MBC Fri-Sat drama <Judge Lee Han-Young>

Ji Sung and his colleagues became targets of corrupt power.

On the 6th (Fri), episode 11 of MBC Fri-Sat drama ‘Judge Lee Han-Young’ (planned by Namgoong Seong-Woo, Jang Jae-Hoon / written by Kim Gwang-Min / directed by Lee Jae-Jin, Park Mi-Yeon / produced by OH Story, Slingshot Studio) depicted the perilous fight of Lee Han-Young (played by Ji Sung) and his allies as they infiltrated the heart of corrupt power at the risk of their lives. The ratings that day were 14.2% in the capital-area households and 13.2% nationwide households by Nielsen Korea, firmly securing the No. 1 spot among Friday-Saturday dramas. In particular, when Lee Han-Young revealed to his colleagues that the head of the shadow government is Park Gwang-To (played by Son Byeong-Ho) and said, “Suojae is the real power that moves the Republic of Korea. They are terrifying and strong, so you can step out,” prosecutor Kim Jin-A replied, “You said we are one team. One team,” and the scene where the true Panvengers assembled soared to a nationwide households peak of 15.3% by Nielsen Korea. In addition, the 2054 rating, a core indicator of channel competitiveness reflecting changes in media consumption, was 5%, ranking No. 1 among all programs aired that day, making the ‘Judge Lee Han-Young’ craze palpable. In this way, ‘Judge Lee Han-Young’ achieved a triple crown in capital-area, nationwide, and 2054 household ratings, proving the majesty of the Friday-night throne.

In yesterday's broadcast, Kang Sin-Jin (played by Park Hee-Soon) revealed his ambition for power, saying, “I will get rid of Park Gwang-To (Son Byeong-Ho), who believes in shamans, and become the master of Suojae,” and he sent a love call to Lee Han-Young, saying, “When that time comes, I need someone to establish a new justice with me.” In response, Lee Han-Young pretended to agree with Kang Sin-Jin's theory that justice must be faster, clearer, and unencumbered compared to evil, but inwardly he redoubled his resolve to root Kang out, thinking, “The justice you imagine is self-righteousness.”

Meanwhile, Lee Seong-Dae (Jo Sang-Gi), who obtained the call records between Lee Han-Young and Park Cheol-Woo (Hwang Hee), learned the full story of the case in which 3 billion won was taken, placing Han-Young in a precarious situation. In response, Lee Han-Young called in Yoo Se-Hee (Oh Se-Yeong), who had offered Seong-Dae a lawyer position at Haenal Law Firm, and Park Cheol-Woo, who had promised to return 500 million won, to press them into persuasion. Seong-Dae, who had rejected the drastic terms, ultimately raised the white flag when he faced a situation in which 3 billion won would be deposited in the name of his daughter, because it would make it look as if he had secretly skimmed the 3 billion won he had reported as swindled behind Kang Sin-Jin. On top of that, Baek I-Seok (Kim Tae-Woo) suddenly appeared carrying documents detailing Seong-Dae's trial deals and improper solicitations and drove in the wedge with, “Shut up and leave,” showcasing the essence of blistering team play.

With momentum seized, Lee Han-Young set his sights higher. Knowing that the loan officer at Jeongdaun Savings Bank had been arrested on embezzlement charges, which would expose Jang Tae-Sik (Kim Beop-Rae) for illegal loans, Lee alerted Kim Jin-A (Won Jin-A) to fire the starting signal for an investigation. While questioning the ringleader of the embezzlement, Kim Jin-A secured the loan records for S Shopping, and when Jang Tae-Sik was urgently arrested, Song Na-Yeon (Baek Jin-Hee) spread to junior and senior reporters the rumor about Jang Tae-Sik's slush funds. The rumor spread in an instant and reached the ears of Jang Yong-Hyeon (Kim Byeong-Gi), chairman of S Group and father of Jang Tae-Sik.

Chairman Jang Yong-Hyeon, who had amassed slush funds exceeding 500 billion won together with his son Jang Tae-Sik by using Jeongdaun Savings Bank, suddenly faced a fire at his feet. He immediately called Kang Sin-Jin to ask for help, but Sin-Jin instead urged acknowledgment of Jang Tae-Sik's illegal acts and to face trial, warning that S Group, which grew through collusion between politics and business, could fall out of the favor of Park Gwang-To. He did, however, propose a backroom deal to assign the trial to Lee Han-Young and then release Jang Tae-Sik on a suspended sentence, shamelessly demanding 100 billion won in return, which raised viewers' anger levels. Meanwhile, upon hearing from Jang Yong-Hyeon that the prosecution would indict and seek detention, Jang Tae-Sik realized he had been cut off and, thinking this was the plan of Kim Jin-A, dreamed of revenge.

At that time, Lee Han-Young confessed to Kim Jin-A, Seok Jeong-Ho (Tae Won-Seok), and Park Cheol-Woo that the real power moving the Republic of Korea is former president Park Gwang-To, head of the shadow government. Out of concern for the safety of the team, Lee offered them a chance to step back, but the ‘Panvengers’ instead steeled their resolve and showed the face of a true one team. Zeroing in on the Seonjin Happiness Foundation, suspected to be Park Gwang-To's slush-fund reservoir, he announced a plan: “We will grow the Jang Tae-Sik trial properly and strike Park Gwang-To as well.”

However, at the end of the broadcast, the mood flipped as Kim Jin-A was threatened by a killer hired by Jang Tae-Sik. In the life-or-death moment when a cold blade touched her neck, the sight of Lee Han-Young sensing danger and racing down the road drove viewers into extreme tension and exploded anticipation for the next episode.

Immediately after the broadcast, viewers reacted passionately: “Ji Sung completely embodied Lee Han-Young”, “Kang Sin-Jin is so hateful, but Park Hee-Soon truly acts incredibly well”, “Team Lee Han-Young is great at dividing the group project. The finishing touch with Baek I-Seok!”, “Please let Han-Young and Se-Hee be lovey-dovey in this life”, “It is gripping every time Won Jin-A and Kim Beop-Rae face off”, “The Han-Young and Jin-A arc is heart-wrenching”, “It is such a shame that next week is the finale”.

The 12th episode of MBC Fri-Sat drama ‘Judge Lee Han-Young’ airs at 9:50 p.m. today (the 7th).