[creaking]
[clicking]
[theme music playing]
WOO YOUNG-WOO
[clinks]
[whale calls]
[train rumbles]
[beeping]
[clacking]
[kids playing and laughing in distance]
-[woman] What is your name? -Gye Hyang-sim.
"Gye" with a "G."
GUREUM ORPHANAGE
Your daughter's name?
Gye Ha-yun.
[keyboard clacking]
Her name is fashionable, right?
I chose Ha-yun because I've heard that name's popular in South Korea.
Her surname will stand out.
It was important that at least her first name didn't draw attention.
[Hyang-sim chuckles]
Is she heavy? We could place her on the couch.
I'm all right.
I just… want to hold her.
[woman] She's sound asleep. Does she usually sleep this early?
I gave her medicine.
"Medicine"? To your child?
If Ha-yun is awake, she won't let me leave without her.
Uh-huh.
And what is your address?
Listen. I'm not abandoning my daughter.
Don't put her up for adoption.
All right? Soon, I'll come to take her back.
Right.
-Yet, still, we need an address, so-- -What, you don't believe me?
I would never just desert my daughter.
I have no other choice than to leave her as I'll probably be in a labor camp.
What's that mean?
I'm going to prison.
For a while.
So I assume you're a… a North Korean defector?
Ha-yun is innocent. Don't be cruel to her because I'm a defector.
Remember, I'm the one who's the criminal here.
I swear. I will return for Ha-yun at any price.
[woman] I understand.
[sniffles]
[sharp exhale]
[Ha-yun] Mommy!
-Mommy! Mommy! -[woman] Ha-yun! Ha-yun, you can't go!
-[Ha-yun] Mommy! -[woman] You can't go.
-[Ha-yun] Mommy! Mommy! -Ha-yun, honey!
-[Ha-yun cries] -I'll come back.
-[Ha-yun] Mommy! Mommy! -It will be okay.
-[cries] -Calm down.
Come back!
[Ha-yun] Mommy! [cries]
Mommy!
Mommy! Mommy!
Come back!
[Ha-yun cries]
Mommy!
[crying continues]
[Ha-yun] Mommy!
[grunts]
Mommy!
[somber music playing]
CASE 6 IF I WERE A WHALE…
[footsteps]
[knocks]
Oh, yes.
-Uh-huh? -Atty. Jung, you called me?
Mm-hmm. Uh…
Atty. Choi has been working on a public interest case.
A defector charged with aggravated robbery.
"A defector charged with aggravated robbery."
Uh, I personally don't think that there is much we can do.
Atty. Choi has become a little… overzealous about it.
[Myeong-seok] It seems she's over-empathizing with the defendant.
Uh, so I was thinking you could help her
and "whoa, whoa" her down, what do you think?
"Whoa, whoa"? Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
Yes, so you'll need to cool Atty. Choi down
so that she doesn't treat this case too emotionally.
Just, "Whoa, whoa."
-Whoa, whoa. -Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
-Whoa, whoa. -Whoa, whoa.
Help her relax. Whoa-- [awkward exhale]
Whoa. Get going.
-[Young-woo] Whoa… -Cool her down.
Whoa, whoa.
[knocks on door]
-[Su-yeon] Come in. -[documents rustle]
[pitiful music playing]
Mm…
Did you not get dressed for work or did you not leave here?
"Leave here"? That must be nice.
[Su-yeon] Having general plans or any life outside work?
That seems like something that only exists in fantasies.
Ugh…
-[hesitant hum] -[grunts]
Are you all right? Are you busy?
Yeah.
I am.
My wrists hurt from ten hours of typing yesterday.
I have autism spectrum disorder already,
but I could get carpal tunnel syndrome at this rate.
My nose hairs are turning white from sleep deprivation.
[Su-yeon sighs]
[awkward music playing]
I'm on the public interest case with you.
The North Korean defector charged with aggravated robbery.
What? Hyang-sim's case?
Who is Hyang-sim?
The defendant's name is Gye Hyang-sim.
I've met her once, and she's really cool.
Like a tough older sister.
Atty. Jung is concerned that you're too emotionally involved with this case.
That you're overly empathizing with Hyang-sim.
-Really? -Mm.
He told me to "whoa, whoa" you.
Whoa, whoa.
-[chuckles] -Whoa, whoa.
Atty. Woo. Have you been to a detention center before?
No. I've not been to one yet.
Request a visitation, then. It's time that you met Hyang-sim.
[security alarm buzzes]
[gate clanks open]
-[keys jingle] -[gate unlocks]
[distant chattering]
[footsteps]
[door clicks open]
[Hyang-sim] Oh, hello.
Hi, Atty. Choi.
Hi, how are you?
[chuckles]
Hyang-sim, let me introduce, co-counsel on your case, Atty. Woo.
Hi, I am Woo Young-woo from Hanbada Law Firm.
Whether it's read straight or flipped, it's still Woo Young-woo.
Kayak, deed, rotator, noon, racecar, Woo Young-woo.
Uh…
"Woo Hyang-woo"?
What?
-No. -[Su-yeon] Why don't we…
Why don't we all sit down?
Okay.
[exhales]
How is it in here? Are you okay? It must be tough.
Staying in here?
Yeah. I've got food and a roof.
It's almost like a hotel.
I just… I just miss Ha-yun so much.
Not having her by me breaks my heart.
Ms. Gye, I've heard you're a North Korean defector,
but you don't sound North Korean.
[comical music playing]
[sharp exhale] Comrade Woo Hyang-woo.
Why say that when it's been years since I defected?
Wow, the prisons in South Joseon are like five-star hotels!
Does that sound more like a North Korean defector?
Uh, I'm sorry.
Let's talk about the case.
Since Atty. Woo just met you, we'll go back to the beginning.
Did you and the victim, Lee Sun-yeong, know each other beforehand?
Oh, no. Lee Sun-yeong is not a defector.
Normally, we'd never cross paths.
I met her that day when I went to get the money.
I really only know her because of Mom.
"Mom"?
You mean North Korean defector broker, Choi Yeong-hui?
She's not my real mother, a foster mother.
And, um, we called her Mom.
If only she'd paid back her debt, this wouldn't have happened.
Allow me to summarize.
Five years ago, you approached the "Mom,"
a North Korean defector broker known as Choi Yeong-hui.
It was a request for the ten million won she borrowed from you.
And her reply to you
was that all the money she owed wouldn't be paid back directly,
Choi Yeong-hui told you that Lee Sun-yeong owed her a debt.
And the money instead could be collected from her.
Mm-hmm.
Lee Sun-yeong owed Mom a debt, and that's why we went there.
And she gave us the ten million.
Jeong-hui?
Kim Jeong-hui, your accomplice, right?
Comrade Woo Hyang-woo.
Your brain hurts because there's too many people involved?
No.
Kim Jeong-hui was your friend, correct?
Well, we're not really that close.
We spent time together when I first got here.
We know each other through Mom.
She's also a defector, the same age as me.
You two were going to split up the ten million
once Lee Sun-yeong gave it to you, though, right?
Yes, that's right! The problem was, would Lee Sun-yeong
give us the cash that she wouldn't hand over to Mom herself, you know?
We planned to intimidate her into paying us,
so Jeong-hui and I had to scare her and convince her we had nothing to lose.
-[dog barking in distance] -Hey, get back there, fast.
[serious music playing]
[bottles clink]
[Sun-yeong] I swear.
[sharp exhale]
-Hey, look! -[door closes]
I can't believe it.
She didn't lock her door.
She must not be afraid?
Look at that. She's got some balls, doesn't she?
Jeong-hui, careful. Be ready for anything.
She won't just hand the money over.
She's probably pretty tough. I mean, she took Mom's money and ran.
Don't show weakness. I'm gonna handle this, all right?
We'll show no mercy. Everyone sought the sight of the DMZ.
Let's go.
Grab one.
[Jeong-hui] Lee Sun-yeong!
Get your ass out here, you hear me?
Where are you?
[sharp exhale]
[Jeong-hui] You.
Hand over the Mom's money!
-What… what money? -"What money?"
[tense music playing]
-[shatters] -[squeals]
[grunts, panting]
Liar! It's time to pay the debt you owe or you'll regret it.
Tell us!
-[gasps] -Where's the money at, huh? Where?
I bet it's in that room.
No!
[grunts]
Please, just let it go! You have no idea what I'm going through.
Hey!
[screams]
Shut up, you fucking thief!
Don't bitch at us about suffering!
That's right! Get out of the way!
[Sun-yeong] No, you can't!
[screams]
[grunts]
-[grunting efforts] -Do something!
-[clonks] -Hey, let go!
[Hyang-sim] Let her go!
[Jeong-hui] Let me go!
Hey!
Hey, Lee Sun-yeong, just hand over the money, huh? Now!
That's it! They gotta keep quiet. I've had enough of this.
-[screaming] -[line dials]
Hello? Police?
-[indistinct yelling] -I live in 52 Dongbaek-gil.
They're at it again upstairs!
They're always so loud, I can never get any rest.
Come as soon as you can.
[exasperated sigh] I swear.
The police came because the landlord who lives below the victim called.
Then you and Kim Jeong-hui were arrested on site shortly after, correct?
I swear to you, we barely touched her.
But when the police came, there…
there was glass and a brick lying there, a wooden stick on the ground,
so it seemed worse than it was.
At the time, you had applied for a jury trial with Kim Jeong-hui.
Kim Jeong-hui appeared in court
and received four years for aggravated robbery,
but you fled before the trial.
Why did you run away?
"Four years"…
[chuckles]
Then Jeong-hui must be out already.
Yes, I think so.
But why run away from the trial?
Jeong-hui isn't a mother.
I had a daughter to raise.
[emotional music playing]
[Hyang-sim] Ha-yun was only three years old at the time.
If I got sent to the correctional labor camp, I'd never see her again.
I'm a North Korean defector.
I have no family here.
Mom's not my real mother, you know.
And the friend I had wasn't a real friend.
Ha-yun had a father.
But shortly after she was born, he died in an awful car accident.
Without me around, there would be nobody to look after her.
What about now?
Do you know where Ha-yun is?
I left her at an orphanage.
It was near the police station I went to.
Couldn't you have left her at an orphanage five years earlier?
If I surrendered her back then, Ha-yun wouldn't know who I was.
She was too young.
[Hyang-sim] But she's eight now.
So when I return for her, she'll remember her mother.
You fled so you could raise her until she reached an age
where she could remember you?
That's right.
And now, Ha-yun has to start her education.
I've got to stop living as a fugitive.
It's only right that I serve my time and then return.
[gasps]
Like a mother whale.
Huh?
Well, the maternal instincts of whales are notorious for their dedication.
Because the ocean is a hazardous place to be raising babies.
Oh…
How did you get by after you ran away?
You wouldn't have been given any subsidies.
How did you manage to survive?
I was a cleaner at a motel.
I paid for a room, and Ha-yun stayed with me there.
[Hyang-sim] I feel awful when I think about it.
Most kids go to kindergarten or preschool or something.
Ha-yun had a hotel room, that's all…
[sniffles] …because she got me as a mother.
[deep exhale]
[sighs]
She was probably just happy to be with her mother.
Really?
[sniffles] Do you really think that?
Yeah, I really think that.
[sniffles, exhales]
[Hyang-sim] Um, I was wondering,
if I get four years like Jeong-hui did before,
please, could you just… bring Ha-yun one time to visit?
I'm sure you're very busy.
But just this one thing, I beg of you.
[thumps]
Don't think about that!
What do you mean "four years like Jeong-hui did before"?
[marching drumroll]
[slams]
Gye Hyang-sim must get probation at any cost!
And we'll do everything in our power
to ensure that the defendant gets probation, sir.
So passionate. [lips smack]
It seems like the defendant must be irresistibly charming?
Because everybody she meets gets so fired up.
What happened to the "whoa, whoa" technique?
[deep exhale]
You know, injury resulting from robbery is as difficult to defend as murder.
-Know why? -Mm…
-How high the penalties are? -Bingo!
And what's the penalty for aggravated robbery?
A life sentence or a minimum seven years in prison.
That's right, at least seven years.
What's the maximum amount that can be reduced from this penalty?
Mitigation in extenuating circumstances can't exceed half of the prison term,
so with a fixed prison sentence, it's at least three years and six months.
Probation applies to prison terms of less than three years.
So without mitigating for extenuating circumstances
as well as statutory mitigation to reduce it even more,
you won't be able to get probation.
That's why injury resulting from robbery always ends with prison time.
Plus, the defendant ran away.
That might lead to worse punishment, not less.
[sighs]
Hmm.
This case is unusual.
We haven't even started, but the answers are there.
Like the defendant already had her trial.
Is that because she had an accomplice?
That's right.
Gye Hyang-sim and Kim Jeong-hui, they have the same issues, right?
By being tried first, Kim Jeong-hui claimed
that all that could be claimed
and everything that could be dismissed already has been.
-And the outcome was… -[hand tapping]
…the four-year sentence.
At the time, Gye Hyang-sim says that she grabbed the victim's clothes
and hit her a couple of times to intimidate.
We could claim this level of assault
cannot be seen legally as bodily harm, right?
Here. The victim was hurt pretty badly.
Um, okay, but now that I'm seeing these, something isn't right here.
Gye Hyang-sim is a small woman.
Her accomplice could be a bit bigger.
But even so, two women attacked her with their bare hands.
And were arrested within minutes by the police.
Was there really an opportunity to cause injuries of this severity?
All right. Well, I guess we should look into it a bit further.
Right. Uh, also, we are planning to meet up
with Kim's attorney from five years back.
He might be able to tell us
if something felt out of place the first time around.
Okay, well, that's not such a bad idea.
[exhales] But time is the most critical resource.
Balance your time, so that you two don't waste a moment.
-Will do. -I understand.
Mm.
-Make her do her "whoa whoas". -Right.
[slurps, coughs]
-Hey, Min-woo. -[coughs]
I'm going to tell you a story.
There's this person, a girl.
And I think… I think, but I'm not sure
that I'm making that person think that I don't like them.
That's what I think. That's it.
And you do like them?
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
What's the matter? Just tell them that.
[sucks teeth, exhales]
Yeah.
It's not that easy, you know.
Why?
It's an office romance.
[playful music playing]
Hey. At Hanbada, you're like the most eligible bachelor.
Hey, Jun-ho. Just hand out numbers to them.
You're one. You're two. And you're three.
-You date them all. -That's just some straight-up nonsense.
Man, forget it.
I'm done. Hand me the bottle.
[suspenseful music playing]
-It's an attorney, right? -"Attorney"?
Why would you even care, huh?
It's just someone who I see, you know?
Well, um, someone who I see fairly often too.
Ah! She's in litigation.
Man, let me guess.
It can't be Woo Young-woo. No way!
-[glass clacks] -Gosh! I said forget it.
[Jun-ho] And don't…
You know what you are?
You're a moron! A big idiot!
You're just obsessed with gossip, right?
So just go to sleep.
[Min-woo] I mean, I'm just trying to help you.
But I can only help if I know who it is. [grunts]
Hey, go ahead and tell me, huh?
Oh, Jun-ho.
I just figured it out, I think.
I'm sure I know who it is.
Choi…
You heard what the judge said, right?
You have to come back again in two weeks.
-[man] Yeah. -Mm-hmm.
Got any spare change? I need to catch a bus home.
[chuckles] Here we go.
"Catch a bus home" when you don't have a home?
See you.
Atty. Kwon, excuse me.
[Su-yeon] Uh, I'm Choi Su-yeon. I contacted you.
This is Atty. Woo Young-woo.
Ah, Hanbada?
Yes, I reached out regarding two clients you represented five years ago.
Kim Jeong-hui and Gye Hyang-sim, do you remember that?
I have a trial in five minutes. How about we talk on the way?
Yes.
Did Gye Hyang-sim resurface?
At the time, she fled before her court date.
Yes, she came back.
I don't know. I doubt I could be of any help.
It's been over five years. I can't remember a whole lot.
Public defenders like myself, our caseloads are overwhelming.
After we finish a case, we're already out to the next one.
[chuckles]
You ever wish you had done something different?
If you'd had time to look into the details further,
or follow up on some lead you'd passed up on?
Not really.
Uh, Gye Hyang-sim is on the smaller side.
But how was Kim Jeong-hui?
How big was she?
I think they both were small.
These photos of the victim, Lee Sun-yeong, were taken right after the incident.
Remember?
[Su-yeon] Aren't these injuries too severe
to be the work of two small women in such a short period of time?
Yeah, you have a point there.
But on the other hand,
the most powerful and hardest opinion to flip in a criminal trial is…
Yeah?
A doctor's diagnosis.
-Huh. -[Ju-ho] But if you think about it,
most of the medical opinions used in the criminal trials
are just speculation based on what the patient tells the doctor.
So very few of them have an objective test to back them up.
Which is why it's so normal for there to be some ambiguity involved.
And even with that, it's very difficult to refute.
Ah!
Now that I think about that doctor, I remember, he was pretty biased.
The doctor?
The expert witness who wrote the victim's diagnosis.
It was by coincidence that I… I read a piece that he wrote
after the trial in the newspaper.
It was about North Korean defectors, and it was… How do I say this?
A little bit prejudiced against them, to be honest.
Do you happen to remember the title of the piece?
Just a moment, I'll find it.
Here it is.
"A Korean woman who was assaulted by North Korean defectors came to see me."
[Ju-ho] He's talking about the case.
I felt a bit bitter after reading this.
In a case where all the defendants are North Korean defectors,
I thought, "Why did someone like him have to write the diagnosis?"
Here's Lee Sun-yeong's house.
Her house is up the stairs on the second floor.
Okay. Shall we go?
Yes.
-[clanks] -[man] Damn it.
This shithole of a house.
-[gasps] -[Sun-yeong] Where are you going?
-Where are you going? Honey! -[man] Let go.
-[Sun-yeong whimpers] -Ah!
Are you okay, Young-woo?
You can't take that money!
-Shut up! -[thwacks]
-[gasps] -[thumping]
-[Sun-yeong groans] -[man grunting]
-[grunts] -[Sun-yeong whimpers]
So dramatic.
[gate slamming]
I'm calling the police, Jun-ho, okay?
[landlord] I can't deal with this anymore.
Just a moment. I think someone's already calling them.
Police? This is 52 Dongbaek-gil.
[landlord] I'm about to go crazy because of all of the noise upstairs!
Hurry! Please send someone over.
How many times is this now? Seriously!
Hurry!
[light knocks]
Ms. Lee Sun-yeong.
We're attorneys representing Ms. Gye Hyang-sim.
[Su-yeon] We'd like to talk to you real quick.
[knocks on door]
[landlord] If I die before my time,
-it's because of the man upstairs. -[Su-yeon] Ms. Lee Sun-yeong.
Oh, he breaks things and throws things.
It's hard on my poor heart. And I'm always worried about it.
[landlord] There are days where I wanna kick them out once and for good.
But I pity that poor woman and I can't do it.
All these years later, and nothing is better!
I can't take it! When is it going to end?
So you've called the police every time they get loud like that?
I did.
You think that wife-beater listens to me when I try to stop him?
It's just he calms down whenever the police arrive.
Even if for a little while.
So you must've called them five years ago too, right?
Of course!
[landlord] Ah! But now, when I call and they hear my address,
the precinct dispatches officers
almost like they're delivering a pizza or something.
[footsteps]
Where's Lee Sun-yeong? Did you meet her?
No, she won't open the door.
[exhales] I bet she's hiding somewhere inside.
Can you imagine always getting beat up like that?
-I'm sick of this, just sick of it. -[door closes]
It seems she placed the call to the police every time they fought
at Lee Sun-yeong's place.
So wouldn't there be reports from before the incident?
You're right. Let's go find the report records.
Uh…
-Uh, are you okay-- -[Su-yeon] Atty. Woo.
[sighs]
[machine whirring]
[Su-yeon] Please text me after you've sent it.
Okay.
[gasps] Come on, now.
You like Jun-ho, don't you?
What?
I wonder how Jun-ho as a person makes you feel.
[scoffs] Atty. Kwon, you need to get a hobby.
He has eyes for someone, Atty. Choi. I think that someone is you.
What?
The person in question,
she's an attorney in litigation, and is someone he sees often.
So I'm betting it's you.
[Min-woo] What?
You don't like Jun-ho because he's not a lawyer?
Uh…
[Su-yeon clears throat]
Did he say something to you in regards to me?
I don't know.
-[wrapper rustles] -We're roomies, so we do talk a lot.
Curious?
[scoffs] No.
[munches]
[playful music playing]
[Su-yeon] Therefore, we'd like to summon the victim, Lee Sun-yeong, as a witness.
[prosecutor] Your Honor.
The victim completed cross-examination at the trial five years ago.
Summoning the victim as a witness today is unfair.
What right does a defendant who ran away and then comes back five years later have?
What gives her the right to drag the victim through another trial?
-The court has already-- -It is the people's basic right
to get a fair trial.
Is the defendant who fled and then came back not a Korean citizen?
-The victim-- -[Judge Ryu] Just a moment.
Attorney, tell me, what is your family origin?
-What? -Your origins.
Tell me your surname, please.
Uh, the Woo family of Danyang.
Danyang is in Chungcheongbuk-do, right?
And yet, you're cutting people off like you're in some kind of a rush?
[Judge Ryu] That's not like someone from Chungcheongbuk-do.
What?
Cutting people off makes you look bad, Attorney.
Stop doing it.
[Judge Ryu] In this courtroom where I am the presiding judge,
cutting people off is prohibited.
Oh, okay.
[prosecutor] Excuse me, Your Honor, with all due respect,
isn't your family the Ryu family of Pungsan?
Attorney, how did you know about that?
The Ryu family, I believe, has a rich and very long history
in Andong Hahoe Village, am I right?
[prosecutor] I could tell because you exude the values of that region.
[chuckles] Is that so?
My family's from Andong.
Since Pungsan is a part of Andong, broadly speaking,
you could say we are from the same hometown.
Isn't that right, Your Honor?
[chuckles] Ah, well, I suppose that's true.
[both laughing]
[Judge Ryu] Nice to meet you.
[prosecutor] Likewise.
Excuse me, Your Honor.
About summoning the victim, Lee Sun-yeong, as a witness--
What is your family origin, Attorney?
Uh, excuse me, Your Honor.
You've just cut someone off while she was speaking.
Pardon?
"In this courtroom where you are the presiding judge,
cutting people off is prohibited.
It's against the rules."
[playful music playing]
[exhales]
From now until we finish the trial,
if you want to talk, you must put your hand up to do so.
[Judge Ryu] You cannot open your mouth without my permission.
What is it?
Sir, my family origin is the Choi family of Wonju.
[thrilling music playing]
Judge Choi Bo-yeon's chambers are on the same floor as yours, sir.
He's also from the Wonju Chois.
And he…
is my father as well.
Really?
The Chief Judge Choi is your father?
-Yes. -Oh, wow.
Yes. He happens to be
a well-respected colleague of mine, you know.
[Judge Ryu chuckles]
We even have dinner together from time to time.
I heard in passing that his son is a doctor.
But his daughter is an attorney?
[amused laugh]
Yes. It seems like he did well by his children.
I envy him.
Thanks so much.
I'll be sure to send my father your kind remarks.
Yes, of course, all right. That's great.
[Judge Ryu laughs]
[Judge Ryu] My goodness.
Okay, what were we discussing?
We were discussing calling the victim as a witness.
Oh, right, right. Approved. Let's do that.
What?
Well, we're going through with the trial, we should do it right.
What? Is… is there a problem?
Uh…
Um… Uh… Nothing's wrong, sir.
[slurps]
I'd be a good detective. It's so her.
They look good together.
[Min-woo] They're such an equal match.
Don't you think that Jun-ho has a thing for Atty. Choi?
Ah, I prefer tea, for sure.
-I agree. -Coffee makes me shaky.
[Min-woo] I guess you wouldn't know about that stuff, huh?
-[Su-yeon] Yes. I will. -[Jun-ho] Really?
I wonder where my other half is.
[chuckles]
-[Jun-ho] Let's go together sometime. -[Su-yeon] Okay.
[Judge Ryu] The next witness is the victim, Lee Sun-yeong.
Witness, please take the stand.
[serious music playing]
ATTORNEYS, DEFENDANT
JURY
PROSECUTOR
[button clicks]
"On my conscience,
I do solemnly swear
I will make this statement without concealment,
speaking nothing but the truth, and that any false statement
is punishable by law as perjury."
Counselor, the witness is yours.
Ah, wait.
Atty. Choi, you go.
What?
Well, they're sympathetic to the victim, so we shouldn't begin too stiffly.
Atty. Choi, get out there and be gentle.
Uh, okay.
[tense music playing]
Good morning, Ms. Sun-yeong.
Hi.
I know it's hard for you to come back and talk about this incident,
so thanks for being here and giving your testimony.
You seem to have a lot of cuts and bruises.
[Su-yeon] How did you get those?
[prosecutor] Objection.
That question is irrelevant.
Are we here to exchange pleasantries?
Your Honor, may I question her a bit more, please?
I have a relevant point to make.
I've decided since she says it's relevant, we'll keep listening.
You're overruled.
Could you please tell the court how you suffered these injuries?
I…
Yeah, well…
Perhaps…
your husband caused these injuries?
[prosecutor] Objection!
This is irrelevant!
[Su-yeon] On November 6th, two days before the incident,
there are police records saying they were called
due to her husband assaulting her mercilessly.
Being able to differentiate
whether her injuries were caused by the defendant's assault
or if her husband is the one responsible for her injuries is important.
We have to consider this record of abuse.
[Judge Ryu] I see what you're saying, Counselor.
So moving forward,
stick to questions about what happened at the time of the incident.
No more questions about current injuries.
Yes, sir.
So I'll ask you one more time.
Witness, do you recall the police coming to your house
in 2017 on the 6th of November?
2017, it's been so…
That's already five years ago.
I honestly can't remember.
-[scoffs] -[Su-yeon] That day, your husband hit you,
so the landlord, who lives below you had to contact the police.
Here. These are the police records. Ring any bells?
[tense music playing]
No, I… I don't remember.
-[thumps] -It's all lies!
Has he hit you so many times that you have brain damage or something?
What do you think you're doing? Stop that!
Defendant, what was that?
Sir, she wasn't beaten up by us.
Even if we planned to, there was no time!
The police came so fast.
But that, that, that lowlife has other motives, don't you?
She's trying to take all the beatings she gets from her husband,
and frame me for every time he's laid hands on her!
She keeps lying about what happened!
[prosecutor] Your Honor.
The defendant's insulting the victim, and making a mockery of the courtroom.
She shows absolutely no remorse for her wrongdoing!
[Judge Ryu] Yes.
That is true.
It's plain to see.
-[button clicks] -Your Honor--
You have to raise your hand to speak.
Huh?
In this trial, attorneys must raise their hands first
if they have something to say.
Don't talk before the judge gives us permission to speak.
But why?
I think it's because his family is the Ryu family of Pungsan.
What's going on?
Uh, yes.
[Myeong-seok] Your Honor, we apologize.
The defendant isn't used to trials, so in her excitement,
she made remarks that she didn't mean.
Um, could we have a recess so the defendant can calm down a bit?
Prosecution, do you have questions for the witness?
Uh…
I… I…
I don't, Your Honor.
[exhales]
Witness, you may go home now.
The victim and defendant
will not be allowed to meet inside this courtroom again.
[Judge Ryu] Let's take a ten-minute recess.
[bailiff] All rise.
Defendant.
Get a hold of yourself!
[irked sigh]
[angry breathing]
You can't get in our way like that.
[Hyang-sim] "Get in your way"?
I only spoke up because none of you would state the obvious.
You did speak up and it worked out well, huh?
There is an order and formality in a trial.
It's not a brawl.
We'll handle this strategically. So help us out here.
Attorneys strategize.
But when a defector does it, then it becomes a petty little brawl?
What do you think I am, huh?
-Atty. Jung didn't mean anything. -What did he mean, then?
Are you siding with him because of attorney loyalty or something?
I spoke up because I'm too frustrated
to stand by silently and watch you implode!
Whoa, whoa.
This trial is not for you to explode with anger.
It's to get a reduction on your sentence.
Think of your daughter waiting at the orphanage.
[Young-woo] If you want to see Ha-yun again and quickly,
you have to listen to our advice.
Whoa, whoa.
Whoa, whoa. Good job there.
[Myeong-seok] Stop, stop.
[sighs] The doctor is next?
Yes.
We'll be fortunate if he accepts
that the injuries might be from the husband.
If he starts to get tough, we'll have to get tough too.
Emphasize the witness' bias against North Korean defectors
to discredit him.
Uh, I'm thinking…
[pensive music playing]
Atty. Woo, you go.
Because I'm…
a little tough?
Mm. You can do it.
Okay.
WITNESS
[prosecutor] This is the diagnosis of the injuries
you wrote five years ago after seeing the victim yourself.
If you could, please read the underlined part?
[tongue clicks] Sure.
Uh, two weeks of treatment needed
"for sprains and strain of the cervical spine from the date of diagnosis.
Lacerations and bruises all over the body due to indiscriminate assault.
Damage to the hair roots and scalp caused by traumatic pulling by the hair."
So, then, what do you think the primary cause of these symptoms were?
Well…
It was from the assault by the defendant over there and her accomplice.
The two of them caused that damage.
[prosecutor] That is all.
[Judge Ryu] Counselor, you may question the witness.
On November 6th, 2017, two days before the incident,
there are police reports saying they were called
because Lee Sun-yeong's husband was hitting her.
When you wrote your diagnosis, were you aware of this fact?
No, I wasn't aware.
So now that you do, is it possible the injuries of Lee Sun-yeong,
the cuts and bruises,
could've been caused by her husband and not the defendant?
[scoffs]
Even so, it is my opinion that damage was done by the defendant.
[Young-woo] Why is that?
It's not like the name of the person responsible is written on injuries.
I can tell from looking at the injuries.
I'm confident. It's my expertise.
Could you explain how you can tell
based on some medical facts, if you please?
Well, I already…
I have given my, um, analysis of the injuries as a doctor.
What more do you suggest I do in order to prove the findings?
Is there more than… than the facts to base it on?
[rustling]
Hmm.
[indistinct chatter]
-Push him. -Hmm.
Early 2018.
[rustles]
You wrote this article for a newspaper. Just read the title, please.
[prosecutor] Objection.
That question is irrelevant.
-What is it? -Your Honor, the title of this piece says,
"A Korean woman who was assaulted by North Korean defectors came to see me."
So the piece directly mentions the crime, which means this piece is not irrelevant.
That's overruled.
Counselor, continue.
Witness, please read the title of the article.
[breathes deeply]
If it pleases the court,
I would rather not talk about this.
Are you refusing to testify?
For what reason?
I've received lots of, uh, criticisms for publishing that.
Many hateful comments, phone threats, and, and death threats mailed to me.
Unfortunately, those don't fall
under the legal reasons for refusal to testify.
[Judge Ryu] Read the title of the piece.
"North Korean defectors are becoming criminals."
[crowd chattering]
The witness argues, "In Korean society,
these North Korean defectors are already a huge problem,"
and that "the government giving North Korean defectors money to settle
is like providing criminals with an incentive for criminal acts."
Is this correct?
Come on.
[sighs] I mean…
I'm not biased or anything, even close to that,
the statistics speak for themselves.
Do you know the violent crime rate of North Korean defectors?
It's as much as ten percent.
More than twice the average crime rate of South Koreans.
The rate of second offenders
is furthermore more than five times the rate of South Koreans.
You really don't believe that North Korean defectors aren't criminals, right?
So tell me. Your opinion of how you're able to tell who caused an injury
just by looking at the victim is
unrelated to your usual opinions on North Korean defectors?
What?
The defendant's more at fault than the victim's husband.
Isn't that what you actually mean?
Because the husband is South Korean, but the defendant's North Korean?
[prosecutor] Objection. Leading.
[button clicks]
Sustained.
[sniffles]
You want my honest opinion?
You make an abusive husband out of a normal South Korean man
just to… just to do something nice for a North Korean defector?
[Byeong-gil] Do I have that right?
What?
[Byeong-gil] This is crazy. This trial's paid for with taxpayer money.
So then, should we protect South Korean citizens
or North Korean defectors?
-[seething] -[Myeong-seok] Hey, hey, hey, hey!
Simmer down. We've got the jury on our side now.
Hmm. While you are entitled to your individual opinions,
in this courtroom, defectors' rights are respected.
They are South Korean citizens.
Uh, yes, of course.
Of course.
[sighs]
[satisfied exhale]
[cheeky music playing]
That bastard's just eating?
Bastard's having a little tea party at my expense?
[Seung-jun] How can you eat, you miserable idiot?
-Back off! Are you crazy? -[Seung-jun] Are you crazy?
All the countless hours spent, convincing the chairman of the GRD
to sign with us exclusively!
GRD what?
Listen, asshole!
I had the Group of Righteous Doctors sign with me, but not anymore!
[paper crumples]
You put Kwon Byeong-gil on the witness stand
without knowing he's a GRD exec?
Can you imagine the reaming I got from the Chairman just now, huh?
[Seung-jun] This is amateur hour!
Apparently, Kwon Byeong-gil said he didn't want to discuss the piece.
But the attorneys at Hanbada
insisted that he talk about the whole thing! Come on!
[sharp exhale] I just…
I don't know.
All this because of some public interest case with the rookies?
Really, Myeong-seok?
You're too experienced to allow a kind of screwup like this!
How could you cost us a client
who is worth billions for your public interest case?
Are you a child?
[tense music playing]
I get it. I'm sorry. [sighs]
The only teammate that I can trust
turns on me when I need him the most to do some charity?
God, you're killing me!
I'm the only one looking out for the firm here!
[sighs]
My apologies for not vetting the witness.
I'm very sorry for making you lose a client that's worth billions.
[deep inhale] No, don't apologize. You did fine.
It's my fault.
[sighs]
It is my fault and I'm quite embarrassed at the moment.
But this isn't…
a "mere defector" or just "some public interest case."
Let's continue on.
[Myeong-seok] Even if the case isn't worth billions.
We have to do our best.
Uh, yes.
Yes.
Mm-hmm.
Finish up, and, uh…
I'm going to excuse myself now.
[exhales]
Wow.
ESTABLISHMENT OF LAW AND ORDER
[emotional music playing]
-Mom? -Ha-yun.
-[Ha-yun] Mom! -Ha-yun.
-[Ha-yun] Mom! -[door closes]
Mom!
Mommy's so sorry.
[Ha-yun] Mama. Mommy!
-I love you. Sorry, Ha-yun. -[Ha-yun] Mom!
[both weeping]
[Hyang-sim sobs]
[cheering and playing]
[man 1] That was fun, wasn't it?
[man 2] Come on, let's go.
[man 3] All right, who's on me?
[man 4] Okay.
[man 5] Okay, let's get you down here.
EXCELLENCE AWARD, EFFORT AWARD CONCESSION AWARD
FAMILY SPORTS DAY WITH DREAMS AND HOPE
Hey, Young-woo. Have some fruit.
-Good job. There we go. Yeah. -Are you happy with your sister?
Young-woo? Here, take it.
[giggling]
-Dad. -Yeah?
Why don't I have a mom?
[emotional music playing]
[Su-yeon] The statutory penalty for injury resulting from robbery is too high.
Murder is at least five years.
So how is aggravated robbery seven years?
Wait, can we file for adjudication on the constitutionality of the law?
If the Constitutional Court finds this unconstitutional,
Hyang-sim walks free, doesn't she?
It has been tried before.
In 2001, 2006, and 2016.
And? They all failed?
Mm. All ended up constitutional.
[sighs]
A North Korean is technically a kind of refugee, right?
Shouldn't there be laws
that are sympathetic to refugees, immigrants, or foreigners?
There aren't.
Think hard. Come on. Isn't there something?
[digital trilling]
No, there's nothing. And there shouldn't be.
That'd be like giving a criminal license to refugees, immigrants, and foreigners.
[groans]
[deep inhale] What more is there, huh?
Atty. Woo, you're a genius.
Think! Come on!
[pensive hum]
-[water burbles] -[dolphin calls]
It's a bit of a stretch, perhaps, but I have an idea.
What is it?
North Korean law.
[Judge Ryu] "North Korean law"?
[Young-woo] Yes, there is robbery in North Korea too.
Article 288 of North Korean Criminal Law. Robbery of personal property.
"Someone who has robbed a personal property
by means of assault or threats against a person
will be sentenced to four years in a labor camp."
Yes, Your Honor.
Criminal Law published by the Kim Il Sung University Publishers.
Unlike in South Korea, North Korea's crime of robbery
requires a high level of intensity in both the assault and threats.
[Su-yeon] The assault should be intense enough to kill or seriously injure
and threats should be those of an assault
that will result in immediate death or serious injury
unless the victim complies with the criminal's requests.
But here, my client attempted to steal the property.
However, she did not attempt to murder anyone.
In this case, the crime is only the stealing of property.
"The crime is the stealing of property"?
Article 284 of the North Korean Law. "A crime of stealing property.
Someone who steals personal property
will be sentenced to a maximum of one year of labor discipline."
[Young-woo] Please focus on the sentence, Your Honor.
Robbery is a maximum of four years in a correctional labor camp,
which means, a maximum of four years imprisonment.
But the sentence for stealing personal property
is a maximum of one year of labor discipline.
In South Korea, this would be a mere sentence
of one year of community service maximum.
[Judge Ryu] All right. That's enough lecturing on North Korean law.
Tell me. What exactly are you trying to claim here?
The defendant is a lot more used to North Korean law than South Korean law.
The defendant only tried to get back the money she was owed.
There was no intent to rob the money by oppressing the victim's free will.
Moreover, she did not think that her actions
fell under aggravated robbery, which would sentence her
to possibly life, but a minimum of seven years imprisonment
because in North Korea,
the defendant's crimes aren't enough to establish aggravated robbery.
[prosecutor] The attorneys are claiming
that since the defendant thought, "Well, this isn't robbery in North Korea,
so on that technicality, it's not robbery."
I've never heard of such an argument.
Your Honor, this is farfetched logic nobody's ever seen or heard.
It's a bit unprecedented, yes.
But perhaps we should look into it a little more.
Defendant.
Did you think you weren't committing robbery
because you were more used to North Korean law from back home, then?
Uh…
Yeah.
[Judge Ryu] Is that so?
What was your plan if the victim didn't give you the money?
Was your intention to get the money even if violence was necessary?
Uh, Your Honor…
Your Honor.
Could you please notify the defendant again
of her right to refuse to testify?
Of course.
Defendant, you don't have to answer.
However, I would implore you to do so to ensure a fair trial.
Defendant, answer me, if you would, please?
[tense music playing]
I went there like I said.
I had to get that money, at any cost.
Wasn't it my money?
Right.
Um…
Ma'am, what do you think of what the attorneys claimed just now?
Did you think the severity of the crime was such
that the crime of robbery is not applicable
due to your understanding of North Korean Law?
I'm not sure.
Truthfully, I don't understand…
any of that about the North Korean laws.
Mm. I see.
[sighs]
That is all.
Yes, well, that concludes the case for the defense.
[Judge Ryu] Honorable jurors, start your review.
And then, I will deliver my verdict.
[bailiff] All rise.
[hopeless music playing]
[sighs]
I'm headed back to the office. Are you coming along?
I'd like to stay for the verdict, if I may.
Me too.
Okay, then. [exhales]
Stay with the defendant until the end.
Whatever happens, you both did great.
[door opens]
[Hyang-sim chuckles]
Attorney comrades.
What are those long faces about?
She's not being literal.
I really am sorry.
Hey, you're sorry for what?
So it's been decided that I'm going to prison, then?
Don't worry about it.
You should go and rest and we'll see you at the verdict.
[police] This way.
[sorrowful music playing]
[door closes]
[whale calls]
[wind blows]
[sprinkles]
There's a claim we haven't tried.
The constitutionality!
What?
Didn't you say it's always been found to be constitutional before?
Wait.
Atty. Woo!
Hey!
Where are you going?
The jurors are already reviewing. What more can be done now?
The verdict has not been given yet.
We will request a resumption of the hearing.
Let's go meet the judge.
But you can't see him without a visitor's permit.
We'll ask for a visitor's permit.
Those permits aren't meal tickets they just hand out.
[Su-yeon] You need the judge's permission.
You think he'll give it to you?
Huh? Hey!
[frantic music playing]
Hello, we are attorneys, and we would like to visit the chambers of a judge.
-Um, which one, then? -Ryu--
Chief Judge Choi Bo-yeon on the eighth floor, please.
The purpose of your visit?
The judge is expecting your arrival?
Uh, the visit is a personal matter.
Judge Choi Bo-yeon is my father.
And I have also brought my colleague with me.
[security] Just a moment.
This is first floor access.
A woman is saying she's Judge Choi Bo-yeon's daughter
and that he's expecting her arrival.
Your name, please?
Choi Su-yeon.
Atty. Choi Su-yeon.
Yes. I appreciate it.
Write down your name and purpose of visit here, and go right in.
[relieved sigh]
Okay.
[chuckles]
SUPREME COURT OF KOREA
Do you know why they do that?
It's to prevent people like us
from trying to plead our case outside of a courtroom.
We're not trying to plead our case outside the courtroom.
We're requesting the hearing resumption.
Oh, and would the prosecutor agree?
I can't believe Wild Card Woo talked me into this.
Excuse me.
We're here to see Judge Ryu Myeong-ha!
Who are you?
[gasps]
What is this?
How did you get in here?
Your Honor, we request a resumption of the hearing.
It's too late. Don't you know the jurors are reviewing right now?
Yes, we're aware, which is why we had to come see you,
even though the risk of coming across is rude.
Because it was too late to submit resumption forms to you.
I don't believe that.
If you're not happy with something, you can appeal.
-[door opens] -[gasps]
[sighs]
[door closes]
Oh, what? What is it now?
Your Honor, the defendant never got the money from the victim.
So it is unconstitutional to have a trial for aggravated robbery.
We'd like to proceed with an adjudication on the constitutionality.
With attempted aggravated robbery,
it doesn't matter if the robbery was unsuccessful.
For attempted aggravated robbery, all that is needed is an attempted injury.
Isn't there room for another interpretation?
It's better for the defendant to be charged
with attempted aggravated robbery rather than aggravated robbery.
Criminal law prohibits any reduced interpretation
that is beneficial to the defendant without reason.
What is going on? Is your plan here to exhaust me?
There's no tree that would not fall if axed ten times, is that what this is?
First, you claimed the victim's wounds are not the fault of the defendant.
[Judge Ryu] Then, you bring up North Korean Law
to say there wasn't intent in the robbery.
And now, you barge in here
to say that by her not getting the money, it's unlawful?
Are you kidding me?
[deep breath, grunts]
CHIEF JUDGE RYU MYEONG-HA
I understand that you're young and passionate attorneys.
I really do.
There's a time and there's a place to be passionate, though.
It is not because we are young attorneys.
It is because Gye Hyang-sim is an excellent mother.
Just like a mother whale.
What?
Gye Hyang-sim lacks common sense and does whatever it is she pleases.
Even now, it doesn't seem like
she fully understands what she did wrong that night.
But Gye Hyang-sim chose life as a fugitive for five years
to not abandon her only daughter.
Maternal instinct is not a reason for mitigation,
but I beg you to think of the circumstances of a great mother
who has withstood all those years on the run with her child,
so she could raise her
until she was old enough to remember her mother,
so she could find her again.
[emotional music playing]
Not another word. You have made this argument out of court.
[Judge Ryu] I am done listening. This won't reflect on the verdict.
And I won't grant you a resumption.
Get out of here now, you hear me? Or I'll be forced to call the bailiff.
[Young-woo] The most common way of hunting whales
is to kill the baby first.
First, they throw a harpoon at the weak baby.
As the baby is swimming around in agony,
the mother never leaves its side, no matter what.
Her baby is in pain, and she won't leave.
And then, the next harpoon impales her.
The mother is the ultimate target.
[sighs] Humans can be so cruel.
Whales are very intelligent.
She knows if she doesn't swim away, she will also be killed.
But she never swims away.
If I were a whale, would my…
Would my mom not have swam away either?
[emotional music playing]
[bailiff] All rise.
[door closes]
Be seated.
Jury, have you finished up the review?
Hand me the written verdict.
[rustling]
[exhales]
I will now announce to the court the jury's verdict.
[Judge Ryu] "On the charges.
By unanimous decision of all seven jurors, guilty.
Opinion on sentencing.
By unanimous decision of all seven jurors, four years labor camp."
Thank you, all members of the jury.
This court sincerely respects the jury's verdict.
Now, for my verdict.
Stand up.
[Judge Ryu] "Formal adjudication.
The defendant is sentenced to one year and nine months imprisonment.
However, the execution of the sentence against the defendant
is suspended for three years following the date of the verdict.
[gasps]
The court orders that the defendant be on probation
and 80 hours of community service."
[both gasp]
What happened? What's he saying?
He gave you probation!
"Probation"…
[gasps] It's probation. Probation…
[Judge Ryu] "The defendant colluded with an accomplice
and assaulted and threatened the victim
with the intent of taking property, which is severe.
Considering the fear the victim must've felt during the crime
and how the defendant fled afterwards without being tried at the time,
it is necessary to punish the defendant severely.
However, considering that the defendant
is not used to Korean laws and regulations as a North Korean defector,
a first-time offender with no criminal record,
and most of all…
although it has been five years,
she confessed without forgetting her crimes,
and being responsible and accepting punishment.
I have taken these special sentencing factors into account."
A-ha!
Confession.
She confessed!
Oh, my god.
"Sentencing elements that are advantageous or disadvantageous to the defendant…"
We were focused on the charges,
forgetting Hyang-sim confessed to everything.
Confession is the most basic reason for mitigation. We forgot.
Not very smart.
Maybe the judge is the smart one here.
A wise and intelligent veteran.
"An intelligent veteran."
"And through a trial by jury, democracy has been served,
following all laws for criminal trials, the ruling is as I've decreed."
[Hyang-sim] Thank you.
Thank you.
[sniffles]
[heels clacking]
[lady 1] Mom! Mom, Mom, put that down. Look at this. Isn't it so pretty?
I can never wear something this short. You try it on.
-Don't, Mom, try it, come on. -It looks good.
Just stop already.
[lady 2 gasps] No, this is too expensive.
[mother] Come on, I'll get it for you.
[heels clacking]
Corporate's marketing to a younger demo,
so we have more customers bringing their daughters in.
[chuckles]
And do you have a daughter?
Oh, no. I just have a son.
Well…
You must get jealous whenever you see a mother and daughter shopping.
It's not too late to have a daughter, you know.
[both chuckle]
Well, then, you can just stand next to me and look.
You know how expensive this place is, don't you?
If I miss this sale, I'll never be able to get a new bag.
[Young-woo groans]
[Su-yeon] What is it?
-Hey, you should get one too. -[Young-woo] I'm fine.
[Su-yeon] Look at this old thing. You need to step up your game.
[Young-woo] I don't like department stores.
-[Su-yeon] That's all about to change. -[Young-woo groans]
[Su-yeon] Ah! I'm so excited.
[mysterious music playing]
-What are you doing? -[gasps]
Let's go.
Again? [sighs]
Oh, we should get some ice cream before we go.
-Let's just go. -Don't be a stick in the mud.
[emotional music playing]
[Han-su] It's splitting the town in half
and isolating each side. That's what it does.
This isn't a neighborhood that can just disappear like that.
[Su-yeon] This is all material on Happiness Road?
That's Attorney Tae Su-mi, right?
-Why is the king here herself? -"King"?
[Su-yeon] I think the one Jun-ho likes is you.
It's not easy for someone to like me.
Does your heart go "boom boom" like crazy?
-There have been times like that. -You totally like him!
I want to check whether or not I like you.
[heart thumps]