Original subtitles

[theme music playing]

PRO BONO

RESTRICTED NUMBER

DON'T LET DA-WIT FOOL YOU HE'S A CRIMINAL WHO TOOK A HUGE BRIBE

HE'S A BRUTAL MURDERER

[slow, tense music plays]

Hey, hold on tight.

- [both laugh] - [Da-wit on video] Be careful.

This is so… Goodness.

- [muffled laughter] - [Da-wit] Ms. Park?

[laughs]

[music swells, fades]

PRO BONO

EPISODE 5

[Da-wit chuckles softly]

[camera shutter clicks]

[chuckles softly]

"The taste of victory. Pro bono." Hmm…

What's with that look on your face?

We won.

There can't be a cleaner win than this.

I told you.

Kang Da-wit doesn't know the meaning of "lose."

Okay. [chuckles dryly]

Then, why are you acting as if you've seen something terrible?

It's nothing.

I just feel a little sick because I was nervous.

My goodness, Ms. Park.

You have a long way to go.

I know I'm bragging,

but I'm someone who didn't bat an eye

when I put active government ministers into court custody.

Even after a case where someone was butchered with a knife,

I had some blood red spicy soup and gulped it all down.

By nature, as a person who practices law--

[Hwa-ryong] Judge Kang!

Mr. Lee!

- [Hwa-ryong laughs heartily] - It's been so long!

Captain!

Oh, my. Roger!

- [laughs] How have you been? - [chuckles]

How is your knee doing?

My knee is all better now thanks to you, Judge Kang.

- I'm no longer a judge. - Come on. You're only on a brief hiatus.

You should come back soon.

Thank you, sir.

- Hurry back, Captain! - Roger!

- Goodbye, sir. - [both laugh]

- Take care. - [laughing] I will.

- [grunts playfully] - [laughs] Oh, my!

Thank goodness. [chuckles]

You're pretty popular.

Oh! Shall we see how popular I am?

[Da-wit laughs]

Mr. Kang.

Yes?

You're a good person, right?

All of a sudden?

Forget it.

I can't forget it.

I hate when people don't finish what they were going to say.

What was it? Tell me.

I just hope that you're a good person, Mr. Kang.

[mysterious music plays, fades]

Gi-ppeum!

Ui-hyeon! [gasps]

It's been a while!

What are you doing here? I heard you were really busy.

Come on. I'm not as busy

as a High Court judge handling sexual violence cases.

I heard the criminals pray and say,

"Please let me avoid Judge Jung the Grim Reaper."

[chuckles] They shouldn't have done the crimes then.

- [chuckles] - Let's go and eat something nice.

Let's go.

[Gi-ppeum] I see.

They either loved him or hated him.

He was famous as "the people's judge" and for having a humble background.

But some of the young judges didn't like him.

To be honest, I don't like him.

You don't? Why not?

He cares too much about his popularity.

He does too many interviews too.

Then, why did a person like that quit all of a sudden?

You said he would've been a justice candidate.

Actually, there was a strange rumor.

- [intriguing music plays] - What was it?

It came from the secretary's office of the court chief.

- He was accused of bribery. - [gasps] What?

There's a disturbing rumor about an apple box or something,

but the higher-ups kept it quiet to protect the court's reputation.

Is that true?

[Jun-u] I truly admire you, Mr. Kang. [sighs]

Things seemed so hopeless when we lost the first trial.

Okay.

Have you all memorized it by now?

We will win no matter what!

We'll win no matter what!

I lacked faith. Would you like me to rub your shoulders a bit?

- No, it's all right. - Okay.

But you also didn't see it coming at all

that Mr. Choi would adopt Gang-hun's mom.

[scoffs] Of course, I did.

I'm always several moves ahead and…

You got lucky.

Lucky? It was all part of my strategy--

Being lucky counts as skill too. You really are amazing.

Of course, being lucky is also…

- No, I said it wasn't luck. - [door beeps, opens]

- Hello. - [door locks]

- [Jun-u] Hey. - Hi.

[quirky music plays]

Ms. Park.

Hello.

[Yeong-sil] Well, now that Ms. Park is here, let me tell you.

A Gyeonggi human rights coalition will be hosting

a morning soccer club competition.

As we're a Pro Bono Team, participation is mandatory.

- We have uniforms too. - Yes!

I heard the Yangchon Team is on fire these days.

Come on. By nature, a law firm attorney should be conducting business

while elegantly playing golf with clients on weekends.

- "Elegantly." - I love soccer too.

- I used to be pretty good too. - Oh.

But we're talking about our precious weekends.

Playing morning soccer when it's over 30°C outside now?

That's not my thing. I can't go.

[Nan-hui] They are our clients.

Local human rights and farmer organizations!

I won't do it!

Okay! Did you all get that?

For the first five minutes, we're going to perform a high press, okay?

You can play a bit rough when the referees aren't looking.

Whoever gets the ball, pass it straight to me at the front.

To me.

Pass it to me, okay?

Let's play dirty. Don't be goody-goodies.

- Play dirty, okay? - Mr. Kang.

As I mentioned before,

this game is to build friendship and solidarity--

There's no friendship in a competition!

[fiercely] It's either you win or you lose!

- Okay. - Your new team leader is pretty fierce.

Yes. He's very obsessed with winning.

I see. The obsessive type?

- [upbeat music playing] - [people cheering]

What's going on?

- Where did they hire them from? - [whistling from crowd]

Okay, everyone! We can't let them win. Gather around!

- Okay. Come on. - Okay. Right.

Two, three!

[all] Pro Bono Avengers!

[crowd chanting] Let's go Pro Bono Avengers!

[playful Western music plays]

[chanting continues]

Please bow to your opponents.

Well, Mr. Kang.

I hope you get a good taste of German soccer today.

[scoffs] German soccer, my foot.

It'll probably be just Yangchon-ri soccer. [laughs smugly]

What are you doing? You want me to read your palm?

It's a teaser for today's score.

Five to zero.

Boom.

- That little… - [whistle blows]

[player 1] Hey, stop him!

Stop him!

- [player 2] Hey, get him! - [player 3] Hey!

[players exclaim]

- Hey, no foul! - [Da-wit] That's a foul!

- Foul! - Stop him!

Mr. Jang!

- [whistle blows] - What are you doing?

FC YANGCHON

- [upbeat music playing over speakers] - [cheering]

Darn it.

Give me the ball back!

[indistinct shouting]

Okay, one-on-one!

[players clamoring]

- [Da-wit] Mr. Jang! Jun-u! - [buzzer rings]

[cheering]

Are you doing that on purpose?

If they kick the ball this way, you have to block it, not fall down!

[indistinct shouting]

- Block it! - Yeah, block it!

[rock music plays]

- [whistle blows] - [crowd cheering]

[upbeat music playing]

- This is our goal. - What was that?

- I was… - Are you crazy?

- Were you confused? - [Jun-u] Well…

I was going to head it out.

[sighs] Let's change our strategy.

When Harvard gets the ball,

we'll all guard him.

Gather around him. All of you.

After you take the ball from him, pass, shoot, and score.

Pass and score.

And Jun-u and Yeong-sil are out.

Nan-hui and Gi-ppeum…

[fiercely] you're in!

- [team cheering] - Let's go!

- [Da-wit] Guard him! - Don't come this way!

Oh, no!

Oh, my gosh. What happened?

What's wrong? I barely touched you.

I only pushed you a little!

[yells] Nice one, Nan-hui!

[screams] Hey, someone's hurt here!

[panicking] What? Don't come this way. Stay away! [sighs]

[player grunts]

[pants, yelps]

No!

[grunts]

- [whistle blowing] - Don't come this way. [grunting]

[panting]

- [Jun-u groaning] - [panting]

[cheering]

You must be psychic. You got it exactly right.

- Five to zero. [laughing] - [bell dings]

- Hmm! - [laughs mischievously]

You said you were going to teach us how to win.

Hold on.

It's not over yet.

What?

We're attorneys. We might have lost by the score.

But we haven't lost the battle. [huffs]

[cheering]

Sir.

- For crying out loud! - Damn it.

Goodness.

What? Illegal players?

Even in morning soccer leagues, rules do exist.

Even if you'd wanted to win that badly,

you can't hire foreign players for this recreational game.

Stop, Mr. Kang.

- What? - Foreign players? [scoffs]

What?

Then, are you saying this person is Korean?

I am Korean.

My dad is from Nigeria, but my mom is Korean.

- I was born in Korea too. - [cheerleader] Mmm.

[village head laughs] Geez.

[quirky music playing]

Then, is he Korean too?

My mom is Iranian, but my father is Korean.

Right. His dad met his mom while vacationing in Tehran.

My mother is Egyptian.

[village head] Yeah, while doing trade in Cairo,

his parents got together.

His mom is very beautiful.

I guess Seoul people live in a different world.

What?

That's right, Mr. Kang.

We have so many multicultural families in Yangchon-gun.

Don't you know what they are?

- We lost both in the game and in conduct. - Let's go, Gi-ppeum.

[Nan-hui] How embarrassing.

[indistinct chatter]

Well, all right then.

We'll talk about this issue next time.

- Okay. - [cheerleader] Sure.

[stuttering] Wait for me!

- [players] Bye! - Mr. Jang!

Wait for me!

- [laughs] - [whooping, cheering]

Do we really have to do this?

- It's so trivial. - Come on.

The local human rights organization requested the case and really wanted help.

Nothing's trivial about human rights.

In the end, it's just a divorce suit, and it's obvious what happened.

She came to Korea to make money and got married through a broker.

Once she got the marriage visa and got settled, she wants a divorce.

This happens a lot these days.

- Taking this case won't be a benefit. - [elevator chimes]

Hello. Come this way.

Won't be a benefit to who?

What?

I mean, obviously,

I'm saying it won't benefit Team Pro Bono.

You mean it won't help with your popularity.

You need to do a lot of praiseworthy cases to be called "the people's judge."

Come on, Ms. Park.

Do you see me as someone that shallow again?

No.

I see you as a thick-skinned person.

Why have you been giving me attitude recently?

Did I do something wrong?

- Did you? - What?

Uh, let's not do this. Why don't you just meet with her?

She's from Yangchon, which is where the soccer team we played is from.

- That Yangchon from last time? - Yes.

[Da-wit] Why is she coming all the way here?

She should go to the local human rights organization.

I just told you this was requested by the local human rights group.

- [door opens] - [Jun-u] She's here.

[suspenseful music playing]

Huh?

You're…

The Pikki Pikki girl?

- She's so cool. - She really is.

Is this Team Pro Bono?

- [Da-wit] No. - Hey.

It is.

What brings you here?

I want to get a divorce.

Help me.

She is…

the client.

[music swells, fades]

Mmm. [gasps softly]

Gosh, Mr. Kang. [chuckles softly]

You look totally different off the soccer field.

- On the field, you were… - [Jun-u laughs]

Stop it.

I don't really like that dance.

[chuckles softly]

By the way, Kaya, your Korean is really good.

- How long have you lived in Korea? - I think about two years.

Two years?

But how are you so fluent?

I've studied Korean since I was young.

"Every moment I spent with you shined."

- "Because the weather was good…" - "Because the weather was bad…"

"And because the weather was good enough."

- "Every day was good." [giggles] - "Every day was good." [squeals]

Guardian: The Lonely and Great God was amazing!

You must've liked Korean dramas.

Korea in those Korean dramas was what I dreamt of.

- Everything was pretty. - [solemn music plays]

- And they sparkled so brightly. - Mmm.

- I love pretty stuff. [chuckles] - Me too.

- And-- - [music stops abruptly]

You must've been disappointed.

The real Korea

isn't a fairytale that appears

when you walk through the door in Guardian.

That's not why I'm getting a divorce.

I'm not an immature little girl.

What is the reason then?

Uh…

- We don't get along. - You don't get along? Is that all?

All Koreans get divorced because of that.

Is that not enough for me?

[tense music plays]

Kaya, that's not the case,

but if you want to file a divorce,

there has to be a significant reason why you can't maintain your marriage.

Do you have a specific reason?

Mmm… [sighs]

My husband…

keeps getting suspicious of me.

What is he suspicious about?

- He thinks I have another man. - Do you?

- Mr. Kang! - We have to check the facts.

Do you have another man?

From what I saw the other day, I bet you're very popular.

Why?

Am I pretty?

Does my opinion matter?

What matters is what the people around you think.

You can ask them about that.

Anyway, I don't have another man.

But your husband groundlessly suspects that you do.

"Damn bitch."

[music intensifies]

He insults me like that.

He takes away my phone and keeps being suspicious of me.

I want to get divorced…

just like other Korean women.

[music swells, fades]

Refuse the case? Why?

She brought the counseling report too.

Pathological jealousy and verbal abuse make a case for a divorce.

Are you sure this is a pro bono case?

Why wouldn't it be?

In whose public interest is this?

- What are you talking about? - [sighs]

You saw her walk in with high-end clothes, sunglasses, and a scarf on.

You said she's from a poor indigenous highland family.

It seemed like her Korean Dream came true.

That doesn't change the reason for divorce though.

Those were high-end clothes, but they were knockoffs.

What?

And they seemed to be made by hand,

clearly made with cheap fabrics from the market. [inhales sharply]

Come to think of it, when she was cheerleading last time,

the skirt looked like it had been sewn together.

- Really? - Yes.

And how do you know that?

[laughs] It's nothing. I just learned a bit when I worked

with Cheonggyecheon Seamers' Union

- in the past. - Is that so?

"And how do you know that?" means something else and you know it.

Just what kind of life have you lived?

I'm worried about his severe pathological jealousy.

Kaya seemed like a lively person though.

Okay, fine! Let's say it is pathological jealousy.

Why would she want a divorce by trial and not by mutual agreement?

You know why, Ms. Park.

People on marriage visas

can't stay in Korea after a divorce by mutual agreement.

They can only stay in Korea if they get divorced

due to their partner's fault and get a marriage-terminating visa.

[snaps fingers] Ah, I see.

In that case, she can start afresh without worries.

Or whatever.

Then, she can bring her boyfriend from back home

- and get married again. - [Nan-hui] Of course, some do that.

But are you being biased before even taking the case, Mr. Hwang?

[light thud]

- No, I'm not. - I see.

Still, we can't take every case out there.

There's something called priority…

[Da-wit] When we say public interest,

aren't we talking about the benefit to Korean society?

There's a lot of Koreans struggling in Korea. Do we have to…

Kaya is living in Korea after marrying a Korean.

- [exclaims] - Is she not a member of Korean society?

- Sure. - Public interest is assuring

that all members of society

- are protected by the law. - Mmm-hmm.

Do they need a genealogy that dates back to the Dangun era

to be protected by Korean law? Wait.

Or maybe they have to bring an apple box filled with money?

- [Da-wit] What? - [Gi-ppeum slurps]

- [tense music playing] - [light thud]

Ms. Park, what did you just say?

I'm just saying!

[Yeong-sil] Okay, everyone. Please stop.

Let's make our decision after inspecting on-site.

There must be a lot of edible mushrooms in Yangchon-gun,

such as wood ear, porcini, and cauliflower mushrooms.

If we're lucky, we might even find caterpillar fungus!

[chuckles] You must be stoked.

[chuckles softly] Let's all do the on-site inspection.

When I say "caterpillar fungus," you say "let's go!"

Why would we say that?

- Caterpillar fungus, let's go! - Let's go!

What are we chanting about mushrooms?

- Just do it. Stop complaining. - Let's give it a try.

[Yeong-sil] Caterpillar fungus would be amazing.

[Jun-u] Give it a rest.

- [insects trilling] - [birds chirping]

[inhales] Ms. Park.

I think you've been acting cold to me lately.

My goodness. [inhales]

And when was I ever warm to you?

Right.

Have you heard something strange about me?

Why? Are you hiding something?

[loudly] Hiding?

[calmly] Of course, I'm not hiding anything.

I'm someone who can face the heavens and have nothing to be ashamed of.

Okay, then.

What…

What do you mean, "Okay, then"?

I mean it's fine.

What's fine? Nothing's fine to me.

Hold on tight.

- Geez! - [engine revs]

[upbeat music plays]

[music swells, ends]

YANGCHON ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Attorney Five to Zero!

[pants]

[quirky music playing]

Goodness.

A busy attorney like you should rest on weekends.

What did you come here for?

We're pro bono attorneys. We visit places from time to time

to provide a helping hand

and to remind ourselves of the meaning behind each drop of sweat we shed.

Well, you're not sweating.

You're covered in sunscreen,

so you look like a ghost.

[chuckles] The sun's pretty strong today.

But it's okay. I grew up in the countryside too.

This much sun is nothing.

Thanks to the sun, these chilis are growing nice and…

[panicking] Oh, my gosh!

Oh, my gosh! Mr. Kang!

Are you all right?

Goodness.

[village head] Geez. You look like a ghost.

Geez.

- [yells] Attorney Five to Zero! - [sighs]

You sure you don't have to go see a doctor?

I don't need a doctor for something like this.

Geez. I should get back--

- Oh, my goodness! - [village head] Oh, my goodness!

My goodness.

That's enough. Forget about it.

Get some rest. Take a break.

Should I? [grunts]

But why are the others you came with

such good workers?

Who? Mmm?

- [woman 1] Be careful. - Thank you!

- [man 1] Go! - Give me more.

- Here. - [man 2] Gosh.

- [man 1] Go! - I'm off!

[man 1] Why is she so strong?

[funky music playing]

[woman 2] Gosh, thank you.

Okay, here it comes! [grunts]

Are you all right?

- [grunts] - [gasps]

[metal clanging]

[grunting rhythmically]

[grunts]

Good heavens!

- [woman 1] Oh, my. - [woman 2] It's in half.

[music continues playing]

- [engine starts] - You're amazing.

Goodness, look at those long legs.

I can't believe how tall and good looking he is.

Young man, could you look at our eaves after fixing that?

Sure thing, miss. I'll for sure help you out.

Oh, my. He must be crazy.

- He called me "miss"! - [both giggle]

Oh, you're an attorney, but they should lock you up for what you said.

- [music ends] - [birds chirping]

Good question. Why are they good at this?

Then, I should get back to--

- My goodness! - Goodness!

- Forget it. Take a break. - Gosh.

[Kaya] Time for refreshments, Chief!

All right. Refreshments.

Okay, everyone! Come get some refreshments!

Come on now! Yes, our attorneys too!

[chuckles] We have a variety of refreshments

since this is Yangchon-ri.

- Yes. - All right. Here.

This is called tang mian.

It's Chinese noodle soup. Zhongguo mian.

This is pancit bihon, the Philippines' version of japchae.

This is som tam, which is a Thai dish.

It's like what kimchi is in Korea.

- [Yeong-sil] I see. - Over there,

that's Vietnamese bun cha.

Have whatever you like.

Thank you for the food.

Oh! It's like a hotel buffet.

Goodness, this was all prepared by the wives of our village.

We are the world here. [chuckling]

[slurps, exclaims]

This stew is authentic. There must be a Korean housewife here too.

Ah. Kaya made that zucchini stew.

- The governor's daughter-in-law. - I made it. It's good, right?

Yes.

Okay. Why don't we drink some makgeolli?

All right, everyone. Cheers!

- Cheers! - Cheers!

Cheers, kanpai, bù zuì bù guī, sự nâng ly, bersulang!

Sir, how many languages do you speak?

I'm a language genius.

- [all laugh] - Genius.

- [village head inhales] Mmm! Nice. - [Kaya] Stop drinking, sir.

Okay, let's share the information we've gathered.

[sighs] All of their stories don't add up.

Geez. Don't even get me started.

Ever since Kaya came here, all the village men have been smitten.

That little fox wears all these unusual outfits day and night.

I don't know where she gets the money from.

- But she's a sweet kid. - [woman] What?

She asked me for the recipe

to make zucchini stew since her in-laws like it

and wrote it down in her notebook.

[Kaya and women laughing]

The governor's son?

He got a wife like that thanks to his parents. Unbelievable.

I shouldn't say this,

but I heard the governor's daughter-in-law…

is a bit promiscuous.

Really?

I'm just saying that's what people whisper.

You could get punished for saying baseless things about someone.

I mean, she smiles at everyone who asks her anything,

so the village men go crazy for her.

My big sister Kaya is kind.

- She always dresses me in fancy clothes. - [Yeong-sil exclaims]

She takes cute photos of me too.

Whoa.

You really do look cute. [chuckles]

Why on earth are you talking to a grandma going senile?

Hello, I…

There's a lot of rumors about Kaya having affairs with men,

but they seemed groundless.

Exactly.

Honestly, it was difficult to hear them.

There even was a rumor that Kaya worked in a hostess club.

How could they say such things?

Do you have some kind of fantasy about country people?

- Pardon? - That they're nice, humane,

and they help one another?

That's just a fantasy found only in TV shows.

They're jealous people and never stop gossiping about others.

They're always nosy

but ignore people when they go through real hardships.

- That's how real country people are. - [vehicle approaching]

What are you doing here? Hurry and go get changed.

The governor said

he's taking you fine people from Seoul to his house.

[Nan-hui] Look at this house!

[governor] Welcome, everyone.

Nice to meet you.

[Gi-ppeum] Thank you so much for inviting us to dinner.

Busy attorneys came all the way from Seoul

to help out in our town,

so how can I ignore them?

- Honey, our guests are here. - Welcome.

My goodness. I'm sorry our house is so shabby.

- No, no. - You didn't have to do all this.

- Your house is beautiful. - Thank you. [chuckles]

Dinner isn't ready yet, so please come to the annex.

- Okay. - [governor] This way.

Come this way. This is the annex.

- Whoa. - Kaya.

- Yes! - Our guests are here.

- Hello. - All right.

Is this your studio, Kaya?

Yes, I make clothes in this room.

Gosh, your room is so pretty.

[governor] She is a very talented one.

Our family is so lucky to have her.

My pretty wife. My kind Kaya.

- Honey! - Hi, honey.

- [Kaya groans] - Are you done working?

- Play with me now! - [Kaya winces]

- Well… - Dong-min.

- [Dong-min] Honey! Only play with me. - [intense music playing]

- Honey, we have guests here. - [Dong-min] Let's go.

- [governor] Don't do that, Dong-min. - Kaya!

- [Dong-min] I missed you. - [governor] That little brat.

[Dong-min yells] She's playing only with me!

He's usually not like that.

[governor sighs]

It's not much, but we hope you enjoy.

I'm sure you were very surprised earlier. That was my son.

He loves his wife so much.

My son hurt his head when he was young,

but he's very kind and gentle.

By the way,

Kaya isn't going to eat with us?

My son is pretty shy.

The two of them enjoy meals by themselves. They're still in the honeymoon phase.

[all chuckle dryly]

Then, do they stay only in the annex in the evening?

- Does she go out-- - Nan-hui.

- It's nothing. - [clears throat]

Here. This is a precious ginseng wine I received as a present.

Let's drink.

- I have to drive. - I see.

Those are pretty nice orchids, Mr. Cho.

Do you like orchids?

I don't really know much about them. But I see it was sent by Lee Hak-ju.

Isn't he the chief of Woongcheon District Court?

Yes, that's right. Goodness.

I said it was all right, but he insisted on sending it. [chuckles]

As governor, my husband always refuses gifts,

but people don't listen to him.

- [both laugh] - [somber music plays]

- [Byeon-hak] Okay, let's eat. - Yes.

- [Nan-hui] Thank you for the food. - [Byeon-hak's wife] Your welcome.

[Jun-u] Thank you.

[snoring]

What are you thinking about?

[sighing] Nothing.

After visiting the countryside, it just reminds me of the old days.

You said earlier today

that country people are always nosy

but ignore people when they go through real hardships.

Did something happen back in your hometown?

Mmm-- [sighs] It was nothing.

The law just isn't on the common people's side.

I learned that for sure.

When you say the law, by any chance…

[Seong-rye] With our situation, we can't afford to sue.

We don't have money for an attorney.

- I'll do it. - [rustling]

I'll handle everything, so just focus on getting better.

You don't know how the world works yet. [breathes heavily]

There's no one who will help a family like us, Da-wit.

[inhales]

Without money and power… [sighs]

[gentle music playing]

you're just lonely.

You can help them now, can't you?

- What? - The lonely ones without money and power,

just like how you were before.

You can help them now.

So they won't be lonely.

[gentle music continues playing]

[sighs]

I'm sorry.

I shouldn't say that when I don't know what happened.

[sighs] I can't believe myself.

Get some rest.

It's all right.

[cars honking]

[gentle music fades]

Honey! Only play with me.

- [Byeon-hak] Don't do that, Dong-min. - Kaya!

[Dong-min yells] She's playing only with me!

[Yeong-sil] At the partners' meeting,

they told us not to take Kaya's case and to find another case.

What? Why?

[Yeong-sil] They said there's not enough evidence

and it won't help the image of the firm.

[tapping]

Let's take this case.

- [Nan-hui] What? - All of a sudden?

[rock music playing]

How can a foreign wife's divorce case be a public interest case?

It's a private interest case.

Sir, it's about the human rights of an immigrant woman

who's not readily protected by the law.

If we don't help her, it'll be hard for her to get help--

Cases involving immigrants and refugees won't be received well.

Ms. Park, don't you understand what the world is like these days?

While everyone is struggling to make ends meet,

an immigrant woman's human rights?

Did anyone hold a knife to her throat to come to Korea?

A hit!

- What? - It'll be a hit.

A hit?

[upbeat music playing]

The governor's family, who have been rich landowners for generations.

A husband with intellectual disabilities.

A smart and charming daughter-in-law from overseas who lives in captivity.

It's a story the media would go crazy for.

It'll go viral.

Mr. Kang.

You keep an unprofitable Pro Bono Team because it's for PR, isn't it?

Criticism is better than no feedback at all. [light thud]

It's a case worth betting on.

Goodness, you can save it.

Ever since "the people's judge" arrived, we've been walking on thin ice.

Why did someone who craves attention like you

have to come to our firm and make all this commotion?

[Jung-in] Goodness.

I'm sorry I'm late.

It was no fun without me, wasn't it?

Gosh, Ms. Oh. Since you're busy, you didn't have to come.

So, what was the conclusion?

You have one, right?

[chuckles hesitantly] Of course.

Considering the recent social climate,

- this kind of case is-- - [Jung-in] That's right.

Considering the recent social climate, we obviously should take it.

Ms. Oh, what are you talking about?

Who wants to work in factories or on farms these days?

Our entrepreneur clients are up in arms

because they can't find people to work.

If we want to maintain cheap and good labor,

we must show they won't face any injustice when they come to Korea and send…

some kind of signal, right?

We'll be counting on you, Mr. Kang and Ms. Park.

You can go down first.

[music fades]

Thank you

for backing us up.

- [door closes] - [scoffs, inhales]

I backed you up? Me?

Didn't you?

Attorney Park Gi-ppeum.

She's an interesting one.

Ms. Park? Why?

She threatened me

with your video.

[tense music plays]

What?

[Da-wit on video] Goodness.

[laughing]

- [sighs] - [video stops]

Why are you showing this to me?

Ms. Oh,

you knew about this too, didn't you?

You knew why Mr. Kang suddenly quit being a judge.

What makes you think so?

You two went to JRTI together.

Then, you'd know very well

that Mr. Kang wouldn't choose to be a pro bono attorney

who doesn't have money or power.

[chuckles]

And what if that was so?

Team Pro Bono isn't a laundromat.

It's not for appointing someone with a weakness

as team leader to clean up their image.

[breathes deeply]

You came to me directly instead of raising the issue publicly.

Does that mean you have something you want from me?

I just want you

to support us

so we can do our job well.

You want my support?

You're promoting Pro Bono Team led by Mr. Kang

as your own achievement in a major way.

Then shouldn't you show a little responsibility

until it's proven that Mr. Kang deserves to be our team leader?

[scoffs]

[tense music plays]

[stuttering] Did Ms. Park really do that?

I should bring her back to the M&A Team.

She has a talent for negotiating.

Gosh, I just love her.

Wait.

[panicking] How on earth did she get the video--

Take care of it, okay?

Don't let her do something reckless.

Damn it.

[music fades, ends]

DIVORCE SUIT

[Yeong-sil] Mr. Kang?

The immigrants' human rights organization requested this?

Do they have a rest area to use as a temporary shelter?

- They do. - During the divorce suit,

let's ask them to take in Kaya. It won't take long.

What? We don't have enough evidence to win the case yet.

Kaya herself is the evidence.

What do you mean?

Wasn't there anything strange in the villagers' stories?

Hmm.

How Kaya dressed.

How she dressed?

[gasps] Oh!

She wears short skirts recklessly.

- What's wrong with it? - Think about it.

Remember how she dressed when we saw her?

[Jun-u] She didn't want to tan while working in the farm.

[Gi-ppeum] What about the day she came here?

[upbeat music playing]

[Yeong-sil] It was really hot that day.

- It was 35°C. - [Nan-hui] What?

Right. But two weeks before…

[people cheering]

How she dressed drastically changed within two weeks.

That means something happened.

Something that made her cover up to her neck

in 35°C heat.

[music swells, ends]

[woman] I brought her.

Thank you.

You can't keep coming here.

People will look at me strangely.

It's just for a moment.

On the day we played soccer,

word about the way you dressed and danced spread around the village, didn't it?

And the villagers who didn't like you from the beginning

probably exaggerated it.

Was your husband furious?

[tense music plays]

Your husband put the lock on your window, didn't he?

[Dong-min yells] She's playing only with me!

DOOR LOCKS, THREE-PIECE SET

Kaya, you've mustered up the courage to get divorced anyway.

You have to be honest for us to help you.

[tense music swells]

What are you hiding with your scarf?

- This is just-- - Who are you protecting?

Your husband?

A criminal complaint will help you in the divorce suit.

You can't do that!

Kaya, if you want,

we'll help you get divorced quietly.

Really?

I can really just get a divorce?

Yes.

[gasps]

SUWON FAMILY COURT, SINGLE-JUDGE DIVISION

- [indistinct chatter] - [tense music continues]

[judge] Plaintiff's Counsel.

What is the reason for the divorce?

Yes, Your Honor.

They are pathological jealousy, verbal abuse, and…

[whispering] Kaya.

And attempted murder.

[music swells, ends]

COURT 301, TODAY'S TRIALS

Alyona, you're from Kazakhstan. Correct?

- Yes. - And you work at a restaurant downtown?

Yes.

Do you know Kaya here?

Yes, we're learning Korean together in a study room.

On the evening of the 2nd, did you see Kaya's husband

at the restaurant?

- Yes. - Can you tell us what you saw that night?

- [man 1] Let's drink. - [man 2] Okay.

[man 1] Drink.

- [sizzling] - [utensils clanking]

- Does it taste good? - Yeah.

Dude, instead of stuffing your face, you should control your wife.

My wife?

Geez. Yes, your wife.

Do you know how she was during the soccer game?

What? My wife is kind.

Kind, my foot. Hey.

Her skirt was so short I could see her underpants.

You saw it, right?

With her arms and legs… Geez.

I was more embarrassed watching.

[man 2] Be careful.

There's a bunch of guys who want your wife.

I heard they all went to karaoke together after the soccer game.

When did she come home?

Did she even come home?

[man 1] We're telling you because we're your friends.

There are only damn wolves out there.

[loud thud]

[angrily] Stop lying! My wife isn't like that.

[sighs]

- Okay. Hey! - [man 2] Dude!

[man 1] Dude, I got it!

[man 2] Geez, that scared me.

[judge] Counsel, you may examine the plaintiff.

[softly] That evening…

We can't hear you. Please speak louder.

[Kaya] Okay, I'm sorry.

I went home in the evening after working at the farm.

[door opens]

Honey! What are you doing? I made those clothes! [screams]

- These clothes… [yells] Don't wear these! - Honey!

[sobbing] Honey, don't do this!

Your phone! Give me your phone!

Why?

Your phone! [grunts]

- [strains] - [grunts]

Give it!

- [Kaya sobbing] - Now, you stay only with me!

[yelling] Don't go out at night! Stay only with me!

[crying] But I don't go out at night!

I study Korean every night!

So I can become Korean!

[yells] You don't need to study Korean!

You stay with me!

[Kaya sobbing] Honey!

Then, he came back home late after getting really drunk.

Your drunk husband

grabbed you by your shoulders and shook you violently.

And he even strangled your neck?

- Yes. - [thuds]

[screams] Stop lying!

- [breathes heavily] - Please be seated.

- [sighs] - And you passed out too. Correct?

- Yes. - No further questions, Your Honor.

Your Honor, the plaintiff's counsel

is defaming the defendant without any facts.

They're making things up because the defendant has a disability.

Can you not see the wound on her neck?

When you strangle someone that hard,

that means it was attempted murder!

[Kaya] No!

- What? - [intense music playing]

My husband is a good person.

It was a mistake.

[voice breaking] He never did it to kill me.

I know. It really was a mistake.

Don't send my husband to jail, Your Honor. Please.

[yells] Stop putting on an act, you filthy thing!

[inhales]

Well, this is a divorce court, not a criminal one.

Whether it was intended or not,

due to the pathological jealousy of the defendant,

the plaintiff feels very unsafe,

enough to make her unable to maintain this marriage.

This is our claim.

Your Honor, the defense would also like to request witnesses.

There are many of them, so we ask you give us enough time.

Okay. We'll resume in three weeks at 2:00 p.m.

[music fades]

[exhales] That was tough, wasn't it?

Thank you.

It's too early to thank us.

We've only just begun.

Mr. Jang went to see the village head, didn't he? Is he going to testify?

I knew it.

Since Kaya's in-laws have been the leaders of the village for generations,

no one will step forth easily.

It's a bit tough

since it feels like things are blowing up because of me.

It's a small town, so everyone will know it by now.

[Gi-ppeum] Kaya.

Just think about yourself.

Don't think about anyone else.

Okay?

Thank you.

We'll see you at the next hearing then.

Okay.

[Da-wit] Goodbye.

Mr. Kang.

Yes?

Did you call the reporters?

Why would we do this if no one knows about it?

We're not even getting paid for this.

You know how much she wants to get divorced quietly.

Don't look at me like that

when you're as good of a negotiator as I am.

Sorry?

[intense music playing]

You went to see Ms. Oh.

Why didn't you ask me anything?

- About what? - [Da-wit] You know.

You don't even want to know?

- Mr. Kang. - Yes?

We're in the middle of a trial.

Let's talk about your issue later.

So basically, "That's your problem."

[scoffs]

I thought we were a team.

[door opens]

[sighs]

What happened? My little girl looks down.

It's nothing.

Has this ever happened to you?

[gentle music playing]

You feel down because you keep wanting to trust someone who can't be trusted.

Of course.

That was how I lost our house.

You don't trust just anyone now. Right, Dad?

That's right. And that's why it's hard.

[judge] Counsel,

you may examine the defendant.

Yes, Your Honor.

When you came home late and drunk that night,

did you strangle your wife?

[hesitantly] No.

Could you please say it louder?

[loudly] No. No, I didn't strangle her.

Then, did you grab your wife by her shoulders and shake her?

- [intriguing music plays] - [imperceptible]

Please answer, Mr. Cho.

- Yes. - You did grab her shoulders and shake her.

Why did you do that?

Please tell us.

She said

she would leave.

Leave? She said she was going somewhere?

Yes, to her family.

To her family?

Back to her home country?

- Yes. - [counsel] Let me get this straight.

When you came home drunk that night,

she suddenly said she'd go back to her home country.

So, you shook her by the shoulders out of shock,

but you never strangled her. Correct?

Yes.

That filthy bitch!

That ungrateful girl made it all up.

I can't believe she could accuse my good son of attempted murder,

that damn bitch!

Ma'am, you are in court. Mind your language.

[breathes heavily] My apologies, Your Honor. It's just so unfair.

People always say no good deed goes unpunished.

[sighs heavily]

All right. Ma'am?

You believe

the plaintiff provoked the defendant

by deliberately saying she'd go back home, correct?

Objection, Your Honor. He's leading her.

- Sustained. - Okay. Let me rephrase it.

Why do you think the plaintiff planned all of this

and requested a divorce by trial?

Is there any basis for this?

Yes, there is.

Please tell us.

She never had plans to stay with us from the beginning.

Our family wants a grandchild

and I worried about her not getting pregnant.

But there was a reason behind it.

I heard it from the pharmacist in town.

Sir, do you run a pharmacy in Yangchon?

- Yes. - Did you see the plaintiff

at your pharmacy recently?

- Yes. - What kind of medicine did she ask for?

[suspenseful music plays]

Well…

Sir.

Welcome. What do you need?

Do you have that, by any chance?

Pills to not have a baby?

What? Birth control pills?

Why do you need those?

Oh, God. My stomach is killing me.

Give me some medicine. I have a stomachache.

Just a moment. I should help her first…

It was really strange.

The whole village knows that family wants a child.

Why would the daughter-in-law be looking for birth control pills?

To be honest, I shouldn't have done it,

but I asked the governor's wife before realizing,

"Is there something going on? Are your son and his wife having trouble?"

[sighs] I went ahead and asked.

[counsel] Your Honor,

we submit evidence related to this testimony

that Mr. Cho's mother found

hidden deep inside the closet of the couple's room.

[plastic rustles]

The birth control pills.

[tense music plays]

[indistinct chatter]

[counsel] Your Honor.

As you can see,

the plaintiff didn't intend to have a happy family with Mr. Cho

despite clearly knowing how much he wanted a child.

She provoked him by suddenly saying she'd go back home.

She made him grab her arm out of shock and hard enough to leave bruises.

This can only be seen as preparations for divorce.

When Mr. Cho did not cross the line due to his good nature,

she artificially created that strangulation mark

- and framed the defendant. - [Da-wit] Come on.

How could someone

strangle their own neck that hard?

Give us evidence that the defendant did it.

Yes, that's what we're going to do.

Your Honor.

There's a new fact we had been putting off.

What is it?

That night, Mr. Cho's mother

was on a trip with her friends, so she wouldn't have known.

But actually, that night,

the defendant took the plaintiff to the hospital in town when she fainted.

To be exact, to the animal hospital.

May I request the person who saw the defendant as a witness?

Is that witness here right now?

Yes, Your Honor.

Mr. Jang.

[door opens]

[Da-wit] Hmm.

[upbeat music plays]

Is that our village head?

I told you I don't know anything.

I thought you were here to help.

But instead, you're here to doom us. Unbelievable! Geez.

[sighs]

I understand.

Becoming enemies with the governor of this village wouldn't be easy.

Kaya is a foreigner from far away land.

- [village head grunts] - Right?

I heard your mother worked as a nurse in Germany

when she was young.

What? How did you know that?

Your father was a miner dispatched to Germany.

They met in a foreign country and got married.

I heard you lived in Germany until you were 10.

So,

were you a good soccer player back then too?

Even among the big German kids?

[gentle music plays]

It was really tough, wasn't it? You must have been lonely.

[sighs]

This time, you can help them

so that everyone who's left their homes and settled in Yangchon

won't be lonely

or sad.

[village head] That night,

he brought his wife to my hospital.

- [banging] - It was past midnight.

But he was pounding on our door so loudly.

How was the plaintiff's condition then?

She seemed to have passed out from exhaustion and was limp.

- [Dong-min] What do we do? - [village head] Her arms were bruised.

She had a towel around her neck.

When I took it off,

there were red hand marks on it.

Thankfully, she came to

when I massaged her hands and feet and gave some water.

I was so bewildered and wondered if I should call the cops.

But this involved

none other than the governor's family.

And her condition wasn't critical, so…

[hesitates, sighs]

Gosh, I'm sorry.

[whispering] Why didn't you tell me?

I was scared.

Actually, I took some photos that night.

The wound on her neck looked severe,

so I took them just in case.

But I erased them out of fear, so I wouldn't get involved in trouble.

But the files were still there in the trash.

- Here. - Um…

Oh.

[woman] My gosh. That's horrible.

[indistinct murmuring]

Sir…

It must have been late at night.

How did they get to your hospital?

He can't drive.

And it's the countryside, so there are no taxis.

He came running.

He ran? How far is that?

Well, I don't know.

From the governor's house to my hospital…

[inhales sharply]

It's about three kilometers.

Three kilometers?

He ran that distance while carrying Kaya on his back?

Yes. It seemed as if he had ran his heart out.

He was covered in sweat.

- [village head sighs] - [suspenseful music plays]

Your Honor.

We request a continuance.

We need to review something.

[whispering] What are you doing?

Why did you do that?

The village head even submitted the photos.

The trial was over. Why suddenly do that?

Things aren't always what they seem.

Pardon?

Why did you lie?

Mr. Kang.

It wasn't your husband who strangled you.

What?

What are you talking about?

You did say you'd go back to your family,

he did grab and shake you out of shock,

and you did pass out.

But you were likely strangled before he came back.

That's why you were already exhausted from shock.

Am I wrong?

You're wrong.

Something's been bothering me.

Are all the people of Yangchon-ri lying to get their stories straight?

- Or… - The governor's son?

He's a bit dumb, but he's very nice.

Even if people curse or hit him,

he just smiles.

All of the people in the village said the same thing

about your husband.

"He wouldn't even harm a fly."

Even you insisted

that your husband was a good person.

[inhales]

When I heard earlier

he ran his heart out with you on his back for three kilometers at night,

that kept bothering me.

How could such a good person

strangle his wife hard enough to leave clear finger marks on her neck?

[suspenseful music plays]

No.

[inhales, exhales] Ms. Park, look at the photos again.

The marks look clearer since this was right after the incident.

How does the bruise look?

There is a long mark

on the right side of Kaya's neck.

But it looks like a thumb mark.

Then, it was pressed with his right hand.

He must be right-handed.

Kaya.

Kaya.

Is your husband right-handed?

He's not.

I saw him in court.

[suspenseful music builds]

Is this true, Kaya?

What's going on?

The opposing attorney isn't a fool!

Everything will end up being revealed, so why?

Why did you make up such a lie?

[sighs] There's one other strange thing.

When you went to get the birth control pills,

it happened to be the day after the incident.

The birth control pills your mother-in-law found and submitted

are morning-after pills.

[pharmacist] This one.

Morning-after pills?

It can't be.

You have to tell us. What on earth…

What on earth happened that day?

When your mother-in-law was on a trip with her friends

and when your husband was out late drinking,

what happened, Kaya?!

[whimpers softly]

[intense music playing]

[gasps]

[sighs]

I get it now.

The reason why you hid so many things from the start.

Even when you'd decided to divorce him,

the reason why you worried about your husband.

[Gi-ppeum] Mr. Kang.

What on earth are you talking about? What happened?

From the information Mr. Hwang gathered,

didn't something bother you?

What Jun-u heard was…

She asked me for the recipe

to make zucchini stew since her in-laws like it

and wrote it down in her notebook.

What are you talking about?

I heard she doesn't want to cook for her father-in-law,

so she goes out drinking at night these days.

[old woman] God, she's mean.

[gasps]

Your father-in-law.

When you had to eat with only your father-in-law…

you went out.

You needed to avoid him.

- [sobbing] - [Da-wit] That lock.

You put that lock on yourself…

so that no one could enter from outside.

- [Kaya sobbing] - I can't believe this.

Oh, my God…

[Kaya crying, sniffling]

[somber music playing]

- [siren wailing] - No! I'm being framed!

That damn bitch!

That conniving bitch! How dare she?

[screaming]

[sobbing]

[camera shutter clicking]

[Kaya sighs]

[hesitates, sighs]

You should've pretended you didn't know.

It's not something you can quietly cover up.

I said I don't care what happens to me.

I just wanted to leave that family

and live quietly in Korea.

Kaya.

Kaya.

No matter how much you love your husband,

you can't protect him by covering up something like this.

Love?

I don't love him, Ms. Park.

- What? - Can you love someone you got married to…

only an hour after meeting him?

Uh--

I just wanted to come to Korea

because I hated my home.

[voice breaking] I would have followed anyone here

if they let me leave that place.

I thought I was just doing my job.

Because they let me live here.

[sobs]

But I…

I ruined everything. [sobbing]

I ruined him too.

If I had left quietly by myself, it would've been fine.

[sniffles, sobs] I…

If I could've done that, Ms. Park…

- [Gi-ppeum] Kaya. - [sobbing]

[judge] I read the motion to amend the cause of action.

It was rather shocking.

Yes, Your Honor. Thankfully, we found DNA evidence

from the blankets and underwear, so the defendant's father was arrested.

It's obvious that this marriage cannot be continued.

We request the Court render the divorce judgment as soon as possible.

Defendant, do you have anything more to say?

[imperceptible]

[sighs]

[judge] Then, this Court will close the arguments of the case.

The verdict will be delivered on--

[man] Your Honor.

Woo Myeong-hun?

What is going on?

I'm the newly appointed attorney for the defendant.

I'll submit the power of attorney and the counterclaim.

- What? - This case is already closed--

Your Honor, we request that the arguments be reopened.

[judge] Well, is there anything more to do?

The reasons for divorce have already come to light.

[Myeong-hun] The premise for a divorce

is that the marriage must be valid.

What are you talking about all of a sudden?

Your Honor, he is making an unreasonable claim

to delay the trial--

The plaintiff Kaya had already given birth in her country before she got married.

[intense music playing]

- [gasps] - What? What on earth is he talking about?

It's not true, is it?

No.

The plaintiff hid the fact that she had given birth

and deceived the defendant

for a fraudulent marriage.

We request a body examination of the plaintiff to prove this.

I fell for a trap.

I was fooled by that immoral bitch.

I see.

A story like that is what a case like this needs.

If you think of anything you need to say, you can tell me anytime.

I have a definite one.

What is it?

I saw it clearly that night.

That bitch had a pregnancy line on her stomach.

[intense music continues]

A pregnancy line?

Yes.

[Gi-ppeum] Kaya.

It's not true, is it?

Brazen bitch.

And the defendant files a counterclaim

for an annulment of marriage due to fraud

and seeks compensation of 100 million won.

[intense music continues]

[judge] The Court will accept the counterclaim

but will decide later whether to hear it with the main claim.

[music ends]

Why didn't you tell us?

You gave birth before marriage? Is that really true, Kaya?

We're in a totally different situation now.

An annulment of marriage is different from a divorce.

It nullifies the marriage itself,

so it'll be as if you were never married at all.

The marriage visa you used to come here will be canceled.

You'll be deported from this country!

Mr. Kang.

[loudly] You'll be kicked out from this country, Kaya!

What?

[intense music plays]

[theme music playing]

The Court will deliver the verdict.

No way.

That's nonsense!

Kaya's final appeal was dismissed.

They're going to let the man who committed sexual assault go

and deport the victim?

Kaya's visa will be canceled, and she'll be deported!

Are you going to give up?

We have to find some sort of way.

Let's seek asylum.

[Jun-u] America? France?

[Da-wit] Hold on!

I'm Kaya's attorney.

We seek asylum.

Will it be okay?

Of course, we'll lose.

You said we'd lose.

We'd lose the trial, but we'll win the case.

Do you expect me to play along in this clown show?

I may be a clown.

But this trial isn't a clown show.

It's a desperate fight.

Subtitle translation by: Yoon Hyewon