LAW AND THE CITY
CHARACTERS, ORGANIZATIONS, EVENTS, AND PLACES IN THIS DRAMA ARE FICTITIOUS
- Hello. - Hello.
Hello, ma'am.
- Clocking in? - Yes.
EPISODE 11 BEING AN ADULT
Geez.
Wait.
When did they all become one firm?
Please leave, sir.
- Gosh. - Mr. Lee!
Okay, goodbye.
- I said I'll give you a piece of the land. - Yes, if you get it.
Come back if you really get it.
You should head out for today.
- Let go of me! - Goodbye!
I can let myself out!
For crying out loud!
My goodness.
You think smiling like a weasel solves everything?
You don't even know what this is about.
Goodness. Geez!
Hello.
Attorney Cho.
Come to work earlier. Why should I handle this stuff?
Damn it.
Excuse me.
What was that about?
Well...
Yes, I understand what you're saying,
but we're so busy that we can't.
- Please try elsewhere. - Come now.
You're not the only lawyer here!
Just hand it off to another lawyer!
- It's because we're a small firm. - My goodness!
Even though I'm offering you a piece of the land?
I'm so sorry.
Geez!
NOW SERVING
Hello. How can I help you?
I'd like to get a replacement for my old card.
While you're at it,
would you like to try our newly launched debit card?
It's a great cashback card for savings, so it's very popular.
Sure, I'll go with that one.
Okay, please wait a moment while we make your card.
Okay.
SHINHYUP SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT PLAN
You have support programs for small businesses too?
Yes, that's right. We offer various services.
Like low-interest loans and financial education.
Okay. Here's your card.
We'll also give you some stickers to decorate it.
They're cute. Thank you.
Attorney Kang.
Seoul Central District Court called to ask if you can take
a court-appointed case on May 12.
What should I tell them?
- Tell them I'm available. - Okay.
So your first court-appointed case?
Yeah, I'm finally doing one.
What's the case?
I'm not sure yet.
They just checked if I was available first.
Did your boss sign off on it?
I applied after getting her approval before,
but things got awkward during that inheritance case.
I might check with her again.
Hey, did you also have that weird old man visit this morning?
He visited you too? I heard he had some weird paper with Chinese characters,
saying acres of land were his or something.
Yeah. It looked like a document from the National Archives.
As if you've ever been there before.
- Have you? - Of course, I have.
I once had a case involving a national honoree.
Well, I heard from my boss earlier.
And it sounds like he's been around everywhere.
He said he couldn't pay the retainer.
Our firm probably turned him away.
Most likely.
I bet your boss would've taken him in though.
My boss isn't that much of a pushover either.
- I see. - I see.
Come on. Lunchtime's not even over yet.
- What is it? - Our boss called, so we have to go.
I'll clean up. Go ahead.
Thanks. Let's go.
Bye.
Let's go to a cafe. I need some caffeine.
- No, I have to go too. I'm busy. - Come on.
I can't go either.
- Want this instead? - Okay.
- Want one too, Sanggi? - Thank you.
Here.
What a lifesaver.
Hey, clean up before you leave!
I'd like you two to handle this real estate case.
- We're taking that old man's case? - You know about it?
Yes, we heard from the other attorneys.
It's not like you to take on a case like this.
What kind of case is this?
I heard they can't pay the retainer.
If we win the land back for him, we'll get a share of it.
It's a pretty big area.
In return, we're covering all of the legal costs.
But if things work out, it's a jackpot.
I'll be counting on you.
This is it?
Yes, that's all he had.
What are we supposed to do with just this?
Are you really going to do something like this?
What's with everyone lately?
So many complaints.
Let's just stick to how we've always done things.
Okay?
Yes, Attorney Kang? What is it?
Ma'am.
I just got word I'm going to be assigned a court-appointed case.
Is it okay if I take it?
Of course.
There's no need to ask about that.
I just wanted to double-check.
I told you before it was fine.
Right, thank you.
Please set up a system where new case assignments
can be logged and shared right away by each firm.
That way, they can avoid ending up on the same case.
Also,
let's get a dedicated tax accountant for each floor,
so they can manage their own books.
Chairman, will you still be working from here?
It must be tough to go back and forth from the foundation. I'm sorry.
Not at all. I'm fine with it.
But a few people are saying you're only focused on this place.
Both from the foundation and the company.
The staff and the directors have done such a great job,
so I've been really thankful.
But I guess I've been neglectful.
Thank you for telling me. I'll try to pay more attention to them.
Well...
This law group is neither a charity nor a business.
Do you mind if I ask why you're so invested in it?
Yes, that's great.
Then, I'll do these two.
- Could you take care of the rest? - Okay.
And one more case just came in.
It seems like a real estate contract issue.
The client's young. Could you do a consult?
Yes, ma'am.
And...
Have you thought about what I gave you?
The PhD program.
Yes, about that...
I appreciate you looking out for me, but I've decided not to do it.
Why?
They won't accept me if I work and study at the same time.
The school said that?
Yes.
I mean, I have to stay here and work.
I can't just go and leave you behind.
I am going to return to my office and get some work done.
All right.
If you're a lawyer, you can't just be sitting around all day.
You have to go out and hit the streets.
Or at least listen carefully to what people have to say.
So you're saying this land was taken by others
after Korea was liberated and the Korean War, right?
That's right.
Suddenly after the war,
the land ended up in the hands of the Kwak family.
But with this one document, there's not much we can verify.
If not one, then what?
Would two make a difference?
There was only ever one to begin with.
It's the lawyers' job to dig up the rest.
All right, now.
Look here. Okay?
"Doheung-myeon."
Now, it's Doheung-eup. Okay?
"Lot 580."
Yeah. Here.
That's around 32 acres.
"Taisho 3."
Taisho is an era name from the Japanese occupation period.
And here!
- Han Insu... - We know what it says.
But we're saying we can't tell what happened just from looking at this.
This lot number doesn't even exist anymore.
What is your relation to Han Insu?
We're family.
So how exactly are you related?
We're more like family than family.
Family isn't just about blood.
- So you're not related at all? - Come now.
Look at this. I'll show you.
Getting this land back isn't about me. Look at this.
These are Han Insu's great-grandchildren.
HAN SUCHEOL HAN SUKJA
Then, you're not related at all. Why are you trying to reclaim it?
Everyone in the neighborhood knows
that land belonged to Han Insu!
But they're all keeping quiet.
Why? Because all the elders in Han's family have passed away.
Come with me. You'll understand once you see.
- We don't need to go there... - Let's go.
What? Really?
Sure. Let's go. Get up. Come on!
You're really going?
We need to check if that power of attorney is legit.
Let's go.
POWER OF ATTORNEY PARK MANSU
AUTHORIZING THE ABOVE TO APPOINT A LAWYER
TO RECOVER THIS LAND
GRANTORS HAN SUCHEOL, HAN SUKJA, HAN SUCHAN
So, I trusted the realtor and signed the lease.
But now, the landlord's saying they never agreed to such a thing and want me out.
- And you've never met the landlord? - No.
The realtor said they were authorized to act on the landlord's behalf
and showed me their power of attorney document.
The power of attorney...
- But it's not included in these documents. - Well...
They said they could only show it and not give me a copy.
No.
If you don't meet the landlord,
you must receive their power of attorney document.
Then...
I messed that up too.
Did you sign the lease by yourself?
I grew up in an orphanage.
I barely got that place with my self-reliance grant.
I didn't have anyone I could ask.
It's okay. This isn't your fault.
These people are the ones who did something bad.
Yes.
Well, in any case,
it sounds like the realtor
signed off on this contract on their own and stole the deposit.
I mean, I was living there and everything was fine.
And then, out of nowhere, I get an eviction notice.
It's all so overwhelming.
I don't even have anywhere else to go.
It's okay. All right, Yunsu.
You know the location of this real estate office, right?
BLUE HOUSE REAL ESTATE
That wasn't me.
He used to be one of my employees,
but even I don't know where he is now.
Come on, you tell him. You know I didn't do it.
Well, even if it wasn't you, your employee did it.
So you're still legally responsible as their employer.
I'll take responsibility if I need to.
Go ahead and sue.
Have you worked with the landlord for a long time?
I heard they own the whole building.
Yes, we worked together for a while.
But due to this, our partnership ended.
Is he someone who'd be willing to show some understanding?
No way. He's as cold as ice.
Right, that employee you mentioned.
He apparently showed
Mr. Yunsu a power of attorney. What was that?
There probably wasn't one.
BLUE HOUSE REAL ESTATE
Why is this only happening to me?
Don't think that way.
I should've looked into it more. That's on me. I know that.
But everyone else in the building signed through this agency too.
Everyone else signed just fine and had no issues.
So why is it just me?
It was just bad luck.
That's all it is.
COMPLAINT REAL ESTATE REPOSSESSION
LANDLORD HEO SIWON
DEFENDANT'S CLAIM OF LEASE AGREEMENT
All of them went through the same agency, but they didn't have any problems.
"Article 129."
They said this area
is about to be designated an industrial park or something,
so the value of the land has shot way up.
Okay?
They wanted to forget and move on,
but when I heard that, I got so fired up!
I couldn't sit still.
- All this used to belong to one person? - Yes.
The Kwak family took it and carved it all up for themselves.
Even the government took a piece too.
- What about beyond that stream? - What?
No, that's not part of it.
We have to hurry.
I'm already 80,
and Han Insu's great-grandchildren aren't exactly young either.
Why haven't they intervened?
All the elders in their family passed away early.
They've had hard lives since they were kids.
They're still on welfare right now.
They're busy trying to get by each day,
so they can't even dare to do this.
You said they still live here, right?
- The great-grandchildren? - Yes.
Can we meet them?
There's one.
Hey!
- Hello! - Hey!
Thank you so much for coming out here in person.
Come now.
I said you had to go and see it for yourself to understand,
so what could they do?
I thought if I didn't settle this before I die,
I'd never be at peace.
Goodness, you need to live a long life. Don't say that, sir.
If he weren't around in our town, nothing would get done.
Come on.
Hurry and follow me. We're not done yet.
Take care.
Okay.
Take this with you, okay?
HAN INSU
And...
Let's see.
Here. Okay.
This one too.
Take a look at it, okay?
My goodness.
I'm sure it's here.
Here it is.
This is the complaint I filed at the town office.
And this was the story that was in the local newspaper.
Okay? All right.
What do you think we can do with these?
Come now.
You need to figure that out. I'm not the lawyer here!
But with these,
there's not much we can do.
Goodness.
That's why we need you as the lawyers to handle that.
He wasn't a scammer.
The power of attorney was legit too.
At the end of the day, this document is the issue.
What are you going to do?
We have to find something.
First, let's review all the footage we took...
and compare it with the map.
- Okay. - Let's look closely at the land's shape.
- The shape of the stream... - Yeah, the boundary lines are here too.
Lot 580...
We need to find it.
It's 102,882.7 square meters.
So it's about 25 acres.
Twenty-five...
It doesn't add up?
No.
Damn it.
He was full of nonsense all along.
Either the old man was mistaken or lying.
ATTORNEY BAE MUNJEONG
Hi. What's up?
Hey, Munjeong.
Have you thought about working in-house again by any chance?
What?
It seemed like you were interested in my company last time.
Well, there's an opening now,
so I thought of you and called.
Really?
Maybe I read that wrong.
No, not at all.
- Can I think it over and call you back? - Of course.
My gosh! You're going to get your legs caught! Be careful!
Sorry about that.
Okay. So, the job posting will go up soon.
I'll send you the details in advance. Let me know once you've seen them.
Okay. Thanks, Jeongin.
Attorney Kang.
The court-appointed case decision came in. I left it on your desk.
It's here? Thank you.
SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT COURT
SEOCHO-GU, HYUNGMIN BUILDING KANG HUIJI
20TH CRIMINAL DEPARTMENT
COURT-APPOINTED COUNSEL
COMPLAINT THE COMPLAINT IS FILED AS BELOW
DEFENDANT INFORMATION JEONG SUNJA, AGE 71
"Murder."
"Basic facts."
"The defendant spent 10 years at 1257-5 Murim-dong, Seonggak-gu, Seoul
taking care of victim, Jeong Myeongjae, who suffered from dementia."
"Criminal facts."
"On January 23rd, 2025, at around 3:30 p.m., the defendant decided
to kill the bedridden victim,
who was suffering from dementia and aspiration pneumonia."
"The defendant murdered the victim
by strangling him, causing death by asphyxiation."
- Attorney Ha. - Hi.
You were already here.
- Let's go in. - Okay.
- Who is it? - Hello.
- Hello.
Hello.
I'm Attorney Ha Sanggi with Law Group Hyungmin.
We're having some issues with this building's lease contract,
so we'd like to ask for your help.
- Do you happen to have your contract? - What about it?
- Could we take a photo? - No.
- We'd appreciate it. - Please leave. You can't.
No, just the contract...
- The contract? - Yes.
There won't be any legal issues.
We only need it as a reference.
- All right, here. - Thank you.
If you get worried, you can give me a call.
- Okay. - Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Gosh, which floor is this?
You should've told me there was no elevator.
STANDARD RENTAL AGREEMENT
POWER OF ATTORNEY
You said you were never given power of attorney by the landlord.
There wasn't a single unit we checked
that didn't have one.
I didn't say we never had power of attorney.
I said there probably wasn't one when this young man signed his lease.
Now, at the time, we had it.
We received power of attorney from the landlord
and handled leases on their behalf then.
And then, he told us that wouldn't happen anymore
and to just handle the brokering.
So we threw all of them out.
Then, you should've also said that back then.
Come on, you didn't ask for that much detail.
It's not like I lied.
Then, out of all these leased units,
how many were signed after the landlord revoked the power of attorney?
Power of attorney...
Just one.
- Just one? - Just me?
We handled all the leases on the landlord's behalf up until then.
But once the landlord said he wanted that to stop,
what were we supposed to do?
That's his call.
And it just so happened the first lease after the change was his.
That employee acted like we still had authority to sign leases
and ran off after scamming him.
I guess I really do have rotten luck.
- Of all people, it had to be me. - No.
You actually might've become really lucky.
Yeah.
Wait, how do they not add up?
Did you calculate the numbers right? Did you?
I mean, you can't even work out the area properly?
My goodness.
Maybe they measured land differently back in the Japanese occupation days.
I checked, but it wasn't different.
Do you have the original copy?
My goodness.
Let's say this paper's wrong.
But everyone in our town has known for generations
that the land belongs to that family.
The only things we could call evidence is this single sheet of paper and your words.
But even those don't line up.
So you're saying that I'm lying?
Forget it. I'll find someone else.
Why are you going this far?
What do you mean?
You said this wasn't your land.
You really don't gain anything from this?
Do you only do things for your gain?
If I don't do this, who will?
Someone's got to do it, so that's why I'm doing it.
Forget it. That's all for today.
Thanks for your work.
Wait, so what happened?
The old man just left after that?
Yeah. He probably went to find another firm.
See? I told you he seemed off to begin with.
Or he could've been just mistaken.
Let's eat.
Since I'm pregnant, I'll help myself first.
Did you receive the decision on your court-appointed case yet?
I did, but it's a murder case.
- What? - Goodness.
Have you all had murder cases before?
Yeah, I have.
I had one before, but my client was definitely a bad guy.
Is it a really brutal case?
I'm not sure.
In a way, it might be the most brutal case,
but it also might be not.
She killed the sibling she'd taken care of for over 10 years.
Things must've been awful for her to do that.
Hey, someone died...
I honestly don't know how I should feel about this case either.
I'm not sure if I'll ever fully understand my client.
Eat first.
- Eat up. - Yeah.
When doing court-appointed cases,
there are always ones that weigh on your mind.
It's normal to feel conflicted.
I thought you'd tell me not to get emotional
and that it was just work.
Of course, it's better not to.
But you can't help it.
Do you feel bad for the old man?
I guess I wanted to believe him.
I wanted Mr. Park Mansu to be telling the truth.
Even the part about doing it out of goodwill.
It's a shame.
Have you noticed you've changed recently?
Thanks to you.
COMPLAINT THE COMPLAINT IS FILED AS BELOW
DEFENDANT INFORMATION JEONG SUNJA, AGE 71
CHARGE MURDER
STATUS IN CUSTODY
Ms. Han.
Could you make a copy of Ms. Jeong Sunja's case file
- and submit a request for visitation? - Yes, of course.
Could you pull up defendant's Exhibit 5, please?
STANDARD RENTAL AGREEMENT
These are the contracts signed by tenants living in the plaintiff's building.
As you can see,
every one of these leases was signed through the real estate office.
Could you pull up defendant's Exhibit 6, please?
Thank you.
POWER OF ATTORNEY
GRANTOR HEO SIWON
As you can see, only the date section was left blank
and was later filled in by hand.
This was the case for all of them.
The plaintiff gave
dozens of POA documents stamped with his seal to the real estate office
and told them to fill in the dates and use as needed.
Even after ending their business relationship,
the plaintiff did not take back the rest of those documents.
So the defendant saw one of those stamped documents
and believed the realtor still had power of attorney.
Since the plaintiff is partly responsible
for the defendant's misunderstanding,
according to Civil Act, Article 129,
the defendant's lease should be carried out as normal.
Plaintiff's counsel,
is it true the landlord didn't take back those documents?
He heard the realtor had destroyed all of them.
So he heard but didn't personally take them back?
Yes, Your Honor. That is my understanding.
Here's what we'll do.
I'm issuing a settlement recommendation.
Let's have the plaintiff withdraw the lawsuit,
and I'll send out the official decision to have the lease agreement carried out.
Counsel, meet with the plaintiff and try to convince him.
The plaintiff is a victim too.
And so is the defendant.
If the plaintiff played a part in causing this situation,
then Civil Act Article 129 says he bears responsibility.
Yes, Your Honor.
- Defense counsel. - Yes, Your Honor?
You understand that if we go with a settlement recommendation,
each party will cover their own legal fees?
- Yes, Your Honor. - The plaintiff can't be ordered
to pay the defendant's fees.
Are you okay with that?
- Yes, Your Honor. - Okay.
Then, I'll issue the decision on the settlement recommendation.
If there are no objections within two weeks, it'll be finalized.
Thank you, everyone.
Let's move on to the next case.
Attorney Ha.
Thank you.
Thank you so much, Attorney Ha.
You're very lucky. I told you.
You're a very lucky person, Yunsu.
Thank you, Attorney Ha.
Aren't you hungry? Do you want to go get some food?
Let's go.
Slowly. Okay.
Attorney Ha.
You're so cool.
Sorry?
You took care of everything.
I want to go to college too and become just like you.
Then, are you studying right now?
Yes, I've been preparing for the college entrance exam.
But I may have to stop now.
Why?
Well, I need to make money.
I have a younger sibling who's about to age out of the orphanage.
I'll have to take care of them.
My situation may not allow me to study.
Well...
Even if you can't right now,
don't give up on your dream completely.
These are all cooked.
Thank you.
Can you check if we still have that scholarship certificate?
Yeah.
No, it's probably with you.
No, there's just someone I want to connect the scholarship with.
Okay. All right, bye.
- Have you thought it over? - About what?
Joining the company.
I'm not doing it. It's not for me.
And being a lawyer is?
Even if I quit law, I'm not going into business.
If I'd been interested, I would've joined from the start.
It's not like I got into business because I loved it.
You're drawn to what suits you as you go.
I didn't start law because I loved it either.
But I'll figure out what suits me as I go.
You stubborn kid.
You get that from me, you know.
I know.
That's why you'd do well in business.
For goodness' sake.
- I have plans too. - What plans?
Just wait.
I have something I'm working on.
MATERIALS TO PREPARE FOR PROSECUTOR EXAM
What about beyond that stream?
No, that's not part of it.
He was full of nonsense all along.
Either the old man was mistaken or lying.
If he wasn't around in our town, nothing would get done.
Come on.
Do you feel bad for the old man?
I wanted Mr. Park Mansu to be telling the truth.
Even the part about doing it out of goodwill.
Do you only do things for your gain?
If I don't do this, who will?
Someone's got to do it, so that's why I'm doing it.
It looked like a document from the National Archives.
As if you've ever been there before.
- Have you? - Of course, I have.
I once had a case involving a national honoree.
We can access the National Archives these days, right?
What?
LOCATION NAME SEARCH
"580 Dongjan-ri."
Here.
- Click on the one that says "Han Insu." - Okay.
Let's pull everything with the name "Han Insu" on it.
Yeah, okay.
Back then, Lot 580 was one large piece of land.
But it looks different from how Mr. Park described it.
- This part? - Right?
I'll print out land registers for these areas.
Eighty-four...
Three-hundred eighty-four...
One hundred and thirty...
That's 130,757.1.
And in acres...
That adds up to around 32 acres.
Here.
That's around 32 acres.
Mr. Park was right.
Gosh.
Hello.
I'm Attorney Kang Huiji, your court-appointed lawyer.
Hello.
Life in detention is pretty tough, isn't it?
I don't need a lawyer.
I didn't even request a public defender.
Who called you here?
Ms. Jeong,
you fell under mandatory appointment.
Even if you didn't apply,
you were eligible to have the court assign you an attorney.
Then,
just do whatever you have to do and go.
Don't worry about me.
My job
is to hear your side of the story.
It's to find out what happened and why.
Hearing it won't change anything.
I killed Myeongjae...
and I'll just take the punishment.
Then, it'll be hard for the court to understand your situation.
I killed someone.
What's there to understand?
I don't want to be understood, and I don't want to be forgiven either.
- Just leave. - I'm not here to understand you
nor do I have the right to forgive you.
Like you said, you'll be punished no matter what your reasons are.
Yes.
Exactly.
So make sure I get punished.
If you have nothing else to say,
may I go now?
I killed my brother.
I'm the one who killed him.
And I'll receive punishment.
LATE-ONSET DEMENTIA IN ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE
DATE OF DIAGNOSIS JUNE 7, 2015
PHOTO OF CRIME SCENE
Yes?
Attorney Kang, Ms. Jeong Sunja's children are here.
Her children?
Are you Ms. Jeong Sunja's son and daughter?
Yes.
What's going to happen to her?
She'll be going to trial soon.
But she hasn't told me anything yet,
so it's been difficult to prepare her defense.
How did she end up living with her brother?
I didn't know she had any children.
Well...
Our mom was the only family our uncle had left.
So she lived with him to take care of him.
Then, did you two visit often?
No.
We didn't think it was something we had to be involved in.
How did Ms. Jeong manage financially?
She likely had her pension
and some caregiver support benefits.
Did either of you provide any financial help?
No, we...
We couldn't afford to do that.
Can she get out?
It's a murder charge.
It's not an easy situation to get out of.
Gosh, Uncle Myeongjae...
Would it...
be okay if I visited where they stayed?
- Hello? - Why did you call?
I have something to tell you.
I wanted to ask if you could stop by.
Why call me in if you won't take the case?
I'm not going! I'm busy looking for someone else.
We never said that. We just said there wasn't enough evidence.
Please come by. It's something worth hearing.
How about later at 5:00 p.m.?
We'll see if I have the time.
I'll see you later.
You can go in.
You're not coming in with me?
No.
We don't really feel like going in.
Call us when you're done.
ORAL MEDICATION
MEDICAL RECEIPT
Tuesday, December 31st.
No response at all.
My chest felt heavy.
His breathing grew shallow and rough.
December 27th.
He opened his eyes, but they were glazed over.
There was no reaction to my voice.
I wish I could live just one day longer than Myeongjae.
December 25th.
I called his name in the morning.
He blinked and turned his head slightly.
His eyes were clear for just a moment.
He had a bit of porridge,
and then slept a long time, as if all his strength was gone.
December 28th.
He twitched slightly when I held his hand.
His face looked peaceful, and I felt more at ease.
December 30th.
I held his hand, but there was no strength at all.
I just kept the IV in.
What am I hoping for in trying to keep Myeongjae alive?
Does he even want to live this way?
December 29th.
No response at all.
He can barely swallow.
No one's willing to hear me out.
No one cares.
DEMENTIA CARE CENTER
Ms. Jeong Sunja?
She didn't quite meet the criteria, so we could only offer minimal support.
She had children, so that made it hard to qualify for other programs.
But from what I heard, her kids were indifferent.
If you knew that, you could've given her support.
We have to follow the guidelines.
If we could, we'd give all our help.
Then, how did she manage to get by?
I heard she had some insurance payouts
to cover her living expenses and his medical bills.
- Insurance payouts? - Yes.
She apparently had cancer insurance.
But she was never able to use it for her own treatment.
I heard it was terminal cancer.
Thank you.
You're in a good mood.
So are you.
Mr. Park must be the one feeling good. It turns out he was right.
What if he really doesn't come because he's upset?
You could've just told him we figured it out.
Well, I was going to tell him in person.
You're not going to say anything again today?
Then, I'll talk.
Ms. Jeong,
you had to take care of your brother since he had no one else.
You didn't want your kids
to feel burdened by their uncle.
That's why you couldn't ask for help.
Instead, you asked the state for help.
But you always fell slightly out of criteria,
so all you could receive in support was the bare minimum.
That went on for 10 years.
And you must've gradually become scared.
You were worried you might die before your brother.
Then, you found out you had cancer.
How do you...
know all of this?
I want to hear your story, Ms. Jeong.
No one...
Literally, no one would listen to me.
All I could do was endure.
I didn't have a choice.
I couldn't die first.
Do you know
what my first thought was...
when I learned I had terminal cancer?
"At least the insurance will pay out."
I thought
maybe things would be okay for now.
I felt relieved.
It meant I could've died first.
But my goodness,
I actually felt relieved.
I prayed every day
to live just one day longer than Myeongjae.
But I couldn't leave it to the heavens anymore.
They wanted to take me first.
Is that why you felt you had no other choice?
I don't want to say I had no choice.
How can I say
I had no choice but to kill someone?
But that's the story behind what led you here.
You need to explain that in court.
In any case,
I'm going to die soon.
There's no need to ask for a lighter sentence.
My brother...
I killed him with my own hands.
How could I dare ask for forgiveness? What right do I have?
Then, only take the punishment for what you deserve.
Not every crime gets the same sentence.
You'll be punished based on your own actions.
And it's my job to explain that.
Please let me do my job.
The number you have dialed is not available. Please leave...
The number you have dialed...
PARK MANSU
And so, we conclude the defendant caused the death of the victim by asphyxiation
and committed murder.
Okay, Counsel.
Please state your position on the charges.
The defendant admits to all charges and accepts all evidence.
Okay. We will review the evidence now.
We've concluded the evidence review.
Prosecutor, state your sentencing request.
We request a sentence of 10 years in prison.
Counsel, present your statement.
I believe taking a life
is something that can never be truly forgiven.
The defendant understood that as well
and turned herself in right after her crime.
She has consistently admitted responsibility from the start.
She was the victim's sole caregiver.
Mr. Jeong suffered from severe dementia,
and Ms. Jeong cared for him for over 10 years.
Receiving practically no support from either her family or society,
she had to handle both the caregiving and financial burden.
In the midst of all that...
Ms. Jeong was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Ms. Jeong couldn't bear the possibility of dying
even a day before her brother.
Ms. Jeong is not asking for leniency.
She just wants to take responsibility for the crime she committed.
But this crime happened in the context of fractured caregiving,
continuous isolation, and prolonged exhaustion.
So I ask, Your Honor,
that you take into account her remorse, the circumstances that led to this act,
and her current health condition in your judgment.
Mom, why...
God, no...
Are you skipping meals?
I eat too well, so don't worry, okay?
I almost forgot. Mom.
You didn't forget your health checkup appointment, right?
- I told you I don't need to get one. - I told you to get checked.
Right. I found what you asked for.
It was tucked in the back of the wardrobe.
The scholarship certificate? Mom, do it after dinner.
Geez, why is she like that?
We sure got a lot of help from a bunch of different places.
I got this one in college.
This one too.
Yeah, these are all from college.
CERTIFICATE OF SCHOLARSHIP
I got this one in law school.
It's when we got support for living expenses.
It was called the Dandelion Scholarship Foundation.
Right?
DANDELION SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN KIM HYUNGMIN
- What? - It's nothing.
Let's eat. Eat up, Mom.
Hello.
- Hello, good morning. - Attorney Cho.
Mr. Seong wanted to see you in his office when you arrived.
Okay.
Come in.
- Mr. Seong, did you ask for me? - Yeah.
You know Mr. Jang Sugil well, right?
It's been a long time.
Hello.
Well, have a seat.
Director Jang's here to assign you a case.
Well, I drank just a tiny bit and had a little accident while driving.
Help me out, okay?
You're my go-to lawyer.
- Hello, Attorney Ha. - Hello, sir.
Hold on!
Just a second.
Attorney Ha. Just getting in?
Yes, hello.
- Good morning. - Good morning.
He just bumped into someone.
It wasn't even a big accident. It should be an easy case.
You're telling me to take it, right?
Of course. Who else?
Director Jang came here specifically to hire you.
I won't take it, sir.
- What? - I don't want to take it.
What do you mean? You want me to do it then?
Well, you could take it or tell him to go find someone else.
That's up to you, sir.
You're talking like you run the place.
If this keeps up, I can't work with you.
Yes, because we won't have to anymore.
I quit. Find yourself another associate.
Come in.
- You're here early. - Yeah.
- Well... - Mr. Park Mansu.
He's still not answering, right?
I've called him multiple times too.
Should we drop by later after work?
Sure.
PARK MANSU
Hello?
Where was it?
LAW AND THE CITY
- What is this all of a sudden? - Exactly what I just said.
Is this law firm a joke to you?
I just touched her.
- Excuse me? - It wasn't an accident. I touched her.
I want to give it another shot.
Okay, good job!
I liked you, Attorney Ha.
- We're being audited. - We're dealing with a mess right now.
- We didn't do anything wrong... - What's your purpose?
What was your purpose in merging?
No matter what I say to try to convince you...
you won't change your mind, right?
I'd like to try it my own way now.
Actually, there's something I wasn't able to say earlier too.
Translated by Hye Min Eom