Original subtitles

PRO BONO

The presiding judge abused his power

and killed my father through a manipulated trial.

-What was the name of the presiding judge? -Kang Da-wit.

Trust the evidence. Everything is in here.

He brought evidence.

Yoo Baek-man is the father of the person who came to me, Yoo Jae-beom.

He was a businessman

who ran a paper mill called Woongcheon Paper in Woongcheon.

A tragic fire broke out in the factory.

PREVIOUSLY

The factory burned down, and a person died as well.

The factory manager, who was in charge of on-site safety,

was arrested and charged.

The CEO, not the factory manager.

Go get Yoo Baek-man.

Otherwise, I cannot proceed.

What is this?

The one who died was a trainee from a technical high school.

That came out of his backpack.

Mr. Kang leaked it, didn't he?

After initially refusing to act, the prosecution charged the owner Yoo.

Detective!

Those involved, including the factory manager, changed their stories

and started testifying against Yoo Baek-man.

In the end…

The Court rules

the defendant is sentenced to seven years in prison.

Your Honor!

Your Honor!

Mr. Kang really went that far?

There's no statement that says he brought the cup noodles.

What on earth is this…

What is this photo, Mr. Kang?

I'll tell it myself.

Yoo Baek-man…

We've had…

a long, bitter history.

If you had trouble in the past with the defendant Yoo Baek-man,

shouldn't you have recused yourself?

For a fair trial?

Jun-u's right.

Ms. Park…

Do you remember, Mr. Kang?

When I first brought up Yoo Baek-man's name…

Who is that? I don't know him.

-It's a name you wouldn't forget. -Well, that's…

The painful story you shared with us.

In the end, that's a strong motive.

Is it not?

I've taught you well.

What?

Yes.

-I did it. -Mr. Kang!

Did you really rig the trial?

Seriously?

Now that we're not on the same side,

I better exercise my right to remain silent.

See you in court, everyone.

PRO BONO

SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT COURT

All right, next case.

Case number 2025-5825.

CRIMINAL COURT

Abuse of authority and unlawful arrest and confinement.

Is the defendant Kang Da-wit present?

Yes. Present, Your Honor.

The victim Yoo Jae-beom?

-Present. -And the victim's representatives?

Are you all present?

-Yes. -Yes.

Mr. Kang?

Right, Your Honor. It's my first time being a defendant, so…

You've come alone. Do you have an attorney?

Yes, Your Honor.

I'll be representing myself.

I see.

The victim's attorneys may be seated.

Will you be okay with doing the trial without another attorney?

Of course, Your Honor.

Well…

Counsels for the victim.

Yes, Your Honor?

Before commencing this trial,

-one issue needs to be addressed. -Yes, Your Honor.

The defendant is the team leader you work with, is he not?

Will there be any conflict of interest?

-Your Honor, that is-- -There will be no problem, Your Honor.

Those people have nothing to do with me.

I've already resigned before this trial.

Is that so?

They're below my standard.

They took on such a ridiculous case like this.

I am too good to be on that team.

You know this well too, Your Honor.

It's such a burden for a captain when his teammates are incompetent.

Well, that is true.

EPISODE 10

God, it's so annoying!

We're below his standard? His teammates are incompetent?

It must've been so hard working with people not on his level like us!

He might be deliberately trying to rattle us.

-What? -Mr. Kang.

He doesn't do anything that's unnecessary in court.

Every move has intention. He's trying to rattle us from the start.

-That's right. -So, don't get caught up in it.

Let's execute the strategies we've prepared…

-Why are you looking at me like that? -Well…

You don't sound like the Jun-u I know.

What are you talking about?

How do you know so much these days?

I guess I just get lucky every now and then.

What's with that annoyingly humble and relaxed attitude?

It's so strange.

By the way,

I didn't know it when we were on the same team, but as an adversary,

Mr. Kang really gets on your nerve.

Even when we were on the same team, I knew that very well.

Anyway, as expected, I have a bad feeling about this.

Is it the presiding judge?

Yeah, he looked at us differently.

He looked at Mr. Kang with such concern, while he looked at us so coldly.

Yeah. Nan-hui.

Thank goodness you went undercover!

SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT COURT MEMBERS

Everyone!

Goodness, thank you.

-Please enjoy. -Thank you.

Please tell me more about your story from before.

Right.

Chief Judge Kang saved Judge Gong's life.

-Didn't you know that? -Pardon?

-Right? -Yeah.

Judge Gong has pretty bad habits when he gets drunk.

During a work dinner, he blacked out

and slapped Chief Shin Jung-seok across the face.

Hey!

You can't hit him! Why aren't you stopping him?

-Please calm down. -Seok-ho, you bastard!

-I want you to quit right now! -Chief!

-Let go of me, you moron! -This is a disgrace to our country!

My goodness! Really?

He was furious and said he'd demand Gong's resignation.

But Chief Judge Kang acted a step faster.

Hey, Mr. Yoon! It's me!

Could you write a flattering article for me?

In return, I'll give you a big exclusive scoop later.

No way.

They're all crazy lunatics. Seriously!

They put out a flattering article in The Law Times.

"The court chief is a living Buddha who laughs off getting slapped."

"Someone like him deserves to be a Supreme Court justice…"

That is so like him. Geez.

-What? -Sorry?

It's a well-known story.

-Who are you? -Sorry?

Are you a transfer? A new hire?

Gosh, look at the time!

I'll get going now!

Excuse me. Wait…

But Mr. Jang, were you really able to get him to come?

Yes. He should be on his way.

Okay, let me ask the prosecution.

Yes, Your Honor?

These charges filed were

based heavily on the evidence the plaintiff had gathered. Correct?

Yes, Your Honor.

But isn't the plaintiff a wanted serial con artist?

Yes, Your Honor.

This is not just any case.

It claims a judge abused his authority during a trial.

Have you thoroughly verified

the credibility of the plaintiff's claim?

Yes, we have concluded the claims are credible, so--

-Your Honor? -Please go ahead.

My apologies, but we have retained an additional counsel.

He will soon arrive in court.

What?

Wait, why… Why would the victim need another…

Mr. Jang!

Who is that?

Father?

Is that my son-in-law?

His father-in-law?

So, this was the reason.

WILD MUSHROOM CLUB FIFTH ANNIVERSARY

Goodness.

A FEW DAYS AGO SONG GI-SEOP'S OFFICE

You shouldn't have.

These are the real deal.

Wild lion's mane mushrooms!

How did you know I was searching for them?

It's well-known in the mushroom world

how much you love lion's manes.

How much would they cost?

I should give you a good offer.

But I don't have many cases these days, so my wallet's a bit light.

Don't worry. I'm an attorney too.

It'd be weird to receive money from you.

Right? Yeah.

As fellow attorneys, money would be ridiculous.

Could you just come to court for me once?

What? What court?

I'm Song Gi-seop,

and I've been retained as an additional counsel, Your Honor.

Right. I see.

Hold on. Then…

So…

We will reschedule the date of this trial due to the Court's circumstances

at a later time.

All rise.

I'll call you, sir!

NEXT HEARING

-Really? -You taught us well.

Look, Ms. Park.

Just a moment.

What?

-Five, four… -What?

-Three, two… -What?

-All rise. -One.

Please be seated.

Judge Oh Jae-seop of Criminal Division 1

is known for always being five minutes late.

Three, two, one.

Judge Oh went to the same high school that Woo Myeong-hun is from.

They've been taking baking class together for two years or something as a hobby.

Isn't that ridiculous?

-And so we meet here again. -Right?

-Thank you for your hard work, Your Honor. -Gosh, why did it have to be this judge?

Mr. Kang's good luck is coming to an end.

I'm sure he'll do whatever he can to have the judge changed again.

A hundred percent.

The interest in this case is high, isn't it?

As it involves a former judge,

we'll strive to be even more fair.

The Court will treat him just like any other defendant.

Your Honor.

What is it? Do you want to motion to recuse the Court again?

Of course not.

I respectfully ask to be judged

just like any other defendant.

What?

What is he up to?

Okay, next trial is case number…

Mr. Kang, what are you doing?

I'm heading to my seat.

Your Honor, I was suddenly falsely accused

and betrayed by my teammates.

It'd be weird to not get sick from anger.

I hereby submit a doctor's note.

My doctor told me to not sit for long periods.

-Could you please postpone the trial? -You're suddenly seriously ill?

DOCTOR'S NOTE

This right here…

Are you asking me to believe this?

You've had no problem believing so far!

He stood…

You were fine when conglomerate CEOs were on trial.

-JU Group CEO Ju Il-do. -Hey!

When NJ Group Vice Chairman Min Yong-jun came in a wheelchair,

you gladly accepted their motions to postpone.

As I said before,

I respectfully ask to be judged just like any other defendant.

Strike that from the record. Erase that.

Did you erase it?

For goodness' sake! So this is how he's going to play?

He's the best in the world at making others mad.

-Geez, what are we supposed to do? -Let's break his arm!

Coming through!

Goodness. Take care of your health, everyone.

You're doomed without a healthy body.

Stay healthy!

-Geez! -Oh, my gosh.

Gosh, my arms hurt so much.

Did Gang-hun lend me a broken one?

-He's so childish! -Listen.

Don't get swept up in his delay tactics.

We have to wrap up this case cleanly

-to gain a firm footing in the firm-- -Footing?

Are we doing this case for footing?

I mean we'll gain a firm footing as pro bono attorneys.

Let me give it a try in the next hearing.

-What? -I've done some research.

Victim's counsels, I heard you had something to say.

This case isn't a trial, Your Honor. It's personal vendetta.

Mr. Kang held a deep resentment

toward the plaintiff's father, Yoo Baek-man.

Since becoming a judge, he prepared his revenge for a long time.

Is that so? Could you please step forward and speak?

Yes, Your Honor.

Twelve years ago,

during an organizational reshuffling…

WORK LOCATION PREFERENCE

…Mr. Kang wanted to be near his home in Eastern District Court.

Then suddenly, he changed his preference to Seoul Southern District Court

even though it was unpopular due to its heavy workload.

I see.

Please proceed.

But just before that,

Yoo Baek-man's Woongcheon Paper happened to move

to Jangwol Industrial Complex, which was under the jurisdiction

of Seoul Southern District Court.

WOONGCHEON PAPER

Is that so?

-That is pretty odd. -Yes, Your Honor.

When he was first appointed, he wanted to work at Woongcheon District Court…

despite having good enough scores…

to be appointed in Seoul.

Since the beginning, Mr. Kang had kept wanting to work

where Woongcheon Paper was located.

When assigned the trial of the person he held a deep grudge towards,

he did not decide to recuse himself.

And as soon as the trial began,

he accurately pointed out the personnel structure

and operational status of Woongcheon Paper that investigators didn't even know about

and proceeded with the trial as if it were an investigation.

It was as if he were presenting a project he had long been preparing.

That is all, Your Honor.

Your Honor.

Mr. Kang, do you have something to say?

Rather than vague speculation on a person's intentions,

please ask him if he has any concrete evidence.

Your Honor, we would like to call Attorney Choi Dong-geun,

who was the fire case's investigating prosecutor, as a witness.

What is the purpose?

It's to show

that the defendant conducted an unusually biased trial.

Okay. We have him rattled.

Let's throw a counterpunch at him in the next hearing. Bam!

Jun-u.

How did you get that work location preference form?

What?

That's an internal court file. It's not for everyone to see.

Come on. Is that important?

Just know that there are honest people within the court too.

-Let's go! Lunch is on me. -What?

Not everyone has what it takes to be CEO.

-Congratulations. -Thank you, sir.

This would be a great opportunity for you to give me a big push.

Come in.

Hey, Attorney Oh!

Even though you're not CEO anymore, you're still working hard.

That's just how you'd expect Dr. Oh's daughter to act.

It's not too overwhelming as the new CEO?

Not at all.

If it's too much, tell me anytime.

-It's okay. -I'll help you, Attorney Bae.

"Attorney Bae"?

Gosh!

Whatever. Fine.

Anyway,

just know that all approvals on Team Pro Bono

will go through me from now on.

What?

I'll take care of Da-wit's trial myself.

I heard you'd just let the team handle the cases.

I guess someone has been reporting to you regularly

about Team Pro Bono.

Anyway, it's no longer your team now.

I'll personally manage them

by the firm's rules, so keep that in mind.

Talking back to your CEO…

Geez!

Hey.

This is a surprise.

Aren't we…

enemies now?

-Enemies? -Am I wrong?

Right now, I'm fighting against Team Pro Bono.

And you're their captain.

I'm not.

Team Pro Bono was taken away from me.

-Bae Yong-hun didn't take it, did he? -He did.

How can he handle pro bono cases

when all he cares about is money?

Ridiculous.

Does Dr. Oh not trust his only daughter that much?

Father draws a clear line between friends and enemies.

It seems like

I fall into the latter category now.

It was then, wasn't it?

The Elijah case.

Hey, Jung-in.

Let's do it.

Did you persuade Dr. Oh?

Persuade?

If you lose, it'll be over for both me and you.

What did you do to Dr. Oh back then?

It's already been done, so it doesn't matter.

What matters more

is whether you can win or not.

Tell me, Da-wit.

Can you win this trial?

If you lose here,

you'll also lose Jang Hyeon-bae's retrial.

You'll become a criminal judge who abused his power regularly.

And as someone who has supported you,

I'll have no place in this field.

I saw you were playing around with Team Pro Bono.

Are you sure you can win?

You're not asking me about it.

About what?

What the truth is.

If I really rigged the trial to get revenge or not.

Does it not matter?

I guess I just need to win.

Yeah, we just need to win.

Geez.

Hello, Dr. Oh!

When you're peeing, just focus on that.

If you splash, you'll make it hard on the janitors.

Yes, sir. I'm sorry.

I submitted the evidence I got through Mr. Bae.

To conclude that trial as fast as possible,

I, hardworking attorney Hwang Jun-u, will do my best.

Come now. I told you to just focus on peeing.

-Please move your feet. -Gosh.

Gosh, you work so hard. Thank you, ma'am.

-Goodness, it's so dirty here. -Ma'am, what are you doing?

-Let's make it nice and clean. -What is with her?

Dr. Oh, hold on! I'll take care of things and let you know!

I knew it was you, Jun-u.

What brings you here? You didn't even tell me before.

What? Do I need an appointment to come to see my dad?

You're right. You don't.

So, what is it?

Team Pro Bono.

You handed the team to Attorney Bae.

You had worked hard as a CEO. Why don't you take some rest?

Find a hobby to enjoy.

You're still the same.

You'd lock me in storage when I wouldn't listen to you…

since I was 4 years old.

Daddy, don't go!

Daddy!

You remember?

My goodness.

The storage is still there and intact.

If you miss the old days, tell me anytime.

You forced Team Pro Bono to take Da-wit's case.

Was that also my punishment

for daring to go against you?

Why was that wrong?

Didn't you make the team to handle such cases?

It's for the public good. How nice is that?

Father.

Bae is an expert at corporate restructuring.

Under someone like him,

Team Pro Bono can't do anything.

If they can't do anything,

what else can I do?

I'll have to lay them off.

What? Does it feel like I took away your toy?

Okay, I understand.

I came here today to give you this.

What?

RESIGNATION LETTER

-A resignation letter? -I'm not a 4-year-old girl anymore.

No more sitting and crying in the storage?

So what you came up with

is to run away from home at the age of 40?

I'm going to come back, no matter what.

COURT

The defendant…

ATTORNEY CHOI DONG-GEUN

…pressured me when I was an investigating prosecutor at the time

to file additional charges against Yoo Baek-man.

He did this while granting bail to the factory manager with his authority.

This photo was everywhere in the media back then.

Yes. It was leaked by the defendant.

And in that photo,

the item didn't even belong to the late student.

But the photo caused an uproar.

They said it was a poor, biased investigation.

Mr. Kang called me and even openly pressured me.

"If you don't bring Yoo Baek-man to court, I won't conduct the trial."

Your Honor, how can a judge do that?

This was a clear overreach and abuse of authority.

That is all.

The witness may step down.

Mr. Yoo.

Do you have something to say?

Yes, Your Honor.

If I may, could I say a few words?

Go ahead.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Honestly,

my father was not that great of a person.

Order in the court.

Mr. Yoo, it's hard to hear you,

so will you step forward and speak over here?

Yes, Your Honor.

My father…

All he talked about was money.

He was cheap and not generous.

Although my father may not have been a good person,

he was a diligent family man.

As a self-made man from the countryside,

he did not want his family

to struggle like he did

and had no capacity to be generous to others.

Still, that isn't a crime.

But the defendant treated him,

an ordinary head of a household,

like a murderer.

Yes. It was a tragic accident.

And a person died.

However,

because of that incident, our family also lost everything.

My father did not start the fire on purpose.

The factory did not have enough fire-proof facilities or escape routes.

He didn't fulfill his duty to ensure safety. Sure!

That is right.

Our factory likely did not have

safety facilities like those found in cutting-edge semiconductor factories.

It was a small paper mill, Your Honor.

How good did those facilities need to have been?

The defendant had his revenge

in the name of a trial.

The murderer

was not my father.

It was Kang Da-wit.

That man right here.

All right.

Your Honor.

Go ahead, Mr. Kang.

Could you continue the trial for one more day?

I'll retain counsel.

The more this trial progresses, the more uncomfortable it gets.

I know that a judge shouldn't do that.

But I can understand why he applied for the Woongcheon branch when he started.

Aren't judges humans too? I mean, it was his mom.

The CEO of the factory

overworked his mom until late and she severed her hand.

And then, a young student died in that factory the next time.

If it were me, I'd want to punish him too

by any means.

Nan-hui.

Do you know why justice has to be carried out fairly?

-What? -If justice is achieved unfairly,

the opposition won't accept the loss.

Then, the opposition would do something else unfair.

It would never end.

Sorry. I'm stating the obvious.

But I…

I'm not sure either.

If the world is already

operating unfairly,

what can we do about it?

Mr. Jang.

Come on, now. Why…

What's with you all?

We're doing great.

Yeong-sil, didn't you see the look on his face?

He's going to hire an attorney. We've got him cornered!

Let's drink.

Come on, let's drink!

Happy?

-What? -Are you happy?

Why are you so excited?

I'm not excited.

What did I do?

Are you thrilled about the thought of being complimented by Mr. Bae?

Hey, what do you… What? What are you talking about?

Nan-hui?

The internal court document you submitted last time.

Mr. Bae gave it to you, didn't he?

The judge didn't even ask where you got it from.

Has Oh & Partners made a deal with the judge as well?

Jun-u, is this true?

What on earth have you been doing?

What?

We work for Oh & Partners.

You all know that, right?

Is it weird for an attorney to follow the firm's order?

-Jun-u! -Da-wit, that guy…

He fooled us while pretending to be admirable.

I was the one who trusted and followed him the most.

That kind of hypocrite doesn't deserve my loyalty.

If the opportunity arises this time,

I'm taking it.

If you want to blame me, go ahead.

Why are you dragging out this darn trial so much?

Park Gi-ppeum isn't cooking up another weird plan, is she?

No, sir.

She's been doing great.

-She's taking each step meticulously-- -Yeah, at each step,

you have to update me on the situation immediately.

If something's off, you know, right?

-Pardon? -What?

Yes, Mr. Bae!

-All right. -Stop.

I don't think you get what I'm saying.

Do you?

If this goes wrong,

you'll be the first to go,

Attorney Hwang.

I understand, sir.

What's going on? He said he'd retain an attorney.

I know.

Jun-u's late too.

Who cares?

Mr. Kang.

-Yes, Your Honor? -Is your attorney not here?

Just a moment, please. They will be here shortly.

Ms. Oh? Wait, what's going on?

My apologies for being late, Your Honor.

I'm Oh Jung-in, attorney for defendant Kang Da-wit.

What…

What's going on?

Ms. Oh is his…

-Ms. Oh, please be on time. -Yes, Your Honor.

Mr. Jang, what's going on?

Wait, hold on!

She's stepped down as CEO, but she's still an attorney in our firm.

How can she defend…

She handed in her resignation letter and resigned yesterday.

What? But her dad founded the firm. Why all of a sudden?

Maybe there was a problem between Dr. Oh and Ms. Oh.

I heard the partners gossiping about it before at their meeting.

What?

At the last hearing, you said,

"He pressured me when I was an investigating prosecutor

to file additional charges against Yoo Baek-man."

-Yes. -I am curious.

How can a judge put pressure on a prosecutor?

Did you always follow the judges' orders when you were a prosecutor?

I've already testified about this.

The reports from the media got the public riled up and--

That's strange.

I thought you were put on the fast track

by pushing a slum clearance case while ignoring public opinion.

-That's a baseless accusation-- -You must have forgotten.

To get into major firms after quitting as a prosecutor,

you went around repeatedly saying

you could handle redevelopment cases like no one else.

And I was curious about something.

The investigation report shows

you did not summon Yoo Baek-man for questioning even once.

Not even in writing.

It was because our staff's investigation was enough to--

By any chance,

does it have anything to do with playing golf with Yoo Baek-man?

Geez.

Well, if a well-informed judge with great connections

knew about that,

you must have felt the pressure like a criminal on the run.

Goodness, my apologies. I went too far.

I will retract what I just said.

No matter the reason, pressuring a prosecutor

-directly or indirectly is-- -An overreach and abuse of power.

Is that what you were about to say? But I wonder again…

Does a judge have the authority to direct an investigation?

-Pardon? -Abuse of authority refers

to misusing authority one already has.

If they interfere in matters they had no authority over, no crime is committed.

Isn't this the court's stance?

When high-ranking judges would interfere in cases,

that was how the court would rule.

"They never had the authority to intervene in the trial,

so it does not constitute abuse of authority."

"Not guilty."

Still, the photo of the cup noodles--

Do you have evidence to prove it did not belong to the late student?

Pardon?

It was a massive fire that took a week to clean up.

The investigative authority selected only a few items as evidence.

Their reasoning?

Probably their own judgment.

-Am I wrong, Prosecutor? -Look, that's because…

Okay, what do we have left then?

"Since long ago, the defendant had wanted to work in the area

where Woongcheon Paper was located."

For his revenge?

Proof of guilt has to be established based strictly on objective evidence.

But the plaintiff's side is making a rash conclusion

about the defendant's intentions based on unverified stories.

Are a person's intentions that simple?

Is it okay for the others to judge them so rashly?

She definitely is the former CEO of Korea's top law firm.

She was no joke. What do we do?

They're trying to get at acquittal by arguing a lack of evidence.

They're trying to hide the truth and shift focus from the main issue.

Excuse me, Mr. Hwang?

What?

Since you're going solo, why don't you prepare on your own?

Stop butting into our team meeting.

Hey, Jun-u.

Nan-hui, don't be too hard on him.

You think I can help it?

It hasn't been fun to work these days.

Our team has fallen apart.

I'm home.

I forgot.

FINAL JUDGEMENT

CREDITOR JC CAPITAL, FINAL

It's here. We got exempt back then.

Definitely.

I'm so relieved.

JUDGE KANG DA-WIT

JUDGE KANG DA-WIT

The Court rules…

Wingardium Leviosa.

…that the debtor is exempt from liability.

The applicant's remaining obligations as a joint guarantor

are hereby fully extinguished.

Congratulations.

You won.

It was him.

How…

But how…

JUDGE KANG DA-WIT

JS GROUP'S BIASED WORK ALLOCATION

KANG SENTENCES JANG TO 10 YEARS, 70 BILLION WON FINE

ATTORNEY KANG DA-WIT

You're early.

Hello.

This is unexpected.

The plaintiff's attorney called the defendant.

Are you trying to settle

because you don't think you can win? Is that it?

Why? You all have been doing great without me.

How did you get Judge Gong's father-in-law to come?

I was so shocked then.

You're going to joke around when this is your trial?

Do you even have any sense of sincerity?

Or are you hiding your true feelings because it's your trial?

Is that why you hired Ms. Oh too?

So you can stay silent?

-Ms. Park. -Did you know?

You were my role model.

Come on, that's nonsense.

A materialistic guy who only cares about success like me is your role model?

Not just anyone can do that.

You don't have what it takes.

You were at Seoul Central's bankruptcy court 15 years ago, right?

How can I remember--

Do you remember?

Among the bankrupt, there was a family of deaf people,

so you explained in sign language.

I did that a couple of times.

No way.

I was so touched back then.

"Such amazing people do exist in this world."

"I want to become someone like him."

Wait. Oh, my gosh.

I dreamed of becoming a legal professional because of you.

But…

It's so hard now that we're in this situation.

Please, I'm begging you.

Please tell me the truth.

It's not to win the case.

I can even resign from this case.

I want to believe you.

You gave our family hope that this world was still worth living in.

You may appear to complain,

but you fight harder than anyone else for those in need.

I want to trust that person.

Ms. Park.

You've gotten so much better!

Goodness. Seriously.

You almost had me.

-Mr. Kang! -That's right.

That's how you win over the other party. With sincerity.

If people saw your eyes, they all would've fallen for it.

God…

Please.

The truth?

There's no such thing.

Everyone just has their side of the story.

The winner's side of the story after fighting in court.

That's the only truth the world acknowledges.

Do you want to know the truth?

Then, defeat me.

Okay.

I'll defeat you.

See you in court.

Justice Shin.

Yes, sir?

It must be hectic handling state affairs.

But why did you insist on seeing me so urgently?

I'm sorry, Dr. Oh.

This time,

I thought talking to Mr. Bae wouldn't be enough.

I heard Ms. Oh

is representing Kang Da-wit.

So?

I'm very confused

about what's happening.

I handed the file to Bae

and I barely managed to assign the case to a judge

who listens well to me.

How can your daughter, of all people, represent Kang Da-wit?

Dr. Oh.

What on earth are you thinking?

-Justice Shin. -Yes?

Just as each of these cups and plates serves a different purpose,

each person has their own role.

You're a Supreme Court Justice.

You just have to stay in your position righteously and firmly.

In sensitive times like this, if you call out an old man like me,

who's quietly doing all the hard work in the back,

I'll have to reconsider things.

"Did I pick the wrong plate?"

My apologies, Dr. Oh.

Let's eat.

Yes, sir.

He'll be sent to jail.

That fellow, Kang Da-wit.

Pardon?

COURT

Thank you, Your Honor.

During the last hearing,

the defendant's attorney said,

"Proof of guilt has to be established based strictly on objective evidence."

"Why are you judging a person's intentions when they're unverified?"

It's unavoidable in this case,

because Mr. Kang was a judge.

You were right. A judge does not have the authority to direct an investigation.

So, abuse of authority against a prosecutor wouldn't apply.

But a judge's own trial is another story.

If a judge conducts a trial with some other intention…

that is a crime.

One's intention is indeed a crucial factor in determining abuse of authority.

If a personal motive,

rather than law and ethics, influenced a judge's trial,

it would be an unforgivable crime.

Both parties should focus on this issue.

Can't one's intentions only be proven by their actions?

Mr. Kang issued a sentence within the scope defined by law.

The higher courts rendered the same sentence.

What did Mr. Kang do wrong?

I'd like to ask that…

to the defendant himself.

Prosecutor.

Your Honor,

I request to examine the defendant.

Okay. Request granted.

COURT IN SESSION

ABUSE OF AUTHORITY KANG

Mr. Kang.

Yes, Ms. Park?

You sentenced Mr. Yoo to seven years in prison.

For an industrial accident,

this kind of severe sentence given to a business owner was unprecedented.

Correct?

Yes, you are correct.

Violating the Occupational Safety and Health Act…

PUNISHED FOR UP TO 7 YEARS IN PRISON

…is not a murder.

Do you believe it was just to sentence him to a penalty as severe as one

for intentional murder?

I only issued a sentence within the bounds

set by the law.

Okay.

"A person who causes death of an employee

by violating safety obligations shall be punished

for up to seven years in prison or a fine of up to 100 million won."

You are right.

But the law provides a broad range of penalties.

The law grants a judge broad discretion

not to exercise their authority at will,

but to choose the most appropriate penalty

after thoroughly examining each case.

Is this right?

Yes, that's right.

Then, why did you impose a penalty

that was as severe as one for murder?

Was it because the victim…

was a 17-year-old high school trainee?

It breaks my heart too.

But at its core, it was still an accident.

If the sentence varies based on the victim, isn't that unfair?

A fair process is just as important as the result of a trial.

But throughout the trial,

you carried out an evidence investigation

on your own authority that seemed to target Yoo.

Witness.

10 YEARS AGO, SEOUL SOUTHERN DC

The defendant obsessively emphasized

cost reduction to you, the factory manager. Correct?

Who are you trying not to displease right now?

I'm sorry, Your Honor.

Answer the question.

Yes, he emphasized it.

The defendant toured the factory every day,

checking all equipment and inventory. Correct?

-Yes, Your Honor. -He said equipment kept going missing,

so he even installed a security screening area at the doors.

Yes, Your Honor.

He hired technical high school students as trainees, like Oh Min-seok,

to reduce costs. Correct?

Yes, Your Honor.

But that wasn't the only reason--

If you lie in court, you will be punished for perjury.

Your Honor!

That witness examination was covered in articles

by journalists you invited to the court.

And public criticism of Yoo Baek-man continued to grow.

Correct?

Yes.

In particular, you summoned the factory manager three times

and asked the same question repetitively,

as if there was an answer

you were looking for.

Why wasn't Oh Min-seok able to escape the fire?

I told you, Your Honor.

He was unlucky.

Unfortunately, the fire was too intense

between his workstation and the emergency exit,

so he couldn't make it through.

Was it due to the lack of emergency evacuation facilities?

No, Your Honor.

We had everything required by the law installed.

The defendant fussed over every sheet of paper and pressured you to cut costs.

With proper facilities, couldn't the accident have been prevented?

Your Honor!

It is not true.

It was unavoidable. Doesn't it say so in the fire inspection report?

Let me ask you again, Witness.

Was there really nothing you were instructed to do

by the defendant?

You ended the trial only after getting the answer you wanted.

Then, you sentenced Yoo Baek-man

to the maximum penalty and put him in custody immediately.

But the statement you finally received was still abstract.

"If only we had enough budget, we might've been able to fully equip

every corner of the factory with evacuation facilities."

Mr. Kang.

I'm sorry, but I'd like to ask you a question.

Go ahead.

While conducting the trial, did you ever think about…

your mother's tragic accident?

Excuse me. Your Honor?

Please proceed.

The factory enforced late-night cutting operations for several days

in their desire to meet an urgent order quota.

I heard your mother momentarily dozed off,

and her hand was accidentally severed by a cutting machine.

Is that true?

Mom, what happened to your hand?

I want to hear

the truth from you.

Wasn't it the desire for revenge against Yoo Baek-man…

that was on your mind?

For some damn pennies?

Damn it!

Objection, Your Honor. That is a leading question.

-Yes, sustained-- -Yes, you're right.

Yes, it was my desire for revenge.

That…

Yes.

I have never forgotten, even for a moment,

the face of my mother who died tragically,

nor the face of Yoo Baek-man

who looked down on my family and refused to apologize.

Yes.

I wanted to get revenge.

I searched for news on him every day.

YOO BAEK-MAN

I applied several times to work in the area where Woongcheon Paper was.

When that case was assigned to me, I thought it was God's will.

What? You son of a…

That's right.

I don't deserve to be a judge.

I am…

guilty.

PRO BONO

Subtitle translation by: Yoon Hyewon