-Hello. -Hello.
Hello.
LAW FIRM GEOBO
MOTION TO RECUSE DEFENDANT: HWANG IN-JUN
THE JUDGE IN CHARGE IS THE PARENT OF THE VICTIM IN THE DEFENDANT'S PRIOR CASE
SEARCH RULING HWANG IN-JUN
CASE 2017P2027
SEOUL FAMILY COURT DISPOSITION
CASE 2017P2027, MANSLAUGHTER HWANG IN-JUN
1. PUT UNDER PARENTAL PROTECTION 2. SHORT-TERM PROBATION
Judge Sim was the victim's parent?
So, it's you.
You're the whistleblower who kicked her own boss out.
She must have recognized me.
A motion to recuse?
Yes, Presiding Judge Na is in a bad mood because of that.
Where is Judge Sim?
Does she know about this?
You knew from the moment we met.
You knew I was the judge in charge then.
Yes.
Despite that, you asked me to reassign the case to you.
Yes.
What were you thinking?
Were you going to punish them on behalf of your dead son?
I had to be the one to end it
because it started off on the wrong foot.
Don't you agree?
I find that very offensive.
It sounds like you're blaming me for making the wrong decision in that case.
Didn't you?
Look here, Judge Sim--
They learned
from your decision
in that courtroom.
"We don't need to worry about the law."
That's what they learned.
Who are you two back there?
Why are you attending this trial?
We're the victim's parents.
Who told you you could come here?
Why are they in my courtroom?
Article 25, section 2 of the Juvenile Act
guarantees victims the right to state their opinion in a protection case.
You've already submitted a written statement.
VICTIM'S STATEMENT OF OPINION NAME: SIM EUN-SEOK, MOTHER
I have, but--
Yes, I'll take it into account.
Trials for protection cases are held behind closed doors,
so please leave the courtroom.
What?
Hwang In-jun. Baek Do-hyeon.
They were first-time offenders
and only 11 years old.
They said it was a mistake and regretted what they had done.
You think other judges would have been any different?
There was nothing wrong with my decision!
Sure.
You always believe
that you've made the right decision.
It was only three minutes.
The time it took…
for them to stand trial after taking someone's life.
What do you think they learned from that?
"The law doesn't protect all victims."
"I see."
"The law is so simple."
"It only takes three minutes…
for a trial to end."
Five years ago…
when they first stood trial,
you should've taught them
how the brick they threw
just for fun…
destroyed a family…
and ruined their lives.
Neither their families nor their schools
scolded them or made them realize that.
Then at least the court
should've scolded them
and taught them.
Because that is our job.
Good job.
Already? How?
Hey, let's go eat tteokbokki.
That's just how the law is.
You know that.
Juvenile cases are all about speed?
That's why they turned out like that!
Why do you handle cases so hastily?
What about those who can't keep up and are left behind?
What about the victims?
Who's responsible for them?
That's not being efficient.
It's being irresponsible.
Why…
don't you
have a sense of duty?
I learned a lot from you today.
For such an honorable judge,
you sure like to break the rules regarding conflict of interest.
Will you be able to speak so eloquently in front of the disciplinary committee?
I'll be looking forward to it.
And one more thing.
From this point on,
you'll be excluded from Hwang In-jun's protection case
and the criminal cases tied to the Yeonhwa gang rape incident
for Seo Dong-gyun and O Gyeong-su.
Not that I needed to tell you that since you're so smart.
Judge Sim.
PRESIDING JUDGE'S OFFICE
The victim Kang Seon-a is here with her sister.
What do you want to do?
Kang Seon-a?
Hwang In-jun.
I heard he didn't admit to being an accomplice.
Is that true?
Why me of all people?
I think about that every day.
"Why me?"
"What did I do wrong?"
"Why only me?"
I was just chatting online.
Hwang In-jun said he was a student in the chat room.
He gave me advice when I talked about my problems and my mom.
I was stressed that day since I fought with a friend.
He suggested that we meet and talk for a bit.
That's why I went out.
But I shouldn't have. Because of me, even my dad…
Do you think
Hwang In-jun will just get away with it?
You mentioned Baek Do-hyeon yesterday.
What was that about?
There may be four boys, not three.
Seo Dong-gyun, O Gyeong-su, Hwang In-jun,
and Baek Do-hyeon.
Cha Tae-ju.
You're no longer in charge of the case.
You'll get into serious trouble.
I know that
I shouldn't be doing this.
But isn't it horrible?
They've become more evil…
than they were five years ago.
I'm not insisting that I should handle the case.
But if the case gets closed like this,
we may never get the chance
to sentence them properly.
One of the kids I'm in charge of
ran away from home and committed theft.
Hello, this is Cha Tae-ju.
Judge Cha. I'm calling from the juvenile classification center.
Yes, hello.
Baek Ha-rin, the girl you sent to us.
We just got the results of her physical examination.
Well…
We believe she's pregnant.
"Pregnant"?
I'm really worried about you.
Did you tell your father?
Fuck if I know.
What are you going to do now?
The gang rape case posted on the National Petition.
Who the fuck do you think is the ring leader?
Don't change the subject.
Fucking hell.
It was them who did this to me.
I got pregnant when I was in their runaway gang.
Baek Do-hyeon, that bastard.
What? Who?
Baek Do-hyeon.
He belongs to the same runaway gang as the other three.
They're already notorious among motel owners for their prostitution scam.
My fucking sister is in Room 302 now.
-Hurry up and open the door. -Who are you?
She's a fucking minor.
-Should I call the cops? -For fuck's sake!
Man, where's the key?
-Open the door right now! -Open the fucking door!
-All right. Here. -Shit.
Who are you? What the hell are you--
What's this?
You fucking bastard!
-You're rich, man! -That's right.
-Fuck. -Why are you doing this?
I'm her brother.
What? Her brother?
Should I send this to your wife
and upload it to the website of the school your kid goes to?
No. I'm sorry.
-I'm sorry. -Fuck.
You crazy bastard.
This fucking bastard has a death wish. Keep going.
Good job.
Hey, In-jun.
All right.
-Fucking thanks. -Hey.
-Here. -What the fuck is this?
Thanks, Do-hyeon.
-You fucking joker. -What should we get for dinner?
-How about some chicken? -Hey.
What about me?
I told you to fucking wait.
You and that mouth of yours…
Hey. Didn't you say you wanted to buy some shoes?
Come here.
They got five to six million won from each victim.
At times they got as much as 10 to 20 million won.
They made so much money
but they never shared it with the girl.
That's why she ran away from them.
The ring leader is Baek Do-hyeon.
No one dares to touch him.
When he goes apeshit and grabs a knife, he's a total psycho.
He just stabs anyone.
Seo Dong-gyun and O Gyeong-su…
Those morons.
They're older than him, but they're just idiots.
Do you think those dumbasses could do something like that without Do-hyeon?
Fucking hell.
That's fucking hilarious.
No, that can't be true.
Only three of them were in the dashcam footage.
Baek Do-hyeon wasn't there.
Yes, I know. But that's what she said.
Whichever is true,
this case will be taken care of somehow, even without you.
So please stop stressing over it.
What if you get sent to the disciplinary committee?
Is that what scares you?
I'm more scared of how they'll turn out once they become adults.
"Whichever is true,
this case will be taken care of somehow."
That's why they turned out like that.
Because of judges like us.
They're really notorious.
Every motel owner in the area knows about them.
They won't talk since they're afraid they might lose customers,
but I'll text you an address now.
It's where the latest victim stayed.
I think
about four or five of them barged in.
They threatened to put my motel in trouble.
-Here they are. -What the fuck! Come out!
- -Come out! - My sister is here. My sister.
- -My sister. - Listen, lady.
- -Nothing like that is going on here. - Fuck, my sister is…
Hey, open up.
An old man and a young girl came in, right?
She's my sister. Hurry up and bring me the key.
- -Do as we say. - Room 301.
- -Open the fucking door right now! - What are you looking at, punk?
This is Sim Eun-seok, Mr. Seo.
Can you send me a list of the runaways our court is in charge of?
Yes, girls. Cases from the past six months. As soon as possible.
I don't know Hwang In-jun,
but I've heard of
Baek Do-hyeon.
But I've heard terrible rumors about his gang,
so I've never met him.
Well, I've heard that he exploits the girls he's with.
Can you tell me about it in detail?
Why should I?
I don't want to know, and know nothing anyway.
I'm not about that life now.
Really?
Why don't we see whether you really turned over a new leaf
at court?
VIOLATION: DID NOT ANSWER CALL IN DUE TIME
I don't know Baek Do-hyeon, but I know his girlfriend.
We once shared a room at a facility.
Well, I don't know if she's still dating him.
Shit.
That fucking son of a bitch.
Ask away.
I'll tell you everything I know.
WE STRONGLY OPPOSE THE REDEVELOPMENT
There's this really old place.
The second floor of Daeho Inn at Baeksa-dong.
Baek Do-hyeon is a total pervert and a piece of trash.
You know about his prostitution scam, right?.
But that's not all.
Those bastards
rape girls and make a profit off that.
Hey, look here. Look at this.
Gosh, this is so funny. This dude is crazy.
They would rape girls and film it.
Then use the videos to blackmail them
into their prostitution scams or into working at brothels.
Look at these horny bastards.
And they sell those fucking videos.
-Are you leaving? -Yes.
All right. Bye.
Who the hell are you?
Are you a cop?
It's no use.
There's nothing on that computer.
Baek Do-hyeon?
You fucking bitch!
Fuck!
You fucking bitch!
You fucking bastard!
Get up, bitch.
Do you know how much that fucking thing costs?
This is fun.
Hey, bitch. Get up.
Even if the others lived like this, you shouldn't have.
You should've lived right since you were given a chance.
At least one of you two should have!
Why…
Why is this the best you can do?
Why?
"Why?"
What the hell are you saying, bitch?
There's something I'm dying to know.
Just who the fuck
are you?
Answer.
Answer me, you fucking bitch!
Damn it…
Fuck!
Shit!
PHOTO EVIDENCE 1
It's you.
Shit.
The Yeonhwa Gang Rape Case.
You,
Baek Do-hyeon…
were there at the scene too.
Fuck.
Fuck!
This bitch is ridiculous.
She keeps babbling on.
You're right.
I was there.
So what?
You fucking bitch. Get up.
Die. Die!
Die! It's okay to die, you fucking bitch!
Die, you fucking bitch! Die!
Die!
Fuck!
You fucking bitch!
Fuck!
Judge Sim!
What happened? Can you walk?
Wait. This way.
I only gave you first aid, so go to a hospital now.
Who's in charge of
Hwang In-jun's case?
There's something I have to tell you regarding the case.
I'll be handling it.
And I'll deal with it according to the law.
Leave if you're going to talk about that I don't want to hear it.
There's more to it than gang rape, Presiding Judge Na.
That's only a part of it.
They threatened the victims--
This is not…
We aren't investigators.
Judges have the duty
to find out the truth behind a case according to proper procedures.
So this isn't revenge?
If you keep mixing your personal feelings with this case,
I'll no longer sit back and watch.
If this really was personal,
I would have sent Hwang In-jun
to the Prosecutors' Office in the first trial.
This case
is only the tip of the iceberg.
They blackmailed the victims
and used the victims to…
Get out now.
Hurry to a hospital before I call 911.
Presiding Judge Na.
This is the most I can do for you.
If you keep mixing your personal feelings with this case,
I'll no longer sit back and watch.
Please stop, Judge Sim.
You're no longer in charge of the case.
You'll get into serious trouble.
That's just how the law is.
You know that.
You're right. I was there.
So what?
JUDICIAL CULTURE AWARD PROSECUTOR NA GEUN-HEE
ACHIEVEMENT PLAQUE
APPRECIATION PLAQUE JUDGE NA GEUN-HEE
The trial will begin soon.
Are you really not going to attend?
No.
You go ahead.
Case number 2022PU3409.
The court has accepted the motion to recuse.
so the judge in charge has changed.
If you want to raise objections or have something to say
about the documents you submitted in the previous trial, do so now.
We have none.
Then the trial will begin.
Dashcam footage was presented
to suggest the possibility of Hwang In-jun's involvement.
But this is not true.
He used to be an ordinary student. Who was diligent and polite.
But Seo Dong-gyun and O Gyeong-su, who he first met at a facility,
blackmailed and coerced him into taking part in their crimes.
The master-servant relationship between them tormented him a great deal.
As a result, he gave false testimony during the police interrogation
because he was scared.
Because of their threats,
he had no choice but to take the victim, Kang Seon-a,
to the construction site.
That was all.
Hwang In-jun's DNA wasn't found on the victim's body.
The allegation that he's an accomplice simply does not stand to reason.
This case is only the tip of the iceberg.
They blackmailed the victims
and used the victims to…
Okay, I got it.
The reference witness is here today, right?
I'd like to hear what reference witness, Baek Do-hyeon, has to say.
Baek Do-hyeon.
You know I'm here to defend you, right?
Get out soon.
I'll put you in deep shit, you punk.
Hello.
I heard that you've been friends with Hwang In-jun since childhood.
Yes, we were classmates in elementary school.
We've been friends ever since.
Then did you know that Seo Dong-gyun and O Gyeong-su
had threatened and assaulted him for quite a long time?
Yes. In-jun had a rough time because of that.
Do you have evidence of this?
Yes.
We have photos that we submitted in the previous trial.
These photos were taken
after he was assaulted by Seo Dong-gyun and O Gyeong-su--
No.
Not just photos. Evidence of intimidation like text messages
or recorded phone conversations.
Well…
The reason I'm asking this question is very simple.
Your testimony is not consistent
with that of Seo Dong-gyun and O Gyeong-su, who are currently detained.
Sorry?
Seo Dong-gyun and O Gyeong-su claimed
that there were four main culprits in this case.
That includes the reference witness, Baek Do-hyeon.
Hwang In-jun's trial is set for next week.
And I've been ordered to talk to you two before the trial.
Of course, whatever you say here
won't affect your criminal trial.
We just want to hear your opinions.
But…
this will be your last chance to talk about Hwang In-jun's case.
Is Hwang In-jun really not an accomplice?
Did you threaten him?
If you have nothing to say, you can say so.
Yes, we have nothing to say.
Very well.
Then it can't be helped.
You can choose to remain silent.
But if you give false testimony,
it may work against you.
I'll say it once again.
This will be your last chance to make a statement about it.
Sign your names.
Judge Sim. Are you okay?
Yes, I am.
We should've come faster.
No.
You came right on time.
My doubts have been cleared.
Please investigate the evidence here.
Please be discreet.
Okay. Before that, you need to get to a hospital.
Actually, it wasn't three people.
It was four.
Just fucking tell him.
Me, him, Hwang In-jun, and Baek Do-hyeon were in it together.
We fucked girls like Kang Seon-a and filmed it.
Using that, we blackmailed them and prostituted them out.
-And did prostitution scams too. -We sold the videos too.
A lot of people like that kind of stuff.
But we really didn't know Kang Seon-a went to a hospital to get checked.
Kang Seon-a, that bitch.
Jeez, girls usually keep quiet.
-Don't they usually? -Yes.
But Baek Do-hyeon made us do it.
If we don't listen to him, he stabs us.
He got stabbed.
When I first met him, I thought he was jack shit.
But he stabbed me here and laughed like crazy.
I'm even older than him, that son of a bitch.
He's a lunatic.
What are they saying?
Those fucking bastards.
Wait.
You fucking bitch!
Even if the others live liked this,
you shouldn't have.
You should've lived right since you were given a chance.
They learned.
"The law doesn't protect all victims."
"The law is so simple."
"It only takes three minutes…
for a trial to end."
Why do you handle cases so hastily?
What about those who can't keep up and are left behind?
What about the victims?
Who's responsible for them?
We haven't found all the victims yet.
So I suggest you report Baek Do-hyeon in court
when Hwang In-jun's trial is over.
And there was a computer at his hideout.
It's likely that he used it to distribute the videos he took,
but it was empty.
Based on the victims' statements,
he must have a secret phone.
But we haven't found it yet either.
A secret phone?
Yes. I'm sure it has the evidence proving that he's an accomplice.
Objection, Your Honor.
These are just statements made by Seo Dong-gyun and O Gyeong-su.
There's no direct evidence
that proves Hwang In-jun and Baek Do-hyeon were their accomplices.
The evidence that we're about to show you now
is from Baek Do-hyeon's secret phone
that Hwang In-jun brought to the crime scene.
THREESOME GIRL YEONHWA SEX CLUB
BITCHES WITH HUGE TITS
Seon-a. Please pat me on the head.
Hey, show that bitch's face to the camera.
-Fucking bitch. -Smile.
One, two, three.
I don't believe it. How I…
I clearly… Fuck.
I told you not to touch that bitch.
I told you not to do anything unless they're a runaway.
Stop making a fuss, moron.
I deleted all the files on the computer.
I got rid of it all.
Bullshit. Give me another 20 million won.
Well, who's a big boy now?
Jeez, you punk.
I said I'll defend you, you moron.
If you fuck it up…
If anything goes wrong, I'll tell them about you, you bastard.
Go ahead.
Hey.
You fucking bastard!
You fucking crazy bastard!
Fuck. You fucking moron!
Fuck!
Fuck them all to hell!
Are you happy now?
I said I'll save you.
You damn coward.
Baek Do-hyeon's dad called us.
We're the ones being interrogated by the police.
They even had our DNA, so we're done for.
He told us to keep Do-hyeon's name out of all this.
Then he'd hire us an attorney to defend us.
He even said he'd pay us 50 million won each after we did our time.
Those fucking bastards!
Be quiet.
Your Honor. Baek Do-hyeon put me up to all this.
Shut up, you cunt.
I had no choice because I was scared of him.
-Be quiet. -You said she looked fucking tasty.
You said she'd be worth quite a bit of money!
But you took all the money in the end!
That's why those bastards are snitching, got it?
-Be quiet! -You bastard.
Did you think we were friends because we were nice to you?
You bastard! You fucking bastard!
Stop it! Stop!
Do I look like a pushover?
-Go fuck yourself, you punk! -Execute that jerk! Fuck!
-I'd like to see you try. Get fucked! -You told me to, didn't you?
I said, stop! Baek Do-hyeon!
-Judge. That bastard is the same. -Bastard! I'll kill you!
I did it because he kept egging me on.
-Come over here, you son of a bitch! -You love having sex, you moron!
-You jerk off to their shoes, you freak! -Be quiet, both of you!
-Hey, you bastard! Let go of me! -I said, stop!
- -I need to kill that bastard! Fuck! - Let go!
Stop!
Let go of me!
- -Are you fucking crazy? - I said, stop!
Do-hyeon probably still has no idea.
There's a secret phone he always carries with him. Right?
Yes.
I secretly linked that phone to my cloud.
For insurance.
Cloud? You mean an online storage drive?
Baek Do-hyeon, that bastard. That fucking snob really pissed me off.
Fuck him. I don't care about him.
That jerk Baek Do-hyeon is actually from a wealthy family.
He left home because of his stepmother.
We wouldn't have listened to him if he hadn't given us money.
My stupid dad always beats up people when he's drunk.
My mom left home because of that.
His uncle is the same.
If we had good parents, we wouldn't be living like this.
Don't you think so?
People put all the blame on us.
But to be honest, I don't think we did anything wrong.
What?
To be honest, aren't the johns to blame for the underage prostitution?
If they didn't want it so bad,
we wouldn't have done it. Am I wrong?
Then what about the victims?
Why should Kang Seon-a suffer?
This proves that Baek Do-hyeon and Hwang In-jun
were also at the crime scene
and that they conspired with Seo Dong-gyun and O Gyeong-su
to commit rape and other crimes.
Well…
The victim must have watched all this
from the court interrogation room.
It must be hard for you,
but I'm sure you don't want to leave this court with any regrets.
If you have any last words, please go ahead and say them.
You know that I slit my wrist, right?
My sister thought
I did it because the school asked me to drop out.
But that wasn't it.
I have this best friend.
I texted her and called her
because I couldn't get a hold of her.
And after a long while, she texted me back.
I thought she had been busy.
I checked the text…
and it said her mom told her not to hang out with me.
I'm the victim.
But why am I the one getting ostracized?
When can I go back to my old life?
Can I even go back?
There's one absolute truth I realized while working at the court.
Anyone can be a victim.
It's such a given, but no one realizes it.
Kang Seon-a.
If you go to court over this case,
keep this one thing in mind.
It's not your fault.
Raise your head.
Be confident.
Please…
turn my life back to the way it was.
The four boys conspired together to sexually assault the victim.
Thus they are co-perpetrators.
Therefore, this protection case is now closed.
This case will be sent back to the Prosecutors' Office.
And if the prosecution files charges,
a criminal case could be opened against you.
Your Honor. What does that mean?
Come on, you should tell me.
URGENT TRANSPORT MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
Larceny, battery,
soliciting prostitution, prostitution scam…
and sexual assault.
How did those children end up this way?
They say it takes
an entire village to raise a child.
In other words,
a child's life could be ruined
if the entire village neglects the child.
Do you think those kids…
are the only perpetrators
who made Kang Seon-a a victim?
No one has the right to criticize them.
Everyone is a perpetrator.
I feel relieved though
now that everything has been revealed.
The victim and her guardian can finally sleep comfortably
since it's all over.
Who said it's over?
I mean, at the trial--
There's no end for rape victims.
It doesn't matter how much time passes.
They're scarred for life.
That's why it's so cruel for them.
There's one rule
that I follow as a judge.
That is
to set aside my personal feelings in the courtroom.
I thought that was the only way
to make fair judgments.
But I've realized
that I shouldn't have done that
at least in juvenile court.
For that reason,
I'd like to say a word
to all those who I may have hurt.
I apologize
as an adult.
Ms. Joo.
Yes?
The disciplinary committee for Judge Sim is today, right?
Yes.
I hope she won't be punished severely.
I hope so too.
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE
What brings you here, Presiding Judge Na?
Judge Cha told me
what's been happening at the courthouse.
And?
Well, at the disciplinary hearing…
defend…
my junior colleague.
Why should I?
A junior in the field is just trying to do her job as best as she can.
You shouldn't block her path.
Don't you agree,
Geun-hee?
SUPREME COURT JUSTICE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE
Put it there. I told you to get back to work.
But I'm worried.
There's nothing to worry about.
COURT
So this is what it feels like
to be standing down here.
The bench has been lowered a lot meaning to let go of our authorities.
But from here, it still looks overwhelming.
Do you think the kids would know
the heavy responsibility of that high seat?
No, they should not know.
That position is meant to be lonely.
COURT
I'm sorry, Judge Sim.
I just wanted to tell you this.
The Elementary School Student Brick Manslaughter Case,
Presiding Judge Na Geun-hee,
Hwang In-jun, and Baek Do-hyeon…
When I learned the details of the case,
I was actually very disappointed in you.
What happened to Presiding Judge Kang was already distressful, and you…
I was very disappointed
and angry.
But after some time had passed…
I could finally understand.
All the sentencing you gave out
and all the things you said…
Because they're criminals.
They dared to commit a crime…
at such a young age.
This is why
I despise the likes of you.
Because you
never change.
If you make false statements again during the next trial
or if circumstances reveal that he was an accomplice in the sexual assault,
this case…
could be sent to the prosecution.
You weren't swayed by your emotions.
You just acted on your conviction.
NAMGUNG CHAN
I LOVE YOU, MOM
DECEASED, NAMGUNG CHAN DIED MAY 8, 2017
Chan.
It's me, your mom.
Goodbye…
my son.
…JUVENILE CRIMES HAVE RISEN BY 31.9% IN 2001 COMPARED TO 1992…
Judge Sim Eun-seok.
If you have any final words, go ahead and say them.
I admit to all my wrongdoings.
I have damaged the judiciary's impartiality, independence,
and honor.
I will gladly accept any punishment.
Not about your remorse.
Your attitude and thoughts as a judge.
Being at the Supreme Court…
reminded me of when I was first appointed as a judge.
The way I treat young offenders
has to change for sure.
But…
I won't say all the sentences I imposed on them were wrong.
As a judge, I'll be impartial
and won't disgrace myself again.
I detest young offenders.
Some may criticize my attitude towards them,
and some may be hurt by it.
"Detest."
It means
to hate or despise.
Though I hate and despise young offenders,
I'll do my best
when I deal with them.
Though I hate and despise young offenders,
I'll stay cool when I impose sentences.
Though I hate and despise young offenders,
I won't look down on them with prejudice.
In other words,
I will remain the same as I always had been…
but also
be different from then.
COURT
In a different way from then…
I…
detest…
young offenders.
THE CHARACTERS AND EVENTS DEPICTED IN THE SHOW ARE FICTITIOUS
Subtitle translation by: Jung-yun Ahn