-Judge Im. -Yes?
About yesterday...
Thank you.
Pardon?
Oh, I'm sorry.
I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable.
Not at all. Thanks to you...
I'm sorry. I have to go meet Presiding Judge Han.
Come in.
-Hey. -Sir.
I'd like to make a suggestion.
They still look nice.
-Sorry? -You know what I'm talking about.
That can be considered sexual harassment,
workplace sexual harassment.
Really?
I'm sorry, Judge Jung.
No, I was just joking.
You don't have to apologize.
A court stenographer dared to compliment a judge's buttocks.
I apologize.
No, listen. That's not what I meant.
It was sexual harassment.
If you let HR know, they'll decide whether or not to renew my contract.
-The person in charge is... -That's not what I meant!
I... I liked it. I was flattered, so it's not sexual harassment.
You liked what?
-Sorry? -What did you like?
Getting a compliment...
from an attractive woman.
I wasn't complimenting a judge's buttocks.
I was just saying that about this cute guy.
So it's not workplace sexual harassment, right?
I'll be off then.
Wait, you said that man isn't your dad.
Pardon?
Is he actually your boyfriend? Are you seeing that old man?
What is he talking about?
Is that why he stopped visiting our office?
Gosh, what a weird woman.
Well, she has a boyfriend.
Why... Why on earth is she hitting on me now?
Well, I know...
that vintage is trendy these days. But how could she date that geezer?
Yes, I have nice buttocks. What are you going to do about it?
I won't show them to you anymore.
You won't see my buttocks anymore.
I'll always cover them like this from now on.
Did something happen between you and Judge Jung?
Of course not. Are you here for a break?
Yes.
It's loud over there now.
Come to my desk. I'll make you some tea.
-But is everything really okay? -Yes. Let's go.
-Nothing's going on, right? -Let's just go.
Ms. Lee.
What do you think of Judge Jung?
-What about him? -Well, it's nothing important,
but you're good at understanding people.
You meet a lot of people in court.
He's a son from a rich family.
He grew up without any concerns.
You're right.
You can say that about Judge Jung.
However,
a man like him can be thoughtless and indifferent.
But don't you think...
men are quite indifferent?
It's not only Judge Jung.
Why do you keep asking about Judge Jung?
It's nothing.
I'm just saying that most men are like him.
Who else is indifferent?
It's about my friend who works at a company.
She's tired of his colleague who's indifferent.
-Is that so? -Yes.
He suddenly came to see her mother yesterday.
Why was he thinking?
-Really? -Yes.
-We aren't even that close... -Ms. Lee.
-Yes? -Have you seen Judge Park?
Yes, Presiding Judge Han.
-What are you doing here? -I was just...
chatting with her.
-Come in for a minute. -Okay.
I'll be back.
Here's what I wanted to tell you.
When I looked at the case records, you were in charge of more cases...
than Judge Im.
It's because the judge who worked before you...
-quit in the middle of last year. -Right.
At this rate, your cases will be postponed for months.
So can we change the person in charge of some cases to make the number even?
If people make complaints, I'll be the one to suffer.
I'll work on more cases every week.
How can you be so confident?
You've been working late every night already.
But I'm getting faster at my job, sir.
And if you change the presiding judge,
-Judge Im won't be happy. -He doesn't get to say yes or no.
He should do as I say.
Stop talking back.
And review this file carefully.
It's your next case.
Dismissed.
Yes, sir.
What's with the long face? Let's have a drink, okay?
Does Lawyer Hwang Mal Dong get along...
with people at court?
Presiding Judge Han Se Sang is known for his short temper.
Lawyer Hwang is his one close friend.
They went to the same institute and worked as judges side by side.
Trust me.
Hwang Mal Dong is like a brother to the judge.
Hearing Hwang Mal Dong's name...
Gosh, it makes me so angry.
Aren't you close to Lawyer Hwang?
No way. We have a terrible relationship.
-"A terrible relationship"? -At the training institute,
he bullied me for being old.
When we worked together, he made me a fool to the presiding judge.
And later, when we were roommates,
we didn't say a word to each other.
When brokers have some kind of connection,
they tell everyone that they have close relationships.
Right, they must have many good relationships.
They don't think about their enemies nearby.
Goodness, Hwang Mal Dong.
Gosh, I lost my appetite.
This case is vague and complicated. It's up to the judge.
That's why the lawyer is important.
Have you read Hwang Mal Dong's case?
The contract is written clearly, so the conclusion is obvious.
Why do they even need a lawyer?
Gosh, I hate him.
Pardon me? 30 million won?
Why is it so expensive? I heard that lawyers get paid less now.
Come on. Does a bag sold on the streets...
cost the same as a luxury brand bag?
This is exclusive.
Lawyers are having a hard time these days.
Many of them struggle to earn 2 million won a month.
There are people who struggle much more.
Move it.
-Enjoy. -Thank you.
This is great.
Americano is perfect after eating jjajangmyeon.
This is mine.
Here you go, sir.
Thank you, Judge Park.
-Hello. -I see you often these days.
Do you have another stomachache? Is it stress?
It's both. My goodness.
-Two boxes, please. -Okay.
Young people these days are rude and have no manners.
People will call you an old mule if you say things like that.
Sir, what did you say? "Old mule"?
At home, my scary wife nags me, and my daughters bully me.
At work, headstrong and rude colleagues bully me.
That made me angry and have an upset stomach,
so I made a comment.
How can you call me an old mule?
Your Respected Honor.
This is corporate tyranny.
How an apartment looks is important. Cheap paint can't be used.
Plaintiff attorney.
This case is about cosmetics containers. It's not about apartments.
Is that so? I apologize.
Find it now.
I think my manager made a mistake.
Your Respected Honor.
This is another tyrannical act of a cosmetics company.
The cosmetics containers made by the plaintiff...
didn't have any defects significant enough to cancel the contract.
Did I not sleep well? My neck hurts.
Your Honor, you'll see it in the evidence I submitted.
A number of container lids made by the plaintiff were defected.
Aren't the lids fine as long as they open and close?
The looks are also important for cosmetic products.
For the defected goods,
the damage has been fixed.
Do you mean...
scraping off the defect?
How damages are fixed...
can be flexible.
The contract clearly defines what a defect is.
It also states how it should be processed.
What do you mean? Which article...
It's on page 22 of the contract.
No, we also submitted the contract. It wasn't mentioned...
The contract that you submitted...
was about the defects found in the apartment.
Please come prepared.
Don't be so careless.
There must have been a mistake.
-I'll talk to my manager... -Plaintiff attorney.
Why don't you just tell your manager to proceed the trial?
You should rest instead.
My goodness.
It was hard to stop myself from losing my temper.
Supreme Court insists on being friendly. I can't scold anyone as much as I want to.
When I'm cremated, you will find enough ringsels in my ashes...
to make an entire set of jewelry.
You did a good job.
It'd been better if you didn't lose it at all.
My goodness. Seriously.
Gosh, Han Se Sang.
That man.
He's so heartless and mean.
It was only a small mistake.
Did he have to embarrass me in court?
We used to be colleagues,
but he has no respect for me whatsoever.
He's known for his bad personality.
That's why he can't be promoted. Who would be his assistant?
By the way, I give 30 percent commission to the broker.
It's unfair when I still have to run this place.
One man sows, and another man reaps.
Seriously.
Are you sure that Lawyer Hwang is close with the judge?
Earlier, the judge looked really mean.
Then how could he act chummy when others are looking at him?
Once judges set their mind on the result of the trial,
they act more critical during trial.
They try not to make it obvious.
Is that so?
You just don't understand.
Just pay the processing fees.
What processing fees?
Do I have to explain? Isn't it common knowledge?
Lawyer Hwang should treat the judges once soon.
Koreans won't open their hearts to each other...
unless they share a meal together.
Then how much should I pay?
Not much.
About 5 million won.
What?
Why would a meal cost that much?
Gosh, are you really a businessman?
Do you think they'll only have a meal?
You can pay me in cash.
Lawyer Hwang used to be a judge,
so he couldn't ask you this himself.
That's why I'm asking on his behalf. Okay?
-Good work. -Good work.
Apparently, their lawyer...
and the presiding judge were trained together.
Would it be really okay to stick with our in-house lawyer?
The contract is written so clearly.
I don't think there will be any problem.
If this case goes wrong,
it'll affect cases with other companies too.
And we'll be held responsible.
Now that I think of it,
I did notice a few things.
Like what?
Their lawyer kept making silly mistakes,
but the presiding judge didn't say much about it.
-He's being easy on him. -I guess so.
Since when was the court so understanding?
They must want to act respectfully to the former judge.
That reminds me, the associate judges were acting strange too.
-They were? -Well,
when their lawyer said that their product was not flawed,
the male judge nodded.
That's right.
They're being so blatant.
Hold on.
But when our lawyer refuted their argument,
the female judge smirked.
It was like she was laughing at us.
This is not okay.
-Let's hire a law firm. -What?
The same law firm again? It's too expensive.
It'll be paid by the company, not us.
Also, if we hire the top law firm,
we won't look too bad even if we lose.
It'll look like we've done our best.
That's right.
You're so wise.
I totally admire it.
You need to go to the meeting room right now.
What is the meeting about?
It's about the alleged privileges of former judges.
"Alleged privileges of former judges"?
Do you think it's really just an allegation?
I'm not sure.
It's a known fact that former judges are preferred in the market,
but I'm not sure if it has any impact...
on the result.
Let's go. If they want us to be there, we have to be there.
Okay.
Politicians and the press have been pressuring us to find solutions...
to the privileges of former judges.
Administration is considering...
starting to record all judges' office phone conversations.
Then is it okay to exchange favors over the cell phone? Gosh.
Former judges have no privileges anymore.
That policy is just for show.
Presiding Judge Han.
You don't seem to be very pleased.
Of course not. It sure sounds nice, but it's not relevant anymore.
I don't know how it was in the old days,
but we don't go easy on former judges anymore.
In addition to setting up screen doors to keep lawyers out,
they now want to record the judges' phone conversations?
It means they're suspecting each and every judge here.
Am I wrong?
-What do you think? -Okay, please calm down.
Everyone.
The court should not only be fair,
but also look fair.
Appearances do matter.
When the people doubt us, we should come up with solutions.
If appearances matter so much, do the interior again.
Why can't they just say that there have never been...
any privileges?
Why do we need to come up with such ridiculous solutions?
Why do you get worked up over every single matter?
I get worked up?
I find it stranger that you can remain so calm.
You're smiling all the time.
Just eat.
I'm with you on this matter.
This is absurd.
It's just populism.
You and I usually don't agree on many matters.
My department is on the Daeryong Group case these days.
The chairman was arrested for malpractice and tax evasion, right?
Yes. Do you know how hard I'm trying...
so that everyone knows I'm being fair?
I read it in the newspaper.
At the first trial, he announced...
that if anyone tried to ask him a favor,
it'd be made public and be penalized.
My goodness.
Why do you have to be so harsh? Just go with the flow.
Despite all the efforts, there is so much criticism on the internet.
Just some ignorant people babbling on about privileges...
doesn't require the court to react.
I might be out of line, but I'd like to add something.
I think there's nothing new about you being out of line.
-Hey. -I'm just joking.
Judge Park, what do you want to say?
Do you think people believe former judges have privileges...
because they're stupid?
What do you mean?
Isn't it because we've been providing grounds for that belief...
and it has happened before?
Are you questioning the integrity of your superiors?
No. I know most of you have done nothing wrong...
and only a few are guilty.
So what are you talking about?
Sir,
even if it's just one rotten apple...
in the whole box,
it doesn't change the fact that there is a rotten apple.
-Judge Park. -What if it's a poisoned apple?
Even if the chance...
is only 1 in 10 or 100,
it's certain that you'll die if you pick a poisoned apple.
So?
Are you saying that the rotten apples among us...
should be purged?
While you're a judge,
you deny any existence of privileges.
But once you become a lawyer,
you say, "I'm friends with the judge. You can count on me."
Am I wrong?
Judge Park. That's enough.
What did you just say?
How dare you say that?
Calm down.
It's a good thing that a new judge has strong opinions.
Don't be so harsh on her.
Let's eat. Eat up.
Gosh, I don't feel like eating anymore.
Come on.
Presiding Judge Gam.
Judge Park.
Thank you for taking my side earlier.
It was nothing.
Listen, Judge Park.
Some swords are sharp,
and some swords are dull.
The most important tasks in the world...
are done with dull swords.
Sharp swords break too easily.
That's how the world works.
Presiding Judge Gam.
I'm sure you'll do many great things.
I might not be good at my job, but I'm good at judging people.
Presiding Judge Gam.
Yes.
Judge Park, you were too rude to Presiding Judge Kwon earlier.
Many presiding judges are already offended by the suspicion...
about favoring former judges.
I'm sorry.
I felt like he was speaking only from judges' perspective...
That's enough.
He's been a judge for 20 years. He knows more than you.
We have a case with a former judge too. Lawyer Hwang Mal Dong.
Do you think I've been favoring him or other former judges?
You're equally unfriendly to everyone.
What?
Seriously?
I didn't mean it.
This...
Thank you.
It's a lot.
You've been working late a lot these days.
Have I?
It's because you've taken on some of my cases, right?
I'm sorry. I was supposed to take care of them.
There's no reason to apologize.
It's the presiding judge's order.
-Judge Park. -Yes?
I saw you with Presiding Judge Gam. What did he say to you?
He cheered me up.
I'm sure he said many nice things to you,
but Presiding Judge Kwon will never forget what happened today.
Did I say something wrong?
It's not about being right or wrong. It's about making enemies.
But still, I couldn't stand it.
He blamed the people's ignorance.
Arrest him immediately!
-Arrest him! -Arrest him!
Judge Im Ba Reun should be arrested immediately.
-Arrest him! -Arrest him!
Corrupt judges must leave court!
-Leave immediately! -Leave immediately!
Judge Im Ba Reun should be arrested immediately.
-Arrest him! -Arrest him!
Judge Im, did you see the people outside?
Yes, I did. They say you can't call yourself an experienced judge...
until you see your face on a protest banner.
I'm honored that it's happening so early in my career.
-Why are they protesting? -I asked for an explanation.
An explanation? What do you mean?
The complaint is like a novel,
and none of the claims makes sense.
I asked him to revise it based on a few key points...
and provide further explanation.
Then you helped him.
"You insulted me." I guess it's something like that.
The leader of that civic group...
believes that he's a self-taught...
legal expert.
So that's what happened.
I was so surprised.
To be honest, sensible and logical people...
rarely shout and protest on the streets like that.
Most of them are cranky, quick-tempered, and stubborn.
Gosh.
-Shall I tell you why that is? -Sorry?
Well-educated intellectuals who are "sensible and logical"...
would never come out on the streets like that.
People like that just observe those on the streets from their window...
while sitting in their quiet, neat office.
"Gosh, why are those people being so unreasonable?"
"Why are they being so loud?" They'd think like that.
Judge Park.
I get what you're trying to say,
but don't you think it's too black and white?
Do you think the underprivileged are always right...
and that we should quietly put up with...
even their groundless defamatory claims?
Do you even know that the leader has filed over 20 lawsuits?
He files a ridiculous lawsuit and sues the judge if he loses.
Then he files the exact same lawsuit under a different title.
Because of him, those who were really wronged...
have to wait longer for their trials.
Judge Im, I'm sorry,
your one-sided criticism is making me uncomfortable.
I can also be cranky, quick-tempered,
and stubborn.
Right, okay. Let's drop it.
-Hello, sir. -Gosh! Let us help.
-My gosh. -Thank you.
-Oh, my. -Thank you for the drink.
-Shall I? -Yes, please have a seat.
-You guys should sit too. -Goodness.
-Namaste. -Namaste?
Like this.
-Two days? That's a long time. -Like this?
I missed one day though.
-My gosh! -Your back, sir.
Sir, you have to be careful.
The coffee tastes so good.
Can you drink coffee now?
I can drink black coffee.
-Presiding Judge Gam. -Yes?
Oh, Judge Park.
Hello.
-Come join us. -Please join us.
-Yes, please join us. -Come here.
No, I can't do that. Please put your backpack here for inspection.
I told you...
that there's nothing special in this backpack.
It just has a bunch of paper inside.
Please put it here.
Gosh, seriously.
You little wench.
What? What? What's your problem?
What?
"Arrest Han Se Sang and Im Ba Reun!"
Is that what you wanted? You little...
You're obstructing justice, and it'll only get you in trouble.
Gosh, it could've been really bad.
You didn't get hurt, did you?
I'm a court guard, you know. I can definitely handle things like that.
Right. I heard you're like a martial arts expert.
I bet nothing scares you.
Wrong. I get scared too.
What?
It doesn't matter how good I am with martial arts.
Men who are a lot bigger and stronger than me do scare me.
But that man was just drunk, so it was fine.
In movies and TV shows,
I've seen a single female martial arts master...
beating multiple thugs.
That only happens in movies and TV shows.
-Isn't that the civic group's case? -Yes.
I'm in charge of that case now. Why are you...
There must be a reason he's doing all this.
Judge Park.
I understand how much you care about the underprivileged,
but you should be more selective of whom you care about.
I'll take care of this. You should focus on what you have to do.
You already have a lot on your plate.
What... What did you just say?
It's nothing.
-Oh, hello. Have a good day. -You too.
They still look nice.
-What's nice? -Your buttocks, buddy.
You're crazy.
It doesn't suit you.
You're being ridiculous. Why... Why do you think...
that she doesn't suit me?
What are you talking about?
Do you think that being deep in thought suits you?
Hey, I have my worries too.
Do you?
What about you? What are you doing here alone?
Forget it.
My gosh, this is a disaster.
Why did they have to blow up the worst photo of me in my life?
I think they found it in the old law society directory.
He can protest all he wants,
but I would've appreciated it if he had picked a better photo.
I'm so embarrassed on my way to work every morning.
I'm sorry, but do you think "a better photo" actually exists...
-Never mind. -Look at me.
Please don't mind me.
Anyway, I feel bad that you're going through this.
Why did you walk into my office out of the blue and ask me...
to put you in charge of that case?
You took all the difficult cases.
From this construction case to this medical lawsuit,
you'll have to pull lots of all-nighters to go over them all.
I'm more senior than Judge Park, so I should take them on.
My gosh, you even told me not to tell her...
because it'll hurt her pride.
What's gotten into you?
You're known as a rude jerk...
I mean, you're a wonderful right-seat judge,
so I'm not surprised at all.
Get out now.
"Seoul Bankruptcy Court, Central District Court, High Court"
"Civic Group for Eradicating Legal Corruption"
"We must investigate who was behind the unfair verdict!"
Hey, you're cute.
What do you do for a living?
Me? Take a guess.
A poser who knows how to have fun?
I work in court.
I'm a judge.
A judge?
What a liar.
If you're actually a judge, I'll be your mom.
Right?
-I guess I went a bit too far. -You did.
Your guess was right. I'm just a jobless poser.
Do you want to party with us? We're here for a birthday party.
A party? I'd love that!
All right, bottoms up!
Go away, go away.
Go away!
-Mom. -Yes?
It seems like some people are destined to have a tough life.
What do you mean?
Some get hated for saying the right things.
Some suffer for other people.
Even when their own life is tough already.
Are you talking about your dad?
Why do you bring him up all of a sudden?
No, I was talking...
about a friend who works at a company.
Do fools like that still exist?
-I know. -Leave him be.
There's no cure for such fate.
Is there nothing we can do except leaving such people to suffer?
What else can we do? It's their fate.
However,
there's always two in a pair.
Some struggle together.
Take me as an example. Your mom.
-Mom. -Yes?
Don't be sick.
You're the best.
I was just...
I'm leaving, Mom.
Where are you going?
My friend's wedding.
-Stop going to other people's weddings... -See you.
Goodness.
Judge Im.
Mr. Min.
-I'll see you later. -Bye.
What brings you here?
I came for a friend's wedding.
Since we met, let's have some tea.
This is one of my subsidiaries.
I stopped by to get a report.
Okay, let's do that.
I heard you're working hard these days.
With your individual protest.
Pardon me?
Oh Reum told me about it.
To be honest, I got jealous.
She was so worried about you.
It seems like everyone at court looks after each other.
I guess that's why former judges get privilege...
even after retirement.
Is that so?
It must be frustrating in court.
People get suspicious without evidence.
It's a chronic disease in this society.
Mistrust of the social system.
Judge Im.
People criticize the court without reasonable basis,
but don't worry about them.
There's jealousy and sympathy in excessive criticism.
Is that how you think?
People criticize rich people,
but the main characters in all dramas are rich people.
Everyone wishes to hear,
"I'll buy you everything from here to there."
That's what they want to hear.
Whether it's true or not,
it's not something I want to hear from you.
At least I don't.
I'm sorry. Was I going overboard?
Strangely enough,
I feel like we might think the same.
That's what Mr. Kang Yo Han told me.
What do you mean?
Weren't you in charge of Mr. Kang Yo Han's case?
My father sponsors him.
I'm close with him too.
We went to a forum together.
It was a session for future leaders or something.
I see.
I didn't know.
Listen.
Regarding Mr. Kang Yo Han's case,
have I asked for any favors from you or Oh Reum?
There's a lot of talk about Chairman Lee of Daeryong Group,
who's running for the election.
I think they are all ridiculous suspicions from ignorant people.
Regarding the presiding judge in charge of Department 48,
it's an important time for his promotion.
He wouldn't do anything to cause any misunderstandings.
He'll act according to his beliefs.
How do you know so well?
I'm in a position where I hear a lot of things.
The corporate lawyer for NJ Group was a presiding judge, right?
In Corruption at Seoul Central District Court?
Criminal Case Department 48?
You're from Financial Investigation at Seoul Central District Court.
It's no wonder that your information is so accurate.
You're impressive. You have connections everywhere.
Did you see anyone you like among the bride's friends?
-Did you? -No, I didn't go there for that.
You spend too much on wedding gifts.
-It's time to get back ours. -Stop it. I got it.
Goodness. Seriously.
Why does it keep hurting?
Mom, Mom!
What's wrong?
Doctor.
Mom, hang in there. Doctor.
She needs urgent care. What are you doing?
-Register first. -What?
Mom.
Hang in there.
Please wait here for just a moment.
Mom.
I registered, so come now.
We have many urgent patients, so you must wait.
She's dying. How can we wait?
Wait a minute.
Mom.
Wait for now.
But she's in a lot of pain!
Mom.
What are you doing? My mom came first.
Move. What are you doing?
I'm sorry, doctor. Please go.
Move out of the way.
Mom.
It hurts.
-Hello? -Hey, this is Ba Reun.
Im Ba Reun, what's going on? It's been a long time.
You didn't come to the reunion.
I'm sorry for not caring.
I'm really sorry, but I called for an urgent matter.
What is it?
I'm in the emergency room at your hospital.
But my mom is sick.
I'm really sorry,
but can you talk to the hospital?
My mom has never said that she was sick,
but she's in so much pain.
They keep telling us to wait.
What if something happens to her?
Can you do me a favor?
I see. I'll give them a call.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
-It hurts so much. It hurts. -Mom.
It's okay. It'll be okay.
Mom.
-Are you Im Ba Reun? -Yes.
Bring the patient this way.
Okay.
-Judge Im Ba Reun? -Yes, doctor.
How's my mom?
She has urinary tract stones.
-Pardon me? -It's very painful,
but it doesn't threaten her life.
The stones are relatively small.
I gave her painkillers. If you give her some water,
the stones will come out.
-I see. -Right.
That person in the wheelchair earlier...
had a hemorrhagic stroke.
We have many emergency patients around this time of the year.
And I'm sleeping less than 2 hours a day for 3 days now.
Judge Im.
I'm sorry.
I had no idea.
I'm sorry.
Can you take a look?
It isn't that urgent. Just a moment, please.
I'll be back soon. Please wait a moment.
Please don't move.
Take care.
We came first. Why can't you take a look at her?
She is in pain.
Do you treat those with money and power first?
You jerks!
"Receipt"
I'm sorry.
I did something wrong.
I'm sorry.
I apologize. It was wrong of me.
"Civic Group for Eradicating Legal Corruption"
Your Honor, we've been only recently appointed,
so we didn't have enough time to get prepared.
Could you push the trial date back a bit?
Is there anything else that can be done?
-Pardon? -I'm not sure...
this case needs that much time.
But we've been recently appointed.
-If you could... -You were given three weeks.
You were also informed that this would be the last trial.
We're working on so many cases.
I don't think that's a good enough reason.
If you don't have any other arguments or evidence,
let's wrap things up now.
-Sir... -This is an emergency.
Report to the executives right now.
Yes, sir.
He was even a Justice.
Why can't he just spend his later years doing some volunteer work?
They're making such a big deal out of this case.
It'll only make the lawyers rich.
Who is responsible for this situation?
It wasn't me. Seriously.
The civic group leader's trial is coming up.
You should pay extra attention.
Lawsuits are his hobby.
He's been in and out of court for the past 10 years.
Apparently, he knows a thing or two about the law now.
The problem is that he interprets the law as he likes.
I think there is a reason why he ended up like that.
I looked through the records from his first trial.
You did? What was it about?
He used to run a business.
The building owner interrupted his business...
in all kinds of ways to kick him out.
In the end, he moved out without getting paid enough.
So he filed a damage suit on his own.
This is the verdict he got after a year of battle.
"Regarding the plaintiff's claims above,"
"the testimonies from the witnesses, Lee Seong Hyun and Kim Jun Dong,"
"and the evidence submitted by the plaintiff..."
"are not sufficient..."
"to prove the claims."
Three lines.
Just three lines.
The evidence was obviously insufficient.
To kick his tenants out and renovate the building,
the building owner even hired a consultant.
It sure is unfortunate, but if there was not enough evidence,
what could have been done?
Maybe you're right.
But when he received the three-line verdict...
after a year of lonely battle, how would he have felt?
Especially...
when the defendant's lawyer was the judge's good friend.
How could he have accepted the result...
even if there was nothing legally wrong.
All right.
I understand that he felt frustrated.
But that was 10 years ago.
What kind of suits has he been filing since then?
"That building is interfering with traffic."
"The sculpture in front of the building gives me nightmares."
"Dismiss the mayor who approved the building."
In addition,
he coaches other people on how to prolong trials and torture the judges.
He is not a victim anymore.
He is another perpetrator now. Do you understand?
Still...
Breaking news.
The chairman of Daeryong Group, Lee Jin Su,
-was just released. -Hold on.
Despite the serious damage,
considering his contributions to the national economy...
and the current economic recession...
I guess we'll see different protesters tomorrow morning.
The chairman was just released...
Breaking news.
That's right.
Enjoy.
Hi. You must be under a lot of stress these days.
I just did what I believed was right.
I'll just have to put up with all the criticism.
You did what you believed was right?
A judge...
can't be above the people.
It was such a difficult decision.
I listened to almost everyone around me.
My neighbors, church people, former classmates, and relatives.
Everyone said,
"The country's economy should come first even if he did wrong."
"Justice is useless if our nation goes bankrupt."
30,000 people work at Daeryong Group's factories.
And foreign hedge funds were starting their threats.
Choi Myeong Gil risked...
becoming the nation's enemy to save the people.
My verdict was in the same spirit.
If I may,
can I ask you where you live?
I live in Dogok-dong. Why?
I heard...
that you're an elder of a very big church in Gangnam.
Is that true?
Yes. What about it?
Among the many people you listened to,
is anyone a high school graduate?
What are you trying to say?
Does anyone live in a rented apartment?
Is anyone a salesperson?
Does anyone work at a market or as a bus driver?
Do you know anyone who works...
at one of Daeryong Group's factories?
You said there are more than 30,000 people.
That's enough.
I'm sorry.
I was just wondering...
what you meant by "the people".
-Arrest them! -Arrest them!
Arrest the corrupted judges!
-Arrest them! -Arrest them!
Arrest the corrupted judges!
Those with no power and money...
protest on the streets out of blind anger.
Those with a little money...
trust the brokers and hire former judges as their lawyers.
But those with real power...
don't even need to lobby...
since judges among them...
will take their side.
Hello.
Judge Park, it's Gam Seong Ho.
Hi. What's the matter?
Why don't we grab a coffee while smelling flowers?
Sounds good.
Okay. I'll be right there.
By the way...
Yes?
I know...
this great man.
-He is a businessman. -Okay.
His business is quite big,
so he often gets involved...
in all kinds of lawsuits.
Many shady people...
file suits against him for ridiculous reasons.
I'm pretty concerned.
When a Korean company tries to enter international markets,
we should all be supportive,
but they're only getting in the way.
I'm sorry,
but I'm not sure what you're trying to tell me.
Well, I'll be straightforward then.
Aren't you in charge...
of the Asia Cosmetics' case?
I'm not asking for much.
I just want to ask you to go through all records carefully.
I've been telling him not to worry, but he keeps saying...
that his opponent hired a former judge...
and that he's very worried about it.
Presiding Judge Gam,
Are you asking me to make a special arrangement, sir?
Judge Park, what are you talking about?
I'm just asking you...
to make a fair verdict based on facts.
You're hurting my feelings here.
I should get back to work, sir.
Judge Park. Wait, Judge Park!
My goodness.
"Asia Cosmetics"
-Hello? -Eun Ji.
Hey, Judge Park. What's up?
Isn't your department also working on one of Asia Cosmetics' cases?
How did you know?
Hasn't...
Presiding Judge Gam mentioned anything about it by any chance?
Well...
I'm not sure.
Okay.
What about Presiding Judge Gam? What's going on?
-This is a crime. -A crime?
I think he's asking a bunch of us to help Asia Cosmetics...
win the cases because he and the CEO are close.
Presiding Judge Gam is doing that? No way.
I think I should file a formal complaint about it.
Judge Park.
Let's look into it more and approach the matter carefully.
This is a lot more serious than what happened...
with Presiding Judge Sung.
If you're not careful, it may also significantly damage your career.
As you know, everyone likes and highly respects Presiding Judge Gam.
Is that what you're worried about...
when something like that happened right here in court?
But still, try to hold yourself back.
I'll file a complaint in your place if we decide to go that route.
Why would you do that? I'm the one who received his request.
Because you have someone to protect.
You told me that you have to survive in this organization.
Don't do anything reckless.
Let's take some time to think about it.
Right, we should talk to Presiding Judge Han about it first.
He and Presiding Judge Gam are very close, you know.
Stop spewing total nonsense!
It is true, sir.
I heard it myself, and I've confirmed it with others as well.
Sir, Judge Hong Eun Ji received a similar request as well.
No, there must be some misunderstanding. He'd never...
He'd never do such a thing.
Don't do anything reckless.
I'll go check myself.
-Hey. -Se Sang, what brings you here?
Let's...
have a talk.
Of course not. That's not what I meant.
Then what did you mean by that?
It didn't really mean anything.
I was just asking her to go through everything thoroughly...
Do you think that we, judges, have to be asked to go through case files thoroughly?
Gosh. Se Sang, it really didn't mean anything.
I just wanted to put in a good word for him since I felt bad.
You felt bad?
Se Sang, Mr. Han has done so much for me...
without expecting anything in return,
and we've been like brothers for the last 10 years or so.
I'm human before I'm a judge.
How can I not care about what he's going through?
Had you wanted to be human first, you should've quit this a long ago!
Se Sang, please.
Aren't you ashamed to face the junior judges?
Se Sang, don't get me wrong.
Seong Ho, you considered...
quitting last year because of your kid's tuition fees abroad, right?
-Yes. -But your in-laws helped you out,
and you were happy about not having to quit.
-Yes. -That money.
Was it really from your in-laws?
Of course.
Look at me in the eye, and say that again.
"Without expecting anything in return"?
Didn't you suspect why that businessman was being so nice to you?
I just thought that he was...
very fond of me, and I was grateful for it.
I thought you were open and easygoing,
but you're actually clueless.
I misjudged you.
I'm sorry.
Se Sang.
Let me explain. Se Sang.
Se Sang!
"Chief Presiding Judge"
Plaintiff, I read everything you submitted to us.
But based on the rules, we're not obligated...
to accept this application for evidence.
Hold on.
I guess you're trying to say...
that this trial is meaningless just to wrap it up,
but I've been in dozens of lawsuits in the last 10 years.
Frankly, I probably know more about the Civil Procedure Act than you do.
If it comes down to our knowledge level,
I'm confident that I can beat you.
-Please be respectful, sir. -Ms. Lee.
How dare you deem my request groundless?
Shouldn't you know the law inside out as a judge?
-Please stop. -Ms. Lee.
All right. Then let's take a look.
Oh, you're right.
There's nothing about it in the Civil Procedure Act,
but there's a clause related to it in the Supreme Court Civil Rules.
I didn't know.
This clause is rarely used.
I still should've done my research.
I apologize.
Well, it is stated in the rules, so I will accept your request.
We can discuss it at the next hearing.
If there's anything you'd like to say, please tell us.
It'll take quite long.
Please feel free to tell us everything you'd like to say.
We made sure not to schedule anything else after this.
We'll be good listeners.
Oh, okay. Thank you, Your Honor.
Then I'll tell you.
What happened was...
"Court"
Judge Jung.
Do you have some time...
this evening?
Sorry?
Let's go on a date.
-What? -A cute guy...
is asking an attractive girl...
out on a date now.
I don't even care if you have a boyfriend or whoever that is.
Just give me a chance.
I think I've...
fallen for you.
Park Cha Oh Reum speaking.
Pardon?
"Miss Hammurabi"
You don't understand this situation, do you?
-Listen, Ms. Park. -I'm Judge Park.
If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have become a judge.
Don't lose your confidence.
The train goes on even if the mongrels bark.
Those born with privilege...
are scared to make matters more serious.
An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.
I won't permit...
a judge to act that way.
We must follow the law. We're judges.
Be careful, Judge Park.
Don't get cut too deeply.
If I must shed blood, I will.