[solemn music]
SALVATION ARMY
HANMI PHARMACY
CAN WE MEET UP? MINOR? I'll PAY 200,000 WON FOR 3 HRS, YES?
[heavy footsteps]
-[Seong-u] Excuse me. -[woman] Holy shit.
[Seong-u] I'm really sorry, but could I maybe borrow your phone?
[woman] Uh, I'm so sorry.
[Seong-u] Excuse me. Um, can I borrow your phone? I've just lost mine--
I'm sorry, my battery is dead.
[vehicles zooming]
[solemn music continues]
On my way. Yeah.
I gotta go now.
[Gang-sik] Hey, kid.
Hold up one sec.
-[tense music] -[gasps]
[eerie music]
[Gang-sik] What's all this?
Is it blood?
Uh, no, it isn't.
Yeah, it… it looks like it is.
Can you tell me your name, kid?
Let's go inside here. We, we can talk.
No, I should take you to the hospital.
Hey, get it together and talk to me
-or I can't help you. -No, no.
No, it's just that…
[Seong-u breathes heavily]
-[radio beeps] -[police 1] Here, top of Building 101!
Call the parents and don't let anyone near.
Call for backup now!
[police 2] Copy. We're on our way!
[tense music]
[clangs and squeaks]
[panting]
[eerie music]
[Seong-u] I just…
I killed someone.
[heavy breathing]
What?
[clinks]
I used this.
[eerie music]
PETITION TO ABOLISH THE JUVENILE ACT AND BRING MURDERERS TO JUSTICE
RAISE THE LEGAL THRESHOLD FOR PUNISHMENT OF JUVENILE OFFENDERS
The person responsible for the recent murder
of an eight-year-old child
and the subsequent mutilation of the boy's body
has turned himself in after an eight-hour search.
[reporter] The perpetrator, whose surname is Baek is a 13-year-old boy
who lives in the same apartment complex as the murder victim.
Baek has already undergone investigation by the police
and has been found responsible.
However, Baek's age designates him a young offender,
and he cannot be held accountable for his crimes.
In the wake of this grizzly murder,
we're expecting controversy over the law to grow.
-[people clamoring] -[camera shutters click]
[heavy breathing]
[Eun-seok] There are about 3,300 judges in South Korea.
But only 20 of those judges work in the juvenile courts.
COURT
And those 20 judges adjudicate on the cases
of 30,000 young offenders per year.
In the juvenile court system, a legal assistant may be present,
but there are no prosecutors in the court room.
The judge directly questions the young offenders and then decides
whether to grant them probation.
And if probation is granted, the judge's real work begins.
Since they need to monitor the young offender
and see that they're adjusting well.
To ensure that…
the young offender doesn't run away or re-offend.
The judge overseeing the case assumes a continuous supervisor role.
[interviewer] That seems strange, though.
Why is the judge involved even after the trial is over?
I believe the purpose of Juvenile Law is to provide a structure
where troubled kids can reform themselves and mature into better citizens.
So really, it's the judge's responsibility to direct and to supervise them.
So the goal of the juvenile court system… isn't punishment?
[interviewer] Okay, then.
We'll wrap up the interview after one last question, ma'am.
What made you decide to be a juvenile court judge?
[pensive music]
There's really only one reason.
Hatred.
[interviewer] What?
I have…
nothing but hatred…
for young offenders.
[engine revs]
[worker 1] I'm not gonna even be at home.
[worker 2] Yes.
-Here it is. -Yes.
Well, just because he's at the juvenile center
doesn't mean he'll have a record.
The center's not a prison, ma'am.
[Beom] People think it's some kind of punitive detention center,
but kids can get school credit there,
while we follow up on their cases and bring them here for therapy.
YEONHWA DISTRICT COURT
-Juvenile Criminal Collegiate Division. -[Beom] Yes. No, no, no.
-Well, uh… No, I wasn't signing. -Which police station?
Uh, uh, it's the order handed down by the court.
[Beom] What can I help you with, ma'am?
I'm sorry, what?
YEONHWA DISTRICT COURT
[door lock beeps]
YEONHWA DISTRICT COURT JUVENILE CRIMINAL COLLEGIATE DIVISION
[door squeaks]
Uh, Judge Sim Eun-seok, right?
I'm Woo Su-mi. I manage the Juvenile Criminal Collegiate Division.
You got here earlier than we'd expected.
[Su-mi] Follow me, ma'am.
[door opens]
Here.
You were already told that
you'll be sharing the office with another judge, right?
He's a male judge. His name is Cha Tae-ju.
He was here all night writing up a sentencing.
[Su-mi] He just stepped out to go freshen up.
Mr. Kang here?
Is he in there?
-[host] Yes, thank you. -[staff] Good job.
-Good job, guys. -Great work.
-I'm heading out now. -Great work, everyone.
So next week's shoot's been postponed, is that right?
That's right, sir. Today's footage should be enough for two weeks, sir.
Oh, one of our associate judges up and left.
We have cases coming in, we're way understaffed.
-It's stressing me out. -[PD] I can imagine.
Broadcasting, trials, and even volunteering.
All my respect, Judge Kang.
A LOOK AT JUDGE KANG WON-JUNG WHO GIVES AND VOLUNTEERS
[laughs]
Wow, what a guy, huh?
-[director] Excuse me, sir! -Huh?
That was the courthouse on the phone. They need you there right away.
Time to revoke the Juvenile Law!
[all in unison] Revoke! Revoke!
[protester] Time to revoke the Juvenile Law!
[all in unison] Revoke! Revoke!
[protester] Do not tolerate punishment for young offenders right now!
[all in unison] Zero tolerance now!
[Tae-ju] Yes, understood.
Again?
Well, how bad is the injury, though?
Yeah, yeah, I understand what you mean.
Uh, yeah.
He should get the treatment first.
Let me know when that's taken care of. Thanks. Talk to you soon. Yeah.
JUVENILE CRIMINAL COLLEGIATE DIVISION
Pardon.
[Tae-ju] May I help you, ma'am?
Uh, well, the thing is you can't really just wander around in here.
Uh, so are you here to meet someone?
The new associate judge who's starting today.
Oh, Judge Si… Sim Eun-seok? That's his name?
Have you meet him yet?
I heard he'll be a little late today
because the… the whole transfer was out of the blue.
Did you have an appointment with him, though?
I don't need a damn appointment.
Because I'm…
Sim Eun-seok, young man.
[gasps]
I might come off a little harsh, but I am your senior.
-[Won-jung] Hey! -Oh, my goodness.
What the hell's wrong with you? I said not to call the broadcast station!
I told you that when you interrupt me there,
everything always falls to shit, huh?
I'm walking on eggshells all the time over there as it is.
-[rack rattles] -So it'll be on you if I get fired.
Um, Mr. Kang. I told him to call you.
We had an urgent case come through.
What is it?
The Yeonhwa Child Murder Case has been sent to us, sir.
[Yeong-sil] I'll go tell the new associate judge
and also Judge Tae-ju to go and meet you in your office, sir.
[tense music]
JUVENILE PROTECTION CASE
[knocks on door]
Hi, sir.
You have a meeting with the Press Arbitration Committee after this.
What do you want for dinner?
Everybody's already heard about the Yeonhwa Case, right?
YEONHWA DISTRICT COURT JUVENILE PROTECTION CASE
[Mrs. Yun] Ji-hu!
[crying] Ji-hu!
[Mrs. Yun whimpers]
Ji-hu!
Ji-hu went to borrow a phone from some older kid.
-[police 1] Mm-hmm. And? -Because he didn't have one
and he needed to call his mom.
[kid] But the kid told him he needed to go inside to charge his phone,
so Ji-hu followed him back to his house.
[police 2] Please back up. Step back, sir.
[unsettling music]
[camera shutters clicking]
[Won-jung] The culprit is a 13-year-old young offender
who lives in the same complex as the victim.
He's small, only around 5 feet 3.
And he apparently strangled the eight-year-old boy to death,
cut him up with a hatchet, and then disposed of the body.
He dumped the internal organs and the rest of the body in a compost bin,
so the family was unable to recover the body for the funeral.
The two boys don't seem to have known each other.
He did it in broad daylight at an apartment complex
beside a police station and an elementary school.
This is just the grim new reality of juvenile crimes.
Kidnapping, murder, body mutilation, and disposal.
But the kid is still a young offender.
The maximum sentence according to the law
is only 20 years which would cause an uproar.
Though, in his case, he can only get two years in youth detention…
because he's under 14 years of age.
NAME: BAEK SEONG-U 13 YEARS OLD
[Won-jung] Basically, the press will eat us alive.
[Won-jung sighs]
[gulps]
[exhales]
I heard you did well at the training institute.
And that you surpassed all your male classmates
and went on to the Central District Court.
And you even trained overseas, right? [chuckles]
You're destined to be one of the elites.
Anyway, I wish you the best of luck on this case here…
since you've been selected as judge.
Right.
[sniffles]
The outcome may have been determined already.
But the department's handling of this
is gonna have the whole country's attention.
So be careful, huh?
[Tae-ju] Maybe you already know,
but the way we go about our business around here
is really quite a bit different from the way things are
at the Juvenile District Court you're at.
You only handled juvenile protection cases, is that right?
At the Juvenile Criminal Collegiate Division,
we actually do juvenile protection cases in addition to juvenile criminal cases.
So that means the associate judge has to read about 80 cases every week.
So that comes out to 300 cases a month, you know.
Mm.
So these juvenile criminal cases go through collegiate court
and the sentences are reported to Mr. Kang.
Although protection cases are done separately and on specific days.
There are quite a few open cases here.
[chuckles awkwardly]
And that data you wanted, right here.
[Tae-ju] Ma'am, I apologize for the misunderstanding earlier.
It's just when I first heard your name,
I mistakenly assumed you'd be a man.
And you're sure you're not somewhat disappointed about that?
[chuckles]
-What? -[page rustles]
-Oh, of course not. -[pen scribbles]
-[knocks on door] -Yes?
[door opens]
It's nice to meet you, ma'am.
My name is Joo Yeong-sil, I'm a parliamentary counselor.
I'm Prosecutor Seo Beom, ma'am.
Right.
This whole stack's for the Yeonhwa Child Murder case?
Yes. Yes, it's quite a bit, ma'am.
The perpetrator's name is Baek Seong-u, right?
[Yeong-sil] Yes.
Let's arrange a date for the trial as early as possible.
Since it's an atypical case, go ahead and contact the victim's family.
[Beom] I'll get on it, ma'am.
[Su-mi] Hey, it's almost MJ time, everyone.
Oh, Mr. Kang won't be joining us today. He's made other plans.
Um… [Yeong-sil clicks tongue]
It's a… a little tradition we have here.
MJ is just short for "meal with judge."
The kids who have just been released meet with the judge and staff.
We go out and have a meal together and chat a little.
[Beom] We all go to a restaurant somewhere just to catch up with them.
We think it really helps them out.
Fine. You go right ahead.
You should really come along with us today.
If the associate judge doesn't come when Mr. Kang can't,
the gathering doesn't mean anything.
Not like I sentenced any of these delinquents.
Following up the kids after their release
is one of the responsibilities of a Juvenile Court judge.
You may not have overseen their cases, but they're your responsibility, you know.
They expect to meet you, ma'am.
[sighs]
Do I have to go?
So you're not gonna do taekwondo anymore, Do-seok, huh?
Mm, yeah.
Yeah, but I'm still looking into becoming a security guard.
I already got a license and I passed my final exams at the detention center.
-Proud of you. -Thank you.
Hey, Yu-ri. Uh, how's your grandma been doing lately?
Ah! Well, she's been doing a lot better, sir.
[Yu-ri] Oh, I'm getting my paycheck soon, and I'll be able to pay you back
for those meds that you bought for my grandma.
That was really nice.
[chuckles]
Right. I heard you're gonna start training soon.
[Tae-jun] No need to pay me back.
Just give me a haircut someday and we're even.
A haircut?
-BTS style, though. You can do that, huh? -[all laughing]
I wanna know just how good you are.
[all chuckle]
[Tae-ju] Hey, you know,
the director of the detention center was complimenting you.
He says you've changed a lot.
[giggles]
How about we give a toast to Seol-ah
-for getting released from the center? -Okay.
-[Tae-ju] Congrats. -Congrats.
-Thank you so much, sir. -[Do-seok] Congrats.
-Excuse me, I'm going to the bathroom. -[Tae-ju] Mm.
He really loves this kids, huh?
And I think the kids can really tell. They get along with him as well.
-[Yu-ri] Thank you for the food. -Thank you so much. Thanks.
-[Beom] Thank you for the food. -You're coming with me.
Excuse me. Could you hold on a second, please?
[exasperated sigh]
I didn't steal from you! How many times do I have to tell you, huh?
[woman] You bumped into me leaving the bathroom,
and that must have been when you stole it.
[dramatic music]
I did bump into you, but I didn't steal.
I swear to you!
I'm sorry, ma'am.
It's all right.
[woman] I was willing to drop this whole thing if you apologized.
But this is absurd.
I heard what you were saying about being criminals.
-[woman 2] Call the police right now! -[Beom] Ma'am, ma'am, please, please.
-Please, let's just relax. -But you didn't actually see her
-take your wallet. -[woman 1] That's right.
-These kids are all criminals. -Okay, I'm asking you to relax.
-Fucking bullshit! -[woman] What's that?
Seol-ah.
I swear it wasn't me.
I didn't take anything, all right?
But, listen. Trust me.
I didn't do it. I swear to God I didn't steal from her.
Let's call the police now. This is all a waste of time.
Hey, Ms. Sim, she just got released from the detention center, you know.
Correct.
She's only been out for a few hours.
How dare she.
[tense music]
-I'm not gonna go back! -Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!
It wasn't me, though!
-It wasn't me, though! -Hey, Seol-ah. Seol-ah.
[Beom and Yeong-sil] It's okay.
It's not me. I swear. I swear I didn't do it!
-I won't repeat myself. -[Beom] Try, try to calm down.
-Send her to the station now. -[loud crying]
Miss Sim.
Hey, Ms. Sim!
They're innocent until proven guilty, you know.
But you basically just denied her the right to defend herself in court.
You could've at least heard her out.
Come on, how can you not empathize with this poor girl?
And why should I do that?
How could she prove she's actually innocent
without anyone advocating for her?
She'll be presumed guilty just because of her record.
[Eun-seok] Is she…
really innocent?
Miss Sim, come on!
They just found the wallet under a nearby table.
That woman must have just dropped it.
[sighs]
Let's go. And you can see for yourself.
[Su-mi] You must have been upset.
[sobbing and sniffles]
[Tae-ju] Seol-ah, are you all right?
I'm so sorry for our mistake.
We really should've looked for the woman's wallet more thoroughly.
-We apologize. -[both servers in unison] We apologize.
I told you it wasn't me.
I swore I didn't do anything.
Say you're sorry.
[Seol-ah] Apologize for accusing me.
Apologize to me now!
I'm not gonna do that, kiddo.
Because, in fact,…
[inhales]
…I saw everything you did.
In her left pocket.
You didn't steal, hmm?
Everything's okay. Just tell them that. Tell them you're innocent.
I didn't.
-Talk to Ms. Joo. -Seol-ah, hey.
Let me look in your pocket.
-I didn't do that! -I know.
-I didn't do that! -Seol-ah.
-I know, just let me look. -It wasn't me!
[Seol-ah gasps]
[tense music]
[nervous breathing] That's just…
This is the reason I so despise you all.
Kids like you… never change.
[dramatic music]
Well, go on. Take her to the station.
And I'll see you in court.
[Seol-ah sobs]
Uh, did you see the look on Ms. Sim's face?
-Mm-hmm. -[exhales deeply]
Thank God I only know her as a coworker.
If I were one of those kids and I met her, I think I'd piss myself.
I can understand why they call her "Judge Max."
Huh? "Judge Max"?
Yeah, "Judge Max."
Yeah. When she was in charge of the juvenile division,
she would always give young defenders the maximum sentence.
That's where it's from.
Kids always say, "No matter what happens, just don't end up in Judge Max's court."
According to the rumors, she always works overtime and on the weekends.
Even the court union has their eyes on her.
In other words, we're pretty screwed.
God.
Let's get to work.
Yeah.
[door clacks open]
[door closes]
[Tae-ju] I just got back from the police station.
You can't trust these kids too much. All they ever do is lie.
You really overstepped when you backed her into a corner
while everyone was watching her.
These kids have feelings and personal rights, you know.
Yeah, my ass, they do.
You consider yourself a good adult.
The kids warm up to you, and they feel like opening up to you.
But do they…
Do they really think you're a good adult?
I'd like to know that.
-[door slides closed] -[receding footsteps]
EDUCATION MIDDLE SCHOOL OR LOWER
ABSENT FROM SCHOOL FOR OVER A WEEK
[pensive music]
BROKEN FAMILY PARENTS DIVORCED
SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLD
FIRST OFFENSE: 13 YEARS OLD, MURDER
DIAGNOSED WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA
HOSPITALIZED MEDICINAL TREATMENT
[chair rattles]
[Tae-ju] I'm gonna call it a night, ma'am.
Mm.
I'm still finishing this up.
Go ahead.
Hey, I know that what you said isn't wrong, ma'am.
But I still don't think…
that I'm in the wrong about them either.
Well, see you tomorrow.
[door opens]
[vehicles honking]
[gulps]
[dramatic music]
[door opens]
[door closes]
COURT IN SESSION
[paper rustles]
[door opens]
[footsteps]
[door closes]
[paper rustles]
Your name and your date of birth?
Baek Seong-u. I was born on November 30, 2008.
Where is your legal guardian?
Are they in the courtroom?
She said she called you.
[Beom] Uh, I got a call. She said, uh…
She said that, that she's gonna be late, ma'am.
[sighs]
[paper rustles]
Well, then…
why don't you tell me…
everything you remember from that day?
To tell you the truth,
that day, I was actually…
really not doing too good.
[eerie music]
[Seong-u] The voices were really loud even with the meds.
[Ji-hu] Hello?
Hey, can I borrow your phone for just a second?
I gotta call my mom.
But my phone's almost dead.
Can I just borrow it for like a minute?
[door lock beeps]
-[door closes] -Whoa!
Ooh! Ooh!
[Seong-u] I used the phone to get him inside my house.
But buy the time we got there, the voices were gone.
And I was gonna send the kid home because I felt bad for him.
And then…
[Ji-hu] Hey!
[tense music]
This is a new one, right?
Can I play it for a little bit?
Wow, can I try out this VR game? [echoes]
Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! It's goal!
[Seong-u] I told him to go home,
but he kept talking and talking and talking.
And the voices in my head were getting louder and louder.
[Ji-hu] …this thing? Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
[Ji-hu gasps]
We're gonna play hide-and-seek now.
You stay in here until I find you, okay?
If you move, I swear I'm gonna kill you.
Yeah?
And there was…
no one at home?
I'm usually alone all day.
CERTIFICATE OF FAMILY RELATIONS
[Seong-u] Mom's busy teaching at the school.
[sighs]
[laughs]
Do you wanna hear something funny?
[muffled giggling]
[Seong-u breathes deeply]
Do you know where the kid was hiding out?
-[suspenseful music] -[giggling continues]
[Seong-u] Ji-hu.
Ji-hu.
[gasps]
[sing-song] Ji-hu.
[suspenseful music fades]
[anxious breathing]
[uneasy music]
[Ji-hu gasps]
I found you.
-[Ji-hu screams] -[Seong-u laughs]
[inhales deeply]
You should have seen the look on his face.
[Seong-u laughs maniacally]
That fucking monster.
[Seong-u laughs maniacally]
[Seong-u exhales deeply]
[Seong-u continues chuckling]
[breathes deeply]
I heard… that kids under the age of 14
don't go to prison even for something like murder.
Is that true?
-[thrumming music] -[Seong-u laughs]
Great. [Seong-u inhales]
[laughs]
[panting]
[nervous breathing]
-[Jung-han] Court is dismissed. Uh, ma'am. -Your… Your Honor. Excuse me.
What happened to Seong-u? Where is he now?
[Mrs. Baek] Where did you take him? He here?
Excuse me, ma'am, are you Seong-u's mother?
I am.
You're a little late, ma'am.
Yeah, I had to work.
[scoffs]
You had to work?
[Mrs. Baek] I heard on the news that he won't go to prison.
So for how long is he gonna stay at the Juvenile Intake Center?
Have you spoken with the victim's family, ma'am?
N… no.
-[clacks] -[chair skids]
You should apologize.
[Mrs. Baek sighs]
[door closes]
I found the kid's mother a little strange as well.
When someone's cornered, their true nature always comes out.
That's how we know how vicious humans can be.
Ms. Sim, Ji-hu's mom is here to see you.
I heard that the boy's a young offender.
[Mrs. Yun] Is it true that…
he won't even go to prison?
How is someone so young…
capable of murder?
How can a young child…
cut off another child's arms and legs?
And how is it that…
he won't go to prison at all?
[sighs deeply]
Sorry, ma'am.
[Mrs. Yun] Ji-hu keeps showing up in my dreams.
He just stands there and cries.
[sobs]
He doesn't say anything to me.
[whimpers]
He just stands there crying, Your Honor.
[somber music]
[Mrs. Yun exhales shakily]
During Ji-hu's first birthday party, he held on to a lucky string.
But we used the same one…
at our first-born's first birthday.
So the lucky string was all worn out.
[cries]
Is that why this happened to him?
Is it because of that string that my baby…
[sobs]
All of this is my fault.
[sobs] This whole thing is all my fault.
[sniffles]
This is an assortment of Ji-hu's favorite side dishes.
I heard you can't accept anything else, so…
[Mrs. Yun sobbing]
[somber music continues]
[heavy sigh]
Thanks.
HANWOOL DAILY REPORTER KIM HYEONG-JUN
[Reporter Kim] I think that's enough for the interview, sir.
Wow, this is much too much, huh?
I'm feeling pressured, Reporter Kim.
-[Reporter Kim] Really? -[laughs]
You made time for us despite all the broadcast and trials.
We figured we ought to treat you to something nice.
-Thanks. -I imagine you'll be hearing
the good news soon.
Hearing good news?
[Reporter Kim laughs]
I shouldn't have said that.
I guess I should I tell you.
[clears throat]
I heard this from a colleague in the politics bureau.
The Liberty Party is looking for a new candidate for the upcoming election,
and they apparently have you in mind.
[Reporter Kim] You're pretty well-known because of the TV show,
plus, you're overseeing a very high profile case.
Just make sure you wrap up the case well.
and I could set up a meeting with the party.
[engine roars]
[pensive music]
[breathes deeply]
[siren wailing in distance]
[groans]
YUN JI-HU
[Mrs. Yun] This is an assortment of Ji-hu's favorite dishes.
I heard you can't accept anything else, so…
[box clacks]
YUN JI-HU
[soft melancholy music]
[crunching]
[crunching continues]
[soft melancholy music]
Do not tolerate punishment for young offenders right now!
[all in unison] Zero tolerance! Zero tolerance!
Time to revoke the Juvenile Law!
[Su-mi] Yes, Juvenile Criminal Collegiate Division.
You sent over the file?
Yes, okay. I'll get it over to Ms. Sim right away.
Okay.
-[phone clanks] -[sharp exhale]
Baek Seong-u is here already. He's in the therapy session.
Ms. Sim wanted me to find her this one file.
It looks like more intel on the Yeonhwa Child Murder case.
[printer whirring]
So you claim that you're still suffering from schizophrenia?
Is that right?
Yeah.
You know that lying to me will simply make things worse for you.
Yeah, I know.
So the motive for your crime was schizophrenia?
[sighs] Yeah.
You've already admitted you lured the boy into your house
and proceeded to murder him, and then mutilate the boy's body, no?
Yeah.
How come?
You knew you'd be tried as a young offender?
[exhales] Damn it.
Yeah!
[paper rustles]
Here you go.
SCHIZOPHRENIA, BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE DISORDER ANXIETY, NEUROSIS
[scoffs]
No.
This isn't you.
[suspenseful music]
[sucks teeth]
[Eun-seok] Schizophrenia manifests in many different ways.
Some patients believe that someone's trying to hurt them.
Others hear things, see things, smell things, and feel things.
Unfortunately, the illness can have different symptoms for everyone.
But one thing we know for certain
is that, for now, we don't have a viable cure for schizophrenia.
[shaky breathing]
Patients have difficulty concentrating for an extended time.
[elevator dings]
[Eun-seok] But what if…
[elevator door closed]
…they commit a murder?
[crinkles]
Schizophrenics tend to be easily apprehended
as they're unable to dispose of evidence.
Cleaning a crime scene requires a high level of concentration
and causes them a great amount of stress.
But not only did you clean the crime scene,
you lured the kid, plotted the murder, mutilated, and disposed of his corpse!
Are you really going to blame this on schizophrenia?
Are you really cured now?
SCHIZOAFFECTIVE DISORDER ADDITIONAL PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS ADMINISTERED
[anxious breathing]
There are two main reasons why criminals usually hide their underlying intent.
One reason is that it's unfavorable to the criminal,
and then the other is oftentimes because there's…
another person involved.
[anxious breathing]
But you know all about Juvenile Law.
So circumstances are already favorable to you.
So I'd say it's the second reason.
[murmurs] Oh, shit.
I believe there's another person…
[Seong-u breathing angrily]
…involved in the murder.
Can I borrow your phone for just a second? I gotta call my mom.
[dramatic music]
[keys clack]
Fuck you!
[breathes heavily]
It's not her!
[Seong-u] She doesn't have anything to do with this.
Seriously, I swear to you that.
She has nothing to do with this at all.
I always felt something wasn't right.
Why would a kid go into a stranger's house
even if he had to make an urgent phone call?
And you're… turning yourself in anyway.
So why dispose of the body?
-Murder, body mutilation, and disposal! -[Jung-han] Baek Seong-u.
[chair thuds]
You aren't the one who actually murdered him.
[angry breathing]
[door opens, closes]
Mr. Cha, here's the paperwork she asked for.
[panting]
[somber music]
[pages rustling]
HAN YE-EUN MOM
It's her, right?
[dark music]
[squeaking]
[gasps]
I already told you.
If you keep lying to me,
it'll only make it worse.
Contact his mother…
[papers rustle]
…and send him back to the Juvenile Intake Unit.
[groans]
No, fuck you!
Ah, no!
[Seong-u] No! She has nothing to do with this! I swear!
I want to go home! Take me home!
No, fuck you!
[Won-jung] What the hell are you talking about?
If you're going to talk nonsense, you should just quit.
You think we're the police or something? You're overstepping your…
Everything's fitting together, sir.
I think we ought to check.
You think the police are stupid, don't you?
You think they didn't thoroughly investigated already?
He turned himself in.
They assume it's him because of the weapon and his schizophrenia,
and because he's made the confession.
But I think they're wrong.
I think he had an accomplice.
Baek Seong-u is far too mentally unstable to have done all of this by himself.
You have proof?
Her number's on his phone records before and after the murder.
And there's footage of her in an elevator with the victim,
and she's wearing the same school uniform as Seong-u.
I also have his doctor's statement. You need more proof?
[breathes deeply]
So you want to send the case back to the police?
This case is attracting a lot of attention.
And the police already said the culprit's apprehended.
Do you really think they'd ever admit that they were mistaken?
So I'll go catch her myself.
But you're just a judge!
And it's the judge's duty according to proper protocol
to get to the bottom of the case.
[Eun-seok] As of now, it's just a juvenile protection case.
But if it turns out there's an accomplice who is over the age of 14,
it then becomes a juvenile criminal case, sir.
We're the only juvenile criminal justice department,
and you really think we should keep this under wraps?
And if you're wrong?
What if you're hunch is wrong and you screw this all up?
-Then I'll answer for it. -My ass, god! What the hell!
Just shut up and finish the trial by the rules.
-Shut up? -We cannot afford
to make a big commotion with this case! Do you understand? Huh?
I'm…
I'm giving you a direct order.
Now go.
I don't wanna look at you.
Now get out!
-[breathes deeply] -[door opens]
-[door closes] -What the hell.
THE CULPRIT OF THE YEONHWA CHILD MURDER CASE WILL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED
ACCORDING TO YEONHWA DISTRICT COURT JUDGE KANG WON-JUNG
[Reporter Kim] You're pretty well-known because of the TV show,
plus, you're overseeing a very high profile case.
Just make sure you wrap up the case well.
-[newspaper thuds] -Damn.
[door closes]
[sighs]
I've got to agree with Mr. Kang, ma'am.
This whole thing seems too risky.
If any of this gets out, the police and the general public
will go after Han Ye-eun, and she might be innocent after all.
We'd be ruining this girl's reputation and humiliating her family.
I think we should finish Baek Seong-u's trial.
-And at a later date-- -When is that?
When the victim's parents are almost dead?
Is that then?
-Ms. Sim. -How about…
we do our goddamn job?
-[door opens] -[sighs]
[door closes]
[sighs]
JUVENILE PROTECTION CASE
YUN JI-HU
-[birds chirping] -[mellow music]
[vehicles honking]
[siren wiling in distance]
COURT
And if you're wrong? What if you're hunch is wrong and you screw this all up?
We'd be ruining this girl's reputation and humiliating her family.
[breathes deeply]
[Tae-ju] What are you doing here, ma'am?
I've been looking for you.
[exhales heavily]
I really wanna catch this girl.
But we need proof to convince Mr. Kang.
Why the change of heart?
Because…
I'm feeling confident we can pull it off.
[detective] Thank you.
Detective Ko.
Hello, sir.
Oh, hello, Mr. Cha.
I was hoping to ask you a few questions about Baek Seong-u.
[Gang-sik] Oh, Baek Seong-u?
Could you tell me what happened the night he turned himself in?
[Gang-sik] The first time I saw him was in front of the police station.
He seemed very nervous.
Let's go inside here. We… we can talk.
He didn't seem like he was gonna turn himself in at first.
But how do I say this…
It's like he changed into someone else all of a sudden.
I just…
I killed someone.
[Gang-sik] His expression changed in the blink of an eye.
[Tae-ju] Wait, hang on.
-What? -Right there.
[Tae-ju] What is he looking at?
Is there any footage from the other side?
[clicks]
[dramatic music]
I have to say, I just can't understand why you treat these kids…
the way that you do.
But if we make the decision to…
only prosecute the boy even though we know he had an accomplice,
it would be an insult to the entire court system.
And I really don't want that.
So I can help you.
'Cause I'm your… I'm your subordinate, ma'am.
[door opens]
[thrilling music]
It won't be easy to pull this off alone.
We don't have much intel about these kids' background
or what kind of larger network they might have formed.
Han Ye-eun dropped out of Yeonju Girls' High School during freshman year.
So then, do we have anyone else on file who also goes to Yeonju High School?
WOO SEOL-AH ADMITTED: DEC 21, 2021
Yeah, I guess it's hard to predict.
How… how things are gonna pan out.
No, I won't.
I'm not gonna help you.
Just listen, Seol-ah.
Have I ever asked you for any kind of favor?
Can you help me just this once?
Han Ye-eun often hangs out at the I Sens Internet Café at Juseong-ro.
You can drive, right?
I'm still paying off my license fee.
So I guess I'll just head over to Han Ye-eun's place.
She might be there, chatting with Baek Seong-u online.
[footsteps]
[car beeps]
-[tires screech] -[engine revs]
[tires screech]
[woman panting]
[sighs]
What's going on?
Why would you just show up?
Please just let Seong-u go. Oh, god.
[Mrs. Baek] Please, can you let him go?
I'm the one who gave birth to him. I know him better than anyone.
You know, parents come here all the time and say the exact same thing.
-[sighs] -[honks]
Please let him go, I beg you! [sobbing]
Get out of here.
I won't tell you again!
[crying]
Please let him go.
Get off my goddamn car!
[wailing]
[seat belt clicks]
[tires screech]
[engine roars]
[Mrs. Baek wailing]
I SENS PC
-[man coughs] -[game music on computer]
-[keyboards clacking] -[computer game music]
[chairs creaking]
Hey.
-What the hell are you trying to do? -I'm sorry, honey.
What are you doing here, ma'am?
We received a tip that an offender we're looking for is here.
-Please be cooperative. -[man] Are you with the police?
If you like, you can give them a call.
You know that having teens here this late is against the Juvenile Protection Law?
You could be sent to prison and pay a 20 million won fine.
[Eun-seok] It's all up to you.
You're just having a look around, right?
Do judges go around catching kids these days?
-[phone dials] -[line rings]
Call the probation office.
[Tae-jun] Did you find her? Is Han Ye-eun there?
She's in the internet café at Juseong-ro.
[tapping]
You're Baek Seong-u's friend?
Who are you?
I'm the judge overseeing his trial.
I can call the police and make a scene here.
This is my last courtesy.
Come quietly.
Ah!
-[man 1] What the hell? -[man 2] Are you okay?
What?
[tense music]
[metal clangs loudly]
Oh, goddamn it!
[woman] What do I do? It's all ruined now!
[panting]
[sighs]
[panting]
-Hey, go! Just go! -What the hell?
-Go now! -[driver] Get out of here.
This taxi has already been reserved!
[tense music continues]
[panting]
[groans]
[honks]
[brakes squeal]
[tense music continues]
Move it! Fuck!
-[tires screech] -[boxes clatter]
[honking]
[brakes squeal]
[van honks]
[thuds]
[panting]
[exhales heavily]
[breathes nervously]
[hurried footsteps]
[panting]
[panting continues]
[wind blows]
[foreboding music]
[breathes heavily]
[rustling]
[light buzzes and flickers]
[foreboding music]
[Eun-seok breathes heavily]
-[light buzzes and flickers] -[Eun-seok breathes heavily]
-[glass shatters] -[Eun-seok groans]
Ah!
[groans]
[sighs]
[glass shatters]
[panting]
[foreboding music continues]
[lock clanking]
[clanging]
[screams]
[gate squeaking]
[panting]
[foreboding music]
[Eun-seok] I have…
nothing but hatred…
for young offenders.
[solemn music]
THE CHARACTERS AND EVENTS DEPICTED IN THE SHOW ARE FICTITIOUS