SALVATION ARMY
HANMI PHARMACY
CAN WE MEET UP? MINOR? I'll PAY 200,000 WON FOR 3 HRS, YES?
-Excuse me. -My gosh…
I'm really sorry, but can I borrow your phone?
I'm sorry.
Hi, I've lost my phone and--
Sorry, my phone is dead…
I'll be there soon. Yes.
Just a second, hold up.
Hey, kid.
Hold up.
What is this?
Wait, is this blood?
No, it isn't…
It definitely seems like it.
What's your name? What school do you go to?
Let's talk inside the police station.
Actually I should take you to the hospital first.
Hey, snap out of it. You should say something so that I can help you.
No, I…
It's not that…
I got it! The roof of building 101!
Send in the task force!
We're on our way!
I killed someone…
What?
…with this.
PETITION TO ABOLISH THE JUVENILE ACT AND BRING MURDERERS TO JUSTICE
RAISE THE LEGAL THRESHOLD FOR PUNISHMENT OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS
The assailant who murdered and mutilated an eight-year-old
has turned himself in eight hours after committing the crime.
The culprit, Baek, turned out to be a 13-year-old
who lived in the same apartment complex as the victim.
Baek has already been investigated by the police.
However, being under 14 years of age,
he is a young offender that is not subject to the same laws as an adult.
There is growing controversy surrounding his punishment.
You're not even human, you asshole!
There are 3,300 judges in Korea,
but only 20 of them work at a juvenile court.
COURT
Those 20 judges meet more than 30,000 young offenders every year.
There are no prosecutors in juvenile court, only assistants.
The judge questions the young offenders themselves
to decide the kind of probation they will be put under.
And that's when their work really starts.
They need to see if the young offender is adjusting within their given probation.
They need to make sure the young offender doesn't run away or commit another crime.
The judge in charge needs to constantly manage and supervise them.
That's strange.
Why does the judge have to do that after the trial is all over?
The purpose of the Juvenile Act is
to provide the proper environment in which anti-social juveniles
can correct their behavior.
So it's also the judge's duty to manage and supervise them.
So the purpose of juvenile court isn't to punish them?
Okay, we'll wrap up the interview after one final question.
Why did you choose to be a juvenile court judge?
There's only one reason.
Hatred.
Pardon?
I…
detest young offenders.
When will I be able to get feedback on this?
-Is this what you wanted? -Yes.
Being at a juvenile classification center doesn't mean he'll have a criminal record.
It's not a prison, ma'am.
Most people think it's a detention center,
but it also counts as school attendance
and they investigate the case further and provide therapy…
YEONHWA DISTRICT COURT
Juvenile Criminal Collegiate Division.
What? Which police station?
Yes, hello. How can I help you this morning?
What?
YEONHWA DISTRICT COURT
JUVENILE CRIMINAL COLLEGIATE DIVISION
Judge Sim Eun-seok?
Hello, I'm Woo Su-mi. I'm a manager here.
You're here earlier than expected.
This way, please.
You were informed that you'll be sharing the room with another judge, right?
He's a male judge by the name of Cha Tae-ju.
He spent all night writing out his rulings.
He just went to freshen up.
What about Presiding Judge Kang?
Is he inside?
-Great work. -Thank you.
-Good job. -Great work.
Thanks.
Next week's shoot has been postponed a week, right?
Yes. Today's footage should be enough for the next two weeks.
Gosh, one of the associate judges quit out of the blue.
We have cases coming in, but not enough people.
-It's driving me crazy. -You're going on air, judging trials,
and even volunteering.
I respect you, Judge Kang.
A LOOK AT JUDGE KANG WON-JUNG WHO GIVES AND VOLUNTEERS
Gosh. What a guy.
Sir!
The court called. They need you right away.
Abolish the Juvenile Act!
-Abolish! -Abolish!
Abolish the Juvenile Act!
-Abolish! -Abolish!
Enforce harsher punishment for young violent offenders!
- -Enforce! - Enforce!
Yes, sir.
Again?
How bad is the injury?
Yes, I understand.
Yes, he should be treated first. Let me know when it's over. Thank you.
Okay.
JUVENILE CRIMINAL COLLEGIATE DIVISION
Excuse me.
Who are you?
Well, the thing is…
This isn't a place where people can just come and go.
Who are you here to meet?
-The new associate judge coming in today. -Do you mean Judge Sim Eun-seok?
Did you meet her?
I heard she was running a little late
because the transfer came out of the blue.
Did you have an appointment with her?
I don't need an appointment.
I am…
Sim Eun-seok.
I'm your senior, so I can talk casually, right?
-Hey! -My goodness.
What's wrong with you?
I told you not to call the TV station!
Didn't I tell you you'll jinx everything if you keep calling from the court?
I'm walking on eggshells over there as is.
Are you going to take responsibility if I get fired?
Presiding Judge Kang. I told him to call you.
We received an urgent case.
What is it?
The Yeonhwa Child Murder Case has come to us.
I'll tell the new associate judge and Judge Tae-ju to gather in your room.
JUVENILE PROTECTION CASE
Sir, you have a meeting with the press arbitration commission after this meeting.
What would you like to do for lunch?
You know about the Yeonhwa Child Murder Case, right?
YEONHWA DISTRICT COURT JUVENILE PROTECTION CASE
Ji-hu!
Ji-hu borrowed a phone from some older kid
because he needed to call his mom.
-And? -But he said he needed
to go home to charge it,
so Ji-hu followed him there.
The culprit is a 13-year-old minor
who lives in the same apartment complex as the victim.
He's small, only around 160cm tall.
He strangled the eight-year-old to death,
mutilated the body with a hatchet, and disposed of the body.
He disposed of some internal organs and body parts in the food waste bin,
so they had to hold the funeral without some parts of the body.
He didn't know the victim and committed the crime in broad daylight
at an apartment complex near a police station and an elementary school.
This is what juvenile crimes are like these days.
Kidnapping, murder, body mutilation, and disposal.
But the culprit is a young offender.
Even the maximum 20-year sentence would cause an uproar.
Yet we can only sentence him to two years in a juvenile reformatory
because he's not 14 years old yet.
NAME: BAEK SEONG-U 13 YEARS OLD
We're definitely going to come under fire.
I heard that you were famous since your trainee days.
You surpassed all your male classmates and entered the Central District Court.
And you even went overseas for further training on top of that.
Seems like you were on a prime elite course.
Good luck on this case
since you were assigned as the judge.
Yes, sir.
The result may have already been decided,
but all eyes will be on us.
We have to be careful.
As you may have noticed, things are different here
than they were at the juvenile court you're from.
You were only in charge of juvenile protection cases, right?
Here, at the Juvenile Criminal Collegiate Division,
we do juvenile protection cases as well as juvenile criminal cases.
The associate judge must read about 80 cases per week,
so that's about 300 cases a month, give or take.
Juvenile criminal cases go through the collegial court
and the rulings are delivered to Presiding Judge Kang.
Protection cases are done individually according to the day of the week.
There are a lot of unsolved cases.
And here's the data you asked for.
And I'm sorry about earlier.
When I heard your name,
I thought you were a man.
Are you sure you're not disappointed because I'm not a man?
Pardon?
Of course not.
Yes?
Nice to meet you.
I'm Joo Yeong-sil, a judicial mediator.
I'm Seo Beom, the assisting officer.
Okay.
Is this all for the Yeonhwa Child Murder case?
Yes, it's quite a lot.
-The culprit's name's Baek Seong-u, right? -Yes.
Let's book a date for the trial as soon as possible.
It's not an ordinary case, so contact the victim's family.
Yes. ma'am.
It's almost MJ time.
Presiding Judge Kang won't be joining us since he has other plans.
It's a tradition at our courthouse.
It's short for, "meal with the judges."
The kids who have been released, the judge in charge,
and the staff all gather to have lunch together.
We have a meal with the kids and listen to their problems.
It has quite a positive effect on them.
Okay. Go ahead.
You have to come too.
The lunch will be meaningless
if you and Presiding Judge Kang aren't there.
It's not like I sentenced the kids.
Caring for the kids after their release
is also one of the duties of a Juvenile Court judge.
You may not have judged their trials, but they're still your responsibility.
They'll be looking forward to it.
Do I have to go?
Are you giving up on taekwondo for good, Do-seok?
Yes.
But I'm still looking into becoming a security guard.
I already got a license and passed the GED at the facility.
-I'm proud of you. -Thank you.
Yu-ri. How's your grandmother?
She's doing a lot better.
I'm getting my paycheck soon.
I'll pay you back for the medicine you bought for my grandma.
I heard you're going to start training soon.
You don't need to pay me back.
Just give me a haircut someday.
Me?
Make me look like BTS. You can do it, right?
I need to know how good you are, right?
You know, the director at the facility has been complimenting you,
saying you turned over a new leaf.
Since you're now officially released,
-how about we have a toast? -Okay.
-Congratulations. -Congratulations.
Thank you.
-I have to use the restroom. -Sure.
He really adores them, doesn't he?
I think the kids know that. They are very fond of him as well.
-Thank you for the food. -Sure.
-Come with me. -Thank you for the food.
Excuse me. Could you hold on a second?
I didn't do it! How many times have I told you? It wasn't me!
You bumped into me in the bathroom. That's when you stole my purse.
I did bump into you, but I didn't steal it.
I swear!
I'm sorry.
It's fine.
I was willing to let it go if you apologized.
This won't do.
I overheard that you have criminal records.
-Call the police, now! -Please just calm down, ma'am.
The police…
They do have criminal records, don't they?
Fuck.
"Fuck"?
Seol-ah.
I swear it wasn't me.
I didn't do it!
Please…
Please believe me. I didn't do it.
Let's just call the police. This is a waste of time.
Judge Sim, she was released just a few hours ago.
Exactly.
It's only been a few hours.
How dare she.
I won't go to the police station! It wasn't me!
-It wasn't me! -Seol-ah.
-I swear I didn't do it! -Seol-ah, wait.
-I won't repeat myself. -Calm down.
-Send her to the police station. -It wasn't me!
Judge Sim.
Judge Sim!
Don't you know that everyone's innocent until proven guilty?
What you did just now disregarded her right to defend herself.
You could've heard her out.
Don't you care about her feelings?
Why should I?
How could she possibly prove that she's innocent?
They'll assume she's guilty because of her records.
Could she…
really be innocent?
Judge Sim!
They found the wallet.
It was under the table next to them. She must've dropped it.
Let's go. You can see for yourself.
You must have been upset.
Are you okay?
I'm so sorry, sir.
We should've looked more thoroughly.
I'm really sorry.
-We're sorry. -We're sorry.
I told you it wasn't me.
I swore it wasn't me.
Apologize.
Apologize for suspecting me.
Apologize!
I don't think so.
Because…
I saw everything.
Left pocket.
You didn't do it, right?
It's okay. Just say so.
I didn't do it.
-Ms. Joo. -Seol-ah.
Show us your pocket.
-I didn't do it! -I know.
-I didn't do it! -Seol-ah.
It wasn't me!
That's…
This is why I despise the likes of you.
You never really change.
Turn her over to the police.
See you at the courthouse.
-Did you see Judge Sim's face? -Yes.
Thank god we met as co-workers.
If I met her as a young offender,
I would've balled my eyes out.
No wonder they call her "Judge Max".
I'm sorry? "Judge Max"?
Yes, "Judge Max."
When she was the only judge at the juvenile division,
she would give out maximum sentences to young offenders.
Hence the nickname.
Kids these days are even saying,
"No matter what happens, avoid Judge Max."
According to the rumors, she always works overtime and on the weekends.
Even the court's labor union has its eyes on her.
In other words, we're totally screwed.
Gosh.
Get to work.
Okay.
I just came from the police station.
Don't trust the kids too much. They're lying half of the time.
You shouldn't have pushed her like that when everyone was watching.
They're also human and they have rights.
Rights, my ass.
You think you're a good adult?
Kids like you and they open up to you.
But do you think those kids also think you're a good adult?
I'm dying to know.
EDUCATION MIDDLE SCHOOL OR LOWER
ABSENT FROM SCHOOL FOR OVER A WEEK
BROKEN FAMILY PARENTS DIVORCED
SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLD
FIRST OFFENSE: 13 YEARS OLD, MURDER
DIAGNOSED WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA
HOSPITALIZED MEDICINAL TREATMENT
I'm going to call it a day.
Okay.
I have to finish this up.
You go ahead.
I know what you said isn't wrong.
But I don't think…
I'm wrong either.
I'll see you tomorrow.
COURT IN SESSION
Name and date of birth.
Baek Seong-u. Born on November 30, 2008.
Where is his legal guardian?
Aren't they here?
She said she called you.
I got a call. She said she's going to be late.
First…
tell me what happened.
Everything that happened on the day of the murder.
To be totally honest,
it was one of those days that
I was just very pissed.
I took my meds but I kept hearing voices.
Excuse me.
Can I borrow your phone?
I have to call my mom.
My phone's dead.
It'll only take a minute.
I took him home using the phone as an excuse,
but once we got there, the voices were gone.
I was going to send him home because I felt bad for him.
But…
Hey!
This is a new game, right?
Can I please play this?
Can I try this VR game?
Goal!
I told him to go home, but he kept blabbering on!
The voices were back and I had a splitting headache.
We're going to play hide-and-seek.
Don't come out until I find you, okay?
If you come out, I will kill you.
Got it?
And at home?
Wasn't anyone there?
I'm usually home alone.
CERTIFICATE OF FAMILY RELATIONS
Mom's busy teaching at the academy.
Would you like to hear something funny?
Do you know where he was hiding?
Ji-hu.
I found you.
You had to see his face.
That fucking asshole…
I heard kids under 14
don't go to prison even if they kill someone.
Is that true?
That's awesome.
Where…
Court dismissed.
-Ma'am. -Your Honor.
What happened to Seong-u?
Where is he?
Are you Seong-u's mother?
Yes.
You're late.
Yes, I had to work.
Work?
I heard on the news that he won't have to go to prison.
How long will he be staying at the Juvenile Classification Center?
Have you met the victim's family?
No.
Apologize to them first.
What a difficult case. Both the kid and his mom.
People tend to show their true nature when they're cornered.
That's why humans are evil.
Judge Sim, Ji-hu's mom is here.
I heard he's a young offender.
Is it true
that he won't go to prison?
How is someone so young
capable of murder?
How can a human being
cut off another person's limbs?
But how come
he won't go to prison for it?
Ma'am.
Ji-hu keeps appearing in my dreams.
And he just cries.
He doesn't say anything.
He just cries, Your Honor.
At Ji-hu's first birthday party, he grabbed the yarn.
But that yarn…
was a hand-me-down from his older brother.
So it was a little worn out.
Could it be because of that?
Was that the reason why poor Ji-hu…
It's all my fault.
These are Ji-hu's favorite dishes.
I heard you can't accept anything else.
Thank you.
HANWOOL DAILY REPORTER KIM HYEONG-JUN
I think that's enough for the interview.
Gosh, this is too much.
You're making me uneasy, Reporter Kim.
Gosh.
You made time for us during your busy schedule.
Of course we should treat you to something nice.
-Thanks. -You'll be hearing good news soon.
Good news?
Maybe I shouldn't have.
Should I tell you?
I heard this from a colleague who's a political correspondent.
The Liberty Party is looking for a new candidate for the upcoming election
and they have you in mind.
You're pretty well-known
since you're on TV and in charge of a big case.
Just make sure to wrap this case up quietly.
I'll set up a meeting.
YUN JI-HU
These are Ji-hu's favorite dishes.
I heard you can't accept anything else.
YUN JI-HU
Enforce harsher punishment for young violent offenders!
-Enforce! -Enforce!
Abolish the Juvenile Act!
Juvenile Criminal Collegiate Division.
You sent the file?
Okay. I'll relay it to Judge Sim right away.
Okay.
Baek Seong-u is already undergoing his second therapy session.
Judge Sim wanted me to find her a file.
It's information on the Yeonhwa Child Murder case.
So you're saying you're still suffering from schizophrenia?
Yes.
Lying will only make things worse.
I know.
So the motive for your crime was schizophrenia?
Yes.
You admit luring the boy to your house, murdering him
and mutilating his body?
Yes.
Why'd you turn yourself in?
Because you're a young offender?
God damn it.
Yes!
Here.
SCHIZOPHRENIA, BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE DISORDER ANXIETY, NEUROSIS
You…
didn't do it, did you?
There are many symptoms of schizophrenia.
Some believe there's someone trying to hurt them.
Others hear things, see things, smell things and even feel things.
The problem is the symptoms are different for everyone.
But what they all have in common is
there's no cure for schizophrenia.
It's hard for them to concentrate on something for long periods of time.
But…
if they commit murder?
Schizophrenics usually get caught red-handed without cleaning up the scene.
Cleaning up a crime scene requires high concentration
so it causes a lot of stress.
But not only did you clean the crime scene,
you lured the kid, planned the murder, mutilated, and disposed of the corpse!
And you say that schizophrenia made you do it.
Did you get any better?
ADDITIONAL PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS ADMINISTERED
There are two reasons why criminals hide their motives.
One is when things are unfavorable to them
and the other is when there's…
another perpetrator involved in the crime.
But you're using the Juvenile Act as a shield.
Everything seems favorable to you.
So it must be the other reason.
Damn it.
There's another perpetrator…
who's involved in this crime.
Can I borrow your phone? I have to call my mom.
No!
Not her!
She has nothing to do with this.
I'm telling you.
She has nothing to do with this.
I knew something was off.
Why would the victim follow a stranger to their house
even if he had to use the phone urgently?
And if you were going to turn yourself in,
why would you dispose of the body?
-Murder, body mutilation, and disposal! -Baek Seong-u.
You weren't the one who did it.
Judge Sim. The information you wanted.
HAN YE-EUN MOM
It's her, isn't it?
I told you
lying would only…
make things worse.
Call his legal guardian
and send him back to the Juvenile Classification Center.
Fuck!
No!
She has nothing to do with this!
I want to go home!
Fuck!
What do you mean?
Just quit if you're going to spew such nonsense.
Do you think we're the police? Why are you stepping over the line?
Everything fits.
We need to check.
Do you think the police are stupid?
Do you think they handed over the case without looking into it?
He turned himself in.
He had the murder weapon and was suffering from schizophrenia.
They trusted his confession.
But they're wrong.
There's an accomplice.
It couldn't have been Baek Seong-u because of his schizophrenia.
Do you have proof?
I have records of phone calls and texts before and after the murder.
I also have footage of her getting on an elevator with the victim
wearing the same school uniform as Baek Seong-u
and Baek Seong-u's doctor's referral.
Do you need more?
So you want to send the case back to the police?
The whole nation is focused on this case.
The press already has all their stories out.
Do you really think the police will admit their own fault?
I'll go catch her myself.
You're a judge!
It is also a judge's duty to get to the bottom of a case through due process.
Right now, it's a juvenile protection case,
but if there's an accomplice over the age of 14,
it's a juvenile criminal case.
We're the only juvenile criminal court with jurisdiction,
and you want to keep it under wraps?
And what if you're wrong? What if you screw everything up?
I'll take responsibility.
Like shit you will! What the hell…
Just shut up and proceed with the trial by the book.
-Sir! -We can't afford to make such a scene!
Do you understand? I'm…
I'm giving you a direct order.
Leave.
Get out of my sight.
Get out!
What the hell…
THE CULPRIT OF THE YEONHWA CHILD MURDER CASE WILL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED
ACCORDING TO YEONHWA DISTRICT COURT JUDGE KANG WON-JUNG
You're pretty well-known
since you're on TV and in charge of a big case.
Just make sure to wrap this case up quietly.
Damn it.
I agree with Presiding Judge Kang.
It's just too risky.
If this gets out,
Han Ye-eun's personal information will be all over the place.
But what if she didn't do it?
The court will be destroying her family.
Proceed with Baek Seong-u's trial first.
-Then investigate later-- -Later when?
After the victim's parents are dead?
Should we do it then?
-Judge Sim. -Please.
Just let me do my job.
JUVENILE PROTECTION CASE
YUN JI-HU
COURT
And what if you're wrong? What if you screw everything up?
The court will be destroying her family.
What are you doing here?
I've been looking for you all over.
Let's catch the accomplice.
We need proof to convince Presiding Judge Kang.
What's with you all of a sudden?
Because…
I found some confidence.
Thank you.
Detective Ko.
Hello.
Hello, Judge Cha.
I was hoping to ask you some questions about Baek Seong-u.
Oh, Baek Seong-u?
Could you tell me what happened when he turned himself in?
The first time I saw him was in front of the police station.
He seemed very nervous.
Let's talk inside the police station.
He didn't seem like he was going to turn himself in at first.
But, how do I say this…
It's like he changed all of a sudden.
I killed someone.
His expression changed in the blink of an eye.
Wait.
-Sorry? -There.
What is he looking at?
Is it possible to see the footage from the other side?
To be honest, I'll never understand the way
you treat young offenders.
But if a trial is held in our court
only for that boy
when there's an accomplice,
it's an insult to our court.
Which is a whole other issue.
I'll help you.
I'm also an associate judge after all.
It won't be easy for you to do this alone.
You don't know where the kids are from or what kind of networks they have formed.
Han Ye-eun dropped out of Yeonju Girls' High School in her freshman year.
Then who else went to Yeonju Girls' High among the cases we handled?
WOO SEOL-AH ADMITTED: DEC 21, 2021
You never know, right?
How things will turn out, I mean.
I don't want to.
I won't help.
Please, Seol-ah.
Have I ever asked you for anything before?
Just this once.
Han Ye-eun frequents an internet cafe on Juseong-ro.
You have a driver's license, right?
I'm still making installment payments…
I'll head over to Han Ye-eun's place.
She'll be waiting for Baek Seong-u to message her.
Are you out of your mind?
What do you think you're doing?
Please let Seong-u go. Please.
Please let him go.
I gave birth to him. I know him better than anyone.
Every parent who comes here says the exact same thing.
Please let him go!
Move.
I won't ask again!
Please help him.
So get out of the way!
-Who the hell are you? -Sorry.
What do you think you're doing?
We received a tip that a young offender we're looking for is here.
-Please cooperate. -Are you with the police?
You can call them if you want.
You do know that it's illegal to have minors here after 10 p.m., right?
You could be sentenced up to two years in prison and fined up to 20 million won.
It's up to you.
You just need to catch the kid, right?
Do judges go looking for kids these days?
Call the probation office.
Did you find her? Is Han Ye-eun there?
I Sens Internet Cafe on Juseong-ro. Call them now.
You know Baek Seong-u, right?
Who are you?
I'm the judge in charge of his trial.
I could call the police and make a scene,
but I'm doing you a favor.
Come quietly.
-Are you okay? -What the hell?
Who the hell was that?
My goodness!
It's all ruined!
-Mister, go! Go now! -What the hell?
-Go! -This taxi has been reserved!
Move it! Fuck!
I…
detest…
young offenders.
THE CHARACTERS AND EVENTS DEPICTED IN THE SHOW ARE FICTITIOUS
Subtitle translation by: Lexi Lee