Koo Bon-jin, Managing Attorney at Lawplex
Koo Bon-jin (Law Class of ’85-’89), the Managing Attorney at Lawplex, handed me his business card. Between the neatly printed text, his name was written prominently in large, bold handwriting. As I prepared to meet Korea’s first graphologist, I had promised myself to hide my poor penmanship. “Handwriting doesn’t lie,” he said.
Though not his primary profession, Koo is the first graphologist in Korea—a title he has earned through significant time and effort, comparable to his main career. After passing the bar exam (30th class), he served over 20 years as a prosecutor, holding positions such as head of the Cybercrime Investigation Department at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, deputy chief prosecutor at the Ulsan District Prosecutors’ Office and the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office, and chief prosecutor at the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office. In 2015, he opened his law firm. What began as a hobby tied to his work, handwriting analysis developed into a field he would later publish two books on. I met him at his Lawplex office in Samseong-dong on October 29.
“During investigations, I would often ask suspects to submit handwritten statements. While reviewing them, I noticed that individuals with peculiar personalities often had distinctive handwriting as well. Over time, I developed a habit of carefully observing handwriting.”
He began studying handwriting analysis in-depth through English-language graphology books. In the West, graphology is a well-established field, with organizations like the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation and the British Institute of Graphologists, in which Koo is also a member. “In the West, each letter, such as ‘i’ or ‘t,’ has dozens of established analytical criteria. For ‘t’, which has the most analysis points, factors such as whether the crossbar is written high or at a slant are all considered. In comparison, Korean handwriting research is still lacking. For instance, the wealthy tend to write ‘ㅁ’ (the letter ‘m’) in a tightly closed shape, and if the stroke in ‘ㅎ’ or ‘ㅊ’ (the letters ‘h’ and ‘ch’) is elongated, it may indicate a desire for greatness. These are rough outlines, but more research is needed.”
Koo has a clear criterion for analyzing handwriting: “It’s either the person who is unusual or the handwriting itself that stands out.” One of his primary research subjects has been independence activists. From his early 20s, Koo began collecting Korean antiquities, including the handwriting of independence activists, and to compare, he also gathered writings from pro-Japanese collaborators and Japanese invaders. While verifying the authenticity of these historical documents, he identified distinctive patterns among these groups, which led to his publication of *Handwriting Speaks: Anti-Japanese Resistance and Collaboration Through Handwriting*.
“I currently own over 1,000 pieces, including 800 pieces of handwritten work by around 600 independence activists and the writings of pro-Japanese collaborators. I plan to digitize and publicly archive them for free in the future. It’s a tribute to those who, in difficult times, prioritized their country over their personal lives and families.”
In his book *Korean Children: From Ancient to Modern Korean Handwriting*, Koo delved into ancient Korean handwriting, highlighting the lively and pure nature of Korean people. His idea of well-written handwriting does not center on uniformity or neatness, but on vitality and how the handwriting reflects the writer’s character. “All handwriting has weaknesses. What makes a piece great is when those weaknesses are balanced to create harmony. The handwriting of independence activist Lee Sang-seol, as well as that of Jeong Yak-yong and King Jeongjo, are perfect examples. They exhibit a sense of freedom but never fall into carelessness. Tiger Woods’ handwriting, for instance, shows immense courage and boldness, but also a remarkable degree of precision.”
Koo, who uses rulers and compasses to analyze handwriting meticulously, admitted that the process can be quite demanding. Yet, I couldn’t resist presenting him with a recent sample—Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon’s entry in a guestbook from a special exhibition. After a quick glance, he gave his evaluation. “It’s excellent handwriting. There’s liveliness and aesthetic beauty. The presence of many sharp angles suggests he’s not merely a gentle person; there’s courage and righteousness in his character.”
Requests from the media to analyze the handwriting of historical figures and CEOs are frequent, though Koo expressed some frustration. “Many people dismiss graphology as akin to fortune-telling or superstition. I often hear comments like, ‘Aren’t you just fitting the analysis to the person you already know?’ It’s understandable, but over the years, I’ve seen thousands of handwriting samples, and I’ve published hundreds of analyses through interviews and articles. If this were all guesswork, maintaining consistent logic would be impossible. Often, I uncover lesser-known aspects of even famous individuals’ personalities through their handwriting.” His confidence is supported by the fact that, during his time as a prosecutor, his ‘blind tests,’ where he compared suspects’ handwriting with investigation outcomes, were mostly successful.
Koo emphasized that the difference between handwriting and fortune-telling lies in the fact that handwriting can be changed through effort. “What matters more is whether it helps improve your life. There’s no quicker or more accurate way to change your inner self than through handwriting. In the past, people practiced handwriting as a form of self-cultivation. I argue that by shaping your handwriting to reflect the kind of person you aspire to be—whether it’s being successful at work or in communication—your life can change accordingly. That’s why simply mimicking the handwriting of people who write well is meaningless.”
He is currently preparing a book to help those who want to transform their lives through handwriting. Additionally, he is working on an English-language book that demonstrates the connection between Hongshan culture, a branch of the Liao River civilization, and Korea, drawing from insights he gained while collecting antiquities. Koo’s wife is Choi Soo-hyun (Fashion Class of ’88-’92), a former professor at Youngjin College’s Department of Fashion Design.