In this blog post, I’ll summarize my academic achievements and school activities during high school, examples of my consideration and collaboration, as well as my motivation for applying and my career plans.
Writing About My Academic Experiences and Reflections
During high school, I particularly enjoyed social studies courses. Although the wide variety of social studies subjects made it seem complicated at first, my curiosity and passion were so strong that I actually wanted to study them all.
To broaden students’ choices, our school had us take core courses such as Economics, Sociocultural Studies, and Korean History in our freshman year, and in our sophomore year, we were divided into classes based on electives like Ethics, Modern and Contemporary History, and Law and Politics. Among these, I chose four subjects—Sociocultural Studies, 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 the 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 intense clashes of opinion between opposing sides and came to deeply appreciate the importance of laws and rules. To prevent discussions from becoming emotionally charged, I analyzed problems by referencing actual scenes from the National Assembly involving politicians and worked to improve the rules of procedure to ensure the debates remained as rational and orderly as possible.
In the Ethics and Philosophy course, I compared Korean and Western ethical philosophies and learned about 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 analyzing 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 further fueled my motivation to learn and gave me the ability to view the relationships between law, economics, and ethics from a broader perspective.
Major Campus Activities and Reflections
My interest in law became more concrete through my participation in the school’s law club. While studying law and politics, 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.
As part of our club activities, we practiced drafting judicial opinions, taking time to evaluate each other’s work and present our findings. Through this process, I was able to consistently practice organizing my legal reasoning in writing.
For my extracurricular activities, I prepared for field trips to legal institutions, mock trial competitions, and policy forums. In particular, the field trip to 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 receive training, and it was offering a legal education program for high school students. Because the program was so popular that registration closed quickly, our club secured five spots through an internal application process and the submission of personal statements, and we prepared for the trip.
The field trip lasted two nights and three days and provided an opportunity for students from various regions, including Jeju Island and Busan, to come together and get to know one another. On the first day, the program included an introduction to the Institute, participant self-introductions, the formation of mock trial teams, a Q&A session with a judge, and watching a courtroom movie followed by a discussion. Being exposed to perspectives different from those in classroom 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 we had seen on TV, witnessing the solemn atmosphere and formal procedures firsthand helped us gain a clearer understanding of the distinct roles of judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys.
On the third day, each team presented the mock trial they had prepared. I took on the role of the judge; conducting the proceedings fairly without letting my emotions get in the way was harder than I expected, and I felt a great sense of responsibility, including worrying about potential 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 profession 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 self-study periods and communicating class announcements—essentially, overall class management.
One day, my homeroom teacher cautiously shared the news that a classmate’s father had been hospitalized following 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 in the classroom and proposed holding a class meeting. Everyone was concerned about the urgent situation facing this student, who was usually cheerful and sociable, and various ideas were suggested, such as paying a visit to offer support, raising donations, and asking the parents for help.
The next day, all the students voluntarily collected money for a get-well gift, and I compiled the funds and delivered them to the teacher. Along with the money, we delivered a small note of comfort to the student’s mother, and the classmates 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 made sure he received all the missed class material, notes, and handouts without exception. To help him catch up on his studies, we worked together to share our notes and materials with him.
Through this experience, I once again realized 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 provide great comfort, and I learned that cooperation and consideration build trust between people.
Efforts and Preparation Related to Motivation for Application and Career Plans
I have maintained a steady interest in the legal field since high school and gained firsthand insight into the life of a legal professional through activities in the law club and field trips to the Judicial Research and Training Institute. My experience with mock trials and case law analysis was particularly helpful in refining my areas of interest.
I am particularly interested in cases related to economic activity, 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 class, I developed an interest in laws connected to economic activity, such as tax law and labor law.
After enrolling in the undergraduate law program, my goal is to attend law school specializing in tax law. I aspire to become a legal professional handling cases involving inheritance tax, property tax, and other tax-related matters, and to that end, I plan to steadily build the necessary foundation during my undergraduate studies.
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 sophomore year, I plan to delve deeper into major courses related to property law and 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 connect what I’ve learned to real-world cases for discussion 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 real court cases based on the group’s research findings.
In my fourth year, I will concentrate on courses directly related to my major, such as property law, inheritance law, and tax law, while strengthening my English proficiency and practical experience in preparation for law school admissions.
Before graduation, I intend to gain practical experience through internships or work at relevant organizations to develop a sense of the real-world legal environment.
Ultimately, I aspire to become a legal professional specializing in tax law, 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.
