<Hello, everyone. Please introduce the Department of Law at Kookmin University!>

Hyun-seo: Hello. I’m Kang Hyun-seo, a sophomore in the Department of Law at Kookmin University. In a nutshell, our department is “a place that shows us the law isn’t far from us.” If you take a close look at people’s lives, you’ll see that the law permeates every corner. While we may not notice it in our daily lives, studying here makes me realize that the law is the solid backbone that supports society and keeps it running peacefully. Even though it may seem difficult and cold at first glance, law is actually a very human discipline—created by people for people. Here, we teach the value and importance of the law.

Kang Pil: Hello. I’m Kim Kang Pil, a sophomore. Our department doesn’t just stop at teaching students various legal knowledge. It helps them develop the ability to understand and apply the law to solve the various problems that arise in daily life as future legal professionals. It’s a place that helps students go beyond the basic thought of “I have to be careful because bad behavior will be punished by law” and realize the active role of the law. “We realize that laws like these are necessary so that people don’t suffer unfair or unreasonable treatment.”

<What kind of classes do you take in the Department of Law at Kookmin University?>

Kang-pil: In our first year, we are introduced to law through courses like “Fundamentals of Law” and “General Principles of Civil Law,” and we cultivate a “legal mind”1. In our second year, we take courses like ‘General Administrative Law’ and ‘News and Law’ to get a broad overview of various areas of law. The General Provisions of Civil Law was a pretty heavy course for a first-year foundation class, so it was a bit of a struggle. But it stuck with me because it was so challenging. What I learned about contracts was particularly memorable. When making plans to meet a friend, if they don’t respond, you get confused, thinking, “Did they accept or not?” Legally, if a certain period passes without the other party expressing their intention to refuse, the contract is deemed void. It was fascinating to realize that the law establishes clear standards even for aspects of daily life that we might consider ambiguous.

Hyun-seo: After completing the foundational courses, we choose to major in either Public Law or Private Law. The Public Law major, which deals with laws related to the state and public institutions, focuses on subjects like Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and Criminal Law, while the Private Law major, which handles legal relationships between individuals, centers on Civil Law and Commercial Law. In our junior and senior years, we take advanced courses specific to our major. I’d like to introduce “Criminal Law: Specific Offenses,” a course in the Public Law major. We studied case law involving crimes such as murder, theft, and fraud. When I encountered cases where court rulings differed over time despite the crimes being similar, I realized that the law is not a fixed, immutable set of rules, but rather a flexible concept that evolves alongside society. As I broke down my preconceptions about the law one by one, I truly felt that I had become a “law student.”

<What activities do law students engage in outside of class?>

Kang Pil: There are five academic societies covering different areas of law, such as civil law, criminal law, and constitutional law, so we join the society of our choice to analyze case law and engage in discussions. Of course, we don’t just study all the time; we also enjoy our hobbies in small clubs. I’m a member of the Civil Law Society, and I play soccer with friends every week in a small group called “COLSC.”

Hyun-seo: We also get together with like-minded friends to participate in mock trial competitions. It’s an event held around November every year, where both sides establish the issues regarding a specific social problem and then debate according to court procedures, using the legal knowledge we’ve learned. When we stand in the mock courtroom, dressed in robes and surrounded by a full audience, it feels just like a real trial, so I get really nervous. But since we’ll eventually become legal professionals ourselves, we see it as a kind of “preventive shot”—a challenge to prepare us for the future. (Laughs)

<Please tell us what career paths graduates of the Law School pursue!>

Hyun-seo: Many students go on to law school to become legal professionals like judges, prosecutors, or attorneys, but you can enter any field that deals with the law. Some prepare for careers as legal administrative or prosecution civil servants, while others pursue specialized professions like judicial scriveners or labor attorneys. I’m still weighing my options. I’m currently majoring in public law, so after graduation, I think it would be great to become a prosecutor handling criminal cases.

Kang-pil: My dream is to become a sports agent. It’s a job where I check for any unfair practices during contract negotiations or salary discussions so that professional athletes can focus solely on their sports. Since I love playing sports so much, I naturally decided on this career path. I’d be truly happy if an athlete I support entrusted their contract to me and was able to achieve great results without any stress. (Laughs)

<Do you have any college entrance exam preparation tips for readers dreaming of studying law?>

Hyun-seo: Even when you’re just reading, if you ask yourself, “Which law applies to this issue?” research topics will naturally come to mind. There are many interesting issues, such as revisions to the Juvenile Act, unfair contracts for celebrities, and copyright issues regarding AI-generated images, so try finding relevant legal provisions and court precedents and organizing your opinions into a report. Whenever I had free time, I watched videos on the YouTube channel 〈Kim Ji-yoon’s Knowledge Play〉 to study the latest social issues.

Kang Pil: I believe the most important thing is the ability to explain “why you want to study law” based on your own experiences. I recommend consistently participating in law-related activities at school. Research projects are fine, and joining a law club is also a good idea. When I was in high school, I served as the vice chair of the student council’s legal affairs department and ran a student-run mock court. After carefully analyzing the school regulations and applying them to rulings to resolve disputes myself, I truly felt the weight of a legal professional’s responsibility. I incorporated this experience into my school records.

<Are there specific skills required to study in the Law School?>

Kang Pil: While you’ll need a basic ability to memorize the various provisions in civil and criminal law, I’d place much greater emphasis on logical thinking and the ability to express yourself clearly. As a legal professional, you must rationally understand both sides’ positions and clearly present your own opinion to secure a fair verdict in court. Try developing these skills by participating in school debate competitions.

Hyun-seo: Above all, I strongly recommend building up your physical stamina. Exam periods in the law school are incredibly long and tedious. You’ll have to grapple with thick textbooks and case law compendiums for days on end. I’ve come to realize just how crucial it is for your body to support your mind during this process. So, make sure to stay in shape by doing light exercise whenever you can to help you maintain your concentration for long periods.

<Please share a word of encouragement for the readers of *High School Reading Review*.>

Hyun-seo: High school is a time when you constantly ask yourself what path you want to take. I, too, wavered often, and I’m still searching for the answer even now. I hope you won’t feel anxious just because your career path isn’t clear yet. After all, there are far more people who naturally find their direction by steadily building up small curiosities and efforts than those whose path is determined by a single grand turning point!

Kangpil: Try to carefully consider a career path that suits you while gaining diverse experiences. If you’ve decided you want to study law, try to develop the habit of taking an interest in small problems in your daily life and asking yourself, “Why does this problem occur?” If you keep moving forward one step at a time, you’ll definitely achieve the results you want!

<Admissions Prep Tips from Kim Gang-pil, a Senior in the School of Law at Kookmin University!>

I graduated from an autonomous public high school in Jeonnam and enrolled in 2025. My GPA was in the 3.0 range, and I was admitted through the Comprehensive Student Record Selection (Kookmin Frontier). I believed it was important to get today’s work done without procrastinating, so I made the most of my daily self-study time. I hope my study methods are helpful.

<Study Methods by Subject>

Korean Language - If you want to get good grades on your school exams, make sure to take notes on the points your teacher emphasizes in class. There’s a good chance that difficult questions will come from topics they only briefly mentioned. You should review what you’ve written down immediately during your self-study time that day so it stays in your mind for a long time. Since my school often used passages from mock exams for test questions, I approached my school exam studying with the mindset that I was preparing for the CSAT at the same time. First, I thoroughly studied 『CSAT Special Lecture』 and 『CSAT Completion』 (EBS), and to get into a routine of solving problems, I worked through the problems in 『Mae3bi』 (Ki Publishing) every day. The online lectures and textbooks by Teacher Kang Min-cheol (MegaStudy) were also helpful.

Math – Solving math problems was as fun as solving puzzles, so I naturally spent the most time on it. Since the CSAT often presents slight variations on previously tested question types, it’s crucial to thoroughly study past exam questions. I studied using Teacher Hyun Woo-jin’s (MegaStudy) online lectures “Neuron,” “Starting Point,” and “Math Sensation.” After taking a practice exam, I would watch the solution lecture that very day and review the questions I got wrong. As I challenged myself with difficult problems—like questions 29 and 30 from past CSAT exams—my school grades naturally improved. When reviewing textbook problems and I couldn’t remember the solution method, I would write out the explanation multiple times on a blank sheet of paper until I mastered it.

English - I worked hard to improve my weak points: grammar and vocabulary. A study method I found effective was recalling the vocabulary I’d memorized that day during my commute to and from school or while eating. Until my second year of high school, I took Mr. Jo Jeong-sik’s (Megastudy) online lecture series “It’s Okay,” and in my third year, I took online lectures by Mr. Lee Young-soo (Daesung MyMac) and Mr. Lee Myeong-hak (Daesung MyMac). I also diligently worked through the supplementary workbooks provided with the lectures and private mock exams. For my school exams, I focused on memorizing the passages. I read the texts repeatedly, jotting down any unfamiliar grammar or vocabulary, and compared my interpretations with the answer key to ensure I had understood them correctly.

Social Studies – I took the Politics and Law, and Society and Culture sections. I worked through workbooks containing past CSAT and mock exam questions, such as *MotherTong CSAT Past Exam Workbook* (MotherTong). For Politics and Law, I took an online lecture by Teacher Optimal (Megastudy). I found the special lecture that focused on explaining difficult questions about electoral districts particularly helpful. For Society and Culture, I studied on my own using 『CSAT Special Lecture』, and when I got stuck, I turned to online lectures by Teacher Im Jeong-hwan (Daesung MyMac) to resolve the issues. I also built my confidence by solving problems in the supplementary workbook that resembled the trends seen in actual CSAT questions.

<Club Activities>

After working hard to learn sports in the college entrance exam club for physical education, I founded the law club “Law & Order” in my sophomore year of high school with friends who were preparing for careers in law. We each researched case law related to civil and criminal cases arising from various everyday situations, presented our findings to the group, and shared our opinions on whether the rulings were appropriate. We also worked together to solve past exam questions from the Law School Admission Test (LEET)—a mandatory requirement for law school admission—and analyzed the answers. Serving as the vice president of the club I helped found, planning activities and recruiting members wasn’t easy, but it was incredibly rewarding and I learned a great deal.

<Career Activities>

As the vice-chair of the Legal Affairs Department—a newly established division within the student council—I ran a mock court. We would hold trials where students who had received demerit points for violating school rules served as defendants, and then propose appropriate disciplinary measures, such as school-based community service, to the teachers. When listening to the stories of students who had caused problems—such as not wearing the school uniform, leaving campus without permission, or bringing prohibited items into the classroom—there were occasionally cases where extenuating circumstances could be considered. We selected the judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys for the student court from among the students who volunteered, based on interviews. We chose them based on their ability to deliver a fair verdict to the defendant. After the student court was introduced, an atmosphere developed where students voluntarily took an interest in the school rules and made an effort to follow them. It made me feel really proud.