The Past Unveiled: Why Ji Sung Became a Judge in 'Judge Lee Han Young'

Ji Sung's journey to becoming a judge is revealed through his past.

On the 11th, at 9:50 PM, MBC's Friday-Saturday drama 'Judge Lee Han Young' (directed by Lee Jae-jin, Park Mi-yeon/written by Kim Kwang-min) aired its fourth episode, shedding light on the past of Judge Lee Han Young, played by Ji Sung.

In this episode, the shocking backstory of Lee Han Young's path to the legal profession and his intense rivalry with Yoo Se-hee (played by Oh Se-young) was unveiled. After rescuing Kim Na-yeon (played by Baek Jin-hee) from a crisis, Lee Han Young urged her to keep quiet to prevent the security guards from being fired due to the incident being reported.

Kim Na-yeon expressed her gratitude to Lee Han Young. Later, Lee Han Young met his high school friend Park Jung-ho (played by Tae Won-seok) and asked him to find a ledger containing evidence of corruption. Although Park Jung-ho worried that Lee Han Young might be reopening old wounds, Lee Han Young remained composed and pushed forward with the investigation.

The reason behind Lee Han Young becoming a judge was his desire to atone for his cowardice during high school. In the past, Lee Han Young and Park Jung-ho witnessed Bong-seok Lee (played by Jung Jae-sung) being brutally beaten by hired thugs at a protest but fled the scene. Bong-seok Lee was unjustly sentenced to 18 months in prison, but Lee Han Young, fearing the revelation that he abandoned his father, never testified. To cleanse his guilt of abandoning his father twice, Lee Han Young became a judge to seek the truth, only to find himself becoming a monster like Jang Tae-sik (played by Kim Beop-rae), corrupted by power.

In this second chance at life, Lee Han Young made a strong impression by confronting Yoo Se-hee's arrogant behavior during a blind date. Yoo Se-hee, angered by Lee Han Young's tardiness, attempted to extort a large sum for a damaged outfit from an employee and threatened violence. However, Lee Han Young subdued her by mentioning the possibility of legal action. Despite being humiliated, Yoo Se-hee begrudgingly apologized, revealing her jealousy and inferiority complex towards her sister Yoo Ha-na (played by Baek Seung-hee) and brother Yoo Jin-gwang (played by Heo Hyung-kyu), hinting at an impending power struggle within the family.

Meanwhile, as Lee Han Young's nemesis Jang Tae-sik faces a prosecution investigation for offshore tax evasion, Lee Han Young seeks an opportunity to collaborate with prosecutor Lee Jin-ah on the case. The tension escalates as Yoo Se-hee, under pressure from her father Yoo Sun-chul (played by Ahn Nae-sang), vows to crush Lee Han Young, while Lee Han Young, with Park Jung-ho's help, secures the ledger and declares war on military corruption.

Reporter Chaeryeong Lim, TenAsia syjj426@tenasia.co.kr