Ewha Law School Team Finishes Runner-Up at the 2026 WIPO Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition N
- Date2026.07.06
- 424
Only Korean Team Among 215 Teams Worldwide Demonstrates Excellence in Legal Analysis and Oral Advocacy
(From left) WIPO Director General Daren Tang, Moon Jeongyun, Jeong Heesu, and WIPO Director Todd Reves
Ewha Womans University School of Law's team, consisting of Moon Jeongyun and Jeong Heesu under the guidance of Prof. Kim Young Seok, finished as runner-up at the 2026 WIPO Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition. The team advanced to the Final Round, held at the headquarters of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland, from June 24 to 26, 2026, where they reached the championship round and ultimately secured second place.
The WIPO Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition is an international event in which law students from around the world compete by preparing written submissions and presenting oral arguments based on international intellectual property disputes. The competition is widely recognized as a platform for cultivating the next generation of intellectual property professionals and promoting international academic exchange. Marking its second edition this year, the competition attracted 215 teams from 50 countries. Following the written and video submission round and a second online round, only eight teams from seven countries—Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, two teams from India, Estonia, Nigeria, and Trinidad and Tobago—advanced to the Final Round in Geneva.
As the only Korean team to qualify for the Final Round, Ewha's law school team competed in the quarterfinals on June 24 against the University of Lagos (Nigeria) and National Law University Delhi (India), arguing both the claimant's and respondent's positions. Based on the judges' scores, the team ranked second overall and advanced to the semifinals. There, they once again faced the Indian team they had met in the quarterfinals and secured a victory to reach the final. In the championship round, they competed against the Nigerian team and ultimately earned the runner-up title.
This year's competition centered on international legal issues involving various areas of intellectual property law, including patents, trademarks, and trade secrets. Participants were required to prepare arguments for both the claimant and respondent in the same case and demonstrate their legal analysis and advocacy skills through written memorials and oral pleadings. During the Final Round, competitors presented their arguments and responded to questions before a panel of internationally renowned intellectual property experts and legal professionals, showcasing their legal expertise on the global stage.
Moon Jeongyun and Jeong Heesu shared their thoughts on the achievement, saying, "It was an incredibly meaningful experience to engage in rigorous legal analysis and advocacy on diverse intellectual property issues alongside outstanding participants from around the world. The result is especially meaningful because it reflects the long journey we shared, serving as each other's closest teammate and coach while continuously refining our arguments through dedicated research and practice."
They continued, "We are sincerely grateful to our professors, the university community, our families, and friends for their unwavering encouragement and support throughout the preparation process and during the competition. Building on this experience, we hope to continue strengthening the expertise and professional skills required of legal practitioners on the international stage."
Final Round of the Moot Court Competition | With Ambassador Yoon Sung-mi, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, at the award ceremony
This achievement once again demonstrates the outstanding educational excellence and international competitiveness of Ewha Womans University School of Law. Earlier this year, the School ranked first among Korea's 25 law schools in the appointment of newly selected judicial law clerks. It also produced the top scorer on the 2025 Korean Bar Examination, further solidifying its reputation as one of the nation's leading institutions for legal education. Through its rigorous legal curriculum, practice-oriented training, and programs designed to strengthen students' global competencies, the School continues to nurture legal professionals who excel both in Korea and on the international stage.