Kang Daihun, Hong Seung Eun
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
College of Medicine, Ewha Womans University, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
PLoS One. 2025 May 29;20(5):e0323059. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0323059. eCollection 2025.
South Korea's 2009 legal education reform, which replaced the bar exam and two-year judicial training system with graduate-level law schools, aimed to enhance the quality and accessibility of legal services. This study examines its impact on malpractice litigation in plastic and reconstructive surgeries and procedures (PRSP). Using publicly available civil court decisions, we conducted a retrospective analysis comparing litigation patterns before (2006-2012, n = 23) and after (2017-2021, n = 75) the reform, excluding the transitional period (2013-2017). Our findings reveal significant increases in litigation frequency (3.28 to 15 cases annually, p < 0.001) and case duration (median: 969-1,570 days, p < 0.001). While the increased litigation frequency and reduced adjudicated damages (median reduction: 75.8%) suggest improved accessibility to legal services - aligning with reform objectives - prolonged case durations highlight unresolved systemic challenges. The transition from practical training to academic-focused legal education, coupled with limited expansion of judicial infrastructure, has contributed to procedural delays despite consistent judicial standards in malpractice assessments. These findings underscore the dual impacts of the reform, achieving partial success in improving access to legal representation but exposing inefficiencies in judicial capacity. To address these challenges, short-term measures such as appointing additional judges and establishing specialized court divisions are needed. In the mid-term, implementing AI-based case management systems could enhance procedural efficiency. Long-term strategies, including structured mediation programs, are critical to alleviating court burdens and ensuring timely resolutions.
韩国2009年的法律教育改革用研究生层次的法学院取代了律师考试和两年制司法培训体系，旨在提高法律服务的质量和可及性。本研究考察了该改革对整形和重建外科手术及程序（PRSP）中医疗事故诉讼的影响。我们利用公开可得的民事法庭判决，进行了一项回顾性分析，比较了改革前（2006 - 2012年，n = 23）和改革后（2017 - 2021年，n = 75）的诉讼模式，排除了过渡期（2013 - 2017年）。我们的研究结果显示，诉讼频率（从每年3.28起增至15起，p < 0.001）和案件持续时间（中位数：从969天增至1570天，p < 0.001）均显著增加。虽然诉讼频率的增加和判决赔偿的减少（中位数减少：75.8%）表明法律服务的可及性有所改善——符合改革目标——但案件持续时间的延长凸显了尚未解决的系统性挑战。从实践培训向以学术为重点的法律教育的转变，再加上司法基础设施扩张有限，尽管在医疗事故评估方面司法标准一致，但仍导致了程序延误。这些研究结果强调了改革的双重影响，在改善获得法律代理服务方面取得了部分成功，但也暴露了司法能力方面的低效问题。为应对这些挑战，需要采取短期措施，如任命更多法官和设立专门的法庭部门。从中期来看，实施基于人工智能的案件管理系统可以提高程序效率。包括结构化调解项目在内的长期战略对于减轻法院负担和确保及时解决问题至关重要。
