Yes, I'm in front of the court now.
Judge Cha? Why are you back?
The evidence we got from the investigation office
for the Yeonhwa Child Murder.
Please bring that to the interrogation room now.
Wait, Judge Cha. I'm on my way home now--
Han Ye-eun is in the interrogation room now.
-Sorry? -Han Ye-eun is in the interrogation room!
Okay then. Wait, Judge Cha!
Judge Sim. Well…
Judge Sim. Your hand…
Don't overreact. It's nothing.
Okay.
Well, I couldn't get a hold of Han Ye-eun's guardian.
But I'll try all means--
I already did.
How?
I contacted her attorney.
Her attorney?
Both of her parents are living in the US.
Her father runs a business,
and her mother operates a popular boutique.
For that reason, a law firm takes care of her on their behalf.
You've heard of the law firm Geobo, right?
It's a big law firm.
PERSONAL INFORMATION HAN YE-EUN, AGE 16
I wondered what kind of clueless judge would interrogate a minor at this hour.
It was you, Eun-seok.
I heard the news that you work in juvenile courts now.
Remember that you're here as an attorney, Ms. Heo Chan-mi.
Do you think this interrogation
is some kind of joke?
You may refuse to give a statement or answer the questions
I will ask from now on.
Refusing to do so won't work against you.
Anything you say from now on can be used against you in a court of law.
And you have a right to an attorney.
Sign it.
CONFIRMATION OF RIGHT TO REFUSE TESTIMONY AND COUNSEL
This isn't an interrogation by an investigative body,
but a court investigation just to check up on some facts.
There's no need to be scared.
Thank you.
Please begin.
Baek Seong-u
turned himself to the police.
He said he killed someone.
The victim attended a nearby elementary school--
Just cut to the chase.
How do you know Baek Seong-u?
I don't know him.
Yet you ran away?
Because I was scared. You kept following me.
Here.
Here's the call record between the two of you.
She must have dialed the wrong number.
By the number of calls she made, it's almost as if she was stalking him.
She'll remain silent.
On the day of the murder, around the estimated time of the incident,
the only person who talked to him on the phone was you.
Do you really not know him?
She'll remain silent.
On December 13th, 2021, where were you between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.?
-That too-- -I'm sure she'll remain silent again.
Ye-eun.
Baek Seong-u is a young offender under the age of 14,
so he can avoid criminal charges.
But you're different.
According to Articles 2 and 4 of the Act on Special Cases
Concerning Punishment for Specific Violent Crimes,
the maximum sentence for a juvenile is 20 years.
I'm sure you're well aware of it too.
Seong-u had his trial this afternoon.
Guess what he said…
after the trial?
It's midnight, the appointed time. This interrogation is over.
Sit down.
I'll ask one last question and wrap it up.
This is the security footage
from the elevator at the crime scene on the day of the murder.
But, Han Ye-eun.
Why were you there?
I just got on an elevator with him.
Could that be a crime?
The calls between you and Seong-u right before and after the incident,
and the CCTV footage that shows you at the scene on the day of the murder.
All of this tells me
that it isn't a leap to say that you're a coconspirator
in this crime.
You can't hold me here without a trial just because you're a judge.
It says on your record
that you were placed under the maximum 2-year probation in your last trial.
You didn't adhere to the conditions and had an attitude problem too.
You were in no position
to be at an internet cafe at that hour.
Let go of me! Let go!
-Ms. Heo! Help me! -You can't hurt her.
-Be careful, please. -Let me go!
Can't you hear me?
If you were going to take her anyway,
you could've let her sleep and taken her early tomorrow morning.
-She's still a minor. -But…
Even if she's a minor…
someone was killed.
And that ruined a family.
Why should it matter how well she sleeps?
I just did my job as a judge.
So you do your job…
as her attorney.
Okay, I will.
I'll call you right away if Presiding Judge Kang asks for you.
Bye.
You're up.
I heard what happened to Han Ye-eun last night.
She was taken to the Juvenile Classification Center.
Don't forget to ask Judge Sim when she comes to work
because she's the one who caught her.
She went through hoops to get her.
Her hand was scraped and bandaged.
No wonder.
Judge Sim just called and said she'd be a little late.
Let her get some rest.
It seems she hasn't been sleeping much lately.
-Is Presiding Judge Kang in? -Not yet.
Then please don't tell him.
Come on!
YUN JI-HU
I'm off to work.
Your mother will be here later.
Eat something, please. Okay?
You have to eat to live.
Hi, it's me.
Can you get it?
No, the more cases, the better.
I've looked up the domestic cases. I just need examples from abroad.
Mainly juvenile cases. Just not parricide.
As soon as you get Han Ye-eun's records from the Juvenile Classification Center,
hand them over to Judge Sim right away.
Yes, ma'am.
By the way, what on earth happened last night?
Don't even get me started.
I was on my way home,
and Han Ye-eun was accompanied by her attorney.
It was no joke.
Gosh, that's nuts.
But, from the call history to the security footage, there's solid evidence.
I don't think she'll find a way out.
Gosh, that's insane.
It's like we're walking on thin ice since Judge Sim transferred to our office.
My gosh.
What are we all going to do if Presiding Judge Kang finds out?
Find out about what?
-Hello, sir. -Jeez, look at your faces.
Find out about what?
Sim Eun-seok, speaking.
I'm at the court now.
Okay, I'll be right there.
Cha Tae-ju!
Don't you know what I'm like?
Can't you see that Sim Eun-seok is running wild?
You can't let her do that!
Sneaking around my back like rats!
You summoned a minor without reporting to me
and sent her to the Classification Center.
For goodness' sake. You two must have gone mad.
Hey! Do you think I'm a pushover?
Get out! I don't need any of you!
I was going to report it to you today.
Why don't you just hold the trial without me?
I was ashamed.
It was…
They're not serial killers or international scammers.
They're just juvenile offenders.
But they managed to fool the police and played with the whole nation at large.
The court should at least find out the truth.
Isn't that why we're here?
After all the trials are over,
if they mock us thinking that the law is a joke,
what do we do then?
HUMAN
If they grow up and create more victims like Ji-hu,
who's going to take responsibility then?
We must show them how severe the law is!
And teach them that there are consequences
when they harm others.
If their parents try to cover for them,
the government and the courts need to step in.
Isn't that why we are all here?
Tell me.
What did I do wrong?
What made you so upset as far as to throwing those documents?
As a judge…
what on earth did I do wrong?
So what are you planning to do?
I'm going to use the law to prove it…
mercilessly.
Go see Baek Seong-u's mother.
Now?
What matters most right now is Baek Seong-u's confession.
Tell her that he has an accomplice
and ask her if she can persuade him.
Yes, ma'am.
I'll see you then.
I'm sorry, ma'am. I should have kept my mouth shut.
It doesn't matter. It was bound to happen.
Okay.
And…
this is what the Juvenile Classification Center got out of their investigation.
It's Seong-u's conversation history from his social media account.
But the contents are a bit…
I TOOK A KITTEN FROM ITS MOTHER I'M GOING TO PRACTICE ON IT
It seems these two have a special relationship.
Ma'am?
Han Ye-eun…
Call the Juvenile Classification Center
and check if she has any other social media history.
IS HE ALIVE? DID YOU CHECK THE CCTV? I'M NOT GOING TO BE INVOLVED, AM I?
IT WON'T HAPPEN. THANK GOD. YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU, RIGHT?
Ma'am. I'll see you same time next week.
Don't forget to finish your homework by next week, Ye-chan.
-Yes, ma'am. -Thank you.
-Bye. -Bye.
Goodbye.
Are you trying to get me fired?
How did you know I was here?
What if rumors start to spread again?
The cram school you used to work for said you quit,
so I contacted the company you work for now.
Is that what they said?
That I quit?
It's over for me if I get fired again.
I have to make a living somehow.
This isn't the first time that he caused trouble.
I'm not here to trouble you.
By any chance,
do you recognize this girl?
No.
Why?
I think Seong-u was with her at the crime scene.
Then why…
Why was Seong-u…
I knew it.
He doesn't have the guts to kill someone.
She hasn't admitted to it yet.
We need Seong-u's confession.
And if he does?
His sentence can change depending on his statement.
He will. I'll make him do it.
I can't even reach the victim's parents.
I can't even meet them, let alone ask them to settle.
What did his public defender say?
"Public defender"?
I've been ignoring calls from unknown numbers.
Here.
This is the number.
If you call this number,
you can learn about his public defender.
But you're a judge. Why are you doing this?
This is all a part of the job.
Considering the gravity of the crime,
Seong-u needs to defend himself too.
Thank you.
Article 1 of the Juvenile Act says,
"The purpose is to ensure sound fostering of juveniles."
It isn't just about who's in the wrong.
The goal of the Juvenile Criminal Collegiate Division
is to ensure that the children don't get involved in crime again.
Please persuade him.
You're back.
It seems you haven't been sleeping the past few days.
Why don't you go home and get some sleep?
Didn't you tell me to go home?
You are new to our division,
but we didn't have a welcome party.
No, I don't do that.
I don't think you'd shed a single drop of blood
even if I pricked you with a needle.
Mr. Seo told me you were late this morning
because you stopped by the library, not because you overslept.
I have a question for you. Can I ask?
Why here?
We're not a high-profile division.
Your experience here won't get you a cushy job as a lawyer later.
Everyone avoids coming here because of the issues and the workload.
You're a reputable judge.
So, why…
Why did you choose to come here?
You're curious?
Yes.
Enjoy your food.
Judge Sim.
We're not a high-profile division.
Your experience here won't get you a cushy job as a lawyer later.
Everyone avoids coming here because of the issues and the workload.
Why did you choose to come here?
I wonder that myself.
That's it.
One more thing.
The work in our division is one thing,
but the juvenile protection cases assigned to each of you are another.
Those are independent trials, so I can't intervene.
But you better give it your best.
-Yes, sir. -Yes.
I'm really sorry to interrupt the meeting,
but this is quite serious.
What is it?
Judge Sim Eun-seok
of the Juvenile Criminal Collegiate Division at Yeonhwa District Court,
who was appointed to handle the Yeonhwa child murder case,
is having her qualifications as a judge questioned.
Since her days as a juvenile court judge at Uijeongbu District Court two years ago,
her overbearing attitude and aggressive mannerisms
have caused many controversies.
She didn't curse,
but she lashed out at my child and yelled at him.
I couldn't believe such a person was a judge.
Especially, during the investigation into the Yeonhwa child murder case,
when a child had refused the request to attend the hearing voluntarily,
she forcibly took the child without a warrant, causing a controversy
No, well…
The article was published without checking the facts.
No, she didn't forcibly take her. She was accompanied by probation officers.
It was a formal investigation.
I didn't yell. I was just enunciating. A formal investigation.
JUDGE SIM'S QUALIFICATIONS ARE BEING QUESTIONED
Presiding Judge Kang. The Chief Judge is asking for you.
Look who's here.
What brings you here, Your Honor?
It was you.
You're the only person who would do this kind of thing.
Yes, it's me. You told me
that I should do my job.
The whole world should take this chance to learn
what your true colors are.
Your dirty tricks
didn't work at the training institute, and they won't work now.
You lost then, and you'll lose again.
Han Ye-eun will receive a summons to appear in court.
Bring her on time. Don't be a minute late.
The reporters, that you love so much, will be there.
What the heck is going on now?
You made me get summoned by the Chief Judge!
You're not even a junior judge! You're a senior judge now!
Why didn't you tell me?
Didn't you think it'd cause problems
when you forcibly interrogated her like that?
Tell Judge Cha to come to my office now.
This case.
I'm reassigning it to you.
-Presiding Judge Kang-- -It's an order from the Chief Judge.
I clearly warned you that the justice department
would be in the spotlight here, so to act cautiously.
I helped her.
What?
I was also suspicious of
Han Ye-eun's whereabouts on the day of the murder, so I--
-Is that true? -No, sir.
I looked for Han Ye-eun alone that day.
It was my sole decision.
There's no excuse for that.
Judge Cha, schedule a trial date as soon as possible.
And Judge Sim.
Assist Judge Cha.
Yes, sir.
Why did you do that?
I'm the one who told you about that internet cafe.
I went looking for her too.
Why did you take all the blame? You've worked so hard for this.
So what?
That doesn't make me innocent.
What they said on the news wasn't wrong.
It was my fault.
But…
despite all of that, I wanted to catch her.
If the case had been reassigned to another team, it'd be a problem.
But the presiding judge being changed isn't a big deal.
We can sacrifice an arm or two since we're after the opponent's head.
CASES INVOLVING SCHIZOPHRENIA
These are the relevant cases I found.
Stop worrying about me and read as many as you can.
Judge Sim. I just got a call from the Juvenile Classification Center.
Baek Seong-u wants to make a statement.
The trial for the Yeonhwa child murder, a case that shocked the whole nation,
will be held today.
As Han, a third party caught on camera on the day of the murder,
is suspected to be the real culprit,
the prosecution has filed a murder charge against her.
The suspects for the murder of Yeonhwa elementary school child…
…are being held today for the two teenagers.
-…today at 2 p.m. -They need to be punished!
-Abolish! -Abolish!
The court will hold a criminal trial of Han
and a juvenile trial of Baek simultaneously.
Everyone is eagerly awaiting the results of the trial.
Do you admit that she was taken forcibly?
What does the court have to say about the case?
The trial will be held behind closed doors.
The Yeonhwa Child Murder…
Case Number 2021P2598.
and 2021CC2611.
We'll begin the trial now.
Han Ye-eun's attorney.
Is her guardian not here today?
Han Ye-eun's guardians were unable to attend due to business in the US,
so their counsel is here on their behalf.
I've been a judge for 22 years,
but I've never seen this kind of attorney dream team at juvenile court before.
We'll take it as a compliment.
Han Ye-eun's attorney.
Does she admit to murdering and abandoning the body?
She admits to it partially but not to everything.
As Baek Seong-u stated,
she admits to murdering the victim and abandoning their body.
But it wasn't premeditated. It's manslaughter due to mental health.
Baek Seong-u's public defender.
Does he admit to being an accomplice?
He doesn't admit it, either.
He gave his statement regarding the crime, didn't he?
He did, but he wasn't her accomplice.
He only abetted the murder.
On what basis?
Until Han Ye-eun actually committed murder at Baek Seong-u's apartment,
Baek Seong-u thought this whole ordeal was a joke.
Ye-eun.
Is your address
Capital Palace, unit 103, apartment 3201?
Sorry?
Is your address Capital Palace, unit 103, apartment 3201?
Yes.
Yes, when someone asks for your address,
people normally answer yes or no just like you did, right?
-Yes. -And people ask this question
when they're planning to visit or send something.
Is that right?
Probably.
But why did Baek Seong-u reply with,
"Is he alive? Did you check the CCTV?"
They exchanged messages on social media at 11:28 a.m.
YOUR ADDRESS IS UNIT 101, APARTMENT 1402, RIGHT?
IS HE ALIVE? DID YOU CHECK THE CCTV?
The elevator CCTV footage was captured at 11:29 a.m.
The CCTV footage and the conversation tell us two things.
First, the person who lured the victim to the crime scene
wasn't Baek Seong-u, but Han Ye-eun.
Hey.
Second.
"Is he alive? Did you check the CCTV?"
This reply from Baek Seong-u
shows that they conspired to commit the crime.
Even if Han Ye-eun lured the victim into Baek Seong-u's apartment,
it's difficult to tell whether he took it as a joke or not.
Baek Seong-u's public defender. What do you think?
I'm sure they'll claim it was accidental.
They can't deny abduction, murder, and mutilation and disposal
because Baek Seong-u already confessed to them.
The only thing left for Baek Seong-u is whether he's an accomplice or an abettor.
And, for Han Ye-eun, it's whether this was premeditated or accidental.
They'll claim that it was abetted and that it was an accident respectively.
Then we need to see if their claims are legitimate
or if there are any holes in their arguments.
Witness. How do you know Han Ye-eun?
I'm a psychiatrist,
and I've been Han Ye-eun's doctor for about three years.
How's her condition?
WITNESS STAND
In other words, she suffers from depressive behavior,
weakness of the nerves, and persistent delusions.
Persistent delusions? Please elaborate.
Well, there are many types of delusional disorders.
In Han Ye-eun's case, it was persecutory.
In other words, she was paranoid.
Persecutory delusional patients interpret
other people's actions as threats, slander, or harassment,
and respond to them instantly.
Sorry.
Depending on their delusions,
they can have a hard time controlling their anger.
Then is it possible that this case happened
because of her persecutory delusional disorder?
Whatever the case, I can't be 100 percent certain.
What about the possibility?
If you put it that way, then it is possible.
That will be all.
We'll resume the trial after a one-hour recess.
At this rate, this can go on forever.
Han Ye-eun's attorney
seemed to be quite prepared to claim it was accidental.
WITNESS STAND
Baek Seong-u.
Do you know what that is?
-It's the charger cable for my cell phone. -And…
it was also the murder weapon used in killing the victim, right?
Yes.
Can you tell us what happened at the time?
Hey.
As I said earlier,
I didn't see Han Ye-eun kill that boy
because I was getting changed in another room.
But…
How about this?
Why don't we pit Baek Seong-u against Han Ye-eun
and make them reveal the truth about each other?
Did you really kill him?
Hey, you crazy bitch! Answer me! Fuck!
Both of us…
don't have to go to jail.
We both…
can get away with this.
Are you saying
Han Ye-eun was the one who started this?
Yes. She said there was a way.
She removed her fingerprints from the charger cable and put mine on it.
She said she had a plan and I just had to follow it.
So, who came up with the idea of mutilating the body?
Baek Seong-u.
He told me to do it.
I was distressed
after killing the kid.
Then he told me to do it.
He instructed me
on how to slice the body into pieces from outside the bathroom.
And he told me to throw away the organs in the food waste bin
and the body pieces
in the rooftop water tank.
-He threatened me. -Hey, it was your idea!
You told me we had to avoid the cameras!
That's all a lie!
-She did it herself! -I'm telling the truth!
You told me how from outside the bathroom!
Hey, you said you'd do it!
I said we should turn ourselves in, but you said you wanted to try it!
-When did I say that? -Are you serious?
What the fuck! You're the one who picked that ax!
You even danced around after you killed him.
When did I do that?
She chopped him up with an ax and started dancing when she saw blood!
She's crazy, I'm telling you!
Shut up, you son of a bitch!
Fuck, I'll kill you!
Please, stop!
Please, stop.
Please.
Honey.
Honey!
My baby! Ji-hu…
Due to Baek Seong-u
and Han Ye-eun's voluntary confession,
it will be meaningless to proceed with this trial any further.
And, lastly, the victim…
Yun Ji-hu's mother.
So you won't have any regrets later,
would you care to say a few words
if you have anything to say?
Paranoia?
Schizophrenia?
I don't care about any of that.
What matters to me is…
What's clear is…
that my son…
trembled in fear…
without his mom in a stranger's house…
and left this world.
I still…
don't understand…
why…
my innocent son
had to die like that.
Your Honor.
Please…
punish them severely…
so something like this won't happen again.
Whatever the reason was,
they committed a heinous crime.
We should sentence Han Ye-eun to a maximum 20-year sentence,
and sentence Baek Seong-u with the maximum sentence
we can give him at his age.
The maximum is…
two years at a juvenile reformatory.
What do you think, Judge Cha?
I also think we should sentence Han Ye-eun to 20 years.
And for Seong-u…
The court has made its decision.
The offenders targeted an innocent stranger for murder
and treated him like an object.
They murdered him brutally just for the sake of killing.
This was an especially heinous crime
that shocked and frightened parents who
have elementary school-aged children.
The court sentences Han Ye-eun to 20 years,
the maximum sentence for juvenile offenses,
and Baek Seong-u to two years in the juvenile reformatory.
No!
-They can't do this to me! -Don't do this.
-How can I get 20 years? -Stop it!
Don't touch me!
Let me go! Don't order me around, you lousy lawyer!
Let go! Let go of me, you bastards!
-You bastards! I'll kill you all! -Seong-u. I'll come to visit. Don't worry.
-Let go of me! Let go! I'm innocent! -Don't worry. Okay?
Baek Seong-u is pushing to appeal. What is Miss Han going to do?
She won't accept the court's decision. She'll appeal against it.
-Does she deny all charges? -Please, comment.
Wait! Wait, ma'am!
This is from the judge.
Hello, Ms. Joo?
I'll be right there.
I'm sorry. I'm quite behind with work. Bye then.
Right.
It's from Judge Sim.
Han Ye-eun won't ever change, will she?
Do you think a prison sentence is really the best for someone like her?
It’s the least the court can do.
Even though we're judges,
we can't change who she is inside.
I'm just worried.
She'll serve out her sentence and grow into an adult.
What happens after that?
That's up to her parents.
If only they could make her realize how serious her crime is.
But…
that won't happen.
She committed such a heinous crime,
but her parents didn't even attend the trial.
If the parents don't make an effort,
their children will never change.
Can I borrow your phone?
I have to call my mom.
Mom?
MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
Judge Cha!
You said you'd reduce the punishment. How can you do this to me?
You said you'd reduce the punishment. You told me that.
You even introduced me to his public defender.
You said the judges weren't the enemy.
But why didn't you release Seong-u?
He wasn't the one who killed the boy!
What I meant was…
Release Seong-u! Release him right now.
You said you'd release him. Why did you lock him up?
Because the boy was killed in your apartment.
But your son
didn't call the police and even helped her.
Your son
caused confusion to the investigation
and even turned himself in falsely.
For those reasons,
he has to be held responsible.
Judge Sim.
There's an old saying that goes,
"The pain of a mother who loses her child
is as severe as that of her innards splitting."
What did you do for Seong-u when he was nine?
When Ji-hu was nine…
Ji-hu's mother…
lost her child…
because of your son.
Judge Sim.
That wasn't what I meant.
I understand why you said that.
And you weren't wrong.
But…
if the guardian took your words the wrong way,
you, as a judge, are the one to blame.
I'll be careful.
No matter how many I take…
I just can't get used to juvenile cases.
They always leave me feeling disturbed.
Go home early today. Get some rest.
Only then can we prepare for the next trial.
Good work.
JI-HU'S BABY BOOK
Aren't you coming?
I wish I had kept writing this.
I wish I had written in it every day.
Is this for me?
Do you like it? That's from Ji-hu.
Say thank you to her.
Thank you.
Where's Ji-hu? I should thank him too.
What are you going to say to Ji-hu?
"Thank you, Ji-hu."
I wanted to hug him so badly,
but I couldn't.
I should be the one thanking you. Thank you for welcoming his toy.
Thank you so much.
WHEN SEONG-U LOST HIS BABY TEETH
SEONG-U'S TALENT SHOW
What did you do for Seong-u when he was nine?
When Ji-hu was nine,
Ji-hu's mother lost her child…
because of your son.
I'm sorry.
I'm the one to blame.
It's…
It's all my fault.
No matter how many I take…
I just can't get used to juvenile cases.
They always leave me feeling disturbed.
Young offenders are the ones who get punished.
But, at times,
it's others who bear their crimes.
Honey.
"Did we sentence a justified punishment today?
Did the punishment
give the victim a sense of closure?
Is the young offender reflecting on themselves?"
It's over…
GED EXAM QUESTIONS
…but it's not really over yet.
That's the work we do.
COURT OF KOREA
THE CHARACTERS AND EVENTS DEPICTED IN THE SHOW ARE FICTITIOUS
Subtitle translation by: Jung-yun Ahn