Lee Tai-young
Lee Tai-young | |
|---|---|
이태영 | |
| Born | 10 August 1914 Pukjin, Unsan County, Korea, Empire of Japan |
| Died | 16 December 1998 (aged 84) |
| Spouse | Chyung Yil-hyung |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent | Kim Heung-won (mother) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 이태영 |
| Hanja | 李兌榮 |
| Revised Romanization | I Taeyeong |
| McCune–Reischauer | I T'aeyŏng |
Lee Tai-young (Korean: 이태영; 10 August 1914 – 16 December 1998), also spelled Yi T'ai Yŏng, was Korea's first female lawyer [other sources refer to her as the first female lawyer in South Korea]. She was also the founder of the country's first legal aide centre. She fought for women's rights all through her career. Her often mentioned refrain was, "No society can or will prosper without the cooperation of women." Her dedication to law also got her the epithet "the woman judge."
Certain resources have misidentified Lee as the first female judge in Korea's history. The first Korean woman to become a judge was Hwang Yun-suk in 1954. While Lee had sought a judicial appointment around 1954, she was denied a judgeship due to political reasons. She eventually became a judge later in her legal career.