learned how to interpret social phenomena from the perspectives of various theorists, and by learning to analyze statistics and graphs, I developed my own unique perspective on society. In the Economics course, I developed the ability to apply economic theories to interpret social and political phenomena.
Rather than studying each subject in isolation, I connected them and approached my studies holistically. This cross-disciplinary understanding heightened my motivation to learn and gave me the ability to view the relationships between law, economics, and ethics from a broader perspective.
Major Extracurricular Activities and Reflections
My interest in law became more concrete through my participation in the school’s law club. While studying law and political science, I developed a dream of becoming a legal professional. I joined a club with friends who shared this interest, where we engaged in various activities such as constitutional debates, analysis of unsolved cases, and reviews of miscarriages of justice.
During club activities, we practiced drafting court rulings, evaluating each other’s work, and presenting our findings. This process allowed me to consistently practice organizing my legal reasoning into written form.
For my extracurricular activities, I prepared for field trips to legal institutions, mock trial competitions, and policy forums. In particular, the experience of visiting the Judicial Research and Training Institute with my club members left the deepest impression on me.
The Judicial Research and Training Institute is where those who pass the bar exam undergo training, and it was offering a legal education program for high school students. Since the program was highly popular and registration closed quickly, our club secured five spots through an internal application and personal statement submission process and prepared for the trip.
The tour lasted three days and two nights, bringing together students from various regions, including Jeju Island and Busan, and providing an opportunity for us to get to know one another. On the first day, the schedule included an introduction to the training institute, self-introductions by participants, forming mock trial teams, a Q&A session with a judge, and watching a courtroom movie followed by a discussion. Experiencing perspectives different from those in regular class discussions broadened my horizons.
On the second day, we observed a real courtroom proceeding and had the opportunity to speak with prosecutors and defense attorneys. Unlike the courtrooms I had seen on TV, experiencing the solemnity and formal procedures of a real courtroom firsthand helped me understand the differences in the roles of judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys more clearly.
On the third day, we presented the mock trials prepared by each team. I took on the role of the judge. It was harder than I expected to conduct the proceedings fairly without letting my emotions get in the way, and I felt a great sense of responsibility, worrying about the possibility of errors in the verdict.
Through this experience, I gained a deep appreciation for the professional responsibility of legal professionals and the importance of procedural justice, and my determination to attend law school and pursue a career in the legal field became even clearer.
Examples of Compassion, Sharing, and Cooperation, and My Reflections
During class activities, drawing on my experience as vice president, I served as class president during my senior year and focused on managing the class and fostering a positive atmosphere. My main responsibilities included maintaining quiet during study periods and communicating class announcements—essentially overseeing general class management.
One day, my homeroom teacher cautiously shared the news that a classmate’s father had been hospitalized due to a traffic accident. The teacher suggested that since the student’s family was struggling financially and the medical bills were a heavy burden, we should hold a class meeting to discuss ways to help.
I immediately informed my classmates of the situation and proposed holding a class meeting. Everyone was concerned about the urgent situation facing this usually cheerful and sociable classmate, and various ideas were suggested, such as visiting the family, collecting donations, and asking the parents for their input.
The next day, all the students voluntarily collected donations, and I compiled them and handed them over to the teacher. Along with the donations, we delivered a small message of comfort to the student’s mother, and the students who visited offered words of encouragement in person, providing emotional support.
While my friend was unable to attend school for a week, my homeroom teacher and I visited him in the hospital whenever we could to offer encouragement and ensure he received all missed class content, notes, and handouts without exception. To help him catch up academically, we collaborated by sharing our notes and materials with him.
Through this experience, I was reminded of the importance of a community where people do not hesitate to lend a helping hand when others are in need. I witnessed firsthand how small acts of help and solidarity can be a great source of comfort, and I learned that cooperation and consideration build trust between people.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
Since high school, I have maintained a consistent interest in the legal field, and through activities in the law club and visits to the Judicial Research and Training Institute, I gained a firsthand understanding of the life of a legal professional. My experience with mock trials and case law analysis was particularly helpful in refining my specific areas of interest.
I am particularly interested in cases related to economic activities, especially those involving taxation. Through my high school economics courses, I studied the types of taxes and tax payment regulations, and in my constitutional law classes, I developed an interest in laws connected to economic activities, such as tax law and labor law.
After entering the School of Law, I aim to attend a law school specializing in tax law. I aspire to become a legal professional handling cases related to inheritance tax, property tax, and other tax matters, and I plan to steadily build the necessary foundation during my undergraduate studies to achieve this goal.
In my first year, I will solidify my foundation in Civil Law and Constitutional Law to lay the groundwork for easily understanding subsequent courses such as Property Law, General Commercial Law, and Contract Law. In particular, since Property Law and Contract Law are essential for understanding property law as a whole, I plan to hone my skills by studying a wide range of case law.
In my second year, I will delve deeper into major courses related to property law and plan to form a property law study group with classmates who share the same interests to continue researching case law and practicing problem-solving. Through this study group, I will discuss how the concepts learned relate to real-world cases and refer to case law from other countries to broaden my international perspective.
In my third year, I will focus on courses related to economic activities, such as labor law, economic law, and international economic law, while continuing to develop the study group. I will also practice simulating the outcomes of our study group as if they were actual court cases.
In my fourth year, I will concentrate on courses directly related to my major, such as property law, inheritance law, and tax law, and I will strengthen my English skills and practical experience in preparation for law school admissions.
Before graduation, I intend to gain practical experience through internships or work at relevant institutions to develop a sense of the real-world legal environment.
Ultimately, I aspire to become a legal professional specializing in tax law, capable of resolving complex legal issues related to economic activities and contributing to the fair operation of the tax system. My goal is to grow into a legal professional equipped with specialized knowledge and practical skills through my undergraduate and law school studies.
