-What's your name? -Gye Hyang-sim.
It's "Gye," not "Gae."
GUREUM ORPHANAGE
Your daughter's name?
Gye Ha-yun.
Isn't her name so stylish?
I chose Ha-yun because they said it's a popular name in Korea.
Her surname is odd,
so at least her name doesn't stand out and she can blend in.
Isn't she heavy? Should we lay her down on the couch over there?
No.
It's fine.
I'm going to hold her.
She's so sound asleep even though it's the middle of the afternoon.
I gave her medicine.
Medicine? To your daughter?
If Ha-yun is awake,
she'll try not to be separated from me.
I see.
What's your address?
I'm not abandoning Ha-yun.
You can't put her up for adoption.
I'll be back for her.
All right.
-But first, we need an address-- -Are you taking my words lightly?
I'm not abandoning Ha-yun.
I'm leaving her here temporarily
because I might have to go to the correctional labor camp.
Correctional labor camp?
I mean prison.
Prison.
Are you by any chance a North Korean defector?
Don't discriminate Ha-yun because she's a North Korean defector's daughter
or be mean to her because she's the daughter of a criminal.
I will be back for her no matter what.
All right.
Mom!
-Mom! -You can't go alone.
-Mom! -You can't go.
Mom!
-Ha-yun. -Mom!
-Mommy…
will be back soon.
Mom, don't leave!
Mom!
CASE 6 IF I WERE A WHALE…
Right.
-Yes? -Attorney Jung, you called me?
Yes. Attorney Choi has a public interest case.
A North Korean defector charged with injury resulting from robbery.
"A North Korean defector charged with injury resulting from robbery."
The way I see it, there's not a lot you can do for the case.
But how should I put this? I think Attorney Choi is overly passionate.
It seems she's overly empathizing with the defendant.
So I was thinking you could take on the case with her
and stop her, like "whoa, whoa."
Like "whoa, whoa"?
Yes, so cool down Attorney Choi so that she doesn't treat this case emotionally.
Like this.
Whoa, whoa.
-Whoa, whoa. -Yes, like that.
-Whoa, whoa. -Whoa, whoa.
Make her relax. Whoa…
All right, get going.
-Whoa… -Cool her down.
Whoa, whoa.
Come in.
Well…
Did you not come to work or did you not go home?
"Go home"? What does that mean?
Is it like having a life after work?
The thing that only exists in fantasies and not in real life?
Well…
What about you? Don't you have a lot of work?
Work?
I do have a lot.
My wrists hurt because I typed for more than ten hours yesterday.
I already have Asperger's syndrome.
But at this rate, I'll probably get carpal tunnel syndrome too.
I started growing white nose hair from not getting sleep.
I'm on the public interest case you were assigned.
The North Korean defector charged with injury resulting from robbery.
What? Hyang-sim's case?
Hyang-sim?
The defendant's name is Gye Hyang-sim.
I've met her once, and she's really cool.
She's like a tough older sister.
Attorney Jung thinks you're overly passionate about the case.
That you're overly empathizing with the defendant.
-Really? -Yes.
He told me to "whoa, whoa" you.
Whoa, whoa.
Young-woo. Have you ever been to a detention center?
No. I haven't been to one yet.
Hurry and request visitation. Let's go meet Hyang-sim.
My goodness.
Attorney Choi.
How have you been?
This is Attorney Woo.
She'll be working on the case with me.
Hello, 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.
Right.
Woo Hyang-woo?
What?
-No. -Why don't we
sit down first?
Okay.
How are you doing in here? I bet it's tough.
Staying in here?
They feed me and put a roof over my head.
This is like a hotel.
I just miss my daughter, Ha-yun.
That just breaks my heart a bit, that's all.
Ms. Gye, I heard you're a North Korean defector,
but why don't you use the dialect?
Comrade Woo Hyang-woo.
Why would you say that to me? It's been a while since I defected.
Gosh! Detention centers in South Joseon look like hotels!
Do I have to speak like this to be a North Korean defector?
Right, I'm sorry.
Should we talk about the case?
Let's start from the beginning since this is Attorney Woo's first time.
Did you and the victim, Lee Sun-yeong, know each other before the incident?
No. Lee Sun-yeong is not a North Korean defector
nor was there a reason for us to cross paths.
The day I went to get the money was my first time meeting her.
I only got to know her because Mom told me about her.
Mom?
Are you referring to the North Korean defector broker, Choi Yeong-hui?
She's not my real mother but my foster mother.
We all just call her Mom.
If only Mom had paid back the money she borrowed from me.
I'll summarize.
Five years ago,
you asked "Mom," the North Korean defector broker, Choi Yeong-hui,
for the ten million won she borrowed from you.
Then, rather than paying you back directly,
Choi Yeong-hui told you that Lee Sun-yeong had money to give her
and you could get it from her instead.
Yes.
The ten million won debt she owed Mom was transferred over to me and Jeong-hui.
Jeong-hui?
Ms. Kim Jeong-hui, your accomplice?
Comrade Woo Hyang-woo.
Does your head hurt because there are too many people involved?
No.
You were friends with Ms. Kim Jeong-hui, correct?
Well, we aren't really friends.
We came to know each other through Mom.
So I just call her my friend.
She's also a North Korean defector and is the same age as me.
You were going to split the money with her once Lee Sun-yeong gave it to you?
Yes! The problem was, would Lee Sun-yeong
just hand us the money she didn't even give to Mom?
If we wanted to stop her from lying about not having the money,
we couldn't look like people she could take advantage of.
Goodness, she doesn't even lock her door.
Is she not afraid?
She's very brave.
Jeong-hui, be on your toes.
She won't give us the money easily.
You can tell how fierce she is since she didn't even pay Mom back, right?
Speak for yourself. You're way too soft.
There's no one else as fierce as me on the Korean Peninsula.
Let's go.
Grab one.
Lee Sun-yeong!
Come out right now!
Come out!
Where are you?
You.
Hand over Mom's money!
-What money? -"What money?"
You pocketed Mom's ten million won and you're not paying it back.
You.
Where did you hide the money?
Is it in that room?
No.
Please, let it go this one time. I'm in a difficult situation.
Hey!
Hey, you thieving bitch!
You think we're doing this because our situation is any better?
Right, step aside!
No, you can't!
Let go!
No. You can't.
What are you doing?
Hey, let go!
Let go of me!
-Darn it. -Hey!
Lee Sun-yeong, just hand over the money!
Gosh, it's so loud. I've had enough of this.
Hello? Is this the police?
-I don't have the money! -This is 52 Dongbaek-gil.
The people upstairs are being loud again!
I can't sleep. Please hurry.
Gosh.
Let go!
The police came because the landlord who lived below the victim reported it.
Then you and Ms. Kim Jeong-hui were arrested on-site, right?
To be honest, we didn't beat her up that much.
But the police saw shattered glass,
a stick rolling around, and a stone brick,
so it must've seemed pretty severe.
At the time, you applied for a jury trial with Ms. Kim Jeong-hui.
Ms. Kim Jeong-hui appeared in court
and received a four-year sentence for injury resulting from robbery,
but you fled before the trial.
Why did you do that?
Four years…
Then Jeong-hui must be out already.
Yes, probably.
Why did you run away?
Jeong-hui doesn't have any kids.
But I have a daughter.
Ha-yun was only three years old at the time.
If I got sent to the correctional labor camp, she would've been abandoned.
I'm a North Korean defector,
so we have no one.
Mom's not my real mom.
And my friend isn't my real friend.
Ha-yun's dad passed away from a car accident soon after she was born.
Without me, there wouldn't have been anyone to take care of my daughter.
What about now?
Where's Ha-yun now?
I left her at the orphanage.
Then I went to the police station.
Couldn't you have left her at an orphanage five years ago?
If I left her then, Ha-yun would've forgotten about me
because she was too young.
She's eight now, so when I go back to get her,
she'll remember her mom.
Did you run away so that you could raise her until she reached an age
where she could remember her mother?
Yes.
And now, Ha-yun has to attend school,
so she can't keep living as the daughter of a fugitive.
It's only right that I hurry and go to prison and return.
Like a mother whale.
What?
The maternal instincts of a whale are famous for their devotion.
They have to be.
Because there aren't that many safe places in the ocean to raise babies.
How did you get by after you ran away?
In those five years, you wouldn't have received national subsidies
and it would've been difficult to get a job.
I cleaned at a motel,
got a spare room, and lived there with Ha-yun.
I feel bad
when I think about that.
Other kids go to kindergarten
and daycare centers.
But Ha-yun was stuck in a motel room all day
because I was her mom.
I'm sure she was happy because she was with her mom.
You think so?
Would she really think that?
Yes, she would have.
I was wondering
if I get a four-year sentence like Jeong-hui,
could you come visit at least once?
I know you must be busy,
but just once with Ha-yun.
Don't be so weak-minded! There will be no four-year sentence.
Ms. Gye Hyang-sim must get probation!
We will do everything in our power to get the defendant probation.
That was passionate.
Does the defendant have some kind of irresistible charm?
Because it seems that everyone she encounters becomes so heated.
What happened to the "whoa, whoa" mission?
For an attorney,
defending this charge is as difficult as defending murder.
Any guess as to why?
-Because the statutory penalty is high? -Correct.
What is the statutory penalty for injury resulting from robbery?
A life sentence or at least seven years of imprisonment.
To repeat, at least seven years.
What's the maximum amount that can be reduced at the discretion of the judge?
Mitigation of punishments in extenuating circumstances
cannot exceed the range of statutory mitigation,
and with a fixed sentence, it is limited to half of the term of imprisonment,
so at least 3 years and 6 months.
However, to get probation, the sentence has to be less than three years.
So if you don't find reasons for not only mitigation in extenuating circumstances
but also statutory mitigation to get it reduced even more,
you won't be able to get probation.
That's why they say injury resulting from robbery always ends up with prison time.
And on top of that, the defendant ran away.
If anything, that could lead to additional punishment.
All right.
This case is quite odd.
We haven't even started, but the answers are already there.
It's as if the defendant already had her trial.
Because there was an accomplice?
Yes.
Ms. Gye Hyang-sim and Ms. Kim Jeong-hui's issues are almost identical.
By being tried first, Ms. Kim Jeong-hui already
claimed everything that could be claimed
and everything that could be dismissed has already been dismissed.
And the answer…
was a four-year sentence.
Ms. Gye Hyang-sim testified that she only held onto the victim's clothes
and hit her a couple of times.
What if we claim that this can't be legally seen as bodily harm?
Here. The victim was hurt badly. What are you talking about?
But sir,
seeing this now, her injuries are too severe.
The defendant has a small frame.
Of course, her accomplice might be a bit bigger,
but even so, two women hit her with their bare hands.
And they were arrested by the police not long after they arrived there.
They wouldn't have had much time to cause injuries that severe.
All right. I guess it's necessary to look into what really happened.
Yes. And we plan on meeting with the attorney who defended Ms. Kim Jeong-hui.
There could be something from the earlier trial that they had missed.
Okay, it's not a bad idea,
but time is the most important resource to an attorney.
Balance it well so you don't spend too much time on this one case.
-I will. -Yes, I understand.
Get her to cool down.
I will.
Hey, Min-woo.
I'm going to tell you a story.
There's this person.
There's a person.
And I think I'm making
that person think
that I don't like the person.
When you actually do like the person?
Yes.
What's the matter? Just tell the person how you feel.
But…
it's not that simple.
Why?
Is it an office romance?
Hey.
What is there to worry about when you're the most popular guy at Hanbada?
Hey, Jun-ho. Just give them each a number first.
Number one, two, and three.
-And date all of them in order. -You're talking nonsense.
Forget it.
I'm not talking to you. Hand me the bottle.
-Is the person an attorney? -Hey.
Does that matter?
It's just someone
who I see often.
Goodness! She's in litigation?
Jeez, let me see.
It can't be Woo Young-woo.
Gosh! I told you to forget it.
You.
You know what?
You're an idiot.
You're an idiot who's only focused on who it is.
Forget it. Just go to sleep.
I'm just trying to help you.
But I can only help if I know who it is.
Hey, tell me.
Jun-ho.
I actually know everything though.
I can see what's going on.
Choi…
You heard what the judge said, right? You have to come here again in two weeks.
-Yes. -Okay.
Give me some change, will you? I don't have money to get home.
Here we go again.
Why do you need money to get home when you don't even have a home?
Go on.
Attorney Kwon Ju-ho?
I'm Choi Su-yeon. I contacted you.
This is Attorney Woo Young-woo.
Hanbada?
Yes, I contacted you because of a case you were on five years ago.
The one for Ms. Gye Hyang-sim and Ms. Kim Jeong-hui.
I have another trial. Should we talk on my way there?
Yes.
Did Ms. Gye Hyang-sim resurface?
At the time, she fled without going on trial.
Yes, that's right.
But I'm not sure if I'd be of any help.
It's a case from five years ago, so I don't really remember much.
Besides, public defenders take on so many cases
that it's like we work on cases just to get them out of the way.
Doesn't that make you wish you had done something?
Perhaps something you wanted to look into
or things that you had no choice but to pass over.
I'm not sure.
Ms. Gye Hyang-sim's frame is on the smaller side.
How was Ms. Kim Jeong-hui?
Her size?
From what I recall, they were both small.
These are pictures taken of the victim at the time of the incident.
Do you remember?
Aren't these injuries too severe
to be the outcome of two small women in such a short period?
You're right.
But, you do know
that the most powerful and hardest to flip in a criminal trial is…
Is?
A doctor's diagnosis.
But if you think about it,
most of the diagnoses used in criminal trials
are clinical speculation written based on what the patient says.
So not many of them have objective test results to back them up.
Which is why it's natural for there to be questionable and ambiguous parts,
but it's usually difficult to refute.
Right.
Now that I think of it, I think the doctor was a bit biased.
The doctor?
The doctor who wrote the diagnosis for the victim.
A while after the trial, I was reading the newspaper
and coincidentally saw a piece that he wrote.
It was about North Korean defectors. How should I put this?
The content seemed to be biased against North Korean defectors.
Do you remember the title of the piece?
Just a moment, let me look it up.
Here it is.
"A Korean woman who was assaulted by North Korean defectors came to see me."
He's talking about this case.
I felt a bit bitter after reading this.
In a case where all the defendants were North Korean defectors,
I thought, "Why did it have to be a person like him who wrote the diagnosis?"
Lee Sun-yeong's house is…
Lee Sun-yeong's house is on the second floor, right?
Yes, should we go up?
Yes.
Damn it.
This damn household.
Where are you going?
Let go.
Let go!
Young-woo, are you okay?
You can't take that money!
Damn it, you brat.
Don't be so dramatic.
We have to call the police.
-I can't deal with this anymore. -Hold on.
I think someone's already making a call.
Is this the police? This is 52 Dongbaek-gil.
I'm about to go mad because of how loud they are upstairs!
Hurry and send someone over.
It happens far too often.
Hurry!
Ms. Lee Sun-yeong.
We're attorneys representing Ms. Gye Hyang-sim.
We would like to talk to you.
If I die early,
-Ms. Lee Sun-yeong. -it's because of the man upstairs.
Breaking, smashing and throwing things every day.
I might die soon because my heart keeps trembling.
I wanted to kick them out in whatever way I could,
but I pity the wife who gets beaten up.
And before I knew it, it's been five tiresome years!
So did you call the police every time they were like that?
I did.
Do you think that wife-beating punk listens to me when I try to stop him?
But he calms down when the police get here.
Even if it's only for a little while.
Then you must've called the police on them five years ago too.
Of course!
So when I call and just give them my address now,
the precinct sends the police to me
as if they're delivering jjajangmyeon.
Where's Lee Sun-yeong? Did you meet her?
No, there's no answer.
Gosh, do you think she'd want to show her face
when she gets beaten up by her husband like that?
I'm sick of this.
I think the landlord called the police whenever there was a ruckus.
Then wouldn't there be records of her reports before the incident too?
You're right. We should secure the report records.
-Are you… -Young-woo.
Please text me after you send it.
All right.
My goodness.
What do you think about Jun-ho?
-What? -How do you feel about Jun-ho as a man?
You must have a lot of free time these days.
I really think the person Jun-ho likes is you, Attorney Choi.
What?
Works at Hanbada,
an attorney on the litigation team, and someone who he sees often.
That's Choi Su-yeon.
Why?
You don't like Jun-ho because he's not an attorney?
Did Jun-ho say something about me?
To you?
I mean,
we live together so we talk about a lot of things together.
Are you curious?
No.
Therefore, we would like to summon the victim, Lee Sun-yeong, as a witness.
Your Honor,
the victim already completed cross-examination
at the trial five years ago.
Summoning the victim once again as a witness is unnecessary and unfair.
The defendant ran away and then came back as she pleased,
what right does she have to make the victim come and go?
This is secondary--
It is the people's basic right to get a fair trial.
Is the defendant who fled and came back not a citizen of Korea?
-The victim-- -Just a moment.
What is your family origin?
-Excuse me? -Your family origin. Your surname.
Right. It is the Woo family of Danyang.
Danyang is in Chungcheongbuk-do, right?
But why are you in such a rush that you're cutting off other people's words?
That's very unlike someone from Chungcheong-do.
-Excuse me? -Cutting people off doesn't look good.
Don't do it.
In this courtroom where I am the presiding judge,
cutting people off is prohibited.
Right. Okay.
Your Honor, with all due respect,
isn't your family origin the Ryu family of Pungsan?
How did you know?
The Ryu family of Pungsan is one with a long and rich history,
located in Andong Hahoe Folk Village, right?
You just give off that kind of impression.
Is that so?
My family origin is the Kim family of Andong,
and since Pungsan is a part of the city of Andong, broadly speaking,
we are from the same hometown.
Yes, that's true.
Yes.
Nice to meet you.
Yes, nice to meet you.
Your Honor, about summoning the victim, Lee Sun-yeong, as a witness--
What is your family origin, Attorney?
Your Honor.
You just cut another person off while she was speaking.
I beg your pardon?
In this courtroom where you are the presiding judge,
cutting people off is prohibited.
It is against the rules.
From now until the trial is over,
attorneys must raise their hands if they have something to say.
You cannot speak without my permission.
What is it?
Your Honor, my family origin
is the Choi family of Wonju.
Judge Choi Bo-yeon, whose office is on the same floor as yours,
also originates from the Choi family of Wonju.
He…
is my father.
What?
You're Chief Judge Choi's daughter?
-Yes. -Gosh.
Chief Judge Choi is a dear junior colleague of mine.
We even have dinner together from time to time.
I heard in passing that his son is a doctor.
I see his daughter is an attorney.
It seems like he raised his children well.
I envy him.
Thank you.
I will send your regards to him.
Yes, all right.
My goodness.
What were we discussing?
We were discussing the summoning of the victim as a witness.
Right. Let's do that.
Excuse me?
We're going through with the trial so we might as well do it properly.
Is there something wrong?
Well…
No, sir.
So, I was right. It is her.
Don't they look good together?
They're such a good-looking match.
Don't you think Jun-ho likes Attorney Choi?
Right, I guess you don't drink much coffee.
Actually, rather than coffee…
You don't know much about that, right?
I wonder where my other half is?
The next witness is the victim, Lee Sun-yeong.
Witness, come out to the front.
ATTORNEYS, DEFENDANT
JURY
PROSECUTOR
"I pledge this."
"I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth
and agree to receive punishment
in accordance with perjury should there be any falsehood."
Counselor, you may begin questioning the witness.
Hold on.
Attorney Choi, you go ahead.
What?
The jury is sympathetic to the victim, so I don't think we should be too stiff.
Attorney Choi, you go out there and be gentle.
All right.
Hello, Ms. Sun-yeong.
Hi.
I know it must be hard for you to have to recall what happened five years ago,
but thank you for being here today as a witness.
You have a lot of bruises and wounds.
How did you get hurt?
Objection.
This is irrelevant to the case.
How long are you going to exchange niceties?
Your Honor, please allow me to question her a bit more.
It's related to the case.
Since she says it's relevant, we'll keep listening for now.
Overruled.
Could you tell us how you got injured?
Well…
Yes, well…
Did your…
husband hit you?
Objection!
This is irrelevant to the case!
There are police records that say the police were called
two days before the incident on November 6th, 2017
as Lee Sun-yeong was assaulted by her husband.
Differentiating whether her injuries were caused because of the defendant's assault
or caused by her husband is important.
Please let us check the factual relationship.
I see what you're saying, Counselor.
So stick to questions about what happened at the time of the incident.
No more questions about current injuries.
Yes, sir.
I'll ask you again.
Witness, do you recall the police being called to your house
on November 6th, 2017?
If you're talking about 2017…
that's already five years ago.
I do not recall.
That day, your husband hit you,
so the landlord, who lives below you, called the police.
Here are the police records. Do you not recall?
I do not recall.
Pure lies!
Have you gotten dumb from being beaten up by your husband?
What are you doing? Stop talking!
Defendant, what did you say?
She wasn't beaten by us that much.
Even if we wanted to, we didn't have the time because the police arrived.
But look at that wretched thing with her ulterior motive.
She's trying to put all the beatings she usually gets from her husband
and frame it all on me!
It's all a lie!
Your Honor.
The defendant is insulting the victim, making a mockery of the court,
and is showing absolutely no remorse for her wrongdoings!
Yes.
I see that.
You're absolutely right.
Your Honor--
You have to raise your hand first.
What?
In this trial, attorneys have to raise their hand first
if they have something to say.
We can't speak before the judge gives us permission to speak.
Why?
I think it's because his family origin is the Ryu family of Pungsan.
What is it?
Right.
Your Honor, we apologize.
The defendant is not used to trials, so she lost her control
and said things she didn't mean.
Could we have a recess so the defendant can settle down?
Prosecution, do you have anything to ask the witness?
Well…
No.
I don't.
Witness, you may go home.
I will not allow the victim and the defendant
to meet in this courtroom again.
We'll have a ten-minute recess.
All rise.
Defendant.
Get a hold of yourself!
You can't get in our way.
Get in your way?
You were beating around the bush,
so I pointed it out.
You pointed it out and look at what happened.
There is an order and formality in a trial.
This isn't some marketplace fight.
Please help us go through with our strategy.
Some marketplace fight?
If an attorney does it, it's strategy, but if I do it, it's a marketplace fight?
What do you think I am?
-Attorney Jung didn't mean it like that. -Didn't mean it like what?
Are you siding with him because you're an attorney too?
I did it because I was too frustrated to just sit still and watch!
Whoa, whoa.
This trial isn't for you to release your frustration.
It's to get a reduction on your sentence.
Think of your daughter who is waiting for you at the orphanage.
If you want to see Ha-yun as quickly as possible,
you have to listen to us.
Whoa, whoa.
Whoa, whoa. Good job.
Stop.
The doctor is next, right?
Yes.
We're lucky if he accepts without reservation
that the injuries could've come from the husband.
But if he says otherwise, we'll have to go in strong too.
Emphasize that the witness is biased against North Korean defectors
to discredit him.
This time…
Attorney Woo, you go.
Because…
I'm stiff?
Yes. Show us what you got.
Okay.
WITNESS
This is the diagnosis of the injuries
you wrote five years ago after seeing the victim yourself.
Could you read the underlined part?
Yes.
"Fourteen days 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 excessive pulling of the hair."
What do you think the cause of these symptoms is?
Right.
The assault by the defendant sitting over there and her accomplice.
That is all.
Counselor, you may begin cross-examination.
On November 6th, 2017, two days before the incident,
the police were called because Ms. Lee was assaulted by her husband.
When you issued your diagnosis, were you aware of this fact?
No, I wasn't.
So now that you do, do you think the injuries of Ms. Lee Sun-yeong
could've been caused by her husband's assault, not the defendant?
No.
I still think the defendant is to blame.
Why is that?
It's not like the name of the person responsible is written on injuries.
I can tell by looking at the injuries.
Because I'm a doctor.
Could you explain how you know based on medical facts?
I've already given a doctor's opinion as a doctor.
What more do I have to do
if you ask me to base it on even more medical facts?
-Push him into a corner. -Okay.
Early 2018.
You wrote this piece for a newspaper. Could you please read the title out loud?
Objection.
This is irrelevant to the case.
-Speak. -The first sentence of this piece is,
"A Korean woman who was assaulted by North Korean defectors came to see me."
The piece directly mentions the incident, which means this piece is relevant.
Objection overruled.
Counselor, continue.
Witness, please read the title of the piece.
Your Honor.
Could I not talk about this?
Are you refusing to testify?
For what reason?
I've received a lot of hatred and criticism after I wrote this.
I received hate comments, phone complaints,
and even threatening letters.
Unfortunately, none of those fall under the reasons for refusal to testify.
Read the title of the piece.
"North Korean defectors are becoming a criminal group."
The witness argues that "in Korean society,
North Korean defectors are already a huge issue,"
and that "the government giving North Korean defectors funds to settle
is like providing criminals with an incentive for criminal acts."
Is this correct?
I mean…
Well,
I'm not biased or anything like that. The statistics speak for themselves.
Do you have any idea what the violent crime rate of North Korean defectors is?
As much as ten percent.
More than twice the average crime rate of South Koreans.
The rate of second offenders is also more than five times as much.
Do you still think that North Korean defectors aren't a criminal group?
So then, is your opinion on being able to tell who caused the injury
just by looking at the victim's injury
unrelated to your usual thoughts about North Korean defectors?
What?
You're saying
the defendant is more at fault than the victim's husband, correct?
Because the husband is South Korean,
but the defendant is a North Korean defector.
Objection. Leading.
Sustained.
But honestly,
is it right to make an abusive husband out of a normal South Korean man
just to do something good for North Korean defectors?
What?
This trial is done with the tax paid by the citizens.
So the trial should protect them, not that North Korean defector!
Take it easy. The jury is on our side now.
While I respect your opinion,
North Korean defectors are citizens of South Korea as well.
That's why we're having this trial.
Yes, well…
That's right.
You're eating?
You messed things up, yet you're eating?
How can you eat, you idiot?
-What's wrong with you? Are you crazy? -You're the one who's crazy.
Do you have any idea how hard I worked to get the GRD as our client?
The GRD?
Yes, you punk!
The Group of Righteous Doctors, the GRD! You blew it!
You put Kwon Byeong-gil on the witness stand
without knowing that he's an executive of the GRD?
Do you know what I had to deal with from the Chairman just now?
You don't!
Kwon Byeong-gil said he didn't want to talk about the piece.
But the attorneys at Hanbada insisted that he talk about it!
Gosh.
Gosh!
Is this because of a public interest case you're doing with the rookies?
Myeong-seok.
How could someone with your level of experience make such a mistake?
How could you cost us a client
who's worth billions over some mere public interest case?
Okay, I understand. You can stop now.
The one peer I have
that should be helping me is bringing harm to me instead!
Gosh, this is so annoying!
I'm the only one worried about the firm!
I'm sorry for not running a background check on the witness.
I'm sorry for making you lose a client that's worth billions.
It's nothing for rookies to apologize for.
It's my mistake.
It's my fault and I'm really embarrassed right now.
But let's not think of it as
"some mere public interest case" or "some mere North Korean defector."
Let's work hard even if it's not a case
that's worth billions of won.
Yes.
All right.
Finish your food.
I'm going to go because I'm embarrassed.
ESTABLISHMENT OF LAW AND ORDER
-Mom! -Ha-yun.
Mom!
Mommy's sorry.
Mom.
Mommy's sorry, Ha-yun.
Ha-yun.
You're doing well!
You did great.
Let's eat the gimbap.
WHITE 480, BLUE 680
EXCELLENCE AWARD, EFFORT AWARD CONCESSION AWARD
FAMILY SPORTS DAY WITH DREAMS AND HOPE
Here, Young-woo. Have some fruit.
No.
My son is too handsome.
Young-woo? Here, hold it.
-Dad. -Yes?
Why don't I have a mom?
The statutory penalty for injury resulting from robbery is too high.
Murder is five years at the least.
It doesn't make sense for this charge to be seven years.
Why don't we file for an adjudication on the constitutionality of the law?
If the Constitutional Court finds this to be unconstitutional,
Hyang-sim can be acquitted.
That already happened a few times before.
In 2001, 2006, and 2016.
And? They all didn't work?
Yes, they were seen as being constitutional.
A North Korean defector is technically a kind of refugee, right?
Aren't there any laws that are generous to refugees, immigrants, or foreigners?
No.
Think carefully. Is there really nothing?
There's none. And there shouldn't be anything like that.
It's like giving a criminal license to refugees, immigrants, or foreigners.
Then what else could there be?
Young-woo, you're a genius.
Think of something!
It is a bit far-fetched, but there is one I can think of.
What is it?
It's North Korean law.
North Korean law?
Yes, there is robbery in North Korea as well.
Article 288 of North Korean criminal law. Robbery of personal property.
"Someone who has robbed personal property
by means of assault or threat to a person's life or health
will be sentenced to a maximum of four years in a correctional labor camp."
But according to Criminal Law
published by the Kim Il Sung University Publishers,
North Korea's crime of robbery, in comparison to South Korea,
requires a high level of intensity in the assault and threats.
The assault should be intense enough to kill or seriously injure
and threats should be one of assault that will result in immediate death
or serious injuries
unless the victim does not comply with the criminal's requests.
If the assault and threats do not meet these standards,
the crime of robbery cannot be established
and it would merely fall under the crime of stealing personal property.
A crime of stealing personal property?
"Article 284 of North Korean criminal law."
"A crime of stealing personal property."
"Someone who has stolen personal property will be sentenced
to a maximum of one year of labor discipline."
Your Honor, please focus on the sentence.
Robbery of personal property
is a maximum of four years of correctional labor camp.
In other words, a maximum of four years of imprisonment.
But the sentence for stealing personal property
is a maximum of one year of labor discipline.
In South Korea, this would merely be a sentence of a maximum
of one year of community service.
That's enough lecture on North Korean law.
So what are you trying to claim?
The defendant is more used to North Korean law
than she is to South Korean law.
The defendant only tried to get back the money she was supposed to get.
There was no intention to rob the money by oppressing the victim's free will.
Moreover, she did not think that she would be
sentenced to a life sentence
or a minimum of seven years of imprisonment because of her action.
Because in North Korea,
the defendant's actions aren't enough to establish the crime of robbery.
So the attorneys are claiming
that since the defendant thought "this isn't robbery in North Korea,
so I'm not committing robbery."
Is that what you're saying?
Your Honor, this is the most unprecedented logic that's ever been heard.
It's true that it's unprecedented.
But perhaps we should look into it.
Defendant.
Did you think your action wasn't robbery
because you were more used to North Korean law?
Well…
Yes.
Is that so?
What were you going to do if the victim didn't hand you the money?
Didn't you think of getting it even if you had to force her?
Your Honor…
Your Honor.
Could you please once again notify the defendant
of her right to refuse to testify?
Of course.
Defendant, you don't have to answer.
But I would like to ask so we can have a fair trial.
Defendant, could you respond?
I went there
to get it at all costs.
That was my money.
Yes.
Well…
What do you think of what the attorneys claimed just now?
Did you really think that you should threaten the victim only enough
so that robbery wouldn't be established according to North Korean law?
I'm not sure.
I honestly don't know
all that about North Korean law.
I see.
That is all.
All right, that concludes the defense.
Juries, please start your review.
I will give a verdict after that.
All rise.
I'm headed back to the office. Are you coming with me?
I'll stay for the verdict.
Me, too.
Okay, then.
Stay with the defendant until the end.
No matter the result, you two did your best.
Attorney comrades.
Why the long face?
She doesn't mean it literally.
I'm sorry.
Gosh, what are you sorry for?
Then
has it already been decided
that I'll be sent to prison?
No. Get some rest and we'll see you at the verdict.
Come this way.
There's a claim that we haven't tried yet.
Adjudication on the constitutionality of the law.
What?
You said other people tried it
and they were seen as being constitutional.
Wait.
Young-woo!
Hey!
Where are you going?
The jurors are already reviewing. What can you do at this point?
The verdict hasn't been given yet.
Then we can still request the resumption of the hearing.
We're going to go meet the judge.
You can't enter the judge's chambers without a visitor's permit.
We can ask for visitor's permits.
They don't just give it to you.
You need the judge's permission.
Do you think he'll give you permission?
Hey!
Hello, we're attorneys. We would like to visit one of the judges' chambers.
-Which one? -Ryu--
Chief Judge Choi Bo-yeon's chambers on the eighth floor.
What's the purpose of your visit?
Is he expecting you?
It's a personal errand.
Judge Choi Bo-yeon is my father.
This is my colleague and we're here for an errand.
Just a moment.
This is the access desk.
A woman who says she's Judge Choi's daughter is hoping to visit
and I was wondering if this was prearranged.
Your name?
Choi Su-yeon.
Attorney Choi Su-yeon.
Yes. All right.
Write down your name and purpose of visit here, and you can go in.
SUPREME COURT OF KOREA
Do you know what all that's for?
To prevent people like us.
To stop people from trying to plead their case to a judge outside the courtroom.
We're not trying to plead our case to the judge outside the courtroom.
We're just trying to request the resumption of the hearing.
Would the prosecutor see it that way?
I can't believe I let Wild Card Woo Young-woo talk me into this.
Excuse me.
We're here to see Judge Ryu Myeong-ha!
Who are you?
What is this?
How did you get in here?
Your Honor. We would like to request the resumption of the hearing.
Don't you know the juries are reviewing right now?
We do. But we had no choice but to come see you,
even though we knew it was rude.
It's too late for us to submit a request form for a resumption of the hearing.
No.
If you're not satisfied with something, you can appeal.
What is it?
The defendant ultimately never got the money from the victim.
It's unconstitutional for this to be on trial for injury resulting from robbery.
Please allow for the resumption of the hearing.
Attempted injury resulting from robbery does not mean robbery was attempted.
There must be an attempt to cause injury
in order for this charge to be established.
Isn't there room for a different interpretation?
An attempted injury resulting from robbery charge is more favorable to the defendant
than an injury resulting from robbery charge.
And criminal law prohibits any reduced interpretation of a law
that is favorable to the defendant without reason.
Are you going to trial because you don't want to yield?
Are you saying little strokes don't fell great oaks?
First, you claimed the victim's injuries are not the defendant's fault.
Then you bring up North Korean law to say there wasn't any intention in the robbery.
Now, it's unconstitutional for the defendant to be tried
for injury resulting from robbery because she didn't get the money?
Are you kidding me?
Darn it.
CHIEF JUDGE RYU MYEONG-HA
I understand you're passionate as young attorneys.
However,
there is a time and place to be passionate.
It's not because we're young attorneys.
It's because Ms. Gye Hyang-sim is a great mother.
Like a mother whale.
What?
Ms. Gye Hyang-sim lacks common sense and does whatever she pleases.
Even now, it doesn't seem like she fully understands what she did wrong.
But Ms. Gye Hyang-sim chose to be a fugitive for five years
to not abandon her child.
Maternal instinct is not a reason for mitigation,
but I beg you to think of the circumstance of a great mother
who thought she had to raise her daughter before going to prison
so that she would be old enough to remember her mother
once she was released.
This is an argument made out of court.
I'm not going to hear any more of this or reflect it on the verdict.
I won't allow for the resumption of the hearing either.
If you both don't leave right now, I will call a bailiff.
The most famous way of hunting whales is to kill the baby first.
They throw a harpoon at the weak baby,
and as the baby is swimming around in pain,
the mother never leaves its side.
She can't abandon her baby that is in pain.
That's when
the second harpoon is thrown
at the mother that is the ultimate target.
Humans.
Whales are intelligent.
She knows that she will also be killed if she doesn't abandon her baby.
But she never does.
If I were a whale,
would my mom not have abandoned me?
All rise.
Be seated.
Jury, did you finish up the review?
Will you hand me the written verdict?
I will announce the jury's review.
On the charges.
By unanimous decision of the indictment of all seven jurors, guilty.
Opinion on sentencing.
By unanimous decision of the indictment of all seven jurors,
four years of imprisonment.
Thank you, members of the jury.
This court sincerely respects the jury's verdict.
Now, for the verdict.
Stand up.
Formal adjudication.
The defendant is sentenced to one year and nine months of imprisonment.
However, the execution of the sentence against the defendant
is suspended for three years following the date of the verdict.
The court orders that the defendant be on probation
and 80 hours of community service.
What is he saying?
Probation!
What?
Probation…
The nature of this crime offending as the defendant colluded
with an accomplice and assaulted and threatened the victim
with the intention to take property by force.
Considering the fear the victim must've felt during the crime
and how the defendant fled after the crime without being tried,
it is necessary to punish the defendant severely.
However, considering that the defendant
is not used to South Korean laws and regulations as a North Korean defector,
a first-time offender without a criminal record,
and most importantly…
although it has been five years,
she has confessed without forgetting her crimes,
with the intent of receiving punishment.
Thus, the court is taking into account these special sentencing factors.
Right.
Confession.
Yes, she confessed.
That's right.
Sentencing elements that are advantageous or disadvantageous to the defendant…
We were focused on something else that we forgot Hyang-sim had confessed.
Confession is the most basic reason for mitigation. I can't believe we forgot.
We're idiots.
Perhaps the judge is the smart one.
The cleverness of a veteran.
"The cleverness of a veteran."
Through a trial by jury,
following the law regarding juries in criminal trials,
the ruling is as the formal adjudication.
Thank you.
Mom, put that down.
Look at this. Isn't it so pretty?
Gosh, it's too short for me. You try it on.
-Mom, try it on. -It looks good on you.
Just this once.
No, this is too expensive.
Come on, I'll get it for you.
The headquarters has been marketing toward the younger generation,
so we have more customers who bring their daughters with them.
I see.
Do you have a daughter?
No, just a son.
I see.
Then you must be envious whenever you see a mother and daughter shopping.
It's not too late for you to have a daughter.
Just stand by me and look.
It's very expensive to buy that brand at full price.
If I miss this sale, I'll never be able to buy it, okay?
What?
-You should buy one too. -I'm fine.
Buy a bag. Stop using the same one every day.
I don't like department stores.
You're going to like them now.
This is exciting.
What are you doing?
Let's go.
Again?
-I still have more things to see. -Let's go home.
Why?
It's splitting the town in half and isolating each side.
It's not a neighborhood that can just disappear like that.
Are these all materials on Haengbok-ro?
That's Attorney Tae Su-mi, right?
-Why is the king here herself? -"King"?
-I think Jun-ho likes you. -It's not easy for someone to like me.
-Does your heart pound like crazy? -There was a time when it did.
You totally like him!
I want to check whether or not I like you.
Subtitle translation by: Hyun-soo Cho