Original subtitles

Is that really you?

Did you hear

what I said?

Should I pretend that I didn't?

Are you all right? Oh no.

Gosh, I think you might've sprained your ankle. Let me see.

No, give me a second.

-Is it the other ankle? -I'm fine.

-I'm okay. -Sorry?

-You should go see a doctor. -Please just be on your way.

-No, let me take a look. All right. -I must get going.

Are you sure you're fine?

Then just help me get up.

Sure. Hold on a second. One, two.

My goodness.

-Let me take a look. -It hurts.

My gosh.

Are you all right?

Ouch.

I seriously think you should see a doctor.

-No, I'm fine. -Really?

I'm all right.

-Judge Sah. -Judge Lee.

How did you hurt your ankle?

Well...

I got startled and fell while trying to walk away quickly.

What startled you?

Pardon?

Let's go.

What? I need to keep this on her ankle a bit longer.

How could you be so clueless?

Don't you remember the days when we had an office romance?

An office romance?

We had dates at the courthouse under the premise of working late.

We hated it when the clueless senior judges like us tried to join.

Yes, that was true back then.

But how does that relate to this...

Then are you two...

No, we are not.

We are not.

Strong denial equals affirmation.

Unlike Judge Sah,

seeing how you're fervently denying it...

Is this a one-sided crush, Judge Lee?

It's not like that.

We don't have any concrete evidence, but my intuition

based on Judge Sah's behavior and reaction pattern,

especially his eyes

and his facial expressions,

tells me that he likes Judge Lee a lot.

I do.

That wasn't a strong denial.

He just affirmed.

Right?

Are we wrong?

I haven't even gotten around to telling Judge Lee about my feelings yet.

I don't want other people to know before she does.

If you cannot hold off your interest,

please wait until then.

I notice this every time,

but Judge Sah is as handsome as an actor,

and every word that comes out of his mouth

really shoots at the hearts of women.

If I become the chief judge of a panel,

I'd like Judge Sah to be one of my associates.

Snap out of it.

If you were in that situation,

would you be able to say what he said?

If I were to become single again,

I would definitely meet someone like Judge Sah.

Dream on, Chief Moon.

Even if that happens,

I'll stand guard in front of you and prevent anyone from approaching you.

Wait for me.

Judge Jeong.

Chief Moon.

Why didn't you come to the gender law seminar?

I apologize. I'll tell you later.

So you went to make your dad his birthday soup?

Yes.

I figured he'd spend his birthday alone this year,

so I visited him at the orphanage.

Chief Oh said you didn't sound good.

I'm coming down with a cold.

I feel better after taking some medicine.

Why was your phone off all day?

I turned it off intentionally.

I wanted to be free from the chains of my phone.

Did you call me a lot?

No.

-Don't check your phone. -I already did.

SEVEN MISSED CALLS

You called seven times.

Let me see.

It's swollen.

Are you okay?

I'm sorry that you can't get your work done because of me.

It's okay.

I'm partially at fault,

so I'll take you home.

I hope you can walk.

Can you walk?

Yes.

Goodness.

Give me your bag.

Are you really okay?

Yes, it got better after icing it.

Gosh, nice going.

By the way,

what's going on between you and Judge Sah?

He even brought you home.

I'm tired, Mom. I want to rest.

Okay, get some rest.

-There's really nothing going on? -Mom, please.

Fine. Get some rest.

-There's really nothing going on? -Mom!

Do you like me?

What should I do?

GALLERY

COURT

Hello.

Gosh.

You'll hurt yourself.

Take it easy.

I will do it.

It's okay. I want to do this.

You're looking good.

It must be the good air.

Really?

I feel free now that I'm not with you all the time.

You punk.

How's Myeong-hui?

Is she doing well?

I don't know if it's considered doing well.

I don't know what she's thinking.

It's okay.

I'm fine as long as she's alive.

I think she needs more time.

I heard from my secretary

that Han-jun got a job

of helping Jang Sun-bok.

I feel the sorriest for Han-jun.

Would you be able to live well with your parents like this?

Only Han-jun would be able to endure this.

How did this happen?

Jeong-do,

could you please--

Okay.

Don't worry about either of them.

You take care of yourself, okay?

Drink this. It's hot chocolate.

You liked this a lot when you were little.

I can't drink this.

I developed an allergy to milk.

You did? When did that happen?

Why did you want to see me?

Why haven't you written your apology yet?

The judge told you to submit it by the second trial date.

It's tomorrow.

What's the point of writing an apology?

I have to say I'm sorry and that I won't do it again,

but if I get into another situation like that,

I'll probably do it again

so that I won't be the one getting beat up and filmed.

When I refused to hit her,

she told me to film it instead.

When I said I couldn't do that either,

she said I'd be the one getting filmed then.

What was I supposed to do?

Okay.

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

I had no idea what you were

going through.

Dad...

Now that it's time to render a verdict, I'm starting to see excuses

in Choi Chang-ran's apologies.

Seo Yeon-gyeong took courage

and visited the victim with her dad to ask for forgiveness.

She says she was very wrong,

and that although she lost a lot, she gained something as well.

What did she gain?

It's probably her relationship with her father.

She didn't talk much with her father before,

but she was able to talk with him a lot because of this

and grow to learn how he truly felt.

My daughter needs to know how I feel too.

Since she's a teen now, there's nothing to talk about.

"Are you eating well?

Are you studying hard? Are you listening to Mom?"

Once we go through these three questions, there's nothing else to say.

Do you think the head chief is okay?

How could he be?

After the sentencing of this trial is over,

I should go drink with him.

Everyone in court found out that he's the defendant's father.

How could he hold his head up?

I think he might even resign from his position.

Resign?

When did you find out that Seo Yeon-gyeong was his daughter?

When I saw Seo Yeon-gyeong's mother, her face looked familiar.

It turns out the head chief had brought his wife to a get-together once.

That's when I saw her.

I think he chose not to inform us because he didn't want

to put pressure on our panel.

Precisely.

I saw a new side of him.

Anyway, this trial is dragging down my spirits

as a parent with a daughter too.

This is upsetting for us too, and we are not even parents.

"We are not..."

What an odd choice of words.

Since we're on this, let me ask you this.

You guys aren't

just colleagues, are you?

Sorry?

Yes.

"Sorry?" "Yes." "Sorry?" "Yes."

Come to an agreement.

For us to do so, today's lunch...

You don't want me at lunch?

In return,

I must be the first to know.

I'll get going then.

Chief Oh.

Chief Oh was kind enough to leave by himself,

so we should eat in private.

Even so...

We should come to an agreement.

I wanted us to eat something delicious. Is this all you wanted?

What do you mean? Tteokbokki is so delicious.

Yesterday, Han-jun...

called me to say he's doing all right.

He did?

I'm glad.

Since I don't have to worry about Han-jun anymore,

I want to sort out my feelings now.

Thinking back, from the first day I met you,

Han-jun was always between us.

As I was well aware of his feelings towards you,

from the start,

I only let myself to think of you as a colleague.

But Han-jun must've seen it before I did.

I drew a line between you and me in my head,

but the line...

got blurry in my heart.

That's why he said the three of us shouldn't meet together again.

Judge Sah.

After I realized my feelings for you,

I was really curious about your feelings.

It wasn't easy for me to check.

I didn't think it would be fair to Han-jun either.

But I believe I recently learned about your feelings.

Am I wrong?

Well, it's...

I couldn't reach you that day,

and since I had to stay alone in here,

your absence was bigger than I thought it would be.

I did face a reasonable doubt of whether the feeling I had was

about a colleague or not.

You did have a reasonable doubt but not a definite conclusion?

Judge Sah, do you have a definite conclusion?

If I tell you that I do, it'd make you very uncomfortable.

Unfortunately,

my feelings are more than a reasonable doubt.

Being caught between you and Han-jun was...

honestly really hard for me.

I could've saved myself the trouble before it got serious,

but I didn't want to do that.

Please...

give me some time.

I need some time to look into my feelings.

Sure.

Eat up.

Judge Sah, you should have some too.

Then feed me one.

Pardon?

Don't just stare at me. Feed me one.

This...

Are you serious?

Yes.

Gosh, because you're feeding me,

this is delicious. I usually don't eat tteokbokki.

Are you not even embarrassed about this?

Well, you see.

In ordinary circumstances, I should be embarrassed.

Despite my embarrassment, I keep doing it.

Since I keep doing it,

it's not embarrassing anymore.

I'm currently going through such changes.

I see.

Then I guess I'm not there yet.

No, here.

Judge Lee,

open wide.

No, it's okay.

Come on. Just endure it and eat up.

This is how you can look into your feelings.

The sauce is dripping. Hurry.

Gosh.

I will eat this since you insist,

but don't ask me if it's tastier or anything.

I won't. Here.

Yes?

Let's try it one more time then.

Here. Open it wide.

Open wide. Come on.

This is good.

Let's begin.

Yes, sir.

This is an injury case.

The motive of the crime relates

to the defendant's confusion about his gender identity.

The victim bullied and ostracized the defendant for it,

and the act was done inadvertently.

However, I've never had a case like this before,

so I can't really understand the defendant's problem.

Why can't you understand?

Why is that a surprise to you?

Why are you getting all worked up? It's unlike you.

I'm not getting worked up.

I believe that people should not be condemned

for being confused with their gender identity.

You're right. Did I say they should be condemned?

I just said I couldn't understand...

Since you're in the Association of Gender and Law,

how about you give me information so I can understand this better

instead of getting all worked up?

All right. I will give you information, so...

Let's just drop it.

Gosh, you're acting strange.

Chief Seo, did I do something wrong here?

What do you mean?

Chief Moon, this is Judge Jeong Chae-seong.

Where are you now?

Judge Jeong.

You're shocked, aren't you?

To be honest,

it is a bit shocking.

Among the people I have crossed paths with,

I thought you would understand me the most.

Su-yeon is going to be so shocked.

I wanted to ask you for advice

on how to tell her.

I see.

Let's think of a good way to tell her.

I'm surprised that you asked to see me.

Does your daughter know...

that you're stepping down?

How did you know?

She's happy that she finally got close to her dad.

Will you make her feel guilty that her dad retired because of her?

What guilt?

My daughter will be very happy.

A large law firm scouted me with an incredible offer.

Just like your father--

My father closed down his law firm

and moved to the countryside.

I went to see him recently, and he said...

that if the judge's robe feels too heavy,

you shouldn't take it off

but tie it tighter around yourself.

If I were to give you my personal opinion,

I'd like to tie your judge's robe

tightly around you.

I'd like to see you sit on the bench...

much longer.

Since I've told you everything I wanted to say, I'll get going now.

Mom.

My son.

Mom.

Mom, I...

COURT

My goodness.

I'm happy to be transferred to my hometown.

Judge Sah, congratulations on being transferred to the most elite

National Court Administration.

As for Judge Lee,

given all the trouble you've caused,

congratulations on staying here another year

with your salary returning to full pay.

Being left here with the two of you leaving isn't

something to be congratulated for.

I wasn't here for long because I came in late,

but I will never forget my time with you, sir.

Honestly, the unforgettable time wasn't spent with me

but with Judge Lee, correct?

That's true.

You're so consistent.

Okay then. Since this is your last time here, enjoy yourselves.

-I'll get out of here. -Come on, Chief Oh.

This is the last day for the three of us together. You have to stay.

I think he'll want me to leave.

Not today.

Today, there is something I want to do with you.

With me?

A picture? This is embarrassing.

-Where do I look? -Look over there.

-Okay. -Count to three, okay?

-Okay, one, two, three. -Two, three.

Hey.

Judge Sah, I won't be in the picture then.

Judge Sah,

why aren't you packing?

Then what about you?

You still have to pack since you'll get a different office.

I have a lot of case files to read.

I'm going to work late and move my stuff tomorrow morning.

Then I should work late too.

I don't want you

to see me packing.

Judge Sah.

Just like any other day, I'm going to work late

and leave quietly

when you fall asleep.

No, don't do that.

I'd rather stay late at work than go to an empty house.

Let's carry on like any other day.

-I'm not sleeping. -You startled me.

You don't have to pack yet.

I don't need to pack,

so get some sleep.

I'll wake you up in an hour.

No, I'm not going to sleep.

I must read these case files.

Look at me.

Why? I must read my case files.

Gosh, you can't stand being embarrassed.

Well, you know...

When you like someone,

people say you'll be fine with being embarrassed.

Is that really true for everyone?

Why isn't it like that for me?

I'm looking at you.

What is it?

What do you want?

While you're sitting in that seat...

Right now, as I stand here...

I...

Gosh, forget it.

Hold on.

You couldn't finish because you were embarrassed, right?

You said you had a lot of case files to read.

Okay, I'll read my case files.

Can I listen to some music?

Yes, go ahead.

This is a song I listen to very often.

TWO YEARS LATER

Hey.

-Long time no see. -Gosh.

Se-ra and Min-a actually look like judicial researchers now.

What good does that do? I spend all my time reading case files.

I knew I should've gone to the prosecutors' office.

Prosecutor Do isn't there though.

Gosh, when will Prosecutor Knucklehead return?

If it were me, it wouldn't be that easy.

Of course it wouldn't be easy for you.

I think Prosecutor Knucklehead will make his return.

Anyway, I have to get to a trial.

-Let's go. -What is it?

It's for Chief Choi's bribery case.

The not-guilty verdict in the initial trial caused a stir.

He and I think there was a problem with the initial trial.

We're curious as to what Chief Choi will do,

so we're going to go watch.

Since I saw the faces I've missed, I'll get going now too.

Where are you going?

They're making a decision regarding the ban on candlelight protests.

It'll be historical if they repeal it.

I don't know.

The head chief from when we were

probationary officers is the presiding judge.

Judging by his nature, I don't think it'll be easy.

Since everyone's here,

let's meet up for dinner later.

-Sure. -If Se-ra says we meet, we meet.

-"F" stands for fairness. -"H" stands for honesty.

"J" stands for judgment.

-I'm out. Bye. -Come on.

-Bye. -Okay.

We'll see you later.

This case is about a tax officer

who received 20 million won from a friend from high school,

the owner of a mid-sized company,

to resolve future tax matters either personally

or to request other tax officers

for preferential treatment.

At the initial trial,

the court confirmed

that abstract and vague expectations are

insufficient to establish

the duties and compensation.

In the initial trial, the defendant was ruled not guilty of receiving bribes.

In light of the friend's testimony

from this trial, however,

we found that he gave money to the defendant,

who is a tax officer,

to receive assistance with future tax matters.

Therefore, the money received was in exchange for his future duties.

By order of the court,

the defendant is sentenced to two years in prison.

The crux of this case is

about a hotel reservation site getting hacked

and the clients' personal information

being compromised.

We will discuss whether the defendant violated the standards

for protecting personal information as per the Network Act,

and what damages the defendant must pay for.

-Is that correct? -Yes, Your Honor.

I hope the victim, who belongs

to a sexual minority,

will live as a normal person

while interacting with others

and live a humane life appropriate

for his gender identity.

Case number 2020G742 is

on the repeal of the ban on candlelight protests.

The plaintiff is the Candlelight Protest Organization,

and the defendant is the Chief of Hangang Police Station.

We will announce the verdict.

Whereas they exited the permitted area,

the protest ended peacefully

without conflict or police being dispatched.

Maintaining order in a rally is

the responsibility of the police.

In an open society of tolerance

where diverse opinions coexist,

the fundamental right to assembly may be denied

only as a last resort

if there is no other means

to protect public welfare.

However, there is insufficient support

that the protest at issue caused

a severe traffic disturbance.

Therefore, the police's actions were in violation of the law.

By order of the court, Chief of Hangang Police Station's ban

on candlelight protests is hereby withdrawn.

TRAIN SCHEDULE

Will you be able to wake up by yourself?

Don't worry. I'm not leaving the country.

I'll come back around next month.

Eat well and call me when you get there--

-I'm going in. -Call...

My goodness, Judge.

What a coincidence.

It's so good to see you.

My wife made a fuss

about getting a divorce,

so I met you

at the Jangheung Court.

Yes, I see.

I can't speak with parties involved in a case

outside of the courtroom, so...

Wait. Sit back down.

I don't want the trial to be held either,

so you should tell my wife

that the divorce can't be done.

When you come back,

the two of you will be able to discuss openly.

I have to catch my train now. Goodbye.

I wonder if the old man got on the train.

He would have, right?

Did you not get on together with your husband?

Why would I?

We're getting a divorce soon.

I'm in the middle of a divorce suit.

But you know, that old man

always needs to eat three meals.

He keeps telling me to cook him three meals a day.

Gosh, I just can't stand it.

Plus, he snores so loudly

all night long.

And you have no idea how much he nags.

Were you on the train that just came in?

Yes. You too?

Yes. I texted you.

I didn't see it.

I wanted to surprise you.

I knew you were coming anyway.

I didn't want you to know when I'd arrive.

Then I'll pretend I didn't see you and go.

It's okay.

It's raining. Let's go.

-Let's go. -Okay.

We're here.

You're here, and I'm over there.

Here?

Here. Go in.

Thank you.

Hello?

Okay, I'll be there. Bye.

The judge on duty today went to the emergency room

due to acute appendicitis.

I must go to the courthouse now.

I'll see you tomorrow.

Do you want to join me?

No. You should hurry off.

Make sure you lock up, and go to sleep early tonight.

The drama, Judge vs. Judge, is

a legal drama that centers around

the lives of judges

under a veil of mystery.

The drama is airing while garnering much attention from the public.

We are going to cover the drama in depth tonight.

I heard there is one more precedent you'd like to introduce.

This is the case that Judge Jeong Chae-seong presided over.

This case made us think about the rights of the sexual minority

and the limit of socially accepted ideas.

Everyone has a right to pursue happiness,

but at the same time, everyone has the right to think freely.

I hope this verdict can become the start of a path

to embrace the minority of our society.

Come in.

Take it easy.

Thank you.

Did you know that ever since you joined our courthouse,

we earned the title of

Fair and Loyal Courthouse as well as Safe and Good Courthouse?

Yes, I'm aware.

And I've been told that the reputation

of Chief Oh is going through the roof.

Is that so?

But the problem is

that I can't return to Seoul

because you want to have a meeting even on a weekend.

Do you know how bad I feel towards my family, who have been

waiting all week for me to come back?

At this rate, my wife might even divorce me.

It doesn't align with what I have heard.

Come again?

JANGHEUNG BRANCH, OPEN COURTHOUSE FOR COMMUNICATION

According to what your wife told me

when she came down to visit you last month,

when you go to Seoul,

she has to put extra effort into cooking the meals,

so she told me that I should try to keep you here.

What... What did you say?

I don't need to work here on weekends.

But for the peace of your family,

I left for Seoul only once this month.

I would like you to get your facts straight.

Come in.

You're here.

Judge Lee.

Chief Oh.

Gosh, how long has it been?

It's great to see you again.

-Me too. -When did you get here?

I got here yesterday and unpacked at the residence.

You know that Judge Sah lives next door, right?

Yes, I know.

To prepare for your arrival, Judge Sah--

You should let go of her hand now.

Is this the office I'll be working in?

You and I will be working in here together.

I'll take Judge Lee to the arbitration hearing.

Let's go.

Wait, I haven't even learned about my duties here.

You can start now.

I worked hard on my first day too.

Let's go.

-Wait. Chief Oh... -Leave this here.

Good for them.

GWANGJU DISTRICT COURT

Why is a pretty lady like you sitting over there?

MEDIATION PANEL

Well, I am...

This pretty lady is a judge.

What?

You're a judge?

Yes.

This is great then.

I already told you everything on the train yesterday.

So our pretty judge here can talk

with the handsome judge over there.

That works for me too.

I already told that male judge

about my thoughts regarding this divorce,

so the two of you should be able to discuss this matter.

This arbitration is held

to listen to both of your stories.

Gosh, you two make such a beautiful couple.

Ms. Kim Jeom-rye,

is divorce the only solution?

I think it would be best

to let us divorce each other and have you two get married.

Mr. Lee Du-chil,

you will never divorce Ms. Kim, right?

That's right.

You two should try living as a married couple.

A divorce isn't

as easy as you think.

Excuse me.

This meeting isn't about our marriage.

We are here for your divorce mediation.

I must get going since I don't have much time.

You two must talk about this

and help me stop this divorce, okay?

I am going to divorce him no matter what.

Keep that in mind while you discuss our case.

I must get going too.

-Ms. Kim. -Mr. Lee.

Things are hectic even on my first day.

Brace yourself.

Getting the chance to listen to

both parties is a hard thing to come by.

It might cause me some headaches, but I think it will be fun.

I get to see you struggling too.

Let me officially introduce myself.

I'm Judge Sah Eui-hyun of the Jangheung branch.

I'm Judge Lee Jeong-ju,

newly appointed to this branch today.

Let's go out. Let me give you a tour of the courthouse.

Sure.

In my personal opinion, I don't want them to get divorced.

Both of them are at a late age.

Her will to live freely shouldn't tumble to pieces because of her age.

Judge Sah, you are known to be levelheaded and impartial.

How could you use her age as a reason to deny her request?

"Use her age"?

Hold on.

This is the cafeteria. The meals are pretty decent.

So hear me out.

Realistically, given their age, it would be hard to live separately, so--

What if living together is harder?

Divorce is one way to go about it.

Ms. Kim's biggest reason for divorce is that she can't prepare

three meals a day for him anymore.

If you downplay her reason as a minor problem,

then your thought is patriarchal and anachronistic.

Do you know how hard it was for her

to think about what to cook for lunch

as soon as she was done with breakfast?

After living here alone,

I realized that thinking about my next meal is

quite a hassle.

He made her cook three meals a day for over 50 years

every single day.

Also, he sent over a million won to his children every month,

but he never even gave Ms. Kim more than 500,000 won.

This is a valid reason to apply for divorce.

My wife is

having a hard time cooking me meals on the weekends.

Ms. Kim is an outstanding woman.

All right. Mr. Lee paid off

the debts Ms. Kim secretly borrowed.

And he's a family man who even bought herbal tonics for her

because she was stressed out by those debts.

Really? Then Mr. Lee is also an outstanding man.

He can't be held liable for the divorce

just because he ate the meals she cooked him.

He even said she can cook him only two meals a day,

complying with her wish.

This implies that he will work on their relationship.

-Chief Oh. -Chief Oh.

Well, I just thought...

Well, how about this? Switch your places.

Judge Lee, you'll think about the case from Mr. Lee's viewpoint.

Judge Sah, you'll consider the case from Ms. Kim's viewpoint.

We'll review it after that, okay?

-Let's do that. -Let's do that.

I don't know if you guys are getting along or not.

-We don't. -We do not.

It seems like you do get along.

Okay, let's head to the courtroom.

Let's go.

I accomplished something that not anyone can do.

Thank you.

For what?

For listening to me.

Come to where I am.

TRANSFER APPLICATION

1. TRANSFER TO JANGHEUNG

2. TRANSFER TO JANGHEUNG

We will announce the verdict.

TRIAL FOR ILLEGAL GAMBLING

Whereas the defendants have been charged with gambling before,

they know each other well on a personal level

and gambled to determine who would pay for dinner,

so the sum was minor.

Thus, this act of gambling was merely a game

and was not against the law.

By order of the court,

all the defendants are found not guilty.

But don't do it again.

-Thank you. -Yes, ma'am.

-Thank you, Judge. -Thank you.

Since you all promised not to do it again,

go home early and spend time with your families today.

I can see the stars. How pretty.

You can't see the stars in Seoul, but you can see them here.

This alone makes me happy I came.

See? What if you hadn't listened to me?

I've never seen so many stars before either.

What? It's your first time?

Didn't you come here last year?

There was someone I wanted to see more than the stars.

Since she is by my side now,

I can finally see the stars.

Are you cold?

It's cold outside.

Would you like to get roasted sweet potatoes?

Okay.

Let's go.

Come in.

Sit here for a moment.

Okay.

Judge Lee.

We're late. Wake up.

Later.

We're late, Judge Lee.

We're late. Get up.

What do you mean, we're late?

Oh no.

What do we do?

I'll see you later, okay?

While we fight injustice and practice what's right,

the judge's robe that we wear is heavy and burdensome.

To some, it is a frightening sword,

but to others, it is hope.

We head to the court once again to uncover the truth.

Here come the judges. All rise.

A judge wearing a judge's robe...

Must be living justice.