From dispute to reconciliation, from conflict to growth.
Welcome. I am Yongho Mun, President of the Korea Mediation Institute (KMI) — the country's first professional association of mediators.
In April 2026, the Korea Mediation Institute was officially launched as the first professional body of mediators in our country. Under the principle of advancing the peaceful resolution of disputes and the social diffusion of a culture of mediation, those who share this conviction came together to establish the Institute — to raise the professional standards of mediators and to strengthen public trust in alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
In every society, conflict and dispute are inevitable. The question is how we resolve them. For too long, our society has taken for granted that when disputes arise, judicial judgment is the natural answer. Yet adjudication has fundamental limits: judgments are rendered only within the strict bounds of law and evidence, and one party's victory means the other's defeat. The personal and emotional roots of a dispute remain untouched as a case is closed with a single ruling. The lawsuit ends, but the conflict lingers — and the social costs accumulate.
Mediation is different. Mediation is an autonomous process in which the parties themselves resolve a dispute through dialogue and agreement. It does not seek victory for one side, but an outcome that both sides can understand and accept. The old maxim — "even a bad settlement is better than a good judgment" — captures this well. Resolution through mediation addresses not just the surface of a dispute but its roots, making the restoration of relationships and social healing possible.
In the United States, fewer than 5 percent of civil disputes are resolved by court judgment, while around 60 percent are settled through mediation. Europe and other advanced societies have long placed mediation at the center of their dispute-resolution systems. KMI's goal is to see Korea, too, move in the near future toward a society in which more than half of all disputes are resolved through mediation.
To that end, the Korea Mediation Institute will vigorously pursue a range of initiatives: building a system for mediator certification and career management, operating education and training programs, advancing the enactment of a Mediation Framework Act, and partnering with domestic and international ADR institutions. Even where conflict persists, we aim to dramatically reduce the friction and cost it imposes on society — and to build a society that grows healthier as a result. That is our mission.
We ask for your interest, encouragement, and warm support for the Korea Mediation Institute. To everyone who walks this path with us, our heartfelt thanks.
Yongho Mun, President · Korea Mediation Institute
* This message was authored immediately after the founding general meeting in April 2026. The Institute is currently an unincorporated association pending registration as a non-profit corporation.