Ga-on walks up the stairs to a distressed Elijah. She cries as she asks why Yo Han was arrested. She asks if Yo Han was really behind the church fire and if he killed her parents.
Ga-on says Yo Han didn’t do it. He says it is all his fault. He says he was stupid and believed them. He says he told the police that Yo Han killed Soo Hyun.
Ga-on promises Elijah that he will bring Yo Han back no matter what it means. He says he will even risk his life. Elijah bursts into tears as she asks why Ga-on did that. Ga-on apologises to Elijah.
Later, Ga-on and Ji watch Elijah sleep. Ga-on asks her to be with Elijah at all times.
Ga-on goes to the police to give his statement. The detective is disinterested as Ga-on says Yo Han is innocent and Sun-A is the one behind everything. He is told nothing can be done without evidence. Ga-on says he accused Yo Han of something he didn’t do. He did it because he was angry with Yo Han for manipulating the public. The detective says the case is already closed and there is no point in talking about it.
Ga-on says it looks like he has already received orders from the higher-ups. He threatens to report the officer for dereliction of duty. He says he will go to the Press. The officer tells him to go ahead. He says a state of National Emergency has been declared and the Press cant report anything without the Government’s permission. Ga-on bangs the table in frustration.
Yo Han is brought into the prison. The prisoners watch him and one of them threatens to kill him. Yo Han is shown into his cell.
In the morning, Jin-Joo sees the news of the arrest and she finds this hard to believe.
Professor Min goes to Chief Justice Ji Yoon Shik and blames him for choosing Yo Han as a judge. Ji asks how he was to know Yo Han was bad. Min tells Ji that he has to make a decision soon implying he should resign.
Min comes back to his office to find Ga-on there. Ga-on asks him if he hasn’t resigned yet. Min says someone has to clean up the mess. Ga-on says Min has become shameless. He asks if Min allowed Soo Hyun to die just to put Yo Han in danger. Min says he didn’t know Soo Hyun would die. He says he didn’t know Sun-A would go that far.
Flashback
After Ga-on’s appointment ceremony, Sun-A meets Min. She offers him the position of Chief Justice. She says Heo is the President and Yo Han is conducting trials. Min says both are the same. Min says the live trials are dangerous. Sun-A says she believes they can stop this quietly.
He calls her brave. Sun-A tells Min to put someone near Kang Yo Han to keep an eye on him.
Min asks Ga-on to join Yo Han’s bench. Ga-on asks if he has to become Judas. Min requests him.
At present, Min says there is no easy way to make justice in this world. He says he hates Yo Han for ruining the world.
Flashback
Sun-A visits Min at the hospital. Min assumes Yo Han’s men attacked him. He vows to bring Yo Han down.
After Soo Hyun’s death, a furious Min goes over to Sun-A and asks if she killed Soo Hyun. He says she was like his daughter. Sun-A just asks if he going to quit now. She reminds him that Min wanted to stop Yo Han at all costs. She says he can’t back out now. She says Min’s name will go down in history as the man who ended all the chaos.
At present, Min says someone has to become a monster to stop Yo Han. He says Ga-on can blame him all he wants but history will judge Min. Ga-on calls him a dirty scumbag and grabs Min asking how he could let Soo Hyun die. Min calls security and haves him removed from the office.
Jin Joo rushes up to him and asks if the news is false. Ga-on says the Foundation set it up and Yo Han didn’t do it. She offers to help.
Yo Han is in Chief Warden Nam Shi Woo’s office. He looks at his bandaged hand. Nam comes into the office saying you run into your enemies at the worst time.
(Chief Warden Nam was the one who stated that Minister Cha switched out Doh Young Choon from jail)
Nam says he was demoted to this position because of Yo Han. Yo Han says Nam is assigned for victims of major cases. He says it is a good thing for Nam. Nam pulls Yo Han by the shirt and says he is no longer a Judge but a rat under his control.
Sun-A receives a standing ovation from Park, Min and Heo as she walks into the room. Heo tries to butter her up by flattery. Heo slowly tells her that Yo Han needn’t be brought to trial. He says Yo Han should disappear quietly. Sun-A tells him to step down if he has trivial thoughts. The three of them are all praises for Sun-A.
Later, Jae-Hee says that Heo is a completely changed man. Sun-A says Heo changed too fast. She says Park and Min are playing up to Heo. She says she has underestimated Heo. She asks Jae-Hee to keep an eye on them. Sun-A says Heo was obsessing over evacuating more people. She asks Jae-Hee to check the Dream Home Village Accommodations and see if they have moves the residents elsewhere.
Heo, Park and Min’s wives meet for tea. Heo’s wife says the two women did a good job in convincing their husbands. They say they support anything that makes money. They decide to visit the weekend farm to see how their crops are doing.
Ga-on meets with Lawyer Ko. Ko asks how Ga-on could frame Yo Han. Ga-on says it is shameless but asks Ko to help him this once. Ko says he doesn’t know if he can trust Ga-on anymore.
Ga-on says they don’t have time. He asks if they will leave Yo Han alone till the trial. He says they should disclose something huge to tie up their hands and feet. He says that way they will back off for some time. Ga-on says they should expose what is inside the Dream Home village. He says it is an internment camp. Ko says it is impossible as the soldiers are guarding it. Ga-on says he will go alone.
He asks which facility is heavily guarded as that is what will hold something they are hiding. Ko says it is the Dream Home Medical Centre. Ko says there will be no way to get out even if he goes in. Ga-on says he will do it and asks Ko to get him inside. Ko says even if Ga-on gets inside, there is no way of revealing it because the social media is blocked and the Press is walking on eggshells. He says this is no a longer a free nation. Ga-on says he has come up with something but asks Ko to get him something.
Elijah wakes up and finds a letter from Ga-on on the bedside table. In the letter, Ga-on says he met with a cathedral worker from the church fire. He says the fire was caused by a switchboard fire due to old wiring. He says it was an accident and no one caused it. He says Yo Han purposely tried to get her to suspect him. He says Yo Han deliberately wrote up the agreement to cancel the deed of the convent for her to see. He says Yo Han made up things to irritate her. He says he did it because she had just then lost her parents and didn’t eat or sleep. He adds that Yo Han wanted her to continue living even if it was with hatred. Ga-on says that it isn’t Elijah’s fault that she was mistaken about Yo Han. He says Yo Han did it because he wanted to. He says Elijah did nothing wrong. He asks her to treat Yo Han well when he comes back. He says Yo Han will come back to her soon. He promises it won’t take long.
Elijah cries as she reads the letter.
In his letter, Ga-on tells Elijah to eat well as Yo Han will feel bad if she is sick.
Elijah picks up the bowl of porridge on the bedside table. She cries as she eats. Ga-on watches this from far and walks out of the house.
Yo Han sits on the prison grounds. He takes a look at his bandaged hand. He is taken by surprise when Jukchang and a gang of prisoners come at Yo Han and attack him. Yo Han fights back and manages to gets Jukchang into a chokehold. The other prisoners take a step back,
Yo Han tells Jukchang that he has already been charged with the death penalty. He says Jukchang can be executed anytime if that is what he wants. Jukchang begs Yo Han not to kill him. Yo Han tells him to yell louder. Jukchang screams at the top of his lungs for Yo Han not to kill him. The guards hear his screams and come towards him. The other prisoners clear off. Yo Han lets Jukchang go. Jukchang falls on the ground holding his neck.
At the Dream Home Village, the food truck comes in and the soldiers see over the delivery. The delivery personnel take one box and leave it in an isolated corridor. After they leave, Ga-on comes out of the box.
Ga-on manages to get into the Dream Village Medical Centre posing as staff. Ga-on comes across a restricted area and he goes in.
Ga-on finds that there are many patients in the facility and they are screaming in pain. He recognises them as the people who were evicted from the slum the day he was attacked. He takes out the spycam and starts recording.
Gan-on locates Han (actress on Yo Han’s team) among the patients. She seems sick. Ga-on shows her his face and he tells her to relax. Just then, it is announced that the President is coming. He tells her he will be right back.
Heo walks into the facility with his wife. Chairman Park and Min also come along with their wives. He commends the medical staff on their work. He is told that they have conducted vaccine trials as requested by the EU. He is told that out of 3620 test subjects, 182 have died due to side effects.
Heo says the death count is not bad and tells them to report back to the client. His wife seems very proud. He tells them to get back on which countries are back on the payments. He says many countries other than Russia and Japan are requesting vaccines. He says they should develop the farm. He is told that other countries are competing to develop the vaccines first and clinical trials are on demand.
Chairman Min says they can use the citizens from other cities if they need to. Park says their nation doesn’t produce a single drop of oil but they have human resources.
Heo says human lives come first because every person is worth a lot of money in clinical trials. He says once the subjects are dead, they can use the organs as well and export them to make money. He says they shouldn’t waste anything from the body. Ga-on watches everyone celebrate Heo’s idea.
Go-on watches this quietly.
Heo walks out with Park and Min. He says he was waiting for the right time to reveal this facility to them. Heo wonders if they should tell Sun-A about this. Min says there is more for them without Sun-A and they don’t need her anymore.
Heo says Sun-A is like Cha and he hates aggressive women. They decide to cut her off. Heo says they should kill Kang Yo Han before he does anything. They leave the place.
Ga-on tells the nurse that he has to check Han’s vitals and he wheels her bed away. The nurse gets suspicious but lets him go.
Just as he gets in the lift the nurse stops him.
A few minutes later, the nurse and Ga-on wheel out a body bag (with Han in it). The nurse says many of them are locked in here and their phones were taken away. She says they were waiting for someone to come to help them.
The nurse tells the soldier that the person in the body bag is dead and her organs are removed. She is given clearance when she says the body is being taken to the incinerator. She nods to the driver.
The nurse tells Ga-on that she and her people will help Ga-on and Han escape. She asks Ga-on to reveal the truth to the world.
Soon, Ga-on and Han are driven out of the facility in a Dream Village truck. Ga-on calls up Ko and gives him an update. He asks if Ko has the thing ready. Ko asks if this is the only way. Ga-on says they don’t have time for anything else.
Sun-A visits the stage-3 clinical trial wing. She recognises the 18-year-old girl whom Sun-A took a liking to when she gave the speech at the Foundation. The girl is unconscious and she is bruised all over. Sun-A holds the girl’s hand and cries as she apologises for what she has done.
Ga-on goes to Jin-Joo. He asks her for a favour. He says tomorrow is Min’s inauguration as Chief Justice.
At the Prison, Yo Han walks back to his cell after meeting the warden. He notices the guard latching the gate once he walks through it. Suddenly, a man runs toward him brandishing a knife. Yo Han tackles him. The security guard doesn’t move an inch. He continues to watch the ongoing struggle. He smiles as the man brings down the knife on Yo Han.
Jin-Joo asks if that is all she has to do. Ga-on says yes. Jin-Joo asks what Ga-on wants to do at the inauguration. Just then, the news comes in that Kang Yo Han was murdered in prison. Jin-Joo and Ga-on are shocked.
Sun-A’s eyes tear up as she watches the news of Yo Han’s death on TV. Jae-Hee looks concerned. Sun-A tells her she is fine. She says she took Yo Han down by herself. She says it worked out. After Jae-hee leaves, Sun-A crouches on the floor in an effort to handle her emotions.
Ga-on walks out of the office.
Meanwhile, Heo tells Chairman Park and Min that it is finally over. They laugh as they say they will miss him. Heo suddenly notices that Min is quiet. Min says it is nothing. He says they should host something to commemorate Yo Han and celebrate them.
Min says tomorrow is the Chief Justice’s inauguration ceremony. He suggests that Heo should celebrate his forever reign. He says they should hold a party in Kang Yo Han’s courtroom where he challenged them.
Heo likes the idea and tells him to invite Sun-A. He says they should end her in the same place her lover held court. Park calls up Sun A and says it is time to celebrate Sun-A as the first female President.
Sun-A smokes a cigar as she says she will join them. After hanging up, Sun-A tells Jae-hee to get her a cute pistol that will fit in her purse. She says she thinks she will become the President, so she has to protect herself. She commends Jae-hee for doing a good job till now.
Professor Min holds a press meet instead of a formal inauguration. He cites the emergency as a reason and promises to make the judiciary a better one.
After the press meet, Jin-joo comes up to Min and congratulates him. She tells him that Sun-A wants to see him in private. She says Sun-A is waiting in Min’s old office as it is empty.
After Min walks away, Jin-joo calls up Ga-on and says she relayed the message to Min. Ga-on thanks her and tells her to leave the building. Jin-Joo is puzzled but he says he will explain later. Jin-Joo agrees and hangs up.
Meanwhile, Heo and his group are celebrating in Yo Han’s courtroom. Sun-A sits silently at the Judge’s bench. Heo marvels at the room. He says the view is magnificent from the bench. They say no wonder that Yo Han was so arrogant. The ladies say they should host the Foundation’s parties here from now on.
Min walks into the office room to find it empty. Ga-on lunges at him and punches him. He ties Min’s hands with cable ties and puts him in a chair before gagging him. Min is shocked. Ga-on says they should go together.
Ga-on opens his vest to reveal a time bomb. He switches on the timer. Min screams in shock and Ga-on hits him. Ga-on says no media is willing to report the truth. He says they will if the news is tantalising and money worthy. He says the headline would read that the Chief Justice died with his pupil on the first day of his office.
Ga-on says that after the bomb explodes, all the media companies will get an email in his name bearing the truth. He says they will cover it then. He tells Min to consider this as an atonement for what happened to Soo Hyun.
Min rapidly shakes his head as the timer is on ten seconds. Ga-on closes his eyes as the timer ticks.
Yo Han pulls Ga-on away from Min and switches off the timer. He says he was late because he had to dig himself out. Ga-on can’t believe his eyes. He pushes Yo Han away and Yo Han smiles as Ga-on hugs him. Ga-on says he is so relieved that Yo Han is alive.
Ga-on asks Yo Han what happened.
Flashback
Chief Warden Nam says Yo Han is just a rat under his control. Yo Han asks how the weather is in the Bahamas. He says he knows about the 12 million dollars that Nam accumulated for 30 years by doing crime and corruption. He says Nam put it in the secret bank locker in the Bahamas last summer.
Nam removes his hand from Yo Han’s shirt and asks how he knows that. Yo Han tells Nam to sit down. Yo Han asks if Nam thinks it’s a coincidence that Nam is her with a job and not jobless. Yo Han says that Nam was his insurance policy in case things went wrong.
Yo Han tells Nam to check. He says the money is no longer in that account. Nam immediately kneels in front of Yo Han and pleads with him for help. He says he will do what Yo Han wants.
Yo Han asks to be swapped out. Nam says they will be caught as Yo Han is well-known. Yo Han says he needs it to be a secret for only 24 hours.
He says he will return Nam’s money after that. Nam doesn’t seem convinced but he has no choice.
Later, Yo Han tackles the man who comes at him with a knife. Nam smiles as he watches the struggle. Yo Han watches the smile on Nam’s face fade away as Yo Han pins the attacker under him and chokes him till the man goes still.
Yo Han calmly walks up to Nam and stops him from using the walkie-talkie. He points out that Nam did something terrible just now. Nam trembles as he says it was ordered from the Blue House. Yo Han says it wasn’t a part of his plan but it will work. He says they have a body to swap out for him.
At present, Ga-on asks if Yo Han has a plan to get out on his own. Just then, Lawyer Ko walks in and apologises to Ga-on. He tells Ga-on he didn’t know if he can trust Ga-on 100%.
Ga-on asks if Yo Han returned Nam’s money. Yo Han said he returned it in the form of love and not money.
Nam is packed and ready to get out of his office when he receives multiple messages from orphanages and welfare centres thanking Nam for his donation.
Ga-on asks what to do with Min. Yo Han says a life for a life. Ga-on asks if Yo Han will let Ga-on take care of Min on his own. Yo Han gauges him and walks out with Ko.
Back in the courtroom, The Foundation is celebrating. Suddenly, the large screen comes on and all the screens switch on. Sun-A goes still. Heo wonders what is going on.
Yo Han’s face comes on screen. Park toasts to Yo Han who is in the afterlife. Heo is grim as he holds him back.
Yo Han says this is a lovely and emotional atmosphere at the gathering. Park is shocked when Yo Han speaks directly to him. Sun-A realises that Yo Han is alive. She asks what kind of prank this is.
Yo Han says it is not a prank but a solemn trial.
Yo Han says Heo has blocked the newspapers, broadcasting networks and social media but he hasn’t blocked the DIKE app. He says the final trial will start now.
The public gets a notification on their phones about the trial on the DIKE app.
Yo Han introduces the guests for the day, “Park Du Man (Chairman of Saram Media), Pi Hyang Mi (Park’s wife and Financial Manager of Saram Media), Kim Sang Sook (Min’s wife and Director of Minbo Group), Min Young Shik (Chairman of Minbo group), Do Yeon Jung (Heo’s wife and First Lady of Korea), Heo Joong Se (the President of South Korea).”
Park isn’t able to get a cell phone network in the courtroom. Heo screams that this is a crime. Yo Han admits that he is a criminal. Yo Han says Heo is a criminal too and plays the footage from the Dream Home Medical Centre.
Sun-A watches this and asks them if this is what they were doing behind her back.
Yo Han says they dragged people away under the pretext of a fake virus and then sold them to conduct experiments on human bodies.
Heo starts screaming that this is all fabricated. Yo Han then plays the footage where Heo speaks in the facility that human lives matter and they have to make money out of everything.
Yo Han brings up K and Soo Hyun’s photo on the screen. He says Sun-A was responsible for their deaths. He says she killed innocent people to fulfil her ambitions (Chairman Seo, K, Soo Hyun) and also attacked him. Sun-A has a grim expression on her face.
He then says the newly appointed Chief Justice was a hypocrite working under Sun-A for his personal greed. He says he betrayed Soo Hyun who was like a daughter to him.
Ga-on cuts Professor Min free. Ga-on tells Min to live the rest of his life in misery. He says Min’s name will go down in history just like he wanted. Min gives Ga-on one last look before going away.
Yo Han asks the public to vote.
The vote comes to 99% guilty.
Yo Han says this needs the right sentencing. He snaps his fingers and images of bombs come on the screen.
Yo Han says the courtroom will explode if they try to go out.
The Foundation members except Sun-A start screaming in fear. Park rushes over and yells in shock as he finds the explosives set in the room.
Yo Han tells the public to vote. He says the President received 10 million votes in the election. He says this time when the vote touches 10 million, they will get to see fireworks.
He says this will be to celebrate the victory of democracy. The vote count crosses 2 million in a jiffy. Heo and the group are tense as they await their fate. Sun-A is still seated calmly on the bench.
Yo Han tells the PD that he will be going to the stage now.
Chairman Min mutters to himself, “The door to the left when facing the bench.” He goes to the door and pulls it but it is locked. He curses Yo Han when the door doesn’t budge. He walks back to them.
Just then, Yo Han walks in through the door on the right. He holds up the detonator in his hand and says it will blow up if anyone takes a step toward him.
Yo Han tells the public that Kim Ga-on risked his life to take the footage from inside the Medical centre. He says Ga-on will testify in court after everything is over. Yo Han says that these people will go to the afterlife along with him.
Ga-on is shocked as he runs out of the room.
Meanwhile, in the courtroom, Chairman Min demands Yo Han to let him live as he did as Yo Han asked.
Flashback
Chairman Min receives a call from Yo Han. Yo Han tells Chairman Min to bring all the members of the Foundation to the courtroom on the day of Professor Min’s swearing-in ceremony. He threatens to expose the funds Chairman Min had embezzled from the foundation to save his company if Min doesn’t cooperate. Min immediately agrees to cooperate.
At present, the Foundation members turn on Min. Min looks at Yo Han. Yo Han says he will give Min a chance because he helped him. Yo Han opens a door and says this situation is similar to the church fire 10 years back. He says the fastest one out of the door gets to live. He tells them to run for their life as only one person will get to live.
Yo Han watches as The Foundation members pull each other back in an attempt to get out. Yo Han recalls a similar incident as the church burnt down. Yo Han smiles sadly as he says, “Issac.”
Sun-A who was all along watching this while seated on the bench gets up and takes her purse. Yo Han doesn’t notice Sun-A as she comes down from the bench. She takes the pistol from her purse.
Suddenly, Heo tells everyone to keep quiet. He appeals to Yo Han that Yo Han has to save him because he is the President while the others are just businessmen and women. He says he is the King of Korea.
They hear a gunshot and Heo drops dead.
Yo Han looks up to see Sun-A with the gun. She says, “Gosh the jerk talked too much.”
Sun-A points the gun towards Yo Han. Yo Han turns towards her.
The rest of the women yell at her to shoot Yo Han.
Yo Han holds the detonator in his hand as he asks Sun-A, “Is it you and me in the end?”
Yo Han says, “Come with me Sun-A”
Tears well up in Sun-A’s eyes as she says, “Bye, Master Yo Han.”
Sun-A sighs, “Gosh this is so annoying.” She shoots herself in the head and falls.
A memory of young Yo Han putting his hand out towards her after she broke a porcelain plate and saying, “It’s okay Sun-A” comes flooding back to her. Sun-A smiles and young Yo Han smiles back.
Sun-A smiles as she lies in a pool of blood as her voiceover says, “You know what? I really liked you, Master Yo Han.” The smile fades as she dies.
Yo Han wears a grim look as he sighs.
Ga-on rushes in just then, and the members beg for his help. Min tries to reach for the gun and Yo Han tells him to stay still.
Yo Han asks Ga-on why he is here. Ga-on tells him not to do it and asks if Yo Han wants to leave Elijah behind. Yo Han says he has no choice. He says once the performance is over the actor must disappear.
The vote count is about to reach 9 million.
Ga-on says he will go with Yo Han. Yo Han says Ga-on will be a hero. He says there is no need for two devils. Yo Han grabs Ga-on and pushes him out of the courtroom and shuts the door.
The bomb diffusal squad reaches the spot and pulls Ga-on away.
Yo Han goes back in and presses the detonator once the vote count reaches 10 million. Explosions rock the courtroom and the roof caves in. Ga-on’s cries are lost in the explosion.
Later, Jin-Joo finds Ga-on outside the Supreme Court. He doesn’t speak. She takes him to the ambulance to get first aid.
Afterwards, Ga-on comes to Yo Han’s house. He is worried when he finds Elijah’s room empty.
Ga-on runs over to Yo Han’s room. He finds that also empty. He recalls Yo Han giving clothes from his wardrobe. He recalls Yo Han having a nightmare at night.
He turns around to see a tower of cards built in a circular fashion resembling the courtroom. He goes near and finds the Supreme court’s blueprints.
He finds notes scribbled in the corner of the pages, “Secure exit, check exit time, time until explosion, watch pillars, safest location, must check distance. What is concentrated is also easy to bring down. Once the show is over the magician should exit. The cleaning is done. Now there must be something for you to do.”
Ms Ji walks in and says Yo Han was here.
Earlier
Yo Han rushes into his house. Ji is relieved to see him alive. He smiles as he asks if she was worried. She asks why was he even asking her that. He tells her that she is fired. He tells her to leave this house and be free. He says no one will live here anymore. She is shocked as he hugs her. He goes to find Elijah.
Yo Han goes over to Elijah’s room and finds her sleeping. Ji watches this from the doorway. He calls out her name softly and she wakes up. She gets up and cries as she hugs him. She asks him if he is okay and out of prison. He tells her not to worry about him as he is fine.
Yo Han says that they should move to someplace safe. Elijah looks puzzled. He shows her a rehabilitation hospital in Switzerland. He says he wanted them to find a way to make Elijah walk again and has been donating to them. Ji tears up as Yo Han asks Elijah if she wants to go there. Just the two of them. Elijah bursts into tears as she hugs him.
At present, Ga-on is overjoyed upon learning that Yo Han is alive. Ji says Yo Han gave her a healthy food shopping mall as a retirement gift. She says he asked her to sell healthy food that doesn’t taste good. She wonders if it was meant as an insult and Ga-on smiles.
Another day, Jin Joo tells Ga-on that she is going back to her hometown. She says she volunteered in the department for juvenile cases. She says she wants to help the children. He says she will be good at it. They both thank each other and take leave.
Ga-on goes to the Public Hearing for Judicial Reform to overcome Kang Yo Han’s case.
The new government welcomes Ga-on, the national hero to the gathering. The Chairman of the Legislative and Judiciary Committee says that will never make the mistake Heo did.
Ga-on is asked for an idea to avoid the shameful incident from happening again. Ga-on says Yo Han is not a hero but neither a criminal. He asks if people were naive to get excited about Yo Han.
He is told they need to find a solution to settle the public sentiment.
The Prosecution says they want to strengthen the process of choosing Judges to eliminate dangerous ones. There is opposition citing judicial independence when it is suggested that The Ministry Of Justice should choose the judges.
Then it is suggested that Ga-on should be a judge presiding over a live court show.
Ga-on interrupts and says they should do their jobs by making criminals pay for their crimes. He says they should make sure the public don’t shed tears of blood. He says if they don’t do their job, someone will suffer and they will become a monster. He says people go furious for a reason.
The Chairman says Ga-on’s comments are great. He laughs as he says now that they have heard Ga-on’s comments, they should have a discussion to find practical solutions to the issue.
As the meeting gets over, the attendees leave. Ga-on sits in his seat as his voiceover says, “Nothing has changed at all. What should I do now to make the world that doesn’t need Yo Han?”
A hand holds Gaon’s chair’s backrest gently before walking away. Yo Han’s voiceover says, “Do it well. If you don’t, I’ll come back.”
Ga-on turns around just in time to see Yo Han’s retreating figure. Ga-on runs out. He looks up to see Yo Han watching him from the top floor. He gives Ga-on a swift salute and walks away. Ga-on runs up but doesn’t find him there. He looks down to see Yo Han walking towards the exit downstairs.
He runs down and calls out, “Kang Yo Han!”
Yo Han stops and turns around. He puts out his hand and smiles at Ga-on. Tears well up in their eyes as they look at each other. Ga-on smiles at Yo Han. Yo Han gives him a nod in acknowledgement and walks away.
Image Courtesy-TVN
Review.
The finale was a dramatic and satisfying one.
Ga-on went all in to sort out the mess he created. It was intriguing to see him trying to find the solution using the system. His idea to expose the Dream village Medical facility was a good one and he stumbled onto a Pandora box there. In the end, he was left with no option but to kill himself to bring out the truth. Towards the end, everyone went their seperate ways and Ga-on was left alone to see for himself how the judicial system works in reality without Yo Han.
Sun-A recruited Professor Min right before the live trials started. It was revealed that Min has always been against Heo and Yo Han’s ideologies. He feels there is no difference between Heo and Yo Han. Sun-A capitalised on this and fueled Min’s hostility towards Yo Han.
Sun-A has good instincts. She sensed a mutiny while it was brewing. She was affected emotionally after seeing the 18-year-old girl at the Medical facility. It looks like she saw herself in that girl (who might not live to see another day). Sun-A wasn’t happy with the way she lived the life which was given to her.
Sun-A’s obsession over Yo Han was the driving power behind her. She couldn’t bring herself to commit genocide in the name of clinical trials as she gained nothing out of them. She also knew that she is responsible for everything and she brought her doom upon herself.
Heo, Min, Park and their wives went to a whole different level of insanity at the Dream Home Medical Facility.
Chairman Park and Min survived just by switching sides. It was intriguing to see how both Heo and Sun-A expected nothing less from the pair. Chairman Min even went as far as betraying the Foundation at the last moment to save himself.
The scene with Yo Han and Chief Warden Nam was a great watch. It looks like Yo Han, true to his character he had a contingency plan in place. It was interesting to see Yo Han tackling everyone using their own slush funds.
Sun-A didn’t feel elated when she heard of Kang Yo Han’s death. It looks like she realised she had liked him a lot more than she thought she did. Moments before her death, she knew that Yo Han was lying when he called her to come with him. It looks like she came to terms with the fact that she could never obtain Yo Han no matter how much she tried.
It would have been next to impossible to get everyone in the Foundation convicted for their crimes. Yo Han had no choice but to stage his death two times and blow up the courtroom.
The scene with Yo Han and Elijah’s reunion was wholesome. It was good to see that there will no longer be a rift between them and they will live out a stable and peaceful life from here on.
The scene with the Judicial hearing was an interesting watch. Ga-on reiterated that if the judiciary does its job, there need not be new laws. He realised that a change of government will not change anything as corruption is an omnipresent entity. This goes to show that a system without corruption doesn’t exist even in fiction.
Yo Han would have had no reason to come back if he was self-centred and had functioned solely for revenge. Yo Han’s voiceover at the end (which said he will come back if Ga-on isn’t able to succeed) shows that he has been fighting for the people all along and not for personal reasons alone. Kang Yo Han turned out to be a hero and not a devil.
‘The Devil Judge’ maintained its interesting storytelling and fast pace throughout and it gave a suitable ending to all the characters. It is definitely a must-watch!
-Soul Sword-
Series Review
The Devil Judge takes place in an imaginary dystopian Korea where the country is recovering from an epidemic. The economy is poor and riots are a common sight. The Social Responsibility Foundation holds all the power in the society with the rich, corrupt and the powerful governing it.
As a means to gain political popularity, the government sets up a Live Court show where the criminals are subject to trials that are broadcasted live for the entire nation to see. Judge Kang Yo Han (Ji Sung) is appointed as the presiding judge as he is known for his righteous rulings. He is popular among the people hailed as a just Judge. Oh Jin Joo (Kim Jae-Kyung) and Kim Ga-on (Jin Young) join his bench as the associate judges.
What the government thinks is going to be a distraction from the struggling economy, backfires for them as Kang Yo Han has an agenda of his own. Yo Han starts putting the rich and powerful to trial. Ga-on has his reasons to suspect Yo Han’s intentions. What follows next forms the rest of the story.
The series wastes no time in taking the viewer into a fast paced and thrilling story.
The plot is clear and is spearheaded by the trial scenes. Every trial in the series is noteworthy and dramatic. The defendants are usually ones with a powerful background and the chances of them getting convicted is almost impossible. The trials involve a people’s poll where the public acts as the jury and they vote through an app. The vote count keeps fluctuating between guilty and innocent charge throughout the trial and it depicts the power and effect that words have on the public. The action out of the courtroom is equally thrilling. The moves made by the characters both in and out of the courtroom is like that of a chess game. The series is filled with a lot of action packed thrilling scenes.
Judge Kang Yo Han (played by Ji Sung) comes across as a magisterial personality. He is a master manipulator and a crowd-pleaser. He has as a mysterious air around him as he doesn’t say much about himself. His close acquaintances dislike him as they feel he is psychotic and selfish. Yo Han doesn’t bother to explain himself and lets them assume what they want. On the other hand, he is an extremely good judge of character and he knows how to get his enemies to react the way he wants. Yo Han is unflinching even when the whole Government is pitted against him. He has a tragic past where he lost his brother to a church fire. He deeply cares for his niece Elijah and is extremely protective of her. Yo Han has a soft spot for Kim Ga-on too. Ji Sung has delivered a stellar performance as Yo Han easily takes up the centre stage amidst the many strong characters in the drama.
Kim Ga-on (portrayed by Jin Young) is a headstrong and righteous judge. He has a tragic past where he lost his parents. He comes across as a calm and composed personality. He is planted in Yo Han’s team by Professor Min to keep a watch on Yo Han. Throughout the series he is caught in a dilemma whether to side with Yo Han or not. He believes that the public are innocent and has extreme trust in the system. Jin Young has portrayed the role well.
Jung Sun-A (played by Kim Min-Jung) works as the secretary to The Social Responsibility Foundation’s Chairman. She puts on a coy demeanour that at first seems out of place in a serious drama. Slowly one realises that her personality is that of a Woman-Child where she is like a child in a woman’s body. Coming from a poor background, she has an obsession with twinkling things. Soon, one finds out that beneath the coy exterior she is no less than any of the other antagonists. Yo Han tops her list of twinkling things which she wants to obtain and she is obsessive over him. Kim Min Jung has done an excellent job in delivering this role as Jung Sun-A is a complex personality.
Yoon Soo Hyun (played by Park Gyu-Young) is a detective and Ga-on’s childhood friend. She is Ga-on’s confidante and plays his romantic interest. She is hostile towards Kang Yo Han and his methods. She disapproves of Ga-on’s association with Yo Han. Soo Hyun is the reason why Ga-on didn’t go down the path of revenge after he lost his parents.
Elijah (Jeon Chae-Eun) is Kang Yo Han’s 16 year old niece. A church fire left her losing the use of her legs. She has spent most of her time at home after the accident. At the beginning, she comes across as a cold and angry teenager but as the series progresses one looks forward to the scenes where Elijah is present.
Professor Min (Ahn Nae-Sang) is Ga-on’s mentor. He places Ga-on in Yo Han’s camp to an eye on Yo Han. He distrusts Yo Han and he feels Ga-on will be useful as a spy. Ga-on has huge amount of respect for him.
Minister Cha (Jang Young-Nam) and Heo Joong-Se (Baek Hyun-Jin) are easily the strongest antagonists in the series. They are cold-hearted and ruthless. Minister Cha comes across as a vile character instantly. Apart from coming across as a misogynist, Heo Joong Se takes a while to make an impression and one easily underestimates him at the start of the series. He turns out to be a handful by the end of the series.
There is a huge gap between the haves and the have-nots in this drama and that has been portrayed very well. The political aspect of the plot is showcased well. The antagonists form a major part of the storyline. They feel they are entitled to grab anything they want just because they are in a powerful position. They outdo themselves at every opportunity which makes them an interesting watch.
The series shows every characters background story which serves as a strong basis for the plotline.
Kang Yo Han hails from an affluent family. Having had a rough childhood he is well equipped with the means to handle the powerful and corrupt. This also enables him to think on the lines of the enemy. This leads Ga-on to question Yo Han’s morality. Yo Han believes Everyone is equal under the eyes of the law. He believes innocent people do not exist. He maintains the there is no justice in reality but it’s just a dreadful unfair game
Ga-on on the other hand, grew up among loving people like Soo Hyun and Professor Min after losing his parents. He and Yo Han are polar opposites when it comes to judicial ideologies. He believes that the world is black and white.
As it is a live trial, the scenes are more dramatic than the other legal dramas out there. Yo Han is ruthless when it comes to sentencing the rich and powerful. And this works in his favour as his popularity grows with the public. Often, Yo Han resorts to unorthodox means to obtain a guilty verdict. With his unconventional verdicts, his trials turn out to be death traps for the corrupts. One finds it easy to side with Yo Han because he often punishes the defendants who most deserve the punishment.
The corrupt fight using their power and money while Yo Han counters it with his intelligence and determination. Often, it is the Prosecutors who deliver the arguments against the defendant. In this series, it is intriguing to see the judges doing the prosecutor’s job when the prosecution succumbs to the power of the corrupt.
The relationship between Sun-A and Yo Han is a dark unrequited love (from Sun-A’s side) which turns into an obsession on Yo Han. Both of them are similar in many ways but the contrast in their characters is striking. Whenever the two share screen space, the atmosphere is hostile and volatile. Their scenes make a great watch.
At the start of the series Yoon Soo Hyun nurses unrequited love for Ga-on. She cares for him deeply and fusses over him whenever she is around him. Ga-on reciprocates her feelings later on in ther series. Though the pair have a significant amount of screen time, their chemistry lacks depth. The couples’ relationship takes a backseat as their conversations are always centred around Soo Hyun’s suspicions about Kang Yo Han. She comes across mostly as a detective pursuing Yo Han than as Ga-on’s love interest.
The scenes at Yo Han’s household are commendable as they effortlessly weave emotion into the plot. The scenes with Yo Han and Elijah are a pleasant watch. Yo Han is fond of Ga-on. He undergoes a change in personality after Ga-on comes into his life. Their scenes are a good watch.
Kang Yo Han, Kim Ga-on and Jung Sun-A have had a rough childhood. It is interesting to see how each one of them turned out to be as adults.
The series is filled with strong as well as weak characters. Every character sketch has been wonderfully written.
Though the drama is set in a dystopian world, the problems addressed in it are prevalent in every society. The legal aspect of the plot is flawless and a great watch.
One should not judge a book by its cover and the same goes for the title of series The Devil Judge. When the evil are too powerful, one must turn into a devil to fight them. This doesn’t make the person evil.
The drama is much more than just a revenge story. The series has cliff-hanger episode endings, foolproof plotline, great cinematography, well-written dialogues, great music and noteworthy performances by the cast. Topped off with a satisfying happy ending, The Devil Judge is a must watch.
OST
Jung Se Rin Enemy Of Truth Violin BGM
-Soul Sword-
The Writers Room 
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