01x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

Arrest the sexual predator

Jang Hyeon-bae!

-Arrest him!

-Arrest him!

Bring sexual predator

Jang Hyeon-bae to justice!

-Bring him to justice!

-Bring him to justice!

Despite allegations

of massive tax evasion and embezzlement,

JS Group CEO Jang Hyeon-bae's

arrest warrant was dismissed,

sparking controversy

about preferential treatment.

All eyes will be on Judge Kang Da-wit

as he delivers the verdict today.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jang's legal team

-claims his innocence--

-He's here!

It's Judge Kang Da-wit!

-Here he comes!

-He's here!

ONE HUNDRED YEARS

OF SOLITUDE

Judge Kang,

are you going to rule

on Mr. Jang's case as planned today?

Judge Kang,

Jang's legal team

expressed confidence after recruiting

a former justice of the Supreme Court.

Justice Byeon was the chief judge

when you were first appointed.

Have you been to Tongin Sundae-guk?

Sundae?

I know you like

blood sausage soup, Mr. Kim.

Of the four major spots,

I think Tongin tastes the best.

I'll treat you to it sometime. Wait.

Ms. Park likes sundae too, right?

You can come too.

-Pardon?

-Judge Kang…

Give us a few words!

He sure is good at getting away.

What's that in his hand?

One Hundred Years of Solitude.

It's a Nobel Prize-winning novel.

I know it's a novel. But…

On a big day like this,

why did he bring a novel…

"Hundred Years?"

Is he going to sentence him

to 100 years in prison?

Come on, Do-hun!

-What?

-Ridiculous.

Seoul Central District Court,

the biggest court in Korea,

handles 70%

of Seoul's civil and criminal cases.

Hello, sir.

Hey, Judge Kang. I'll see you later.

COUR

This is my castle,

and not just anyone can come in.

The Criminal Division

for Corruption Cases tries

the most powerful people in the country.

I've made it to this castle

faster than anyone has.

Hello.

Captain! Hello, Judge Kang.

Hello, sir!

EPISODE 1

How is your knee doing?

It's no big deal.

It's just a mild sprain.

Come on. You always say that.

Teolbo's Butcher Shop is nearby.

Make sure to stop by later.

Why?

Why? I've bought some ox knee

and leg bones for you.

Simmer them long and slow

for some nice soup.

Sir.

Just make sure to heal up quickly.

Without our star center back,

our defense has been a mess these days.

It's so wide open,

a truck could drive through it.

I'll keep that in mind, Captain.

Okay!

-And as always…

-I'll lean a bit forward.

Today's work selfie!

127K FOLLOWERS

Good morning, sir.

Did your grandmother get a hospital room?

No, not yet. They're all full.

Mention me to Sejin University Hospital's

chief administrator.

They'll get you a VIP room.

Sir!

You said your grandmother raised you.

She'll get better, so don't worry.

I'll leave him a text right now.

Thank you so much, sir.

Right.

-Don't worry about the fee.

-Sir?

You'll see.

Thank you!

CHIEF JUDGE

KANG DA-WI

Come in.

Shall we get going, sir?

Let's go.

Chaebols, or family-run conglomerates,

former presidents,

government ministers,

and assembly members.

The authorities

who aren't afraid of anything

still tremble with fear

when they lie on an operating table

or stand before the court.

-Justice Byeon.

-Yes, Mr. Jang?

Are you sure everything will be all right?

Don't worry about it, sir.

It's already been settled.

Yes.

This is that kind of place.

All rise.

And I…

am the king…

of this place.

Please be seated.

Your Honor,

we've filed a motion

to postpone sentencing.

Yes. I've read through it thoroughly.

You need more time again

to reach an agreement?

Yes. As you already know,

the entire embezzled amount

has been returned to the company.

And the outstanding taxes

have been repaid.

But some parts of the agreement

are still in progress,

so we need more time.

Do those parts in progress involve

the verbal and physical abuse

against his young secretaries…

and the sexual as*ault

against his housekeepers?

DEFENDAN

Regarding those matters,

they were largely misunderstandings.

But for the greater good,

I've acknowledged them as my shortcomings

and we've agreed to a settlement,

Your Honor.

A settlement?

That's important.

Well then, how much more time do you need?

We're almost done settling

with the employees.

And we have the two housekeepers left,

so if you could grant us three more weeks…

Three weeks?

I mean…

Three weeks? Really?

Will that be enough?

Pardon? Well…

It's only two people.

Gosh, you're so funny as well.

How many victims were there?

Please put it up on the monitor.

The defendant allocated projects

mainly to his family

and pocketed the company's money

to buy a building in Manhattan

and a winery in Napa Valley.

You've been busy

looking for land to purchase.

Meanwhile, 800 employees were laid off

under the pretext of voluntary retirement.

If you count their family members,

that's 2,500.

Your Honor--

After trusting numbers fabricated

by fraudulent accounting

and investing in the company,

small retail investors

saw their lives ruined

as stock prices plummeted,

and their number alone makes up 24,000!

-Your Honor.

-Please sit down.

I'm not done yet.

After evading

tens of billions of won in tax,

you've dragged this trial on

with all sorts of lobbying

and haven't coughed up

even a penny in tax for five years

while there are tens of millions

of salary workers out there

being levied income tax every month!

If that wasn't enough,

you've verbally and physically abused

your employees habitually.

And you sexually assaulted

your housekeepers

who are trying to make ends meet

and raise their children.

After watching this on the news every day,

the number of Korean citizens

who are enraged and hate living here

makes up 50 million!

How are you going

to settle the compensation

for all of their mental suffering?

Three weeks? Will that really be enough?

The Court dismisses the defendant's motion

to postpone sentencing.

The Court hereby renders

the following judgment.

The defendant is sentenced

to ten years in prison

and a fine of 70 billion won.

Order in the court.

Due to a risk of flight,

the defendant will hereby

be taken into custody.

Shall the Court

notify your spouse about this?

Right.

Which one should we notify?

Your legal spouse? Or…

the one you live with?

Well…

Anyone will do.

All right, then.

Please take him away.

You b*stard!

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, sir.

Do you think I'll take this lying down?

The first anti-corruption judge

with only a high school degree,

Chief Judge Kang Da-wit

of the Seoul Central District Court,

-levied a harsher sentence…

-Over 310,000.

than anyone anticipated

on JS Group CEO Jang Hyeon-bae

and has instantly become

the people's judge.

The book he was holding

on his way to court,

One Hundred Years of Solitude,

has raised a lot of speculation

regarding its significance.

But the meaning

might be in the title itself.

It symbolizes his solitary resolve

to stick to his principles

and deliver a sentence without giving in

to any external pressure.

That is the prevailing view.

Meanwhile, the victims

that have long suffered…

I'm your entertainer

-I'm your…

-I'm your…

People's judge!

Sir.

Who's playing such loud music

in the courthouse?

Yes, Ms. Yoon?

How did it go with your grandmother?

We got her a hospital room.

-Good.

-It's all thanks to you, sir.

Thank you so much.

Gosh, no need to thank me.

Who's going to help

the members of my team if I don't?

-Also, sir…

-Yes?

You were awesome today!

Court employees

from all over the country called me,

and they went on and on

about how cool you were!

Geez, it was just another case.

A judge just does his job quietly

according to law and principle.

What's so special about that?

Come on.

Your modesty makes you even cooler.

-Sir.

-Yes?

Actually, I'm a member

of Seoul's Justice Nomination Committee

in the Court Employees' Union.

Really? My goodness.

I had absolutely no idea.

That's so surprising.

I'm going to vote

to nominate you as our candidate

-for Supreme Court Justice.

-Gosh.

Everyone says you'll help

the younger generation be heard

and improve the working environment

at the Supreme Court.

Even your good looks

would be a benefit to employees!

Goodness, I'm still too young.

And I lack the competence and experience.

It's not like I work as a judge

just to be successful either.

Well, I knew you'd turn it down

since you are so modest.

Do you need my resident registration?

You'll need to attach it

to the letter of recommendation.

What's this?

I happened to have a copy of it.

Okay.

I'll submit it. Thank you.

Have a good day.

That was the first step.

Anyone can recommend

a Supreme Court Justice candidate.

After a screening process,

the committee nominates three times

as many people to the Chief Justice.

The Chief Justice chooses one among them

and recommends them to the President.

Step one is to get nominated

by the Court Employees' Union.

Not bad.

I've worked my way up from the bottom,

which makes for a good story.

During a presidential election

in the past,

some believed a candidate

in their forties was needed.

I think it's about time for the court

to have a young and bright justice

instead of an elderly one.

He's from outside of Seoul

and only has a high school diploma.

He understands the common people.

If we don't support someone like him,

who else would we support, my friends?

-Right.

-Yeah.

By the way, sir.

Something's been simmering

back there for a while now.

You're right.

It smells good.

What have you been cooking?

This? It's nothing.

It's ox knee and leg bone soup.

I have a pretty bad knee.

What an honor!

I get to pour a drink

for the people's judge.

My goodness.

Please forgive me, sir.

SENIOR CHIEF JUDGE, CRIMINAL

-My apologies for causing trouble.

-Come on, don't say that.

You can't be sorry

if the court panel ruled

based on its own conviction.

Some might mistake us

for interfering with the trial.

-Judge Kang.

-Yes, sir?

I thought you were

easy-going and sensible.

SENIOR CHIEF JUDGE, CIVIL AFFAIRS

But I guess you had

lots of pent-up things inside.

Not at all, sir.

Stop. It was because he's young.

SHIN JUNG-SEOK

SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT COURT CHIEF

A young judge

should be passionate like him.

Also, it was only the first hearing.

It'll go to the appellate court.

The business world is going nuts

because the media made such a fuss.

I'm worried about

how the Blue House will respond.

Mr. Shin, this is why I said

the Division for Corruption Cases

should be handled by someone we can trust

from National Court Administration.

Even though the recent trend

is to break hierarchies--

Then, are you saying…

I appointed the wrong person?

My apologies.

No, I didn't mean that.

No, sir!

It's my fault.

I'm sorry for causing you trouble.

Everyone, I apologize!

Please tell me.

They're the most elite aristocrats

in the legal world.

-No, sir.

-What do you mean "No"?

But since they're only bookworms,

they don't understand

that politics is a living organism.

It's tough serving the country, isn't it?

These are herbal tonics. Take them.

Serving the country?

I'm a mere aide to a National Assemblyman.

Your boss is a political big shot though.

It must be tough.

It's been so rough these days.

Incidents keep happening,

so the approval rating has cratered.

We need something

to change the atmosphere.

In any administration,

when the approval rating drops,

they try to turn things around

by cracking down on chaebols.

The whole country hates

Chairman Jang Hyeon-bae

for habitually beating his staff.

So what if the young judge

who got rid of Chairman Jang

is also a justice candidate?

He'd be a good card to play.

A shocking appointment

who understands the minds of the youth.

Judge Kang, what are you waiting for?

Hurry up and do it.

Yes, sir.

I am at your service.

I pledge my loyalty!

That's what I'm talking about.

Yes!

You normally behave so well.

Why did you suddenly go overboard?

Hey, stop it already.

Judge Kang is…

Is your forehead all right?

Gochujang!

It's red chili paste.

To dip snacks in.

It's salty.

Geez, this guy!

You're not like other judges.

You're young, yet you try so hard.

But don't try too hard.

It's a bit uncomfortable

when someone is too tenacious.

-Come on.

-I'm kidding!

Yes, sir.

Let's drink to that.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

Cheers.

"Don't try too hard"?

How ridiculous.

Those who have worked as hard as I have

can look down on me.

But you guys can't.

Never.

It's Judge Kang!

Judge Kang!

-Sir, a few words!

-Please give us a few words!

Judge Kang, give us a few words.

Was there external pressure?

Sir, what do you think of your nickname,

"The People's Judge"?

Right.

I'm sorry. As you can see,

I have so many cases to catch up on.

Hello, Ms. Park.

Sorry!

-Kang Da-wit, the people's judge.

-Geez.

Mr. Kim.

They say you'll be

the next justice candidate.

Come on. I'm still too young.

Right?

A justice in his forties

is a bit irrational--

Emmanuel Macron,

President of France, age 39.

Rishi Sunak,

Prime Minister of England, age 42.

Former Korean Justice Go Jae-h*, age 41.

These are the ages

of when they were appointed.

Kang Da-wit, born in 1981.

You're well-prepared, Judge Kang.

Good morning.

Good morning, sir.

Why do you keep carrying around

old documents we're going to shred?

What?

To work out.

For goodness' sake!

Seriously? Damn it.

Geez.

NOMINATE A FUTURE JUSTICE

Oh, dear! What are we going to do?

It must have taken so long

to get these ready.

Are you all right?

Yes. Thank you.

Goodness. You must be new.

Your senior colleagues

make you copy a lot of stuff?

What? No, that's not it.

I know. You don't have to explain.

Goodness, there's a lot.

You can't copy all these alone.

-Gosh.

-No, it's okay!

I'll do it.

-I feel so bad.

-Don't be.

Your job is my job.

We're all one big family here,

aren't we?

"Family"?

Yes. Sure.

Thank you.

I'm sorry, but by any chance,

could you take these papers down for me?

Papers?

They weren't kidding

about Gen Z being something else.

A bottom-tier newbie

asking a chief judge for papers?

Once I become a justice, I'm going to--

Of course, I can!

All right. So…

It's hard to take them down at first.

You could hurt your back too.

That badge. Are you an attorney?

Yes.

Come on.

You should've told me that right away.

I thought you were a court employee here

who had a vote.

Sorry?

A vote?

What are you talking about?

They should have sent an employee.

Why is an attorney making copies here?

How confusing.

I can't believe that old man.

-"Old man"?

-Yes. You're not an old lady, are you?

-What?

-What?

-You--

-What?

Yes.

I'm a public interest attorney

without any assistants,

so I do everything myself.

Was asking you

to take down those papers for me

that much of a terrible thing to do?

What did you say?

You said you're an attorney.

Don't you know who you're talking to?

Why do I have to know who you are?

Don't you own a TV or watch the news?

You must have no interest

in what goes on in the world.

-This old man must be a narcissist.

-What?

You can go back on your way.

Are you that important?

I can't believe her. Yes.

-I am a big deal--

-Judge Kang.

Have you eaten yet?

Okay. I think we're good now.

This machine's old,

so sometimes, you have to

give it a smack for it to work.

Goodbye, then.

-Did you go to Tongin Sundae-guk?

-We did.

He's so sweet.

A public interest attorney, my foot.

Her job doesn't even make money,

so why is she so arrogant?

Who knows if she can even afford a living?

TEXT MESSAGE

The Court Employees' Union

has nominated you

as their justice candidate.

Hello, sir.

We heard you were nominated

as a justice candidate.

Are you going to accept

the screening process?

-Well…

-Sir, could we have a quick interview?

How do you feel?

-Ms. Park.

-Yes?

Do you like chocolates?

Sorry? Why do you suddenly ask?

There's a famous quote

from a movie I like, Forrest Gump.

"My momma always said…"

Right. But what does that mean?

I don't know either.

What does that mean?

-Sorry?

-Gosh, what a difficult line.

Sir, so are you consenting

to the screening process?

-Please tell us.

-Are you consenting?

What was that?

Why did he speak

in bad English like a politician?

Maybe he meant, "Nobody knows the future"?

"Get…" He must have gotten it.

He must have the spot.

He must've agreed to the process.

I see.

I'm almost there, Mom.

Da-wit!

Mom!

Mom, was working

at the factory tough today?

Nope, it wasn't.

-How's your lower back?

-It's fine.

Here.

It's a gift.

Gosh, this…

It's my favorite gift.

It's so sour.

Why do you like it so much

when it's so sour?

Life can be pretty sour and bitter

instead of being sweet.

You'll understand once you grow up.

What should we make for dinner?

-I don't know.

-What do you want?

-Spicy stir-fried pork.

-Really?

-Yeah.

-Okay.

LATE SUMMER OF 1998

-Have a good day.

-Hello.

Gosh, Da-wit's here.

Dorm life is tough, isn't it?

Studying's not so bad.

Mom has it tougher.

-Do you have any apricots?

-Apricots?

The season for them is in June.

It's too late now.

Persimmons are sweet and tasty these days.

But I want apricots instead.

I want the sour ones, not the sweet ones.

Mom, I'm home.

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom.

Mom!

Mom!

Mom, look at me.

Mom, what's wrong?

Mom!

Mom!

Man, it's sweet.

These expensive department store apricots…

aren't sour or bitter, Mom.

They're sweet.

Very sweet.

COUR

Good morning!

Sir, have you agreed

to the screening process?

It's an honor just to be nominated,

but I have no ambitions.

What? Please have some!

Everything's great about you,

but your lack of ambition's a flaw.

At the Supreme Court,

I won't get to work with you anymore.

That's sad.

You can take me with you.

Please promote me

to be a justice's secretary.

Ms. Yoon.

You're ambitious. That's charming.

I believe in you, sir.

Right. Your classmate

from elementary school called.

"Kim Ju-seop"? Who's that?

He said "Juvenile" would ring a bell.

Juvenile? Kim… Juvenile?

Right. Kim Juvenile.

Why did that prick…

What did he suddenly call?

Last time I saw him

was in elementary school.

What?

Hey, Juvenile!

Running an orchard must be tough.

Look how tanned you are.

Hey, when I was young,

I thought your family

was the richest in the world.

Come on. My orchard isn't even that big.

-You're the amazing one.

-Come on.

Hey, let's cut the chitchat.

-Just sign 100 autographs for me.

-Gosh, will you stop?

I'm here to get your autograph

on behalf of our hometown.

Who signs an autograph for a friend?

Come on. It's embarrassing.

-Stop complaining and do it.

-No.

No?

For autographs,

this brush pen works the best.

You carry around brush pens too?

-Da-wit.

-Yeah?

THE PEOPLE'S JUDGE

You really are something else.

You had such a hard life

growing up in the countryside.

Now, you've become so successful.

-I don't know my place, do I?

-What?

Come on. Don't be ridiculous!

I shouldn't have mentioned it.

Forget it.

-Anyways…

-Yeah.

Do you remember Ji-min?

Ji-min?

Do you mean Bang Ji-min?

Yeah, your first love.

Get out of here, you punk.

She had a crush on me, but I didn't.

-No, I wasn't into her.

-Is that so?

You begged me to lend you 30,000 won

to buy her a birthday gift,

and you still haven't paid me back.

Gosh, I did?

-What? You want it now?

-No, forget it!

No, I want to send my friend off first.

No, my designated driver is almost here.

-Go on ahead.

-No, you go.

-Go.

-You go first.

-Hey, you go first.

-I told you to go first, you punk.

Hey, what's that?

-What?

-My goodness!

Hey!

Okay.

Geez.

Keep in touch.

Yeah, let's keep in touch

from now on. Okay?

Don't ignore your old friends

just because you're successful now.

All right, already.

Yeah. The people's judge!

Good luck!

Gosh, you're so juvenile. Geez.

-I'll get going.

-All right.

See you later.

Sir, please drive safely.

COUR

Geez, Mr. Kim.

Why are you out here so early?

Judge Kang,

it's about your sentencing last week

of Jungbu Pharmaceuticals' Chairman Yoo.

-Could you say--

-I have nothing to say.

A judge only speaks through his rulings.

Just answer one question for us.

Right now, you're doing more interviews

than anyone else in Korea.

What is this?

What? Is there something in your trunk?

-Right!

-What?

My underwear!

I forgot to wash my underwear

after playing soccer this morning.

-Where's the--

-No, it stinks!

It stinks so bad…

It smells like a dead body.

I should run to the laundromat!

I'm going to the laundromat.

I better go.

-The laundromat--

-I need to go to the laundromat!

Please say something about the case.

It can be short! Come on!

He can be pretty strange sometimes.

Why is he going to the laundromat?

Was I mistaken?

No, this can't be true.

Is this a habit from work?

I can guess the amount from the box size.

When filled with new 50,000-won bills,

a briefcase is 300 million.

A ramyeon box is 600 million.

An apple box is 1.2 billion.

No, it can't be…

Get a hold of yourself.

At this crucial moment,

when I'm about to become a justice,

there's 1.2 billion won

in cash in my trunk?

There's no way.

No way.

Kang Da-wit.

Who's that?

You…

are f*cked.

No!

Why isn't he picking up?

Think. Come on, think.

They say clear minds

can help you survive even a bear.

Or was it a tiger?

No, that's not what's important right now.

Hey, people's judge.

I'm on my way back home now.

Okay, at a time like this,

I should check the facts first.

Did you get back safely last night?

Come on. You think this hillbilly

couldn't find his hotel?

I was worried about you, dude.

By the way,

did you leave something in my car?

What? What are you talking about?

You and I left at the same time

after drinking.

Right.

Right? I know that.

Hey, don't get me wrong,

but you didn't have a favor to ask of me

or anything like that, right?

A favor?

Of course, I have one.

What is it?

Well…

Another 100 autographs.

I'll use them to brag.

"I'm Judge Kang's best friend."

"I'm a big deal."

Right. My autographs.

Well, sure. That's no problem at all.

Okay, then. Get home safe.

I'll see you next time.

Right.

As if he would've had 1.2 billion won.

The designated driver also said

nothing happened.

The barbecue place's parking lot

doesn't have CCTV.

My car was parked here.

Then…

It's facing this way.

I should call the police

and have them investigate…

But…

An apple box filled with 1.2 billion won

in the car of an anti-corruption judge.

That doesn't look good at all.

It'll look like I've changed my mind

out of fear after accepting the money.

The crime of bribery is established

the moment you accept it.

But if it's a bribe,

there has to be someone who gave it!

The money came first with nobody around…

That means it wasn't a bribe.

It was a trap.

It's bait.

Bait to reel me.

Is that true?

Yes, sir.

Nobody gave all that money,

but it was in a judge's car?

Who's going to buy that?

Still, I think I should tell

the police first.

Their chief respects you so much.

No.

Right now, Chief Park

is desperate to become

commissioner general.

Cracking down on judges and prosecutors

is their biggest deal. Why?

Because it'll be on the news.

You're saying they'll make

a bigger deal out of it?

This isn't just about you.

You're famous across the country

as the people's judge.

If this news spreads, it'll affect you,

it'll affect me for appointing you…

You're right.

It'd be trouble for you too,

especially during this sensitive period

before a justice appointment.

Damn it.

Is there any way

to deal with this quietly?

Sir, this is bait

intended to trap us.

At a time like this,

instead of hiding in fear,

we have to strike back.

Strike back?

This message was in the box.

Let's do what they want.

"Use it for a good cause."

Yes. Since that's what they wrote,

let's do that.

What can they do?

"No, it was actually a bribe."

"I secretly put it

in Kang Da-wit's car trunk to screw him."

Will they be able to say that?

Will it really be okay?

A HUGE ANONYMOUS DONATION

TO SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT COUR

It's just right.

A moving story that's not too big.

And Mr. Shin was able to

promote himself in the meantime.

USE IT FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Okay. What are you going to do now,

you coward?

You accidentally donated 1.2 billion won

while trying to screw me.

I bet you'll go to heaven, you prick!

Good for you, moron!

Sir, Mr. Shin needs to see you right now.

What?

Did you see the article, sir?

What's your intent, you b*stard?

Sorry? What do you mean, sir?

Mr. Shin.

I trusted and guided you

when you were a nobody

without a college degree.

How could you betray me like this,

you snake?

Sir, what on earth are you talking about?

Go ahead.

This is…

Gosh, you shouldn't have.

Hey.

It's so heavy.

Thanks.

I hope you enjoy.

That's not…

That's not me.

I never did that.

This is fake.

Some lunatic is using an altered video

-to mess with--

-You b*stard!

I can't believe how brazen you are.

You're still trying to con me

after seeing that?

What's your intent?

Why did you drag me into this

after taking that bribe?

Why?

"An anonymous benefactor?"

"Use it for a good cause?"

You son of a…

You purposely did this

to screw me, didn't you?

Okay. I'll try to understand.

Just tell me why.

-What was your intent?

-No, sir!

This guy is Kim Ju-seop,

and he owns a countryside orchard.

What? Kim Ju-seop?

-A countryside orchard?

-Yes!

Don't you know who he is?

He's my friend from elementary school.

That b*stard…

is Yoo Jae-beom, who I tried

for being a serial con artist.

He's wanted right now for committing fraud

and fleeing after his release!

There's no way.

CRIMINAL AND INVESTIGATION RECORDS CHECK

ARREST WARRAN

This can't be right.

This can't…

There's no way.

The number you have dialed

is not in service.

KIM JUVENILE

No way.

-The number you have dialed…

-No!

No.

-The number you have dialed…

-No.

-No.

-…is not in service.

Damn it.

BAE JEONG-HWAN, CLASSMATE

Hey, Jeong-hwan.

It's me, Da-wit. It's been a while.

Hey, Da-wit.

What's with the sudden call?

It's been years.

Sorry to call so suddenly like this,

but I'm in a bit of a hurry.

Do you remember Kim Ju-seop

from our elementary school?

I was wondering if you knew his number.

Kim Ju-seop?

Well, I saw him recently,

but I don't have his number.

Are you talking about Juvenile?

Yes, Kim Juvenile!

Yeah, that's right.

What are you talking about, man?

He died ten years ago.

What?

He passed away at a young age

from a brain aneurysm.

It ran in his family.

But what do you mean you saw him recently?

Actually…

I must have been mistaken.

Sorry to bother you.

I'll call you next time.

YOO JAE-BEOM

FORMER FRAUD CONVICT'S

NEW IDENTITY AS STARTUP CEO

STARTUP RECEIVES GOVERNMENT AID

DESPITE FRAUD RECORD

ALREADY SEVERAL WARNINGS

To me,

life hasn't been

a box of sweet chocolates.

It's been a box of poisonous apples,

no matter how hard I tried.

You think I'm Snow White or something?

Did you think I'd die

after eating those poisonous apple?

Do you know

what I went through to get here?

Geez, how much is that?

Hey. I was right, wasn't I?

It's a deepfake.

I never did that. I remember clearly.

-Judge Kang.

-Yeah?

Current deepfake technology

can't look this natural yet.

How did they fake this?

Why does it look so real?

I'm really sorry,

but I looked at it frame by frame.

I also checked the sources,

but this video is real.

Then, they must have hired someone

who looks just like me--

Sir.

You don't have a twin brother, do you? No.

Be honest.

Did you take the money or not?

Stop snapping.

This is driving me crazy.

Did I really lose my mind?

If this wasn't altered,

you're saying that really is me?

That's really me?

COUR

Please give me some time, sir.

I'll pull all the strings I have

and get to the bottom of--

Make a choice.

Sir? What choice?

Are you going to quietly quit

before word gets out?

Or will you face a police investigation

for taking a big bribe

from a serial con artist?

No!

This was a trap!

-It wasn't me! No!

-The people's judge!

I trusted you so much!

No, I didn't do it!

Sir.

It seems I have your answer.

Submit your resignation letter

right away.

By the way, even if you quit,

you won't be able to open

a law office for a while.

What do you mean?

Dr. Oh Gyu-jang

pulled some strings,

so we were just able

to quietly cover this up.

But as the chair

of the bar association,

he can't allow a corrupt judge like you…

to become an attorney.

A corrupt judge? Sir, I'm so--

After personally receiving that bribe,

you're still being this shameless?

You should thank me for letting you quit

without telling anyone.

Whether you be a law firm office manager

in the country or do manual labor,

just live quietly.

And don't come anywhere near us

in Seocho-dong.

KANG DA-WI

COURTS OF KOREA

SAFETY FIRS

FALLING HAZARD

One step.

It was only the first step.

I was so close.

Da-wit.

Just promise me…

two things.

Cremate me

and spread my ash over a river…

so that you won't have to

come to see me every year.

Okay?

Mom.

Don't look back.

Keep moving forward.

Just keep moving forward…

without stopping.

You must…

become successful.

You have to succeed

so people won't look down on you.

Go as far…

as you can,

my son.

Got it?

Mom.

Mom.

Hello?

It's me.

Who is this?

Unbelievable. Da-wit, it's me.

Don't you remember me?

Oh Jung-in?

Da-wit.

You remembered my voice after all.

How could I forget?

It's your voice.

You haven't changed a bit.

You're still so cringe.

You haven't changed either.

You talk casually to me

whenever you please.

What's the occasion?

We haven't been in touch

since our training.

Never mind that.

Come join my law firm.

Your firm? Oh & Partners?

I heard all about what happened to you.

What do you mean?

Don't ask me how I found out.

Jung-in, I--

The attorney registration?

Don't worry. I've already persuaded Dad.

You persuaded Dr. Oh?

Yeah.

Why? Why would you

go through all the hassle…

To help you?

No.

I want you to help me.

COUR

CHIEF JUDGE KANG DA-WI

CRIMINAL DIVISION, CORRUPTION

CHIEF JUDGES' ROOM

You can't do this, sir.

You didn't even give us a heads up.

I'm sorry.

It wasn't a choice

I could consult with others.

Sir, what's going on?

It's not hiring season,

so why are you resigning?

The justice position

was right in front of you. So why…

I'm pretty exhausted.

I'll get some rest

and talk to you about it later.

Sir.

Don't worry. I'll be back.

No matter what.

Founded by Dr. Oh Gyu-jang,

the giant who controls

the legal world from the shadows,

Oh & Partners is Korea's top law firm

with its finest attorneys.

Yes. It's a place that suits me perfectly.

Using this as a stepping stone,

I will go back

to the place I belong.

Jung-in?

Welcome.

It's pretty bright in here.

Hold on.

But you know what?

This place is pretty nice.

The managing partner's office

in Korea's top law firm.

It's spacious, isn't it?

But doesn't it feel a bit empty?

No. The empty space

is supposed to help with your creativity.

Really?

By the way, the windows

must be facing southeast.

They get plenty of sun.

I personally like it

when they face southwest.

I tend to enjoy the afternoon sun.

Is that so?

The decor isn't bad either.

All the partner offices

are pretty similar, right?

Well, yeah. They're basically the same.

I see.

Jung-in, I want to thank you.

I won't forget your kindness.

I will build Oh & Partners

into a global law firm.

You know I'm a man of my word.

That passion of yours never wanes.

Was that why I fell for you?

It was because of my passion?

I thought it was because of my good looks.

And you still have that confidence.

Follow me. I'll show you your spot.

But I just sat down.

Let's go.

I'd love to see my office.

I like the offices on this side too.

Is this my office?

No, it's this way.

We just need to go down the stairs.

The stairs? But what about the elevators?

What? You don't like stairs?

No, I love stairs. It's a good workout.

-That's good news, then.

-What do you mean?

You'll see once you get there.

There's an atrium too.

-The firm's grown a lot.

-We have a lot of attorneys now.

We've launched a Pro Bono Team too.

Pro bono? Free representation?

Don't call it free.

Pro bono publico.

It's a team for public interest cases.

Right, a free lawsuit team.

Wait.

A firm like Oh & Partners

that charges a million won per hour

has a team

that doesn't make money?

Why?

Law firms also have

social responsibilities.

Haven't you heard of ESG?

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND GOVERNANCE

We're almost there. Come this way.

Wait. I hear dogs barking.

Why would dogs be…

Hey!

-Why did you put this up here?

-You can't let them go here.

-What is this place?

-This is crazy.

-No!

-Everyone!

Team Pro Bono!

Attorney Kang Da-wit is here.

-Hello!

-Welcome, sir!

Ddol-i, no!

Hey, this can't be…

This is where you'll be working now.

It's a team for public interest cases,

not free cases.

-One moment.

-I need a moment too.

-Jung-in. Hey.

-Hello?

Why is it so dark in here?

-It's shady, isn't it?

-What?

That's why mushrooms grow well in here.

This is shiitake mushroom tea.

Shiitake mushroom…

Sorry.

We're handling a case involving those

who rescue abandoned dogs.

We have to look after the dogs

while they're being investigated.

Ddol-i!

There you are. Come here, Ddol-i.

You have to go inside now.

I heard you were a prominent judge.

Please teach me your ways!

I'm Hwang Jun-u, a young attorney

who's always eager to learn.

Let me say hi too. Good boy.

-Just a minute.

-Sorry.

Hello, I'm Attorney Yoo Nan-hui!

I'm interested in women's rights,

child welfare, and animal rights.

-Why do they keep giving me stuff?

-Which areas are you interested in, sir?

Well…

Anything that concerns public interest.

Really? I knew it.

Attorney Jang.

Right, yes.

Just wait here for a bit.

I'm…

I'm Jang Yeong-sil.

It's a strange name, isn't it?

It's nice. It sounds

like an inventor's name.

Right.

Attorney Jang has more experience

as a PA than anyone else here,

-which is eight years.

-A PA?

-It's--

-You don't know?

Attorneys specializing

in public interest cases are called PAs.

-And we're AA members as well.

-Yes.

What are AAs?

-AAs are--

-A group of attorneys who protect

the rights of non-human animals.

And what are non-human animals?

-Non--

-Humans always think

they're special and not like animals.

To stay away from such human-centric,

species-discriminating views,

we've started using terms

like human animals and non-human animals.

That's right.

You've got to be kidding me.

PAs and AAs.

I'm a CA. An attorney who's going crazy.

A team for public interest cases

in charge of free lawsuits.

She put me in this shady place

with freeloaders

who don't contribute any revenue,

and thus, have no voice in the company.

What about my stepping stone?

And my return?

And my success?

Hello! You're the new attorney,

aren't you?

I'm Park Gi-ppeum. Welcome to Team Pro…

Bono.

You're him.

That prick from that one time…

who pretended to help me.

Hey, what are you doing here?

It's not easy to get into this law firm.

You really are something else.

You did all that bragging

about how important you were.

You never know where life will take you.

We'll be making copies together now.

-Copies?

-How wonderful.

We were so short-handed

that we were about to find

some cats to help us.

We're so lucky!

-Welcome to the team!

-Welcome to the team!

-Really.

-Welcome!

-Welcome.

-We should celebrate.

-Let's have dinner tonight.

-What do you like?

-What do you like?

-Me?

Why am I here?

What am I going to do

with those people?

My glorious road to success.

I was walking down the path to success

adorned with wealth and fame.

Why do I have to handle

all these miscellaneous cases

with those weird pro bono losers

in the corner without any sunlight? Why?

Why?

This darn bread!

You dog!

I want to go back!

How could you send me

to that kind of place without asking me?

What are you doing to our client?

From chaebol CEO trials

to a case of a stolen mutt…

I heard you're a pro bono attorney now.

Did something happen?

If Myeong-hun's on this case,

it won't end easily.

-Do you know how much Chloe is worth?

-Oh, my gosh!

Our Byeol… I won't let her go.

Chloe!

-We have to resolve it.

-At any cost.

I think you've seen

too many Hollywood movies.

I thought it was okay.

-It's the blunt judge!

-Your goal was to change the judge.

Hey, you little… You punk!

-But is that possible?

-You have to win the case.

You could teach me since I don't know.

-The first reaction.

-"Where?"

I'll take charge

of those pro bono losers for a year.

-You want to make a deal?

-Make me a justice candidate.

That's my condition.