Korea Economic Daily TEN Interview | Noh Jong-eon, Managing Attorney of Jonjae Law Firm

Hello. This is Jonjae Law Firm.

In an in-depth interview with TEN Interview by the Korea Economic Daily, we spoke with Noh Jong-eon, Managing Attorney of Jonjae Law Firm.

Noh Jong-eon, the attorney who became widely known in the entertainment world through the Goo Hara bereaved family case, spoke candidly about his初心 as a lawyer, his sense of mission, and his dreams for the future.

"Saving one person is the same as saving the world"

Managing Attorney Noh Jong-eon summed up his sense of professional mission with a famous line from the film 'Schindler's List.' When asked what he hopes to be like as a lawyer 10 years from now, he said, "If there is an unjustly harmed victim, I want to remain the kind of lawyer who can uncover that person's injustice even if I have to take criticism for it, and I hope I do not change even 10 years from now."

Tears shed in the courtroom are the greatest weapon

Attorney Noh Jong-eon recalled the first case he handled after opening his law office. It was a damages lawsuit filed by an elderly woman who lost all 10 of her pet dogs in an electrical fire in a building. In the first trial, the court awarded a total of 1 million won in damages, and the woman burst into tears. After hearing her story, Noh Jong-eon took on the appeal and, during his arguments in court, shed tears himself. He was even told by the judge to go outside, calm down, and come back. In the second trial, the emotional damages were set at 10 million won per dog.

Attorney Noh Jong-eon said, "I was able to get this far because I was someone who could shed tears over that grandmother's pain," adding, "That is my biggest secret, and my weapon and strength." However, he also said, "Lately, I often feel afraid that I am losing my初心," and added, "So I read the ruling from that time as part of my routine."

From the Goo Hara Act to Omega X, Park Soo-hong, and Sunwoo Eun-sook

Attorney Noh Jong-eon is widely known in the entertainment industry as the person who actively pushed for the National Assembly introduction of the 'Goo Hara Act.' For nearly four years, he has spoken out for this bill, which would expand the grounds for disqualification from inheritance so that a parent who abandoned their duty to raise a child would not be able to inherit the child's estate after the child's death. At the time of the interview, following the Constitutional Court's ruling that the compulsory portion of inheritance was unconstitutional (2024.4.25.), prospects were rising for the bill to pass within the 21st National Assembly's term.

In addition, he represented the members in the case involving abuse of power and indecent assault by the head of the agency of the group Omega X and won, and he is handling legal representation in cases involving entertainers facing difficulties, including broadcaster Park Soo-hong and actress Sunwoo Eun-sook.