Overview
The Bar Examination is South Korea's licensing exam for lawyers (byeonhosa). The Minister of Justice runs it under the Attorney-at-Law Examination Act, and it is held at least once a year. It is closely tied to the law school system: only people who hold a law school master's degree can sit it.
The exam has written papers, with multiple-choice and essay parts, and a separate legal ethics exam.
Who can apply
You must hold a master's degree from a law school set up under the Act on the Establishment and Management of Law Schools.
You are also treated as eligible if you are due to earn the master's degree within three months of the exam, but the result is cancelled if you do not earn it on time.
You can sit the exam only five times, and only within five years of the end of the month in which you earned the degree. The law allows the period to be extended for military service.
The Act also bars people with certain criminal convictions, dismissals or disbarments within set waiting periods. Check the Act for the exact grounds.
Exam pattern
The written exam covers four areas.
| Area | Content | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Public law | Constitutional law and administrative law | Multiple-choice and essay |
| Civil law | Civil law, commercial law and civil procedure | Multiple-choice and essay |
| Criminal law | Criminal law and criminal procedure | Multiple-choice and essay |
| Specialised legal field | One subject you choose | Essay only |
For the 2026 exam, the specialised subjects were international law, international trade law, labour law, tax law, intellectual property law, competition law and environmental law. The essay parts include questions that test practical legal skills. Legal ethics is tested in a separate exam, and its result does not count toward the numerical score.
For the 2026 exam, multiple-choice answers were marked on OMR sheets. Essay answers could be written on a computer (CBT) or by hand, as you chose.
Marking and results
The multiple-choice and essay scores are combined to decide who passes. You also have to reach the minimum score in every subject, so failing to reach the minimum in any one subject means you fail, whatever your total. The Ministry's Bar Examination Management Committee deliberates on grading standards and on who passes.
Important dates
2026 (15th exam): written exam on 6 to 10 January 2026, Applications ran from 15 October 2025 (9:00) to 21 October 2025 (18:00). The plan set the results date as 24 April 2026.
2027 (16th exam): the Ministry posted the implementation plan on 4 September 2026. The dates are in the attached notice file, so read the notice for the exam dates, application window and results date.
Fees
For the 2026 exam, the application fee was 200,000 won. Under the Act, the fee is not refunded if you apply but do not sit the exam, unless you withdraw before the exam date, in which case all or part of it is returned.
How to apply
Applications are made online on a dedicated application site named in the Ministry's yearly plan. For the 2026 exam, the Ministry said it would post the detailed exam times, venues and preparation notes on its website on 21 November 2025. The Ministry also issues a separate notice on accommodations for candidates with disabilities; read it before applying.
After the exam
Successful candidates are announced publicly and receive a certificate of passing. The Ministry's notices are in Korean, so use the Ministry website for the final word on each year's rules.
FAQs
How many times can I take the Bar Examination?
You can sit it five times within five years of getting your law school master's degree. Military service can extend the period.
Do I choose any subject myself?
Yes. Besides public, civil and criminal law, you pick one specialised legal subject, and that one is tested by essay only.
Is legal ethics part of the score?
No. It is a separate exam, and its result does not count toward the numerical score.