https://legal.excellentwiki.com/south-korea/legal-philosophy/Recent content in Legal Philosophy on ExcellentWiki - Legal EncyclopediaHugoen-USTue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://legal.excellentwiki.com/south-korea/legal-philosophy/south-korea-legal-philosophy/Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://legal.excellentwiki.com/south-korea/legal-philosophy/south-korea-legal-philosophy/<h2 id="introduction">Introduction</h2> <p>South Korean legal philosophy is a distinctive synthesis of indigenous Confucian traditions, German <strong>Rechtsphilosophie</strong> (legal philosophy), and American legal thought introduced after the Korean War. The philosophical foundations of Korean law reflect tensions between formalism and substantive justice, individual rights and community harmony, and legal positivism and natural law.</p> <h2 id="confucian-legal-tradition">Confucian Legal Tradition</h2> <p>The <strong>Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910)</strong> was governed by <strong>Confucian legal philosophy</strong> rooted in the <strong>Li (principle)</strong> - <strong>Fa (law)</strong> distinction. Confucianism emphasized:</p>