A poster for “The Judge Returns” / Courtesy of MBC
MBC’s new Friday-Saturday drama “The Judge Returns” opens with fast-paced storytelling and a powerful lead performance from actor Ji Sung, immediately drawing viewers into its morally charged narrative about corruption, guilt and personal reckoning.
The premiere centers on a disgraced judge who once served powerful interests but begins to confront the consequences of his past rulings, setting the stage for a tense legal redemption story.
Set in 2035, the series follows Lee Han-young (Ji Sung), a compromised judge who lives as a figurative servant to a major law firm before finding himself transported back to 2025. Given a second chance, he begins to chart a new course as he faces the enormous forces that once controlled him.
The drama is based on a 2018 web novel of the same name and is directed by Lee Jae-jin, along with director Park Mi-yeon and writer Kim Kwang-min. The cast includes Ji Sung, Park Hee-soon and Won Jin-ah.
The first episode delivers a shocking turn as Lee Han-young, formerly protected by elite legal and corporate power, appears in court wearing a prison uniform. Earlier in the story, he rejects the compensation claims of industrial accident victims at the request of the law firm, a decision that drives victim Han Na-young to her death and ultimately leads to the death of his own mother, who visits the funeral to apologize on his behalf. The emotional fallout leaves the judge deeply shaken.
Determined to break away, Lee Han-young declares divorce and distances himself from the law firm, signaling his new moral direction when he calls for a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of 24 billion won ($18 million) in the trial of conglomerate chairman Jang Tae-sik. However, the episode closes with another courtroom scene showing Lee back in the defendant’s seat, heightening curiosity about how his fate will unfold.
Although the drama draws on familiar themes of power, corruption and institutional conflict, its emotional pull rests on Ji Sung’s restrained and layered performance. Rather than presenting Lee as a heroic figure making grand gestures, Ji Sung portrays a character who doubts himself, wrestles with his conscience, and reveals his inner struggle through subtle changes in expression and gaze. His portrayal lends credibility to a story built on predictable structural elements and keeps viewers engaged.
“The Judge Returns” marks Ji Sung’s return to MBC a decade after “Kill Me, Heal Me,” and the series begins with promising momentum. The premiere recorded a nationwide household rating of 4.3 percent and a metropolitan rating of 4.1 percent, with the scene in which Lee appears in a prison uniform peaking at 6.9 percent. Attention is now turning to whether strong word-of-mouth and sustained viewer interest can help revive MBC’s recent drama performance.
“The Judge Returns” airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:40 p.m. on MBC.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.