Weird Lawyer Woo Young Woo (2022): Season 1, Episode 12 - Episode #1.12 - full transcript
SENIOR MANAGER, KIM HYEON-JEONG
MIR LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
Ms. Kim.
He's ready to see you now.
Okay.
You're aware that the company is currently
in the process of an M&A, right?
Yes, sir.
I understand Mir Life
will be acquired by SB Life,
a German insurance company.
Since the owner
of the company is changing,
we can't avoid restructuring.
This is the policy
that was decided on by the higher-ups.
"Employees who are married
within the company
are eligible for voluntary resignation."
Why?
Because they have relative stability.
Relative stability?
Employees who are married
with a double income
must have a more stable life
than single-income employees.
But even if I add up my salary
with my husband's,
it wouldn't match up
to the executives' salaries.
This is the company policy.
"If one of the employees
of a married couple
does not voluntarily resign,
the husband will be subjected to
unpaid leave."
So you're saying that if I don't quit,
you're going to fire my husband?
Think hard about
which option would be more beneficial.
As a wife, should you really be getting
in the way of your husband's career?
Excuse me?
It would be uncomfortable
for the parents too.
What kind of parents would be happy to see
their son hanging around at home
while their daughter-in-law goes to work?
This is when you should
support your husband.
Ms. Kim.
Ms. Kim.
What did the Head of HR say?
Right.
Your husband
also works here right, Ms. Lee?
Yes. Why do you ask?
Ms. Lee.
He'll see you now.
Okay.
HUSBAND: WE NEED TO TALK
What did he say to you?
He told me to convince you.
To get me to quit?
That's what the company wants right now.
To get rid of the female employees.
Are you okay?
I worked so hard for this company.
You know that, right?
Of course.
Of course, I know.
I think I took maybe two weeks off
after I gave birth to Jeong-min.
I voluntarily gave up the remaining days
of my maternity leave
and came straight back to work.
I know.
Everyone at work knows you did.
They expected me to drop all my roles
as mother and wife
and be a dedicated employee
of the company.
Now he's saying I should just stay home
and take care of you as a wife.
He said I'll be getting in the way
of your career…
if I keep working here.
CASE 12
YANGTZE RIVER DOLPHIN
Come in.
Gosh.
It seems as if…
-Did you spend the night here?
-No, I went home at dawn and rested.
I see.
You're having a burger for breakfast?
Yes. I have a client meeting soon,
so there's no time to eat a proper meal.
What can I do for you?
I'm on my way to visit
Attorney Park Hak-su at the hospital.
I thought maybe you could join me.
But I guess you can't come.
Wait…
What happened to Attorney Park?
Is he ill?
Gosh.
You haven't heard yet?
Last night, Jang Jae-jin paid a visit
to Attorney Park and caused a scene.
Jang Jae-jin…
Jang Jae-jin, the son of
Hyeonbo Construction's chairman?
Yes, that's right.
He got out of prison a few days ago.
The reason he only got
an eight-year sentence
after brutally murdering his own father
is all thanks to you and Attorney Park.
I wonder what his problem is.
He went to Attorney Park's home
and swung a knife at him for revenge.
Thank goodness
his family showed up in time.
Luckily, he wasn't injured too badly.
Just a bit rattled up.
Was Jang Jae-jin caught?
Not yet. The police are looking for him.
Jang Jae-jin probably
remembers my face too.
So I told the security team
to pay more attention
to the people entering the building.
We're going to increase the number
of security personnel,
so don't worry too much. Okay?
Yes, ma'am.
-Get back to work then.
-I'll see you later.
He went to Attorney Park's home
and swung a knife at him for revenge.
Was Jang Jae-jin caught?
Not yet. The police are looking for him.
Hello.
You're Attorney Jung Myeong-seok, right?
Yes.
I'm Moon Jong-cheol,
the Head of HR at Mir Life.
We've met once before. Do you remember?
Yes.
I'm sorry.
Let's go to the conference room.
Sure.
"If one of the employees
of a married couple
does not voluntarily resign,
the husband will be subjected to
unpaid leave."
I'm not sure why this policy
is discriminatory toward women.
Since they're penalizing the husband,
isn't it discriminatory toward men?
Exactly.
That's what I'm saying.
The opposing attorney keeps claiming
that it's discrimination
against female employees
and it's so frustrating.
Well…
That may be true in a literal sense,
but our society has patriarchal values.
If only one person
of the married couple can work,
can we really ignore the prejudice
that it should obviously be the husband?
I see.
In fact, out of the 112 married couples
in the company,
ninety-eight of the wives
have already resigned.
Exactly. You said you would penalize
the husbands, but ultimately,
it was mostly the wives
who voluntarily resigned.
And on top of that,
they can't even make a complaint.
Because their husbands are being held
like hostages by the company.
Isn't this probably why only
2 out of the 98 female employees
who resigned filed the lawsuit?
Was this policy created
with all this considered?
What?
Well, I mean…
It's quite difficult to proceed with
major restructuring without any issues,
so Mir Life just found
the most efficient method.
Yes, that's right. That's what I'm saying.
All right. The two employees
who filed the suit
are Kim Hyeon-jeong
and Lee Ji-young, right?
What kind of employees were they?
They weren't particularly problematic.
You could say that Senior Manager Kim
was very dedicated to her work.
Since she received
the Best Employee Award twice.
Assistant Manager Lee
was good at her job too.
I see that she frequently took days off
before her resignation.
I think those were
for her doctor's appointments,
but I'll look into it more.
The more information you have
on the plaintiffs, the better.
Please give us everything you have.
We're not trying to
pick apart their flaws,
but it is crucial that we know
of their situations or weaknesses.
Yes, all right.
But…
about the opposing attorney.
Attorney Ryu Jae-sook?
Do you know her well?
No, I don't know her personally.
I know that she usually takes on cases
involving women, human rights, and labor.
Is she famous in this field?
She did a lot of cases
that stirred up the public.
For example, the case of "Seono Heavy
Industry's subcontracting misconduct,"
"Gwangil Group's early retirement
of its female employees,"
and the "workers' suit against Gyeongok
Construction for causing pneumoconiosis."
But because she takes
on big David and Goliath-like cases,
her winning rate is not that high.
She lost all the cases
that were just mentioned.
It's as if she's an attorney
that specializes in losing cases.
Do you have any particular concerns
about Attorney Ryu?
Well,
she came by the company once, and she was…
How should I put this?
Loud?
Do not
inform the company of your marital status!
Mir Life is exploiting the law
to force wives to voluntarily resign
to achieve
gender discriminatory restructuring!
Come to your senses!
-Come to your senses!
-Come to your senses!
Forced resignation under the guise
of voluntary resignation!
Condemn the act of oppression!
-Condemn!
-She is loud.
-Mir Life, come to your senses!
-It's the pretrial hearing today.
-Come to your senses!
-Is she warming up by protesting?
I've never seen
an attorney like her before.
Condemn!
-Condemn!
-Condemn!
And it seems like she is wearing
matching colors with the plaintiffs.
And put on matching headbands too.
-Come to your senses!
-Come to your senses!
It's almost time. Should we head in?
Judge Ryu Myeong-ha
is known to be strict about everything.
Ryu Myeong-ha?
Condemn this act of oppression!
The judge of this case
is Judge Ryu Myeong-ha?
Yes, you didn't know?
We have a problem.
That loud attorney,
isn't her name Ryu Jae-sook?
No way…
She can't be from
the Ryu family of Pungsan, right?
Mir Life, admit to this unjust dismissal!
-Admit!
-Admit!
CONCILIATOR
Hello.
PLAINTIFF
DEFENDANT
Your Honor.
The plaintiffs and their attorney
just held a protest
in front of the court regarding this case.
I'm concerned
that the protest will affect you
and undermine the fairness of this trial.
The plaintiffs and I
were merely protesting
against the sexually discriminatory
restructuring of Mir Life.
We had no intention
of affecting the trial.
Then why protest in front of the court?
You should've done it at Mir Life.
We are going to protest at Mir Life too.
We only did it here today because
we had to be at this pretrial hearing.
Do we have to discuss
where we protest with you?
That's not necessary…
Counselor,
what is your family origin?
My family origin
is the Ryu family of Pungsan.
My goodness.
My family origin
is also the Ryu family of Pungsan.
Then what generation name
does your father use?
My father uses…
Your Honor, why are you asking about
my father's generation name and not mine?
Well, that's because daughters usually
don't use a generation name.
Right.
Because daughters
become outsiders once they marry
and can't continue
the Ryu family of Pungsan's line?
-No, I mean--
-Your Honor,
I think the essence of this case
is sex discrimination.
And sex discrimination
is an act that is strictly forbidden
by the laws of this country,
such as the Framework Act
on Gender Equality
and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act.
I'm deeply concerned if Your Honor,
who is biased in that I wouldn't have used
a generation name because I'm a woman,
will be able to see
the essence of this case fairly.
What?
The "Jae" in my name, Ryu Jae-sook,
is a generation name that denotes
the 26th generation
of the Ryu family of Pungsan.
Your name has "Ha" in it, Your Honor,
so I'm assuming that
you are of the 27th generation.
Yes, I am.
So that would mean in a way,
I'm like your aunt.
Of course, it's not necessary
for you to call me "aunt."
Okay.
Your Honor, may I bring up the protest
that the plaintiffs and their attorney--
That won't be an issue.
Sorry?
I do not see the protest
affecting my judgment in any way.
So,
it won't be an issue.
Thank you, Judge Ryu Myeong-ha.
I don't like the word "context."
It's as difficult as the word "tone."
When I was studying law, I didn't have
to figure out the context and tone
that were hidden behind words.
But I think that's not enough
for some cases.
I can't get into the specifics,
but I learned that even a seemingly
neutral policy can be discriminatory
if you considered the context
that this is a patriarchal society--
Hey, Young-woo.
Yes?
Are you…
seeing someone?
Why are you asking me that
out of the blue?
Does this also have a hidden context
that I don't know about?
No, there's nothing like that.
I'm just wondering
if you're in a relationship.
Well…
No.
No?
I mean…
But…
you kissed?
Goodness.
I didn't think you had it in you.
It's like you're in a Hollywood movie,
doing things the American way.
How did you know I kissed someone?
What do you mean how?
You were kissing
right in front of the house!
Gosh, you little…
But what?
You're not in a relationship?
We haven't discussed it yet.
We're getting to know each other first
by going on dates.
Then he's a total punk.
He's going around kissing you
without even asking you out properly?
Who is he? Bring him home.
I need to see for myself
what kind of guy he is, okay?
Goodness.
I didn't do anything wrong.
Hey, wait.
The gas gun.
"If one of the employees
of a married couple
does not voluntarily resign,
the husband will be subjected to
unpaid leave."
What was Mir Life's intention
in making this policy?
Didn't you ultimately
lead the female employees to resign
by threatening the wives that
their husbands would lose their jobs?
No, Mir Life is a company
that respects women.
Even in the middle of restructuring,
we came up with a policy that is more
advantageous to female employees.
"As a wife, should you really be getting
in the way of your husband's career?"
"What kind of parents
would be happy to see
their son hanging around at home
while their daughter-in-law goes to work?"
"This is when you should
support your husband."
"When a husband loses his job,
he becomes jobless."
"But when a wife loses her job,
she's still a housewife."
"Are you going to make your husband's life
embarrassing and pathetic?"
These are the words that
you said to the plaintiffs. Do you recall?
Yes.
Didn't you just say
Mir Life is a company that respects women,
and that you came up
with a restructuring policy
that is more advantageous
to female employees?
But through these meetings,
you actively persuaded
the female employees
to voluntarily resign.
Do you admit to doing this?
I was just saying how I felt.
They are my personal opinions
that are irrelevant to the company policy.
Don't be ridiculous.
Your Honor. This type of questioning
is very inappropriate
as it insults the witness.
Please restrict the plaintiff's counselor
so she doesn't cross the line.
Mr. Moon is the Head of HR at Mir Life,
so he had meetings with the plaintiffs
as a representative of the company.
Am I supposed to just accept that
he expressed his personal opinions
and exchanged casual conversations
at serious meetings like that?
I don't think so,
Judge Ryu Myeong-ha.
ATTORNEY RYU JAE-SOOK
Mr. Moon Jong-cheol
was representing Mir Life at the time
of his meetings with the plaintiffs.
Do you admit to doing this?
Yes, but…
Put that on the record.
When you heard of
the company's restructuring policy,
what did you think of it?
Did you think that they were ultimately
leading female employees to resign
by threatening them, saying that
their husbands would lose their jobs?
No.
If I thought that, I would have quit.
In our case, my husband
was the one who voluntarily resigned.
I didn't feel that the company policy
was sexually discriminatory.
Unless it's reverse discrimination.
You had a meeting with Mr. Moon, correct?
Yes.
Did he say something along the lines of,
"As a wife, should you really be getting
in the way of your husband's career"?
I don't really remember.
Because that's not all that important.
What I remember is that
if we applied for voluntary resignation,
we would be provided with a severance
equivalent to 13 months of pay
and the opportunity to work
as contract employees.
An opportunity to work
as a contract employee?
Why are you saying that
as if it's some kind of benefit?
Don't you know they're using
the restructuring as an excuse
to turn female employees
into non-full-time employees?
All these things about sex discrimination
and becoming non-full-time employees.
I don't get why people,
who are usually so independent and smart,
are saying they were forced to
make such a decision
because of what Mr. Moon said.
Things are already uneasy at the company
with the restructuring and the M&A,
and now there's a lawsuit too.
The remaining employees are exhausted!
That is all.
Plaintiff's counselor,
you may begin cross-examination.
Your husband is quite ill, right?
I heard he recently had an operation
for colon cancer.
Yes.
But that wasn't the reason
my husband quit his job.
Even if he wasn't ill,
we would have made the same decision.
Before your husband's surgery,
you received a month of paid leave, right?
That's quite an exceptional benefit
for a company
that is currently
under such difficult circumstances.
Does your being here today
have anything to do
with you receiving such a benefit?
Ms. Choi Yeon-hui.
Did your husband's surgery go well?
We were occupied with the lawsuit
that we couldn't even
visit you at the hospital.
It's fine.
His surgery went well.
There's no metastasis either.
He's okay.
Really? That's good.
That's such a relief.
Hey, there's no need for you
to feel bad about this.
Just focus on taking care of your husband.
Everyone has different opinions.
If I were in your position,
I would have done the same thing.
Ms. Kim…
Ms. Choi, did you try
the bungeoppang out front?
I'm not sure if it's because it's sold
in front of the courthouse, but it's good.
Let's go get some bungeoppang together.
It's okay. I'll get some another time.
Come on.
Have at least one.
If all three of us
were still at work together,
it would have been snack time
right about now.
I'm sorry.
I'm really sorry.
Why are you crying?
Gosh…
It's okay.
Yes, it's okay.
It's okay.
What's the point of all this?
Excuse me!
Here.
-What is this?
-Bungeoppang.
We bought them for you
while we were getting ours. Have some.
Thank you.
Sure. Bye.
Buying the opposing attorneys bungeoppang?
They're quite relaxed.
Do they think they're winning?
Well, they are winning.
Let's go.
Jun-ho.
I think we're going to have to
look into the plaintiffs.
-Look into them?
-Yes.
Is there anything that could show
that the plaintiffs
voluntarily quit the company?
I'm sure they didn't quit
because they wanted to.
But maybe any kind of proof
that they thought voluntary resignation
was the best choice at the time.
I'll look into it.
What?
Taxi.
I want to see the ad on that taxi.
What? Taxi?
There's a symbol on the ad of that taxi
that looks exactly like
Ms. Lee Ji-yeong's key chain.
I want to check what it is.
And why should we check that?
Right. If it's another one
of your random obsessions--
Is everyone buckled up?
What's wrong with him?
Young-woo.
Attorney Woo. Take a good look.
THE START OF A NEW LIFE AT HUIMANG
"Specialization in infertility treatment."
"Huimang Women's Hospital"?
You said you work with Attorney Woo?
Do you think you can make
Attorney Woo quit Hanbada?
Excuse me?
It doesn't matter
if she quits or gets fired.
LEGAL CONSULTATION STATEMENT
What are you up to?
Work.
I'm working.
I see.
You don't mind me sitting here, right?
I have to get myself one of these.
Well…
So…
How is it
working at a major law firm?
What?
For me,
it can sometimes be
miserable.
You know, at major law firms,
we have to do unjust things
and bully the weak as well.
Because those who can afford attorneys
with high commission fees like us
are the rich and powerful.
Do you know…
who came up with Mir Life's strategy
for the restructuring?
What?
We did.
What?
It was Hanbada.
I looked at the consultation statement
Hanbada sent to Mir Life last year
and it was all written there.
"Officially, you have to say that
the husband will be penalized
to avoid sex discrimination."
"Even if it's not much,
giving a small severance pay
will be advantageous
to claim voluntary resignation."
"Make it seem like
the switch to being a contract employee
is a benefit that is only offered to
those who resign."
All this…
was a trick that Hanbada taught Mir Life.
Then did Mir Life come up with that policy
with the intention to fire
the female employees in the first place?
Yes.
They used the M&A as an excuse
to fire almost 100 female employees
and transitioned them
into non-full-time positions
while receiving consultation
from a major law firm
so they wouldn't
face any issues in the future.
It's very clever sex discrimination.
If only the Three Musketeers
could prove this,
they'd have a chance of winning.
I guess that won't be happening.
Seeing Attorney Ryu on TV…
Have you seen her on TV?
Her office looked like some corner store.
Do you think she can get
any proper investigation done?
Probably not.
Even if she wants to hire an employee
like Jun-ho, would she be able to?
No, because she can't afford it.
Don't you agree?
I'm going to stop grumbling
and get back to work.
Right.
This is the consultation statement,
and it has everything I just mentioned.
Would you like to give it a read?
Take your time.
LEGAL CONSULTATION STATEMENT
"Recipient, Mir Life Corporation.
Sender, Hanbada Law Firm."
"Title, Review of…"
No, I didn't mean that
you should read it out loud right now.
Read it quietly on your own.
"Title, Review of Restructuring
Policy for Married Employee Couples."
What's this?
The legal consultation statement
that Hanbada sent to Mir Life last year.
Were you aware
of the content of the statement?
Of course, I knew.
How did you even find this?
Then did Hanbada really help
Mir Life fire only the female employees?
Did you teach them
how to cleverly discriminate
in a way that wouldn't be illegal?
No, that's not how it should be phrased.
We merely gave our opinion
so our client could achieve their goals
without any legal problems.
If we win this trial,
we'll be playing a part in legalizing
the firing of female employees first.
And in a shameful way at that,
by taking issue with the fact that
Ms. Lee was treated for infertility.
It's a shame a dolphin
jumped so high when I saw
the Huimang Women's Hospital logo.
What? Dolphin, jump, what?
If we can't give up representing Mir Life,
what if we at least keep silent about
Ms. Lee's infertility treatment?
If we can't contribute to making
the world a better place as attorneys--
Attorney Woo.
Who told you that attorneys contribute to
making the world a better place?
-Excuse me?
-What an attorney does is defend.
It's our job as attorneys
to protect the client's rights
and do our best
to prevent the client's losses.
Our legal expertise is supposed
to be used for that,
not to make the world a better place.
And what would make the world
a better place to begin with?
Isn't it the judge's job to judge that?
"The mission of any
attorney-at-law shall be
to defend fundamental human rights
and realize social justice."
It's Paragraph 1, Article 1
of the Attorney-at-Law Act.
Exactly!
Aren't we defending Mir Life right now?
It's the judge's job to decide
which side is socially just, not ours!
Are you…
getting angry?
No, I'm not!
Even when your brows are lowered,
your cheekbones are raised,
and your nostrils are flaring?
These are the typical signs
of when someone is angry.
Anyway.
Do thorough research
on infertility treatments,
and question
Ms. Lee Ji-yeong properly. Okay?
If you don't, I will.
DOLPHINS BELONG IN THE WIDE OCEAN,
NOT AN AQUARIUM
It's a dolphin!
-Hello.
-Hello.
Hi.
This dolphin is so cute.
Come on, kids.
-Okay.
-Okay.
STOP DISPLAYING DOLPHINS AND RELEASE THEM
There's also a protest
in front of Mir Life right now,
but I'm turning a blind eye to that
and instead doing another protest.
I'm not sure if this is a good idea.
You're not doing this protest
to free the dolphins as an attorney.
We're…
on a date right now.
Then what am I supposed to do
as an attorney?
Should I listen to what Attorney Jung said
and leave the judgment
of what's right or wrong to a judge
and only focus on defending the client?
Well…
Working at Hanbada,
I've seen a lot of attorneys
who were stressed about that same thing.
Rookies, junior attorneys,
senior attorneys, all of them.
-Really?
-Yes.
There are attorneys like Attorney Jung
who have reached their answers,
but there are also attorneys
who continue to contemplate.
And some attorneys end up
leaving the firm because of that.
Is it because Hanbada is a major law firm?
But the funny thing is
there's no other place that's more active
in public service than a big law firm.
I bet you there are no law firms in Korea
that take as many public interest cases
as Hanbada and Taesan.
This is hard.
It's even more difficult
after hearing what you said.
It's not an issue with an easy answer.
Just take some time,
and think about it slowly.
I'll always cheer for you
no matter what you decide to do.
"I solemnly swear that
I will tell the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth,
and agree to receive punishment
in accordance with perjury
should there be any falsehood."
Defendant's counselor, begin questioning.
When did you find out that
Mir Life was going to be acquired
by SB Life, a German insurance company?
Around last year.
You used a lot of paid time off last year.
And for a few months,
you left work early three days a week.
Why is that?
I had doctor's appointments.
But it was only last year.
In the eight years
I've worked for this company,
I had never taken time off
as often as I did last year.
What is the name
of the hospital you went to?
Huimang Women's Hospital.
Huimang Women's Hospital
is a maternity clinic specializing
in infertility treatments, correct?
Yes.
For IVF, which is one of the ways
to treat infertility,
one must visit a hospital three times
a week for a month.
If one has a job,
they would have to leave early.
On the days when eggs are collected
or embryos are implanted,
one would most likely have to
take the day off.
Did you also get off work early
and take frequent days off for IVF?
Yes.
Then to you, the suggestion
of voluntary resignation
would've been a great opportunity to
focus on receiving infertility treatments.
Since you had plans for pregnancy.
How is that relevant?
I failed to get pregnant,
but even if I had succeeded, I would've
continued to work at the company.
Under the Labor Standards Act,
female workers receive
90 days of paid vacation
before and after they give birth.
At the last hearing,
the plaintiff's counselor mentioned
the one month of paid leave that
the witness, Ms. Choi, had received,
and said that it was
an exceptional benefit for a company
under such difficult circumstances.
Then, doesn't this also apply
to the 90 days of maternity leave?
Objection. The plaintiff received IVF
way before it was suggested
that she voluntarily resign.
The plaintiff's infertility treatments and
the voluntary resignation are irrelevant.
Well…
Overruled.
Defendant's counselor,
continue questioning.
Plaintiff, please give an honest answer.
Didn't you decide that it'd be better
to take this opportunity
to get severance pay and resign
so that you could prepare for pregnancy
rather than to hold out
at a company in a crisis?
Excuse me.
My name is Woo Young-woo.
Whether it's read straight or flipped,
it's still Woo Young-woo.
Kayak, deed, rotator,
noon, racecar, Woo Young-woo.
I'm Ryu Jae-sook.
If it's flipped, it's Sook-jae Ryu.
Okay.
I saw you in the newspaper.
"The first autistic attorney
of the Republic of Korea."
I wondered what kind of attorney
this person would turn out to be,
but I see you
eventually ended up at Hanbada.
I thought you'd work somewhere cooler.
Somewhere cooler?
Yes. For example, somewhere like
the Law Office of Ryu Jae-sook.
Right.
Isn't it cooler to stand on the side
of brave women laborers,
instead of defending a client
like Mir Life?
An attorney is someone who defends.
It's an attorney's job
to protect the client's rights
and do the best to prevent
the client's losses.
It's not an attorney's job
to make a value judgment
about which client would make them cooler.
But attorneys are human.
They're different
from judges and prosecutors.
-Sorry?
-We all work in the legal field,
but while judges and prosecutors work
to protect the law,
attorneys work to protect the people.
Each case might just be work
for a judge or a prosecutor,
but it's different for an attorney.
We sit next to the client…
as someone they chose for protection
and as fellow humans.
"You weren't wrong."
"I support you."
Saying these things
and showing them support
are also part of our job.
To do that, we have to judge
for ourselves what is right
in terms of who we defend.
You can't lie to yourself.
What?
Attorney Woo is with Attorney Ryu.
What could they be talking about?
I wonder too.
-What are you doing?
-What? Why do you ask?
You were trying to go
into Young-woo's office. What is it?
I could have something
to ask Attorney Woo.
What are you? The Kayak Deed Protector?
Why does it concern you?
Young-woo left with Jun-ho earlier.
She's obviously not here.
Her lights are off.
Where would she be going
with Jun-ho at this hour?
I thought you live with Jun-ho.
You don't know?
-The two of them…
-What about them?
They're seeing each other.
They're seeing each other?
-Why?
-What do you mean?
They just are!
You're so annoying.
Get out of my way.
LEGAL CONSULTATION STATEMENT
LAW OFFICE OF RYU JAE-SOOK
ATTORNEY WOO YOUNG-WOO
What's wrong?
Are you looking for something?
I'm looking for my father.
What?
My father said he saw us
kissing last time.
What?
He told me to bring you to meet him.
But I'm not going to.
Because we're not dating yet.
What…
We're not…
dating yet?
Well…
We never said we were dating, right?
Well…
Or did we?
Then…
are we dating?
If we're not dating,
why would I protest
to free the dolphins on my day off?
What?
Do you not agree
that dolphins should be freed?
Of course, I do.
But it's not the most ideal activity to do
on someone's day off.
It's not like it's fun.
It's not…
fun?
I mean…
Honestly,
the list that you made.
"Things to do on dates"?
Yes.
I'm not…
used to those things.
People typically don't do
those things on dates.
Things like picking up garbage
while jogging by the Han River.
Jun-ho!
Hey…
That day, you really
only picked up garbage.
You picked up garbage again and again
as the day got brighter
until that huge basket was full.
Would there be anyone else
who goes on these kinds of dates?
We did go on typical dates.
For example,
we went to famous restaurants.
They were all gimbap places.
We ate nothing but gimbap that day.
The list has things you want to do too.
We went to the arcade
because you wanted to.
It was very loud, but I held it in.
Okay, but we only played
"Find the Difference" for three hours.
Attorney Woo.
You're great at this.
And you were too good at it,
so it wasn't fun for me.
Then…
Then why do you keep
going on dates with me?
It's not even fun for you.
Because I like you!
I did the protest to free the dolphins,
picked up trash while jogging,
and went to all those famous gimbap places
because I like you.
And yet we're still not…
officially together?
That really…
just hurts me, you know that?
Right.
Plaintiff's counselor,
you submitted new evidence, right?
Yes, Your Honor.
It's proof that
Mir Life had thoroughly planned
the sexually discriminatory
restructuring policy
with the intent to fire
the female employees from the beginning.
An anonymous informant
sent it to our office.
I present to you
the original work notebook
of Mr. Moon Jong-cheol,
the Head of HR at Mir Life.
I submitted the scanned copies
of the pages in question today.
Wait, is that really your notebook?
The company gave them out
to all the employees last year.
Mine should be in my office.
If you take a look at the notebook,
you can see that Mr. Moon
has a habit of taking notes
during his phone calls.
Those notes were taken
during a phone call in April last year
with Mir Life's Executive Director,
Choi Seung-cheol.
Executive Director Choi
clearly gave Mr. Moon the order
to get the wives to voluntarily resign
by notifying them that
their husbands will be penalized.
-Is that true?
-That's undeniable.
-Goodness.
-That's undeniable proof.
Mr. Moon, is this true?
Is that your notebook?
I did write that.
But I don't know how that…
ended up in their hands.
Your Honor.
Mr. Moon has not agreed to his personal
notebook being used as evidence.
Therefore, this evidence
has been collected illegally.
This pertains to the
Criminal Procedure Act, Article 300…
Three…
Three…
The Criminal Procedure Act, Article 300…
What is it?
You know, the thing about the illegal
collection of evidence.
Right.
"Article 308-2 of the Criminal
Procedure Act. Any evidence obtained
in violation of the due process
shall not be admissible"?
Yes, according to the article
you heard just now,
Mr. Moon's notebook
is not admissible as evidence.
Please exclude it from the evidence.
Well…
But that's a Criminal Procedure Act.
This trial is a civil procedure.
But that's a Criminal Procedure Act.
This trial is a civil procedure.
Isn't it the discretion of the court
to accept evidence
according to the Civil Procedure Act,
which adopts the Principle
of Free Evaluation of Evidence?
I look forward to your wise judgment,
Judge Ryu Myeong-ha.
ATTORNEY RYU JAE-SOOK
This notebook was sent
by an anonymous informant?
Yes, Your Honor.
Then, even if the evidence
was collected illegally,
the degree of violation of the procedure
is not large enough to refuse
the acceptance of the evidence.
I acknowledge
the admissibility of your evidence.
It's all right.
HEAD OF HR
MOON JONG-CHEOL
You said all the employees are family.
Aren't female employees also family?
Admit wrongful termination!
-Admit!
-Admit!
A rally was held in front of Mir Life's HQ
to denounce Mir Life's dismissal
of female employees first
among married employee couples.
The rally was attended by female employees
who were fired from Mir Life,
as well as dozens of members
of women's organizations and labor unions.
Meanwhile, two of
the fired female employees filed a lawsuit
to confirm the invalidity
of their termination.
Participants of the rally
said they plan to file
a written statement to the court.
The public are wondering
whether the rally will affect the ruling.
Now, for the verdict.
Formal adjudication.
All claims of the plaintiffs
are dismissed.
And the litigation costs
are to be paid by the plaintiffs.
This court acknowledges
that the defendant urged
the married employee couples
to voluntarily resign multiple times
and notified them
of their husbands' termination
or them being subjected
to unpaid leave if they did not.
However, designating one of the employees
of a married employee couple
for this while restructuring
is acceptable
from the socioeconomic perspective,
and because they did not specify
that it just applied to the wives,
it cannot be seen
as an act against gender equality
or the discrimination
against women as set forth
by the Constitution
or the Labor Standards Act.
Furthermore,
the plaintiffs submitted
their resignation letters
considering the conditions
of voluntary resignation
as suggested by the defendant
and the various circumstances
and interests regarding the options
of resignation and continuing to work.
Thus, this cannot be considered invalid.
My goodness.
Sir.
You don't look so good.
Is everything okay?
The ruling was in our favor.
What's the point of that?
It doesn't do me any good,
but the company.
What?
To be honest,
I think I'm going to be fired soon.
Weren't you aware?
No, I wasn't.
I see.
I thought perhaps Hanbada
gave them another consultation.
"How to fire the Head of HR without
any trouble." Something like that.
This is the first time
I'm hearing of this.
Officially, they're firing me because
I didn't succeed with the restructuring.
The trial, the rally,
and the news reports.
Things did get out of hand.
But the more I think about it,
the more it feels like
this was their plan from the start.
They want to give my job
to the person that SB Life wants.
You went through a lot this whole time.
It must be difficult for you.
No.
I fired almost 100 employees.
It wouldn't be right to hope
that things would work out for me.
It's all karma.
Regardless of the ruling,
we view this lawsuit positively.
That's right. We view it as being WLGF!
We Lost, but it was a Good Fight!
We feel good
that we at least went to trial!
-We feel good!
-We feel good!
We still have the second and final appeal.
So we will fight even more bravely
for job security and equality!
-We will!
-We will!
-Fight!
-Fight!
-Fight!
-Fight!
-Fight!
-Fight!
I'm amazed by the fact that
they're having an after-trial party,
and it's also weird that we're going
just because we were invited.
We were the opposing side, after all.
I want to go. I'm curious.
Are you interested in those things?
Dealing with cases about human rights,
women, and labor like Attorney Ryu?
Well…
I'm not sure.
Attorney Ryu
is like the Yangtze River dolphin.
Gosh, the Yangtze River dolphin.
I haven't heard about that one in a while.
Can I tell you
about the Yangtze River dolphin?
Can I say no?
Please.
Dolphins mostly live in the sea,
but some populations adapt to rivers,
and the Yangtze River dolphin
is a model example of that.
Just like their name,
they lived in the Yangtze River in China,
but they were declared extinct in 2007.
So how does Attorney Ryu
resemble the Yangtze River dolphin?
Attorney Ryu
is the type of attorney
you can't find at Hanbada.
I just hope she doesn't go extinct.
SEXUALLY DISCRIMINATORY RESTRUCTURING
THERE SHOULDN'T BE RESTRUCTURING!
You're doing it again.
Just leave it be.
It's not easy to just leave it alone.
Gosh.
I'M ROOTING FOR YOU, ATTORNEY RYU
MEANINGFUL LOSS!
I wonder what it's like to receive
this kind of support.
Even when she lost.
Right.
Me too.
DON'T BE DISCOURAGED!
LET'S OVERCOME! LET'S FIGHT TOGETHER!
Goodness! You're here.
We were on the roof.
Let's head up together.
Okay.
Right.
Why don't you head upstairs first?
I have something to give to Attorney Woo.
Okay.
I wanted to return this.
LEGAL CONSULTATION STATEMENT
Why do you have this?
You didn't send it to me?
No, I didn't.
Your business card was in it.
As if you had sent it to me in secret.
It seems as though it's complicated
within Hanbada as well.
You should watch out for yourself.
So you had this the whole time
but didn't use it as evidence?
If I did, you would've been in trouble.
And it's not like I didn't have
other ways to get evidence.
Come.
Hello.
Sit over here.
We were making bibimbap.
The vegetables Attorney Ryu grows
up here on the roof are so fresh.
I'm a farmer on the side.
Roof farming.
But it seems like I'm better at farming
than I am at my main job.
Do you only have bibimbap? No gimbap?
I can't see the ingredients
in bibimbap all at once,
so I could be alarmed
by any unexpected textures or flavors.
What?
Gimbap?
Alarmed?
Then don't mix the ingredients
and eat them all separately.
Well…
Just eat what you're given.
Okay.
The bibimbap is so pretty.
We should have come earlier
and helped you prepare.
We were just relaxing
and taking our time as we made it.
Reciting poems.
Reciting poems?
It turns out that we all love poetry.
I recited one by the poet Kim Su-young,
and Hyeon-jeong recited one
by the poet Ko Jung-hee.
And now it's Attorney Ryu's turn.
Is this the time to be reciting poems?
Don't you have an appeal to prepare?
-Right.
-That's right.
You're right.
Hanbada's attorneys sure are different.
I think I'm going to lose again.
Come on, we can have fun today.
It's the after-party.
I'm so curious as to what poem
Attorney Ryu likes.
Yes, we want to know. Recite it for us.
Ryu Jae-sook!
-Ryu Jae-sook!
-Ryu Jae-sook!
There she goes!
"Though there are many sayings,
life is
to gladly become a piece of coal
for someone other than myself."
"From the day the floors grow cold
to the day spring comes,
the most beautiful thing
in the streets of the Korean peninsula
is a truck that fervidly
climbs up the hill
with coal."
"As if it knows what it has to do,
coal burns endlessly
once its body catches fire,
but I was oblivious even though
I had warm rice and soup every day."
"Because I feared becoming
a lonely lump of ashes
after loving others with my whole being,
I haven't become coal
for anyone."
"When I think about it,
life is to shatter myself into pieces."
"I had never thought of
clearing the streets for others to tread
when the world is slippery
from early morning snow."
That was great!
-Eat.
-Okay.
-Thank you for the food.
-Enjoy.
Damn it.
Damn it.
Yes, boss.
I got off on the wrong floor.
I got both a Phillips head
and a flat head screwdriver.
Yes, I'm on my way up.
Damn it.
Damn it.
Attorney Jung, they caught Jang Jae-jin.
The police caught him
all the way in Changwon,
so you have nothing
to worry about anymore.
What the…
Am I sick?
Is there really a law
that states that even those
who did not visit a cultural heritage
must pay the admission fee?
May I go on a business trip?
-Where to?
-Jeju Island.
I'll do my best to earn my keep
since I'm taking
several rookie attorneys with me.
We're calling it a business trip, but
isn't this an excuse to go on a vacation?
They're not open.
It looks like it's been closed
for quite some time.
Don't be blinded by what you can see.
Keep in mind the essence
of what lies beyond that.
You should bring home a girl
who can make you happy.
Not someone you have to take care of.
Subtitle translation by: Hyun-soo Cho
MIR LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
Ms. Kim.
He's ready to see you now.
Okay.
You're aware that the company is currently
in the process of an M&A, right?
Yes, sir.
I understand Mir Life
will be acquired by SB Life,
a German insurance company.
Since the owner
of the company is changing,
we can't avoid restructuring.
This is the policy
that was decided on by the higher-ups.
"Employees who are married
within the company
are eligible for voluntary resignation."
Why?
Because they have relative stability.
Relative stability?
Employees who are married
with a double income
must have a more stable life
than single-income employees.
But even if I add up my salary
with my husband's,
it wouldn't match up
to the executives' salaries.
This is the company policy.
"If one of the employees
of a married couple
does not voluntarily resign,
the husband will be subjected to
unpaid leave."
So you're saying that if I don't quit,
you're going to fire my husband?
Think hard about
which option would be more beneficial.
As a wife, should you really be getting
in the way of your husband's career?
Excuse me?
It would be uncomfortable
for the parents too.
What kind of parents would be happy to see
their son hanging around at home
while their daughter-in-law goes to work?
This is when you should
support your husband.
Ms. Kim.
Ms. Kim.
What did the Head of HR say?
Right.
Your husband
also works here right, Ms. Lee?
Yes. Why do you ask?
Ms. Lee.
He'll see you now.
Okay.
HUSBAND: WE NEED TO TALK
What did he say to you?
He told me to convince you.
To get me to quit?
That's what the company wants right now.
To get rid of the female employees.
Are you okay?
I worked so hard for this company.
You know that, right?
Of course.
Of course, I know.
I think I took maybe two weeks off
after I gave birth to Jeong-min.
I voluntarily gave up the remaining days
of my maternity leave
and came straight back to work.
I know.
Everyone at work knows you did.
They expected me to drop all my roles
as mother and wife
and be a dedicated employee
of the company.
Now he's saying I should just stay home
and take care of you as a wife.
He said I'll be getting in the way
of your career…
if I keep working here.
CASE 12
YANGTZE RIVER DOLPHIN
Come in.
Gosh.
It seems as if…
-Did you spend the night here?
-No, I went home at dawn and rested.
I see.
You're having a burger for breakfast?
Yes. I have a client meeting soon,
so there's no time to eat a proper meal.
What can I do for you?
I'm on my way to visit
Attorney Park Hak-su at the hospital.
I thought maybe you could join me.
But I guess you can't come.
Wait…
What happened to Attorney Park?
Is he ill?
Gosh.
You haven't heard yet?
Last night, Jang Jae-jin paid a visit
to Attorney Park and caused a scene.
Jang Jae-jin…
Jang Jae-jin, the son of
Hyeonbo Construction's chairman?
Yes, that's right.
He got out of prison a few days ago.
The reason he only got
an eight-year sentence
after brutally murdering his own father
is all thanks to you and Attorney Park.
I wonder what his problem is.
He went to Attorney Park's home
and swung a knife at him for revenge.
Thank goodness
his family showed up in time.
Luckily, he wasn't injured too badly.
Just a bit rattled up.
Was Jang Jae-jin caught?
Not yet. The police are looking for him.
Jang Jae-jin probably
remembers my face too.
So I told the security team
to pay more attention
to the people entering the building.
We're going to increase the number
of security personnel,
so don't worry too much. Okay?
Yes, ma'am.
-Get back to work then.
-I'll see you later.
He went to Attorney Park's home
and swung a knife at him for revenge.
Was Jang Jae-jin caught?
Not yet. The police are looking for him.
Hello.
You're Attorney Jung Myeong-seok, right?
Yes.
I'm Moon Jong-cheol,
the Head of HR at Mir Life.
We've met once before. Do you remember?
Yes.
I'm sorry.
Let's go to the conference room.
Sure.
"If one of the employees
of a married couple
does not voluntarily resign,
the husband will be subjected to
unpaid leave."
I'm not sure why this policy
is discriminatory toward women.
Since they're penalizing the husband,
isn't it discriminatory toward men?
Exactly.
That's what I'm saying.
The opposing attorney keeps claiming
that it's discrimination
against female employees
and it's so frustrating.
Well…
That may be true in a literal sense,
but our society has patriarchal values.
If only one person
of the married couple can work,
can we really ignore the prejudice
that it should obviously be the husband?
I see.
In fact, out of the 112 married couples
in the company,
ninety-eight of the wives
have already resigned.
Exactly. You said you would penalize
the husbands, but ultimately,
it was mostly the wives
who voluntarily resigned.
And on top of that,
they can't even make a complaint.
Because their husbands are being held
like hostages by the company.
Isn't this probably why only
2 out of the 98 female employees
who resigned filed the lawsuit?
Was this policy created
with all this considered?
What?
Well, I mean…
It's quite difficult to proceed with
major restructuring without any issues,
so Mir Life just found
the most efficient method.
Yes, that's right. That's what I'm saying.
All right. The two employees
who filed the suit
are Kim Hyeon-jeong
and Lee Ji-young, right?
What kind of employees were they?
They weren't particularly problematic.
You could say that Senior Manager Kim
was very dedicated to her work.
Since she received
the Best Employee Award twice.
Assistant Manager Lee
was good at her job too.
I see that she frequently took days off
before her resignation.
I think those were
for her doctor's appointments,
but I'll look into it more.
The more information you have
on the plaintiffs, the better.
Please give us everything you have.
We're not trying to
pick apart their flaws,
but it is crucial that we know
of their situations or weaknesses.
Yes, all right.
But…
about the opposing attorney.
Attorney Ryu Jae-sook?
Do you know her well?
No, I don't know her personally.
I know that she usually takes on cases
involving women, human rights, and labor.
Is she famous in this field?
She did a lot of cases
that stirred up the public.
For example, the case of "Seono Heavy
Industry's subcontracting misconduct,"
"Gwangil Group's early retirement
of its female employees,"
and the "workers' suit against Gyeongok
Construction for causing pneumoconiosis."
But because she takes
on big David and Goliath-like cases,
her winning rate is not that high.
She lost all the cases
that were just mentioned.
It's as if she's an attorney
that specializes in losing cases.
Do you have any particular concerns
about Attorney Ryu?
Well,
she came by the company once, and she was…
How should I put this?
Loud?
Do not
inform the company of your marital status!
Mir Life is exploiting the law
to force wives to voluntarily resign
to achieve
gender discriminatory restructuring!
Come to your senses!
-Come to your senses!
-Come to your senses!
Forced resignation under the guise
of voluntary resignation!
Condemn the act of oppression!
-Condemn!
-She is loud.
-Mir Life, come to your senses!
-It's the pretrial hearing today.
-Come to your senses!
-Is she warming up by protesting?
I've never seen
an attorney like her before.
Condemn!
-Condemn!
-Condemn!
And it seems like she is wearing
matching colors with the plaintiffs.
And put on matching headbands too.
-Come to your senses!
-Come to your senses!
It's almost time. Should we head in?
Judge Ryu Myeong-ha
is known to be strict about everything.
Ryu Myeong-ha?
Condemn this act of oppression!
The judge of this case
is Judge Ryu Myeong-ha?
Yes, you didn't know?
We have a problem.
That loud attorney,
isn't her name Ryu Jae-sook?
No way…
She can't be from
the Ryu family of Pungsan, right?
Mir Life, admit to this unjust dismissal!
-Admit!
-Admit!
CONCILIATOR
Hello.
PLAINTIFF
DEFENDANT
Your Honor.
The plaintiffs and their attorney
just held a protest
in front of the court regarding this case.
I'm concerned
that the protest will affect you
and undermine the fairness of this trial.
The plaintiffs and I
were merely protesting
against the sexually discriminatory
restructuring of Mir Life.
We had no intention
of affecting the trial.
Then why protest in front of the court?
You should've done it at Mir Life.
We are going to protest at Mir Life too.
We only did it here today because
we had to be at this pretrial hearing.
Do we have to discuss
where we protest with you?
That's not necessary…
Counselor,
what is your family origin?
My family origin
is the Ryu family of Pungsan.
My goodness.
My family origin
is also the Ryu family of Pungsan.
Then what generation name
does your father use?
My father uses…
Your Honor, why are you asking about
my father's generation name and not mine?
Well, that's because daughters usually
don't use a generation name.
Right.
Because daughters
become outsiders once they marry
and can't continue
the Ryu family of Pungsan's line?
-No, I mean--
-Your Honor,
I think the essence of this case
is sex discrimination.
And sex discrimination
is an act that is strictly forbidden
by the laws of this country,
such as the Framework Act
on Gender Equality
and the Equal Employment Opportunity Act.
I'm deeply concerned if Your Honor,
who is biased in that I wouldn't have used
a generation name because I'm a woman,
will be able to see
the essence of this case fairly.
What?
The "Jae" in my name, Ryu Jae-sook,
is a generation name that denotes
the 26th generation
of the Ryu family of Pungsan.
Your name has "Ha" in it, Your Honor,
so I'm assuming that
you are of the 27th generation.
Yes, I am.
So that would mean in a way,
I'm like your aunt.
Of course, it's not necessary
for you to call me "aunt."
Okay.
Your Honor, may I bring up the protest
that the plaintiffs and their attorney--
That won't be an issue.
Sorry?
I do not see the protest
affecting my judgment in any way.
So,
it won't be an issue.
Thank you, Judge Ryu Myeong-ha.
I don't like the word "context."
It's as difficult as the word "tone."
When I was studying law, I didn't have
to figure out the context and tone
that were hidden behind words.
But I think that's not enough
for some cases.
I can't get into the specifics,
but I learned that even a seemingly
neutral policy can be discriminatory
if you considered the context
that this is a patriarchal society--
Hey, Young-woo.
Yes?
Are you…
seeing someone?
Why are you asking me that
out of the blue?
Does this also have a hidden context
that I don't know about?
No, there's nothing like that.
I'm just wondering
if you're in a relationship.
Well…
No.
No?
I mean…
But…
you kissed?
Goodness.
I didn't think you had it in you.
It's like you're in a Hollywood movie,
doing things the American way.
How did you know I kissed someone?
What do you mean how?
You were kissing
right in front of the house!
Gosh, you little…
But what?
You're not in a relationship?
We haven't discussed it yet.
We're getting to know each other first
by going on dates.
Then he's a total punk.
He's going around kissing you
without even asking you out properly?
Who is he? Bring him home.
I need to see for myself
what kind of guy he is, okay?
Goodness.
I didn't do anything wrong.
Hey, wait.
The gas gun.
"If one of the employees
of a married couple
does not voluntarily resign,
the husband will be subjected to
unpaid leave."
What was Mir Life's intention
in making this policy?
Didn't you ultimately
lead the female employees to resign
by threatening the wives that
their husbands would lose their jobs?
No, Mir Life is a company
that respects women.
Even in the middle of restructuring,
we came up with a policy that is more
advantageous to female employees.
"As a wife, should you really be getting
in the way of your husband's career?"
"What kind of parents
would be happy to see
their son hanging around at home
while their daughter-in-law goes to work?"
"This is when you should
support your husband."
"When a husband loses his job,
he becomes jobless."
"But when a wife loses her job,
she's still a housewife."
"Are you going to make your husband's life
embarrassing and pathetic?"
These are the words that
you said to the plaintiffs. Do you recall?
Yes.
Didn't you just say
Mir Life is a company that respects women,
and that you came up
with a restructuring policy
that is more advantageous
to female employees?
But through these meetings,
you actively persuaded
the female employees
to voluntarily resign.
Do you admit to doing this?
I was just saying how I felt.
They are my personal opinions
that are irrelevant to the company policy.
Don't be ridiculous.
Your Honor. This type of questioning
is very inappropriate
as it insults the witness.
Please restrict the plaintiff's counselor
so she doesn't cross the line.
Mr. Moon is the Head of HR at Mir Life,
so he had meetings with the plaintiffs
as a representative of the company.
Am I supposed to just accept that
he expressed his personal opinions
and exchanged casual conversations
at serious meetings like that?
I don't think so,
Judge Ryu Myeong-ha.
ATTORNEY RYU JAE-SOOK
Mr. Moon Jong-cheol
was representing Mir Life at the time
of his meetings with the plaintiffs.
Do you admit to doing this?
Yes, but…
Put that on the record.
When you heard of
the company's restructuring policy,
what did you think of it?
Did you think that they were ultimately
leading female employees to resign
by threatening them, saying that
their husbands would lose their jobs?
No.
If I thought that, I would have quit.
In our case, my husband
was the one who voluntarily resigned.
I didn't feel that the company policy
was sexually discriminatory.
Unless it's reverse discrimination.
You had a meeting with Mr. Moon, correct?
Yes.
Did he say something along the lines of,
"As a wife, should you really be getting
in the way of your husband's career"?
I don't really remember.
Because that's not all that important.
What I remember is that
if we applied for voluntary resignation,
we would be provided with a severance
equivalent to 13 months of pay
and the opportunity to work
as contract employees.
An opportunity to work
as a contract employee?
Why are you saying that
as if it's some kind of benefit?
Don't you know they're using
the restructuring as an excuse
to turn female employees
into non-full-time employees?
All these things about sex discrimination
and becoming non-full-time employees.
I don't get why people,
who are usually so independent and smart,
are saying they were forced to
make such a decision
because of what Mr. Moon said.
Things are already uneasy at the company
with the restructuring and the M&A,
and now there's a lawsuit too.
The remaining employees are exhausted!
That is all.
Plaintiff's counselor,
you may begin cross-examination.
Your husband is quite ill, right?
I heard he recently had an operation
for colon cancer.
Yes.
But that wasn't the reason
my husband quit his job.
Even if he wasn't ill,
we would have made the same decision.
Before your husband's surgery,
you received a month of paid leave, right?
That's quite an exceptional benefit
for a company
that is currently
under such difficult circumstances.
Does your being here today
have anything to do
with you receiving such a benefit?
Ms. Choi Yeon-hui.
Did your husband's surgery go well?
We were occupied with the lawsuit
that we couldn't even
visit you at the hospital.
It's fine.
His surgery went well.
There's no metastasis either.
He's okay.
Really? That's good.
That's such a relief.
Hey, there's no need for you
to feel bad about this.
Just focus on taking care of your husband.
Everyone has different opinions.
If I were in your position,
I would have done the same thing.
Ms. Kim…
Ms. Choi, did you try
the bungeoppang out front?
I'm not sure if it's because it's sold
in front of the courthouse, but it's good.
Let's go get some bungeoppang together.
It's okay. I'll get some another time.
Come on.
Have at least one.
If all three of us
were still at work together,
it would have been snack time
right about now.
I'm sorry.
I'm really sorry.
Why are you crying?
Gosh…
It's okay.
Yes, it's okay.
It's okay.
What's the point of all this?
Excuse me!
Here.
-What is this?
-Bungeoppang.
We bought them for you
while we were getting ours. Have some.
Thank you.
Sure. Bye.
Buying the opposing attorneys bungeoppang?
They're quite relaxed.
Do they think they're winning?
Well, they are winning.
Let's go.
Jun-ho.
I think we're going to have to
look into the plaintiffs.
-Look into them?
-Yes.
Is there anything that could show
that the plaintiffs
voluntarily quit the company?
I'm sure they didn't quit
because they wanted to.
But maybe any kind of proof
that they thought voluntary resignation
was the best choice at the time.
I'll look into it.
What?
Taxi.
I want to see the ad on that taxi.
What? Taxi?
There's a symbol on the ad of that taxi
that looks exactly like
Ms. Lee Ji-yeong's key chain.
I want to check what it is.
And why should we check that?
Right. If it's another one
of your random obsessions--
Is everyone buckled up?
What's wrong with him?
Young-woo.
Attorney Woo. Take a good look.
THE START OF A NEW LIFE AT HUIMANG
"Specialization in infertility treatment."
"Huimang Women's Hospital"?
You said you work with Attorney Woo?
Do you think you can make
Attorney Woo quit Hanbada?
Excuse me?
It doesn't matter
if she quits or gets fired.
LEGAL CONSULTATION STATEMENT
What are you up to?
Work.
I'm working.
I see.
You don't mind me sitting here, right?
I have to get myself one of these.
Well…
So…
How is it
working at a major law firm?
What?
For me,
it can sometimes be
miserable.
You know, at major law firms,
we have to do unjust things
and bully the weak as well.
Because those who can afford attorneys
with high commission fees like us
are the rich and powerful.
Do you know…
who came up with Mir Life's strategy
for the restructuring?
What?
We did.
What?
It was Hanbada.
I looked at the consultation statement
Hanbada sent to Mir Life last year
and it was all written there.
"Officially, you have to say that
the husband will be penalized
to avoid sex discrimination."
"Even if it's not much,
giving a small severance pay
will be advantageous
to claim voluntary resignation."
"Make it seem like
the switch to being a contract employee
is a benefit that is only offered to
those who resign."
All this…
was a trick that Hanbada taught Mir Life.
Then did Mir Life come up with that policy
with the intention to fire
the female employees in the first place?
Yes.
They used the M&A as an excuse
to fire almost 100 female employees
and transitioned them
into non-full-time positions
while receiving consultation
from a major law firm
so they wouldn't
face any issues in the future.
It's very clever sex discrimination.
If only the Three Musketeers
could prove this,
they'd have a chance of winning.
I guess that won't be happening.
Seeing Attorney Ryu on TV…
Have you seen her on TV?
Her office looked like some corner store.
Do you think she can get
any proper investigation done?
Probably not.
Even if she wants to hire an employee
like Jun-ho, would she be able to?
No, because she can't afford it.
Don't you agree?
I'm going to stop grumbling
and get back to work.
Right.
This is the consultation statement,
and it has everything I just mentioned.
Would you like to give it a read?
Take your time.
LEGAL CONSULTATION STATEMENT
"Recipient, Mir Life Corporation.
Sender, Hanbada Law Firm."
"Title, Review of…"
No, I didn't mean that
you should read it out loud right now.
Read it quietly on your own.
"Title, Review of Restructuring
Policy for Married Employee Couples."
What's this?
The legal consultation statement
that Hanbada sent to Mir Life last year.
Were you aware
of the content of the statement?
Of course, I knew.
How did you even find this?
Then did Hanbada really help
Mir Life fire only the female employees?
Did you teach them
how to cleverly discriminate
in a way that wouldn't be illegal?
No, that's not how it should be phrased.
We merely gave our opinion
so our client could achieve their goals
without any legal problems.
If we win this trial,
we'll be playing a part in legalizing
the firing of female employees first.
And in a shameful way at that,
by taking issue with the fact that
Ms. Lee was treated for infertility.
It's a shame a dolphin
jumped so high when I saw
the Huimang Women's Hospital logo.
What? Dolphin, jump, what?
If we can't give up representing Mir Life,
what if we at least keep silent about
Ms. Lee's infertility treatment?
If we can't contribute to making
the world a better place as attorneys--
Attorney Woo.
Who told you that attorneys contribute to
making the world a better place?
-Excuse me?
-What an attorney does is defend.
It's our job as attorneys
to protect the client's rights
and do our best
to prevent the client's losses.
Our legal expertise is supposed
to be used for that,
not to make the world a better place.
And what would make the world
a better place to begin with?
Isn't it the judge's job to judge that?
"The mission of any
attorney-at-law shall be
to defend fundamental human rights
and realize social justice."
It's Paragraph 1, Article 1
of the Attorney-at-Law Act.
Exactly!
Aren't we defending Mir Life right now?
It's the judge's job to decide
which side is socially just, not ours!
Are you…
getting angry?
No, I'm not!
Even when your brows are lowered,
your cheekbones are raised,
and your nostrils are flaring?
These are the typical signs
of when someone is angry.
Anyway.
Do thorough research
on infertility treatments,
and question
Ms. Lee Ji-yeong properly. Okay?
If you don't, I will.
DOLPHINS BELONG IN THE WIDE OCEAN,
NOT AN AQUARIUM
It's a dolphin!
-Hello.
-Hello.
Hi.
This dolphin is so cute.
Come on, kids.
-Okay.
-Okay.
STOP DISPLAYING DOLPHINS AND RELEASE THEM
There's also a protest
in front of Mir Life right now,
but I'm turning a blind eye to that
and instead doing another protest.
I'm not sure if this is a good idea.
You're not doing this protest
to free the dolphins as an attorney.
We're…
on a date right now.
Then what am I supposed to do
as an attorney?
Should I listen to what Attorney Jung said
and leave the judgment
of what's right or wrong to a judge
and only focus on defending the client?
Well…
Working at Hanbada,
I've seen a lot of attorneys
who were stressed about that same thing.
Rookies, junior attorneys,
senior attorneys, all of them.
-Really?
-Yes.
There are attorneys like Attorney Jung
who have reached their answers,
but there are also attorneys
who continue to contemplate.
And some attorneys end up
leaving the firm because of that.
Is it because Hanbada is a major law firm?
But the funny thing is
there's no other place that's more active
in public service than a big law firm.
I bet you there are no law firms in Korea
that take as many public interest cases
as Hanbada and Taesan.
This is hard.
It's even more difficult
after hearing what you said.
It's not an issue with an easy answer.
Just take some time,
and think about it slowly.
I'll always cheer for you
no matter what you decide to do.
"I solemnly swear that
I will tell the truth, the whole truth,
and nothing but the truth,
and agree to receive punishment
in accordance with perjury
should there be any falsehood."
Defendant's counselor, begin questioning.
When did you find out that
Mir Life was going to be acquired
by SB Life, a German insurance company?
Around last year.
You used a lot of paid time off last year.
And for a few months,
you left work early three days a week.
Why is that?
I had doctor's appointments.
But it was only last year.
In the eight years
I've worked for this company,
I had never taken time off
as often as I did last year.
What is the name
of the hospital you went to?
Huimang Women's Hospital.
Huimang Women's Hospital
is a maternity clinic specializing
in infertility treatments, correct?
Yes.
For IVF, which is one of the ways
to treat infertility,
one must visit a hospital three times
a week for a month.
If one has a job,
they would have to leave early.
On the days when eggs are collected
or embryos are implanted,
one would most likely have to
take the day off.
Did you also get off work early
and take frequent days off for IVF?
Yes.
Then to you, the suggestion
of voluntary resignation
would've been a great opportunity to
focus on receiving infertility treatments.
Since you had plans for pregnancy.
How is that relevant?
I failed to get pregnant,
but even if I had succeeded, I would've
continued to work at the company.
Under the Labor Standards Act,
female workers receive
90 days of paid vacation
before and after they give birth.
At the last hearing,
the plaintiff's counselor mentioned
the one month of paid leave that
the witness, Ms. Choi, had received,
and said that it was
an exceptional benefit for a company
under such difficult circumstances.
Then, doesn't this also apply
to the 90 days of maternity leave?
Objection. The plaintiff received IVF
way before it was suggested
that she voluntarily resign.
The plaintiff's infertility treatments and
the voluntary resignation are irrelevant.
Well…
Overruled.
Defendant's counselor,
continue questioning.
Plaintiff, please give an honest answer.
Didn't you decide that it'd be better
to take this opportunity
to get severance pay and resign
so that you could prepare for pregnancy
rather than to hold out
at a company in a crisis?
Excuse me.
My name is Woo Young-woo.
Whether it's read straight or flipped,
it's still Woo Young-woo.
Kayak, deed, rotator,
noon, racecar, Woo Young-woo.
I'm Ryu Jae-sook.
If it's flipped, it's Sook-jae Ryu.
Okay.
I saw you in the newspaper.
"The first autistic attorney
of the Republic of Korea."
I wondered what kind of attorney
this person would turn out to be,
but I see you
eventually ended up at Hanbada.
I thought you'd work somewhere cooler.
Somewhere cooler?
Yes. For example, somewhere like
the Law Office of Ryu Jae-sook.
Right.
Isn't it cooler to stand on the side
of brave women laborers,
instead of defending a client
like Mir Life?
An attorney is someone who defends.
It's an attorney's job
to protect the client's rights
and do the best to prevent
the client's losses.
It's not an attorney's job
to make a value judgment
about which client would make them cooler.
But attorneys are human.
They're different
from judges and prosecutors.
-Sorry?
-We all work in the legal field,
but while judges and prosecutors work
to protect the law,
attorneys work to protect the people.
Each case might just be work
for a judge or a prosecutor,
but it's different for an attorney.
We sit next to the client…
as someone they chose for protection
and as fellow humans.
"You weren't wrong."
"I support you."
Saying these things
and showing them support
are also part of our job.
To do that, we have to judge
for ourselves what is right
in terms of who we defend.
You can't lie to yourself.
What?
Attorney Woo is with Attorney Ryu.
What could they be talking about?
I wonder too.
-What are you doing?
-What? Why do you ask?
You were trying to go
into Young-woo's office. What is it?
I could have something
to ask Attorney Woo.
What are you? The Kayak Deed Protector?
Why does it concern you?
Young-woo left with Jun-ho earlier.
She's obviously not here.
Her lights are off.
Where would she be going
with Jun-ho at this hour?
I thought you live with Jun-ho.
You don't know?
-The two of them…
-What about them?
They're seeing each other.
They're seeing each other?
-Why?
-What do you mean?
They just are!
You're so annoying.
Get out of my way.
LEGAL CONSULTATION STATEMENT
LAW OFFICE OF RYU JAE-SOOK
ATTORNEY WOO YOUNG-WOO
What's wrong?
Are you looking for something?
I'm looking for my father.
What?
My father said he saw us
kissing last time.
What?
He told me to bring you to meet him.
But I'm not going to.
Because we're not dating yet.
What…
We're not…
dating yet?
Well…
We never said we were dating, right?
Well…
Or did we?
Then…
are we dating?
If we're not dating,
why would I protest
to free the dolphins on my day off?
What?
Do you not agree
that dolphins should be freed?
Of course, I do.
But it's not the most ideal activity to do
on someone's day off.
It's not like it's fun.
It's not…
fun?
I mean…
Honestly,
the list that you made.
"Things to do on dates"?
Yes.
I'm not…
used to those things.
People typically don't do
those things on dates.
Things like picking up garbage
while jogging by the Han River.
Jun-ho!
Hey…
That day, you really
only picked up garbage.
You picked up garbage again and again
as the day got brighter
until that huge basket was full.
Would there be anyone else
who goes on these kinds of dates?
We did go on typical dates.
For example,
we went to famous restaurants.
They were all gimbap places.
We ate nothing but gimbap that day.
The list has things you want to do too.
We went to the arcade
because you wanted to.
It was very loud, but I held it in.
Okay, but we only played
"Find the Difference" for three hours.
Attorney Woo.
You're great at this.
And you were too good at it,
so it wasn't fun for me.
Then…
Then why do you keep
going on dates with me?
It's not even fun for you.
Because I like you!
I did the protest to free the dolphins,
picked up trash while jogging,
and went to all those famous gimbap places
because I like you.
And yet we're still not…
officially together?
That really…
just hurts me, you know that?
Right.
Plaintiff's counselor,
you submitted new evidence, right?
Yes, Your Honor.
It's proof that
Mir Life had thoroughly planned
the sexually discriminatory
restructuring policy
with the intent to fire
the female employees from the beginning.
An anonymous informant
sent it to our office.
I present to you
the original work notebook
of Mr. Moon Jong-cheol,
the Head of HR at Mir Life.
I submitted the scanned copies
of the pages in question today.
Wait, is that really your notebook?
The company gave them out
to all the employees last year.
Mine should be in my office.
If you take a look at the notebook,
you can see that Mr. Moon
has a habit of taking notes
during his phone calls.
Those notes were taken
during a phone call in April last year
with Mir Life's Executive Director,
Choi Seung-cheol.
Executive Director Choi
clearly gave Mr. Moon the order
to get the wives to voluntarily resign
by notifying them that
their husbands will be penalized.
-Is that true?
-That's undeniable.
-Goodness.
-That's undeniable proof.
Mr. Moon, is this true?
Is that your notebook?
I did write that.
But I don't know how that…
ended up in their hands.
Your Honor.
Mr. Moon has not agreed to his personal
notebook being used as evidence.
Therefore, this evidence
has been collected illegally.
This pertains to the
Criminal Procedure Act, Article 300…
Three…
Three…
The Criminal Procedure Act, Article 300…
What is it?
You know, the thing about the illegal
collection of evidence.
Right.
"Article 308-2 of the Criminal
Procedure Act. Any evidence obtained
in violation of the due process
shall not be admissible"?
Yes, according to the article
you heard just now,
Mr. Moon's notebook
is not admissible as evidence.
Please exclude it from the evidence.
Well…
But that's a Criminal Procedure Act.
This trial is a civil procedure.
But that's a Criminal Procedure Act.
This trial is a civil procedure.
Isn't it the discretion of the court
to accept evidence
according to the Civil Procedure Act,
which adopts the Principle
of Free Evaluation of Evidence?
I look forward to your wise judgment,
Judge Ryu Myeong-ha.
ATTORNEY RYU JAE-SOOK
This notebook was sent
by an anonymous informant?
Yes, Your Honor.
Then, even if the evidence
was collected illegally,
the degree of violation of the procedure
is not large enough to refuse
the acceptance of the evidence.
I acknowledge
the admissibility of your evidence.
It's all right.
HEAD OF HR
MOON JONG-CHEOL
You said all the employees are family.
Aren't female employees also family?
Admit wrongful termination!
-Admit!
-Admit!
A rally was held in front of Mir Life's HQ
to denounce Mir Life's dismissal
of female employees first
among married employee couples.
The rally was attended by female employees
who were fired from Mir Life,
as well as dozens of members
of women's organizations and labor unions.
Meanwhile, two of
the fired female employees filed a lawsuit
to confirm the invalidity
of their termination.
Participants of the rally
said they plan to file
a written statement to the court.
The public are wondering
whether the rally will affect the ruling.
Now, for the verdict.
Formal adjudication.
All claims of the plaintiffs
are dismissed.
And the litigation costs
are to be paid by the plaintiffs.
This court acknowledges
that the defendant urged
the married employee couples
to voluntarily resign multiple times
and notified them
of their husbands' termination
or them being subjected
to unpaid leave if they did not.
However, designating one of the employees
of a married employee couple
for this while restructuring
is acceptable
from the socioeconomic perspective,
and because they did not specify
that it just applied to the wives,
it cannot be seen
as an act against gender equality
or the discrimination
against women as set forth
by the Constitution
or the Labor Standards Act.
Furthermore,
the plaintiffs submitted
their resignation letters
considering the conditions
of voluntary resignation
as suggested by the defendant
and the various circumstances
and interests regarding the options
of resignation and continuing to work.
Thus, this cannot be considered invalid.
My goodness.
Sir.
You don't look so good.
Is everything okay?
The ruling was in our favor.
What's the point of that?
It doesn't do me any good,
but the company.
What?
To be honest,
I think I'm going to be fired soon.
Weren't you aware?
No, I wasn't.
I see.
I thought perhaps Hanbada
gave them another consultation.
"How to fire the Head of HR without
any trouble." Something like that.
This is the first time
I'm hearing of this.
Officially, they're firing me because
I didn't succeed with the restructuring.
The trial, the rally,
and the news reports.
Things did get out of hand.
But the more I think about it,
the more it feels like
this was their plan from the start.
They want to give my job
to the person that SB Life wants.
You went through a lot this whole time.
It must be difficult for you.
No.
I fired almost 100 employees.
It wouldn't be right to hope
that things would work out for me.
It's all karma.
Regardless of the ruling,
we view this lawsuit positively.
That's right. We view it as being WLGF!
We Lost, but it was a Good Fight!
We feel good
that we at least went to trial!
-We feel good!
-We feel good!
We still have the second and final appeal.
So we will fight even more bravely
for job security and equality!
-We will!
-We will!
-Fight!
-Fight!
-Fight!
-Fight!
-Fight!
-Fight!
I'm amazed by the fact that
they're having an after-trial party,
and it's also weird that we're going
just because we were invited.
We were the opposing side, after all.
I want to go. I'm curious.
Are you interested in those things?
Dealing with cases about human rights,
women, and labor like Attorney Ryu?
Well…
I'm not sure.
Attorney Ryu
is like the Yangtze River dolphin.
Gosh, the Yangtze River dolphin.
I haven't heard about that one in a while.
Can I tell you
about the Yangtze River dolphin?
Can I say no?
Please.
Dolphins mostly live in the sea,
but some populations adapt to rivers,
and the Yangtze River dolphin
is a model example of that.
Just like their name,
they lived in the Yangtze River in China,
but they were declared extinct in 2007.
So how does Attorney Ryu
resemble the Yangtze River dolphin?
Attorney Ryu
is the type of attorney
you can't find at Hanbada.
I just hope she doesn't go extinct.
SEXUALLY DISCRIMINATORY RESTRUCTURING
THERE SHOULDN'T BE RESTRUCTURING!
You're doing it again.
Just leave it be.
It's not easy to just leave it alone.
Gosh.
I'M ROOTING FOR YOU, ATTORNEY RYU
MEANINGFUL LOSS!
I wonder what it's like to receive
this kind of support.
Even when she lost.
Right.
Me too.
DON'T BE DISCOURAGED!
LET'S OVERCOME! LET'S FIGHT TOGETHER!
Goodness! You're here.
We were on the roof.
Let's head up together.
Okay.
Right.
Why don't you head upstairs first?
I have something to give to Attorney Woo.
Okay.
I wanted to return this.
LEGAL CONSULTATION STATEMENT
Why do you have this?
You didn't send it to me?
No, I didn't.
Your business card was in it.
As if you had sent it to me in secret.
It seems as though it's complicated
within Hanbada as well.
You should watch out for yourself.
So you had this the whole time
but didn't use it as evidence?
If I did, you would've been in trouble.
And it's not like I didn't have
other ways to get evidence.
Come.
Hello.
Sit over here.
We were making bibimbap.
The vegetables Attorney Ryu grows
up here on the roof are so fresh.
I'm a farmer on the side.
Roof farming.
But it seems like I'm better at farming
than I am at my main job.
Do you only have bibimbap? No gimbap?
I can't see the ingredients
in bibimbap all at once,
so I could be alarmed
by any unexpected textures or flavors.
What?
Gimbap?
Alarmed?
Then don't mix the ingredients
and eat them all separately.
Well…
Just eat what you're given.
Okay.
The bibimbap is so pretty.
We should have come earlier
and helped you prepare.
We were just relaxing
and taking our time as we made it.
Reciting poems.
Reciting poems?
It turns out that we all love poetry.
I recited one by the poet Kim Su-young,
and Hyeon-jeong recited one
by the poet Ko Jung-hee.
And now it's Attorney Ryu's turn.
Is this the time to be reciting poems?
Don't you have an appeal to prepare?
-Right.
-That's right.
You're right.
Hanbada's attorneys sure are different.
I think I'm going to lose again.
Come on, we can have fun today.
It's the after-party.
I'm so curious as to what poem
Attorney Ryu likes.
Yes, we want to know. Recite it for us.
Ryu Jae-sook!
-Ryu Jae-sook!
-Ryu Jae-sook!
There she goes!
"Though there are many sayings,
life is
to gladly become a piece of coal
for someone other than myself."
"From the day the floors grow cold
to the day spring comes,
the most beautiful thing
in the streets of the Korean peninsula
is a truck that fervidly
climbs up the hill
with coal."
"As if it knows what it has to do,
coal burns endlessly
once its body catches fire,
but I was oblivious even though
I had warm rice and soup every day."
"Because I feared becoming
a lonely lump of ashes
after loving others with my whole being,
I haven't become coal
for anyone."
"When I think about it,
life is to shatter myself into pieces."
"I had never thought of
clearing the streets for others to tread
when the world is slippery
from early morning snow."
That was great!
-Eat.
-Okay.
-Thank you for the food.
-Enjoy.
Damn it.
Damn it.
Yes, boss.
I got off on the wrong floor.
I got both a Phillips head
and a flat head screwdriver.
Yes, I'm on my way up.
Damn it.
Damn it.
Attorney Jung, they caught Jang Jae-jin.
The police caught him
all the way in Changwon,
so you have nothing
to worry about anymore.
What the…
Am I sick?
Is there really a law
that states that even those
who did not visit a cultural heritage
must pay the admission fee?
May I go on a business trip?
-Where to?
-Jeju Island.
I'll do my best to earn my keep
since I'm taking
several rookie attorneys with me.
We're calling it a business trip, but
isn't this an excuse to go on a vacation?
They're not open.
It looks like it's been closed
for quite some time.
Don't be blinded by what you can see.
Keep in mind the essence
of what lies beyond that.
You should bring home a girl
who can make you happy.
Not someone you have to take care of.
Subtitle translation by: Hyun-soo Cho