Lee Jin-wook's Character Faces Emotional Turmoil and Scandal in 'Beyond The Bar'

Lee Jin-wook's character, Yoon Seok-hoon, in the JTBC weekend drama 'Beyond The Bar' (hereafter 'Beyond The Bar'), finds himself in a whirlwind of emotions as he severs ties with his past and faces a scandal involving a junior associate lawyer.

In the 7th episode aired on the 23rd, Yoon Seok-hoon comes to terms with various shades of love, letting go of past regrets. The episode garnered a viewership rating of 7.2% in the metropolitan area and 7% nationwide.

Yoon Seok-hoon takes on the defense of a husband accused of assisting in the euthanasia of his wife suffering from dementia. As the case unfolds, it becomes evident that the couple's relationship had been strained for a long time, with suspicions of infidelity and divorce demands coinciding with the wife's dementia diagnosis, raising cold suspicions of 'inheritance-driven caprice.'

Despite the unfavorable developments, the husband conveys his heartfelt story. He admits to infidelity due to exhaustion from his wife's memory lapses but realized it was a misunderstanding caused by her dementia. He stayed by her side, rekindling their love. He reflects, "Love was like a rainbow," admitting he mistook its changing hues for its disappearance.

The husband's words deeply affect Yoon Seok-hoon, reminding him of his own past when he argued that comfort was also a form of love to his ex-wife, who demanded a divorce. He meets with his ex-wife, mentions the husband's words, and she apologizes for her immaturity, acknowledging her past mistakes. However, time cannot be reversed. Relieved of his emotional burden, Yoon Seok-hoon calmly ends their relationship, saying, "Let's never see each other again."

After this bittersweet closure, Yoon Seok-hoon confides in Kang Hyo-min (played by Jung Chae-yeon), who understands his turmoil. He reveals that he used to hurt others with words and thus became reserved, but with his ex-wife, he freely expressed his daily life and emotions, which made it hard to let go until now.

Kang Hyo-min advises that time heals wounds and fades relationships, adding a comforting note that the only irreplaceable thing is oneself. Their conversation leaves a warm resonance over the emptiness of reality.

Meanwhile, Yoon Seok-hoon finds himself in a precarious situation with his mentor Kwon Na-yeon (played by Kim Yeo-jin) as they become targets of Go Tae-seop (played by Park Jung-pyo). Due to surveillance set by Go Tae-seop, Yoon Seok-hoon is suspected of having an inappropriate relationship with a second-year associate lawyer who visited his home late at night.

Compounding the issue, Yoon Seok-hoon is seen receiving confidential documents related to a case the junior lawyer was handling, seemingly ignoring their source. Go Tae-seop convenes a partner meeting, directly targeting Yoon Seok-hoon, escalating the tension to its peak.

The intrigue deepens as viewers wonder about the true nature of Yoon Seok-hoon's relationship with the junior associate and why the perfectionist Yoon Seok-hoon accepted documents without verifying their origin.