Research on Korean Law

The study of Korean civil law reflects a nuanced approach to Asian legal systems beyond Eurocentric perspectives. The primary focus is on analysing Korean law in light of historical, cultural, and philosophical influences, particularly the Confucian tradition and Chinese legal culture, both of which have had a lasting impact on its development.

Present-day Korean civil law is the product of a complex legal history, one shaped not only by the continental European codification models that came with Japanese colonization, but also by the reform efforts which, although initially hampered during the Korean War, ultimately culminated in the codification of Korean civil law in 1958. The interplay of these different influences continues to shape the structure and systematics of modern Korean private law. Against this background, research on Korean civil law deliberately adopts a comparative approach that goes beyond Eurocentric perspectives. At the core of this approach is an analysis of Korean law focused on the intersection of its historical, cultural, and philosophical influences – particularly the Confucian tradition and Chinese legal culture, both which have fundamentally shaped the development of Korean law. The aim is to understand Korean law in its East Asian legal context and to make visible its similarities and differences with continental European legal systems.

The systematic development of a specialist library collection continues to be an ongoing priority.