Chaeyeon Jung stands by a victim of school violence, transforming from a past bystander to a perfect defender.
In the 10th episode of JTBC's weekend drama 'Esquire: Lawyers Dreaming of Lawyers' (hereafter 'Esquire'), aired on the 31st of last month, Kang Hyo-min (played by Chaeyeon Jung) confronts her past as a bystander to school violence and takes full responsibility for a client still suffering from that trauma, growing once again into a true lawyer.
The episode achieved its highest ratings yet, with a 9.9% viewership in the metropolitan area and 9.1% nationwide. The peak minute rating soared to 11% in the metropolitan area, while the 2049 demographic recorded 3% in the metropolitan area and 3.1% nationwide.
On this day, Kang Hyo-min receives a shocking call from a murder suspect who identifies her as their lawyer, stating, "You're partly responsible for what happened to me." This unexpected accusation comes from someone she has never met, who committed murder and partly blames her for their actions.
Initially hesitant to take on the case, Kang Hyo-min visits the client in prison. The client reveals that they were a top student until high school but dropped out due to school violence, and the deceased was the main bully. The client bears a scar from a cigarette burn.
Still unable to find a connection with the client, Kang Hyo-min gains insight through an encounter with the victim's mother. She recalls being a bystander who ignored the school violence she witnessed and remembers her own mother, Choi Eun-hee (played by Yoon Yoo-sun), being threatened into silence after trying to report the bullying.
Kang Hyo-min sincerely apologizes to the client, who asks her to prove their innocence in the murder charge. Despite knowing it's a stretch, Kang Hyo-min decides to fulfill her responsibility and embarks on a determined defense. Her mother even pays the client's legal fees in full.
Kang Hyo-min focuses on the legal principle that murder requires intent and action to coincide. She argues that the initial attack with a blunt object only caused injury, and the death resulted from an accident during the client's escape, thus separating the charges into assault and involuntary manslaughter.
Choi Eun-hee supports her daughter by revealing that the victim had a history of jaywalking, nearly causing an accident in the past. Kang Hyo-min confirms through CCTV footage that the victim frequently violated traffic laws, and the accident occurred during another instance of jaywalking.
Finally, Kang Hyo-min presents a 12-year-old video of school violence and the client's life before the bullying, urging the court to consider these factors in sentencing. Her argument that the client's life could have been different without the bullying, which society ignored, moves the courtroom.
Ultimately, the judge acknowledges Kang Hyo-min's meticulous defense and the societal neglect towards the victim, sentencing the client to two years for assault and involuntary manslaughter instead of murder. The client smiles at Kang Hyo-min for the first time.
'Esquire' airs every Saturday at 10:40 PM and Sunday at 10:30 PM.
Tae Yuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr