LAW AND THE CITY
CHARACTERS, ORGANIZATIONS, EVENTS, AND PLACES IN THIS DRAMA ARE FICTITIOUS
Who's representing the plaintiff?
I'm Ahn Juhyeong
with Law Group Hyungmin, attorney for plaintiff Cha Jeongho.
Who's representing the defendant?
Are you the party in question?
Yes.
I'm…
Park Sujeong.
Okay, please take a seat.
The plaintiff is filing only for divorce,
and the defendant is countersuing for alimony and asset division.
You do agree to the divorce, correct?
Yes.
Defendant,
there's no specific reason or basis provided for the countersuit,
so the plaintiff has nothing to respond to right now.
Please have that part prepared by the next court date.
And the plaintiff will respond accordingly.
Yes, Your Honor.
Defendant,
you can't be crying already.
This is just the first trial.
Then, we'll continue this trial later.
The next court date will be on the 19th of December…
Episode 4 None of My Business
Hey.
Do you know why this dish is called jjimdak and not dakjjim?
Why?
I don't know. I was asking you.
I mean, it's different
- from galbijjim and agujjim. - Idiot.
Hey, did you change your phone case?
Of course, you'd pick that one.
Where did you get it? My grandfather would love one too.
You punk.
Hey, this thing's great. It can hold everything.
Are you going to cut this forever?
I'm chopping it up, so we can eat it with a spoon.
Yeah, chop it up into bits so it's easier for Grandpa Sanggi to eat.
That's enough nonsense, you brat!
Attorney Ha?
Hello, Director!
I had some business nearby and just grabbed a bite here.
- I see! - Enjoy your meal.
Have a good day, Attorney Ha.
I'll be in touch. All right.
Gosh, what a warm smile. How about doing that for me too?
I am doing it, you punk.
What more do you want?
It's all ready now.
Let's eat.
Okay.
- You saw me earlier, right? - I didn't.
I didn't say where though.
I'm sure it was family court. It's the only place I went to today.
Gosh, you're so confident. You really didn't see me?
What's with you?
Sorry about that. Excuse us.
Damn it. Is it because it's winter again?
Your snot's hanging out. It's gross.
Hey, we're eating here. That's nasty.
- This cut-up stuff better be good. - Try it.
- So delicious. - You little…
Want some? The cucumbers too?
That was good.
- Which cafe should we go to? - I'm going to visit the clinic.
- Okay, bye. - All right, later.
- So which cafe? - I'm busy too, so I'm off.
You too?
Hey, where should we go?
I was thinking of this spot.
Huiji. You're coming, right?
What? I'm busy too. Bye.
What?
It's just the two of us.
This wasn't expected.
Let's go to that spot.
ATTORNEY AHN JUHYEONG
DIVORCE
PLAINTIFF CHA JEONGHO DEFENDANT PARK SUJEONG
Hello, Attorney Ahn.
Hello. We had the divorce trial this morning.
How did it go?
There wasn't much progress.
The judge told the defendant to provide a specific reason or basis,
so they'll probably submit that by the next trial.
She didn't write anything down,
because there's no reason to ask for alimony.
She didn't say anything weird, right?
No, nothing out of the ordinary.
I guess we'll just wait then and see what she submits.
Good work.
Thank you. Goodbye.
You saw me earlier, right?
I didn't.
He's impossible to figure out.
Since when do you drink hot coffee?
I lowered my standards for you.
Sitting here like this
makes it seem like we're the only ones with nothing to do.
They're just acting super busy.
We're on the same page for once.
I dumbed down the conversation quality for you.
Thank you very much.
I recently saw my father since he was in the area.
Right.
He started going on about Hanguk Group again.
Seriously, I'm so sick of it.
Is he still pushing you to be their in-house counsel?
Actually, he didn't bring it up this time.
That's good progress.
- Hey. - What?
What does your father do?
- My father? Why? - What do you mean "Why?"
You know about my father, but I don't know about yours.
Then, you can continue to not know.
Come on. What does he do?
Hey!
What does your father do?
He's taking it easy. He's retired.
Really?
Tell him to get some rest.
- You always turn up at this time of year. - I know, right?
They're typical seasonal allergies, so I'll prescribe your usual meds.
- The meds last time were fine, right? - Yes, they helped.
I'll prescribe the same ones then.
You're not pregnant or anything, right?
No, I'm not.
Here you go.
Okay, wait just a moment.
Okay.
SELF-SERVICE MOTEL
The marriage certificate
- should be under that. - I see.
DEATH CERTIFICATE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE
It seems the victim passed about nine months ago.
Was that on the same day as the accident?
Yes, they said she died instantly.
- And the perpetrator? - Song?
Yes.
He died the next day.
How did you learn that the perpetrator was drunk driving?
The police told me.
He was drunk enough to lose his license.
- I see. - It's weird, isn't it?
The driver was wasted and crashed the car,
but while the passenger died instantly,
he stuck around one more day.
Yes. By the way…
Did the victim have alcohol in her system as well?
Yes, it was at a similar level.
Now that hear it, it's pretty ridiculous.
What do you mean?
They were both drunk. One drove and one was a passenger.
They were both in the wrong.
But since he drove, he's the perpetrator.
And she died as a passenger,
so she's the victim.
I mean, thanks to that,
I can file for damages against him.
Yes, I guess you could see it that way.
How do I file for damages?
Right.
If you decide to file for damages,
you can demand compensation
from Song Yeongcheol for your wife's death.
But he's dead.
Yes, that's right.
So we would file the claim against his family,
who are his legal heirs.
I see.
So it's the people left behind suing each other.
Yes.
Also, as you mentioned,
your wife was responsible for enabling the drunk driving,
so compensation will be reduced because of that.
Don't say she's my wife. Just call her the victim.
No.
I'm the victim here.
Sir?
Do you know where the crash happened?
Right outside a motel strip.
They were in such a hurry
that they didn't slow down after getting there.
Right, so…
There are two claims you can file for compensation.
One for the affair and one for your wife's death.
Is there anything you know about the perpetrators' family?
Like who his legal heir is?
He has a wife, a daughter, and a son.
That bastard had kids.
Then, we'll proceed by naming his wife and children as defendants.
In the lawsuit.
I heard both his kids aren't even 10 years old yet.
Should we leave them out?
Let's include them.
If you only file against his wife,
your claim is limited three-sevenths of the full amount.
And as I mentioned before,
if we consider the reduction from the victim's aiding of drunk driving,
you'll be looking at even less.
Without the kids, the amount is too low.
Okay, let's do that.
Please file it right away.
I will, sir.
PREGNANCY TEST
Why is everyone so down?
Why?
What should we do? Want to get drunk after work?
- No. - No.
Yeah, I didn't want to either.
I'm a little tired. Who even drinks these days?
I told you to stay quiet.
When?
I just did.
What?
- Hello. - Hello.
- We meet again. - Yes.
Don't mind me. Please relax and eat.
ADVISOR KIM HYUNGMIN
Wait. You two are close now?
We ran into each other a few times.
Look at you. You're such a social butterfly.
I'm getting competitive.
Step it up, Changwon! I need to work harder.
Did you call me, sir?
This is the lawyer I mentioned.
Of all the attorneys at our firm, he's the perfect fit.
- You know, we occupy this whole building. - Right.
Say hello to Chairman Jang Gwanggi.
Hello, I'm Cho Changwon.
Yes, nice to meet you.
You're pretty handsome.
- Have a seat. - Yes, sir.
He's got a real knack for conversation.
Your son won't be bored at all.
So…
I have a favor to ask.
I have a son
that I can't just ignore.
He keeps complaining
about how tough life is in the detention center.
Just until his trial's done,
can you keep him company?
Yes, sir.
It's nothing big. It's just a quick visit for an hour each day.
The chairman's son has been wrongly accused,
so he's currently in custody.
But life in detention is tough. Poor kid.
So are you saying we're taking on his case?
No.
That's being handled by another firm, so don't worry about it.
Just go and talk about what's going on in the world for an hour.
Okay.
WRITTEN STATEMENT
PLAINTIFF CHA JEONGHO DEFENDANT PARK SUJEONG
I'm coming in.
Hey.
You said you'd trade your divorce case for my sale proceeds case.
- What happened? - Oh, that.
I talked with Mr. Na, but I decided to just keep it.
What the hell? You got my hopes up for nothing.
That sales proceeds case is so difficult.
If you're stuck, bring it over. I'll help you.
Why did you want to switch at first?
- You said I'd find out once I started. - It's nothing.
What? Fine.
I'll need your help later. See you.
You're a little late.
Yes, I was stuck in traffic.
Did she submit this?
Yes. It's a written statement submitted by Park Sujeong.
She wrote down a lot.
What does it say?
It says you were physically and verbally abusive during the marriage.
DEFENDANT WAS PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED
DEFENDANT WAS VERBALLY ABUSED
This is it? Where's the evidence?
She didn't submit any evidence.
There's no actual evidence then?
Did you assault her?
Does it matter? There's no evidence.
If it's true, now is the time to speak up.
That way, I can respond properly.
It's not true.
Even according to her, it was just one time, not multiple.
So not even once?
No.
Not by my standards.
- What about verbal abuse? - I didn't do that either.
Not by my standards.
All right.
I'll submit a written statement firmly denying everything on that premise.
What? You don't believe me?
Whether I believe you or not isn't that important.
How is that not important?
How can I let someone represent me if they don't believe me?
My job is to help you properly exercise your right to defend yourself.
What I believe doesn't change how I do my job.
So don't worry about that.
Since the plaintiff's wife died instantly in the accident,
there's no basis for a claim against the defendant's husband.
A deceased person can't be granted any legal rights.
The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled
that even in cases of instant death, the right to claim damages
is still recognized in that brief moment.
Kim Minkyung knew Mr. Song was drunk driving
but turned a blind eye to it,
so that fault reduces the payout.
That said, the plaintiff's claim for damages
has nothing to do with drunk driving.
The claim also includes compensation for the affair,
so that needs to be assessed separately.
Okay, all of that is already in the written submission,
so let's leave it there.
The defendants haven't renounced their inheritance, correct?
No, Your Honor. The house and other assets are under Mr. Song's name,
so the defendants couldn't renounce it based on their living conditions.
In this case, neither the plaintiff nor the defendants
are the real parties here.
If anything, they're all just victims of the affair.
Let's do this.
We'll schedule a preparatory hearing,
and I'll try to mediate directly then,
so make sure both the plaintiff and the defendants attend.
But we'll exclude the defendants who are minors.
Just have Lee Sujin attend.
Yes, Your Honor. I'll talk to the plaintiff.
We've actually discussed this before, but I'm not sure if she will come.
Well then,
please do your best to persuade her.
Yes, Your Honor.
The same goes for plaintiff's counsel.
Yes, Your Honor. I will.
Let's go home.
And I got everything.
ATTORNEY KANG HUIJI
PRESIDENT KIM
Hello?
Me? I'm clocking out.
Yeah.
Dad, what brings you here?
I just happened to be passing by your office.
And you weren't circling the block for the tenth time?
Hey, your dad's not that sweet, okay?
Put your seat belt on.
- All right, let's go. - Okay.
Aren't you exhausted from working late every day?
You've been so busy since you became a lawyer.
No, I'm okay.
I enjoy the work.
I have to put in the hours now to learn fast.
Hey, it's not like we live far away or anything.
We're a stone's throw away, so visit more often.
Your mom misses you.
If she misses me, she should just call.
You know your mom's the shy type.
Since when?
She figures you're busy. That's why.
I know.
I liked it more when you played piano.
You came home more often and didn't work this late.
Don't most parents prefer their kids to be lawyers?
If this is what you want, that's all that matters to us.
Then, we're good.
But are you sure this is what you wanted to do?
I've wondered if you suddenly went into law because of me.
It's been weighing on me.
You're so full of yourself.
I'm not that sweet, you know.
Then, we're good.
Are you coming for memorial rites?
It's already been 25 years since your parents passed.
Yeah, I'll be there.
- Thanks. - Sure.
Go on and get some rest.
Okay. Drive safe, Dad.
Anyone here for the 10:00 a.m. case?
Cha Jeongho and Park Sujeong? Okay, please come in.
CASE NUMBER 2024-154671 CHA, PARK
Defendant, your claims are well-organized,
but you haven't submitted any evidence.
Do you have anything to support the allegations of abuse?
Maybe photos of injuries
or an audio recording of the verbal abuse?
- Please submit them if you have any. - Do I…
have to submit those?
If you don't submit anything, there won't be any evidence.
We can't accept your claims then.
Defendant, do you have any evidence to submit?
No, I don't.
The plaintiff has submitted
a written statement strongly denying the abuse claims.
You've received that, correct?
- Yes. - But you're saying you have no evidence.
Is that correct?
Yes.
Your Honor.
As we've already stated in our previous brief,
there was no physical or verbal abuse.
The defendant has nothing more,
so we ask you end proceedings and move to judgment.
We can't end proceedings at this stage just yet.
It seems the evidence review for damages is almost done.
Let's try another round of mediation.
If it doesn't work this time, we'll resume proceedings…
MENSTRUAL CYCLE
Hey, Munjeong.
Hey.
- Where are the others? - Their trials have them a ways off.
Even Juhyeong?
I saw him at family court this morning.
You saw him earlier?
Yeah, just from behind.
Really? He said he won't be able to grab lunch.
I guess Juhyeong takes on his friends' cases too.
When I saw him, it seemed like he knew his client pretty well.
I doubt it.
That's actually the one type of case he won't do.
Really?
Why do you look so down?
Should we get dessert after?
Why? I'm fine.
Do I look tired?
Dessert sounds good though.
- What do you want to eat? - Pasta and…
FIND MY CASE
PARK SUJEONG
DIVORCE DEFENDANT PARK SUJEONG
I was right.
TRIAL DATE MEDIATION DATE
A mediation date has been set.
PLAINTIFF'S COUNSEL LAW GROUP HYUNGMIN
ATTORNEY IN CHARGE AHN JUHYEONG
"Plaintiff's counsel"?
Not Park Sujeong's counsel?
- Hi. - Hello.
You look miserable this morning.
I guess I knew someone would pick a fight this early.
I saw you were handling Park Sujeong's divorce case.
Are you okay?
What are you so surprised about?
We ran into each other that day
when you walked by and pretended not to know me.
How did you know she was Sujeong?
Well, I just happened to by chance.
Why would you take that case? Just because you were told to?
It's just work. Same as any other case. I do what they give me.
How is that the same?
I thought you were representing her for old times' sake.
What's so different about it?
Just because you act like an amateur doesn't mean everyone else does.
What you're doing
isn't being professional.
It's being stupid.
Then, I should've whined and said,
"I can't take the case because she's my ex"?
Yes, you should have.
But you don't even know to say that, so it's stupid.
You can say those things all you want.
But I've never worked like that.
Do the others know?
No, I didn't tell anyone.
INVALIDITY OF DEFENDANT'S ABUSE CLAIMS
WRITTEN STATEMENT
It's so good.
Here.
- We should've went to eat pork cutlets. - Why? This is good.
This is going to make your sweater smell.
Yeah, that is true.
Is it good?
- I have to go in here. - Okay.
I'll be right back.
Okay, I'll be right here.
Don't come in. It'll be embarrassing.
Okay. You're going to be late. Go on in.
I'll be right back.
- I'll be quick. - Okay, already.
Just have a seat.
How have you been?
Let's avoid any personal talk.
Did you have to stay on this case?
You should've hired a lawyer too.
Why keep showing up in person?
Let's just talk about the case.
Right now, I'm not Ahn Juhyeong. I'm just Cha Jeongho's attorney.
You should drop the case.
Just hand it off to another lawyer at your firm.
Why should I let you
find out that my marriage is a mess?
Why should I?
Sujeong,
do everything you can.
Submit all the evidence you have.
I don't have any.
Then, let's end this today.
If you drop all your claims, we can wrap things up right now.
A BETTER TOMORROW, CORRECTION FOR HOPE
- Hello. - How can I help you?
I'm here for a visit.
Okay, you've been confirmed.
Thank you.
Hello. I'm here for a visit.
One moment, please.
Okay. Here you go.
Sir,
you can head to Room 5.
ROOM 5
Hello, Mr. Jang Sugil.
I'm Attorney Cho Changwon.
Right. Damn it. I wanted them to send a girl, not some guy.
You seem pretty disappointed.
But I'm considered the prettiest one at our firm.
Yeah, I doubt that.
Well, you can come out and see for yourself.
So what should we talk about?
Talk about what? Goddamn it.
I just wanted a female lawyer to shoot the breeze with. Not a guy…
Seriously…
Fill me in on yesterday's Champions League game then.
- Who won? - The Champions League?
I don't watch soccer.
Unbelievable.
What kind of idiot did they send?
Then, how about this?
You were arrested for stock manipulation. Let's talk about the case.
I'll talk about the case
with my lawyer who's actually representing me.
You're not here to represent me.
You think you're here as a lawyer?
You're a loser keeping me company.
When does this end?
- Where are you coming back from? - I had a trial. You too?
No, I…
had a prison visit.
I see.
What is it?
What?
It's just I've never seen you with such a serious expression before.
Really?
Or are you not upset and just out of energy?
What, is something wrong?
No.
I'm just bored because nothing's going on at all.
Man, I wish I could take on an exciting case for once.
Something that feels worth doing.
What kind of case was that prison visit for?
Oh, that.
Some stock manipulation.
There must be a lot of victims then.
The problem is, no one knows if there's a lot or not.
You didn't get the records yet?
Yeah, I got them. Of course, I did.
But why do I feel so gloomy?
Everyone's been so down. Maybe I caught it too.
Yeah, everyone's been looking down lately.
- Just in case… - Yes?
If they ask something that's difficult to answer, I'll help out.
So don't worry too much.
Okay, thank you.
All rise.
Please be seated.
I know this must be a difficult case for you to attend in person today,
so I'd like to thank both parties for making the time to be here.
Given the nature of this case,
both sides were, in a way, victims of the affair.
So we felt it was best to help you reach an agreement peacefully
without causing further harm.
That's why we called you here today.
We know this is painful,
and we hope you understand the court deeply regrets
having you to appear in person as well.
Let's try to wrap this up through mediation today.
Yes, I'll do that.
Did you really regret it?
Do you really understand how painful
this is for us?
We sincerely hope this can be resolved,
so both of you can move on and start anew...
Move on?
Peacefully without causing further harm?
You think that's possible?
Do you think settling with him
will fix everything?
Geez.
If I had just
given up my inheritance,
I wouldn't have had to go through the ordeal of paying damages
to my husband's mistress.
But I have two kids to feed.
And we need that house under Song Yeongcheol's name to survive.
I was…
so pathetic that I couldn't give up my inheritance.
You have no idea how it feels to suffer this humiliation.
That's why instead of leaving it to the court,
we brought both parties here to settle it themselves.
So please try to stay calm.
Are you saying
if I handle things myself and settle, I'll get a fresh start?
Do you think he feels at peace right now?
I mean,
if this were something I did,
I'd take full responsibility.
But I didn't do any of this!
There's no way
that I can personally
hand over the money to my husband's mistress.
So please, just give a verdict.
Just take it from me by force.
I absolutely cannot bring myself to personally pay them.
This is driving me crazy.
DEFENDANT PARK SUJEONG
This will confirm that the divorce finalized
and there are no remaining claims
for anything owed, such as alimony or asset division.
COUNSEL AHN JUHYEONG
- Are you okay? - Yes, I'm fine.
So in this case, there likely will be one more trial date.
If things wrap up then, they'll set the date for the verdict.
Yes, I understand.
Excuse me. Thank you for your time.
Does someone like you
even understand how someone like me feels?
Let's go now.
People like you are born into nice families
and go to expensive law schools,
where it's easier to become a lawyer.
How could you even relate to something like this?
You named my kids as defendants!
You shouldn't live your life like that.
Let's go.
I looked you up to see what kind of person you were.
You're not the only one who looked into things!
- Attorney Ha. - Yes?
- Let's just go. - Yes, let's go.
The case ended in your favor, so you won't need to come in anymore.
How could I not show up after hearing such good news?
It's nothing much. Just a gift certificate.
I wanted to show my thanks.
- So please take it. - No, it's okay.
Come on.
Take it!
You pulled off a clean win.
Yes, thank you.
I'm so glad I had you take the case.
I made
a specific request when I talked to Mr. Na.
I asked for you to be put on my case.
- Me? - Yes.
You, Attorney Ahn Juhyeong.
I figured if she had to deal with her ex, it would make her uncomfortable.
It looks like I was right.
You look very surprised.
I see.
- You came to me on purpose? - Yes.
I came here on purpose to buy you.
We're getting divorced anyway.
What's the point of being polite? It does no good for me.
How did you find out about me?
What?
Afraid Sujeong talked about you?
How did you find out?
Remember Jung Jihun?
Sujeong's friend?
He's always been a nuisance.
He's foolish and doesn't have a filter when he talks.
He once got drunk in front of me and started talking about you.
You don't know him?
Not really.
It doesn't ring a bell.
Really?
Then,
that's all the more reason to take this.
Here.
Good work.
Enjoy it.
Buy yourself something nice.
DIVORCE CHA JEONGHO, PARK SUJEONG
SETTLEMENT REACHED
It looks like they settled.
DEFENDANT PARK SUJEONG
LAW GROUP HYUNGMIN ATTORNEY IN CHARGE: AHN JUHYEONG
AHN JUHYEONG
THANKS FOR TODAY I'LL TREAT YOU NEXT TIME
OKAY, GOOD NIGHT
ARE YOU OKAY?
I didn't think it would rip.
I guess you didn't put in much.
Thank you for the gift.
I can't believe there's someone who would turn down cash.
It was probably worth as much as your monthly salary.
Says the guy who sought me out just to save 10 million won.
Geez, how am I supposed buy a lawyer if you make me feel so self-conscious?
I paid
with my money to buy you.
Don't forget that.
If it weren't for that, I wouldn't bother with trash like you.
Since that's over, just quietly get lost.
You little…
Hey.
Hey, you…
We would have evidence here this time.
And I don't let things slide.
DIVORCE
PLAINTIFF CHA JEONGHO DEFENDANT PARK SUJEONG
I'm sorry.
Excuse me.
Juhyeong already left. You should go.
I crossed the line.
Why did I do that?
INMATE NAME: JANG SUGIL
You think you're here as a lawyer?
You're a loser keeping me company.
People like you are born into nice families
and go to expensive law schools,
where it's easier to become a lawyer.
How could you even relate to something like this?
Are you okay?
Now, you're not Cha Jeongho's attorney and just Ahn Juhyeong, right?
Law and The City
I crossed the line. I'm sorry.
What do you need that fancy law license for?
Who are you, Mister?
We're too young to be criminally responsible.
That would make me too scared to have kids.
He always brings girls here to woo them.
What do you do to woo them?
But it won't work for Huiji.
Juhyeong, I'm a busy person too.
- Attorney Ha Sanggi? - I bet someone got him that job.
Having fun playing a commoner?
Actually…
Why don't you have a meal with me?
A promise is a promise.
Translated by Hye Min Eom