Yo Han builds a card tower in his study. Ga-on tells him that it was a risky move as they don’t know how she will react. Yo Han says the powerful should not be together. Ga-on says they have Doh Young Choon and they can use him against CHa.
Yo Han says Cha has leverage over both the press and the prosecutors. Ga-on asks what he will do if it backfires on Yo Han. Yo Han says he can’t shake them without risking anything. He says they are fortunate that everyone has a sore point.
Cha comes home. Young Min is shaky. He asks her if they can shift to America. He begs her to move with him. She hits him and tells him he seek revenge and does not run away after humiliation.
Elsewhere, Jae-Hee tells Sun-A that she can’t find any link between Yo Han and Cha. She wonders if they would have joined hands against Sun-A. Sun-A says Kang Yo Han is behind this as he put the knife in Cha’s hand. She says Yo Han is after something.
Just then, she receives a call from Cha.
Later at Cha’s office, Cha shows Sun-A the unnatural death case report. She comments that Sun-A would have paid a lot of money to hide it. She says Sun-A’s abusive alcoholic mother fell from stairs near a hillside slum and died. She adds that it happened at night and there were no lights. She smirks as she says Sun-A was the only witness and her tears seemed very real. She says the police didn’t suspect her.
Cha says this is enough for her to pursue it. She says Sun-A’s is the only statement but the doctor’s statement can prove otherwise. She says it can say that there was no alcohol in the woman’s body. Sun-A says there is no such statement. Cha claims that she can always make the truth up.
Sun-A says Cha is an expert in fabricating evidence. She asks what Cha wants. Cha says she wants Sun-A to get Kang Yo Han so her son can get back his reputation.
Sun-A says the trial is over and she can’t do anything about it. Cha says that is why she asked someone who was from a dirty swamp. She gives Sun-A a week’s time.
Later, Yo Han goes to the salon. He closes his eyes as he waits for the barber to get things ready. Soon Yo Han dozes off.
Sun-A walks in and takes the razor. She drags the blade along Yo Han’s jawline. She wipes the cream on the cloth and goes in again. Yo Han doesn’t stir. She softly addresses him by his name and his eyes open. He asks her what she is doing here. He sees the barber lying motionless on the floor. She tells him that the barber is just sleeping.
She again draws the blade across his chin and says she always wanted to make him look pretty. Yo Han tells her to do as she wishes. She reclines the chair and pushes him back.
Sun-A holds the blade against his neck as she asks him why he leaked her information to Cha. Yo Han says he needs her to catch Cha. Sun-A comments that he put her in danger because he needed her. She says he is a bad man. Yo Han says she likes him because he is bad like her. Yo Han tells Sun-A that Cha will make her a slave with that information. He asks her to turn against Cha and get her freedom. He tells her that it is her choice. He says he can’t help it if she chooses the blade over his offer. Sun-A puts the blade away and walks out.
She stops when Yo Han asks her if she wants to come to his house. He tells her she will be reminded of the old days and it will be fun.
Yo Han drives her to his home. She stops in the hallway and recalls the days she spent as a maid. She also remembers watching Yo Han as a kid and a smile touches her lips. Her smile fades when she recalls stealing the silverware.
She is brought back from her reverie as Yo Han asks what she is thinking. She says nothing has changed. He says she has changed. She is expectant as she asks how come. Yo Han smiles.
Ga-on comes up to them and invites Sun-A to join them for dinner. Sun-A seems disappointed but joins them.
Ga-on has made a lavish spread. Sun-A is impressed by his cooking skills. Elijah points out that Sun-A is the first female guest Yo han has brought home and asks if they are seeing each other. Sun-A says she is honoured to be the first guest. Elijah again asks if they are a couple and Yo Han denies this.
Ga-on says Sun-A is helping Yo Han with his work. Ga-on says Yo Han says he needs Sun-A. He then serves some food to Elijah. Sun-A says he fits perfectly into the family.
Sun-A comments that Yo Han isn’t lonely anymore. She says she is envious. Yo Han proposes a toast. He says they should wait for someone.
Just then, Ji walks in. He introduces Sun-A to Ji. Ji is shocked to see Sun-A. Sun-A is furious at Yo Han.
Later, Sun-A asks Yo Han what he is playing at. He is fun to be playing at as she is smart and broken as he is. He says that is rare. She tries to slap him but he holds her hand. He asks if she remembers asking him to join hands with her and get to the top. He puts Issac’s necklace around her neck and tells her to smile as she belongs here.
Later, Yo Han drops her home.
Back home, Yo Han tells Ga-on that Sun-A is unpredictable and he doesn’t know whom she will choose.
At Sun-A’s house, Jae-Hee says Yo Han is tricking her. Sun-A seems charmed as she says he is not even trying to hide the fact that he is tricking her. She says she wants to fall for his trick even if it is for a little while.
The next day, Jin-Joo receives a call from Chairman Park asking to meet on behalf of the Foundation. He tells her to come along. Jin Joo doesn’t tell Ga-on about this.
Later Jin Joo goes to the location and finds Chairman Park and Chairman Min there. They tell her to sit in a chair that is placed far from the table. They tell her that they want her to work with them for the nation. After she is seated, they ask her a question regarding one of the past rulings. She asks if she is here for an interview. They tell her they want to be sure if she will be suitable for the role of the Presiding Judge.
She asks if Yo Han went through this selection too. They laugh as they say even the Chief Justice went through this process.
Jin-Joo starts to walk away but she stops. She drags the chair towards them and puts it beside the table. She says this seems like a better position for a conversation.
At Yo Han’s house, Ga-on and Elijah play Jenga as Ji watches on. Yo Han walks in for a moment. He watches them play for a moment and Ga-on calls him to join them. Yo Han goes back to his room without a response. Ga-on is puzzled. Elijah tells Ga-on that Yo Han doesn’t play these games.
Ga-on finds Yo Han in his room reading a book. Yo Han says he was just passing by. Ga-on recalls his conversation with the Priest.
Flashback
The priest at the church tells Ga-on that Yo Han was creepy as he used to watch all the children play together. He used to play by himself later on. He calls it creepy. Ga-on says Yo Han would’ve been a lonely child and he would have wanted to play.
Soon, Yo Han is before them. He says this is waste of time as he has to read. Elijah says she also has homework. Ji tells Ga-on this is a bad idea to put Elijah and Yo Han against each other.
Yo Han is about to walk away when Ga-on asks if he has spent more than five minutes with Elijah without fighting. Yo Han comes back and asks Elijah to play first. The game goes on for two hours. Soon, Yo Han loses and he seems to be a sore loser. But he holds it together. Elijah says they should go again.
Ga-on gives Yo Han an approving look as they see a smiling Elijah build the Jenga tower again.
Later, Ga-on meets Soo Hyun for lunch. She notes that Ga-on seems happy. Ga-on says he is happy because he is with her and she gets suspicious. She asks if he has a terminal disease. He says he is not dying. Ga-on thinks that by the time this is over he definitely will……
Sun-A visits Cha. She tells her that since the trial is over, they should find a flaw in the first step of the trial. Cha says they can question Kang Yo Han’s intention for conducting a hasty trial if this happens. Sun-A brings the first witness from Young Min’s case (the actress on Kang Yo Han’s team). The actress is shaken up and asks if her mother will be okay. Sun A says she let her hear the mother’s voice. She tells Cha that she testified against Young Min in exchange for money.
Cha asks if this is true. Sun-A says they make up the truth. Cha is impressed that it will give an impression that Yo Han bought a witness ( after the Dr Safety issue). Sun-A tells Cha to go public before Yo Han has time to react.
Cha calls a press meet. She says she has a tip that makes her believe that the live trial isn’t impartial. She calls Kang Yo Han for a public hearing to explain himself. She says she can’t give out further details.
Yo Han watches this from his office.
At the live hearing, Cha declares that Yo Han had paid Dr Safety. Yo Han says he has already explained that. Cha accuses Yo Han of demanding a fake testimony. Yo Han asks her for evidence.
Yo Han’s eyes widen in shock as the first witness/actress from Yo Han’s team walks up. The witness says she was forced to give false testimony.
Young Min and his father cheer for Cha back in their house.
Sun-A walks into the public hearing. The witness says that Minister Cha forced her to give false testimony against Yo Han today. She adds that Cha threatened to put her in prison for smuggling drugs if she doesn’t lie that Yo Han bribed her. Yo Han glares at Cha. Cha is appalled as she hears this.
Yo Han takes over and asks if this is true. The girl says they can check the register for the visitor’s list. She says Cha called her to her office and threatened her. Yo Han tells her not to worry and promises to protect her.
Cha watches Sun-A who smiles at her as she tilts her head. She realises Sun-A has played her. Cha immediately claims she has been framed. Yo Han points out that Cha was the one who brought the woman here.
Outside the courtroom, the PD says Sun-A told them to cooperate but he asks Ga-on if they will be fine going up against the Minister of Justice. Ga-on says they will be fine.
Yo Han paces around the courtroom. Cha looks up as Yo Han brings up Doh Young Choon’s photo on the screen. She acts as if she doesn’t know what he is getting at. When asked, she says Doh must be serving his time in prison.
Just then, Doh Young Choon is brought into the courtroom. Yo Han asks what is Doh doing outside the prison. Cha maintains that she has no idea how that happened.
Yo Han asks Doh to speak. Doh Young Choon says he paid a large amount to Cha and she let him out of prison. He says someone else is in the prison instead of him.
Soo Hyun watches this and recognises Doh.
Young Min is frantic as he sees this. He weeps as he asks what will happen to his mother.
Meanwhile, Cha accuses Yo Han of political assassination. She claims she is being framed. Cha walks out saying that the prosecutors will investigate this false claim.
Cha is hounded by reporters as she walks out of the court. Cha gets into the car and asks her secretary to arrange a private meeting with Yo Han.
She also asks for a pistol. She tells him to obtain it by saying it is for self-protection.
Cha calls up Sun-A and comments that she stabbed her in the back. Sun-A says she did. Cha threatens to reveal everything on Sun-A. Sun-A says Cha is the symbol of manipulation and no one will believe what she says. Sun-A says Cha should’ve been nicer to her and hangs up. Sun-A puts her hands out on the couch and leans back. She drinks in the feeling of freedom.
Ga-on helps the witness into K’s car and watches them drive away. Just then, Soo Hyun calls up. She is excited as Doh was caught. She says she is relieved and asks how Yo Han did it. Ga-on says it doesn’t matter. Soo Hyun promises to bring Cha to justice and hangs up.
Cha walks into her office. Her secretary says one officer keeps calling up asking for an appointment. She asks if the pistol is ready and he says it is. She goes inside and loads a bullet in the pistol.
Later at night, Yo Han meets with Cha under a bridge. He comments that no one will know even if she kills someone here.
Cha asks him why he is doing this to her. She asks what did she ever do to him. She says she just followed the organisation’s orders. Cha says she struggled all her life to get to where she is. She says she did what she did to survive.
Yo Han says it is hard to stand the self-pity of the powerful. He says it makes him sick. Yo Han tilts his head as he notices her hand tighten around the pistol in her pocket. She asks if he thinks he can get her with one surprise show. He says he knows it won’t be easy.
Yo Han says she will stall by requesting an official investigation. He says she will look for someone to take the fall and will claim it was political manoeuvring. He says she will be able to dodge a couple of arrows but she won’t be able to do it if arrows fly in from all directions. Yo Han says this is only the beginning.
Cha demands to know what he wants to form her. Yo han says he wants the files on the Foundation members which she obtained through spying on them. He says he will give her a way out after that. Cha says he should know his place and she won’t go down that easy. Yo Han tells her to give him a call if she changes her mind and walks away. After he leaves, Cha screams in despair.
Cha returns home. Young Min is timid as he says he is sorry. He says it is all his fault. Cha tells her husband and son to never become weak. She says you become a victim if you are weak. She says she will stay strong till the end and make everyone kneel before her.
Meanwhile, Yo Han says they should keep pushing her as she betrayed her own child when she was cornered. K thanks Yo Han for going through her old investigation files. Yo Han tells Ga-on and K not to relax yet. K informs Yo Han that the prison warden is very scared and he will talk. K says he has spoken to Cha’s secretary and they can enter without an issue. Yo Han says she will go down and they should reach out that time. He says she should beg for their help.
The next day, Cha comes to wark and is again swarmed by reporters. She tells them the prosecutors will find out the truth.
Later, Cha asks Park why his channel is attacking her. He says he has no control over his journalists. Just then, her secretary walks in and switches on the TV. Cha watches in shock as the Prison warden gives a statement that Cha ordered him to switch out Doh Young Choon. He says he was threatened. Cha recalls the man saying that he would do anything to get promoted.
Cha gets a call from the Central Prosecutors office. She is summoned to the prosecutors’ office as the lawsuits are piling up against her. he says many people are filing severe charges against her (Cha’s old cases). She is told this can’t be covered up. Cha hangs up. She says she has to go to the Blue House.
Cha meets Heo at the Blue House. She threatens to hand over the file on Heo to Yo Han if Heo doesn’t help her. She claims it has information on Heo’s slush funds and his involvement in the riots. Heo calls his wife inside and Cha is puzzled.
Heo and his wife tell Cha that Young Min has been using drugs since his school days. Cha is shaken as this information sinks in. They say Young Min is weaker after getting flogged because They remind her that the punishment for drug users is death. They ask if she still wants to go ahead with her threat. Cha is stumped.
On her way back the driver asks if the meeting didn’t go as she planned. Cha notices that the driver is K. She asks him who he is and where her secretary is. He says the secretary quit. K says he assists Yo Han and only Kang Yo Han can stop all of this. He asks if she remembers the assemblyman who committed suicide after she framed him. He says he was in middle school at that time. Cha realises K is the assemblyman’s son.
Later, Cha is in her office when Yo Han and Ga-on walk in. Yo Han watches from far as Ga-on walks towards her. Yo Han says he thought she might want to see him now.
Ga-on tells her that he lost his parents because of Doh Young Choon. He tells her he doesn’t want any apologies from her. Instead, he asks her to co-operate with them so they can catch bigger criminals.
Cha laughs as she asks if they will pardon her if she becomes a whistleblower.
Yo Han asks if she has other options. Cha takes out her cigar box. She takes a cigar in her hand. She says she likes to think when she smokes one of these. Yo Han nods his head at Gaon. Ga-on and Yo Han walk out of the room.
Meanwhile, Soo Hyun walks into the building. The guards allow her in after checking her ID.
Cha thinks as she smokes. She presses the cigar into the ashtray and picks up her family photo.
Earlier
Cha calls Young Min towards her. He walks to her. He breaks down into tears as he apologises to her.
At present, Cha says, ” Young Min.”
Yo Han and Ga-on hear a gunshot and they rush towards Cha’s office. Ga-on dashes in to find blood splattered on the floor and Cha lying in a pool of blood. Yo han walks slowly towards the desk. He is quiet as Ga-on immediately searches Cha for the file.
Just then, Soo Hyun rushes in after hearing the gunshot. She holds her gun up and is surprised to see Yo Han there. Yo Han stands rooted to the spot.
She walks over and finds another person crouching by Cha’s lifeless body. She orders him to get up.
Ga-on freezes for a moment. He gets up and turns around slowly.
Soo Hyun’s eyes widen in shock.
Image Courtesy- TVN
Review
This was a very thrilling and gripping episode.
Yo Han’s strategy against Cha was like chess play as he had stacked up his moves and played them out one behind the other. This was extremely risky as it would’ve proved costly for him if it hadn’t gone his way. Yo Han made a gamble with Sun-A (who was the biggest obstacle in his way) and it worked in his favour.
Cha and Yo Han’s exchange at the live hearing was a great watch. Sun-A took Yo Han’s side and she played it out a way where Cha had no time to react. Yo Han chose the perfect time to bring up Doh Young Choon’s case and this put Cha in a tight spot.
The intense pressure and looming doom which Cha felt were portrayed really well throughout the episode. Cha kept going while the noose was tightening around her neck. She didn’t know what hit her and by the time she did, it was too late.
Yo Han’s plan was an ingenious way to bring Cha into the open. She banked on her ability to make up the truth and walked right into his trap by calling for a public hearing.
Still, she had full faith in her power and confidently assumed she could swat away the strong evidence against her.
It was intriguing to see Cha justifying stepping over people by calling it a struggle to survive. I wonder what she will term the people who have lost their lives due to her actions.
Cha got a taste of her own medicine when Sun-A framed her and when the Prison guard said she threatened him to get Doh Young Choon out. They just made up the truth against her and she didn’t take it well.
Cha was inhumanely ambitious and egotistical. She didn’t throw Young Min under the bus this time. It looks like she did feel guilty for not being there for her son.
Yo Han expected that Cha would join his side if she was cornered. But, Cha chose to rather die to face what was coming at her.
Sun-A was expectant when she came to Yo Han’s house. She wasn’t glad when she recalled stealing silverware from Yo Han’s house.
Sun-A’s choice to side with Yo Han was interesting. She chose to side with him despite knowing that he is tricking her. I wonder if she is just waiting for the right time to strike back.
The scenes with Elijah, Yo Han and Ga-on are always a pleasant watch. It looks like the atmosphere in the house which was cold in the beginning is slowly becoming warm.
It was intriguing to see Ga-on searching for the file on Cha’s body when she was dead. He seems to have changed a lot since the time he jumped in to save the bus driver who tried to bomb the supreme court (Episode 1)
This was the first time Yo Han’s plan backfired. They did get Cha but she didn’t go down the way he would have preferred. I am curious to see how they work their way out of this.
-By Soul Sword-
The Writers Room 
2 thoughts on “The Devil Judge- Episode 11 Recap”