The Honorable KWON Young Joon was born in Seoul on October 14, 1970. Justice Kwon passed the 35th National Judicial Examination in 1993 while attending Seoul National University College of Law. He was appointed as a judge in April 1999 and began his judgeship in the Seoul District Court. Justice Kwon served as a judge in the Eastern Branch Court of Seoul District Court and later in the Daegu District Court. He also has experience working at the National Court Administration’s Planning and Coordination Office. He began teaching at the Seoul National University College of Law in September 2006 specializing in civil law. Having more than 17 years of teaching experience as a professor, he has stayed committed to encouraging future scholars and aspiring legal professionals. Justice Kwon was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Korea in July 2023.

Justice Kwon has been widely recognized as one of the renowned experts in civil law who is equipped with an exceptional understanding of legal theory and practice. He has vigorously conducted scholarly research on a wide range of legal fields, including civil law, intellectual property law, personal information protection law, and international trade law. In addition, he has endeavored to apply abstract legal theory with specific and realistic legal practice by participating in legislative enactments, amendments, and policy-making processes while serving as the Chairman of the Advisory Council on Legal Affairs under the Ministry of Justice, and as a member of the Presidential Council on Intellectual Property. Beyond researching traditional areas of law, Justice Kwon has aimed to contribute to social responsibility as a legal professional by proposing practical solutions through in-depth research on newly emerging legal issues surrounding artificial intelligence and data. He has also strived to introduce Korean law to the international community by being closely involved in forming United Nation’s international norms and lecturing at prestigious universities and through his writings to give a better understanding of Korean law for foreign readers.

Justice Kwon has published more than 30 books and 80 academic papers, including ‘Copyright Infringement Judgement Theory,’ ‘Research on Civil Law Amendment Proposal’ (co-author), and ‘Basic Principles of Civil Law Jurisprudence’ which were selected as outstanding academic books by the National Academy of Science of the Republic of Korea. He also won several research and education-related awards, including the Juridical Paper Award of the Korean Society of Law for “Theory, Legal Principles, and Practice in Civil Trials” in 2009.