Jung Kyung-ho Shines in 'Pro Bono' as a Public Interest Lawyer, Captivating Viewers

Jung Kyung-ho made a stunning debut as a public interest lawyer in the tvN weekend drama 'Pro Bono'.

In the second episode aired on the 7th, Jung Kyung-ho's character, Kang Da-wit, showcased his seasoned skills as a former judge in his first public interest case, delivering a thrilling performance. The episode's ratings soared, achieving an average of 6% in the Seoul metropolitan area with a peak of 7.3%, and a nationwide average of 6.2% with a peak of 7.3%, securing the top spot in its time slot across cable and general programming channels, according to Nielsen Korea.

After a series of twists and turns, Kang Da-wit became the head of the pro bono team at Korea's top law firm, O&Partners, which handles public interest lawsuits with zero revenue. He engaged in intense negotiations with the firm's representative, Oh Jung-in (played by Lee You-young), understanding that the pro bono team's success was a crucial metric for her. Kang Da-wit promised to raise the team's current win rate from 20% to 70% within a year in exchange for a recommendation for a Supreme Court judge position.

With the pro bono team's victory becoming essential, Kang Da-wit focused on the assigned case. He learned that animal rights activist Ji So-yeon (played by Yoon Sang-jung) was involved in a dispute over a dog named Byeol, which she had rescued and adopted, with the original owner claiming ownership. He quickly identified the connections, noting that the complainant was the daughter of a former prosecutor-turned-congressman and that the case was being handled by Woo Myung-hoon (played by Choi Dae-hoon), a lawyer with ties to the prosecutor's office. Kang Da-wit also discovered that Woo Myung-hoon and the presiding judge were high school classmates, prompting him to call in a former chief judge to ensure the judge recused himself.

However, just as the pro bono team seemed to have escaped the biased judge, they were shocked to learn that Byeol had been wearing an identification tag when found, which Ji So-yeon had discarded. When questioned by Kang Da-wit, Ji So-yeon explained that the tag had an anti-barking device attached, and she chose the stray dog procedure to prevent Byeol from being returned to the original owner.

Kang Da-wit then applied for a jury trial, admitting to discarding the tag but arguing it was a justified act. He assigned undercover duties to Yoon Na-hee (played by Seo Hye-won) to infiltrate the complainant's home and gather evidence of abuse, while Hwang Joon-woo (played by Kang Hyung-suk) was tasked with finding the crucial tag. Legal enthusiast Park Ki-bbeum (played by So Ju-yeon) was instructed to research relevant case precedents, ensuring the team was thoroughly prepared for their first public interest defense.

On the day of the trial, Woo Myung-hoon aggressively pressed the absence of the key evidence, putting the pro bono team in a tight spot. In a critical moment, Kang Da-wit decided that the only solution was to have the complainant admit that Byeol was not her dog. He took a bold step by bringing Byeol into the courtroom.

Kang Da-wit had previously arranged for Jang Young-sil (played by Yoon Na-moo) to create a fake tag for Byeol, which was subtly shown to the complainant. Simultaneously, he leaked information about the complainant's animal abuse to her father, who was running for election, leaving her speechless. Under pressure, the complainant ultimately denied ownership of Byeol, leading to a dramatic conclusion.

Reporter Se-yoon Jung, TenAsia yoon@tenasia.co.kr