"Judge Lee Han-young" author, "The catharsis scene? When Jisung sentenced serial killer Park Hee-soon to death..I wanted to comfort the victims" [★FULL Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Writer Kim Kwang-min told the behind-the-scenes story of "Judge Lee Han-young."

Writer Kim Kwang-min recently told Star News how he felt about the end of MBC's Friday-Saturday drama "Judge Lee Han-young" (script Kim Kwang-min, director Lee Jae-jin, and Park Mi-yeon).

"Judge Lee Han-young" is a return-to-justice drama in which Lee Han-young, a deep-rooted judge who lived as a slave at a huge law firm and returned to 10 years ago, punishes major evil with a new choice. It is based on a work of the same name with 10.75 million views of the original web novel, 10.191 million views of the webtoon, and a total of 110 million views. Director Park Mi-yeon and writer Kim Kwang-min, as well as director Lee Jae-jin of "The Banker," "The Spy Who Loved Me," and "Motel California," joined forces.

Judge Lee Han-young, which opened MBC's Friday-Saturday drama in 2026, broke its own highest ratings in each episode and recorded a maximum viewership of 13.5% in the ninth episode on January 30. "Judge Lee Han-young" hit global viewers' tastes by topping the 20th place in TVing's "Today's TOP," ranking first in four major Asian countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand, and ranking first in the Disney+ Japan chart. "Judge Lee Han-young" was evaluated as a "luxury genre" beyond a simple "court" as well as maintaining the No. 1 spot in the Friday-Saturday drama, and ended with 14 episodes on the 14th amid enthusiastic responses from viewers.

In the play, Ji Sung played the role of Lee Han-young, a "red-down judge" who claims to be a "humming judge" of a Haenal law firm because of his humble background and makes rulings that suit the taste of the law firm while pursuing the darkness of power. Park Hee-soon plays Kang Shin-jin, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, who shakes a Haenal law firm in his hand, and Won Jin-ah plays Kim Jin-ah, the prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, who is sharpening his sword for revenge against the man who drove his father to death.

-Did you expect 'Judge Lee Han-young' to be more than 10% of viewership and No. 1 overseas OTT? What is the atmosphere inside MBC?

▶I didn't expect it at all. As the episodes were repeated, an article on an overseas site came out and I found out. It's a relief that I didn't expect such a good response from overseas. I don't think you know the atmosphere of MBC Drama Bureau even if I don't tell you? It's very bright.

-What do you think is the factor that 'Judge Lee Han-young' was loved both in Korea and abroad?

▶Even though the language and culture are different, the desire for "implementation of justice" seems to be common in the world. Stories that break corrupt vested interests have catharsis everywhere in the world. In addition, I think the fantasy fun of the return of "The 2nd Life" also played a part. In addition, the minimization of sweet potatoes that viewers don't like these days.

-What is the charm of Judge Lee Han-young, which is different from the existing court dramas?

▶If the existing courtroom focused on the 'truth battle', Lee Han-young deeply sympathizes with the victim. As the human rights of criminals are important, the pain of victims must also be considered. So I focused on empathy and punishment, and as much as I sympathized with the victim's pain, the punishment for the perpetrator became quick and clear.

-What did the drama try to make the biggest difference from the original web novel and webtoon?

The number one priority was not to damage the 'sense of speed' and 'cider', which are the greatest virtues of the original ▶. However, it took choice and concentration to capture the vast narrative of the novel in 14 episodes. In particular, I wanted to add an emotional line by highlighting that Lee Han-young's "regression" was not just an opportunity, but a "liability" and "liability" for those who failed to keep it in their previous lives. After the regression, the emphasis was on the weight of the choice. The choice was as important as Lee Han-young. If the original was a mono-drama character that featured one Lee Han-young's performance, the drama emphasized "Teamplay." By reinforcing the narratives of helpers such as Lim Jung-sik, Yoo Se-hee, and Park Cheol-woo, Lee Han-young tried to give the feeling of fighting together, not alone.

-What was the most cathartic scene of the actors' "acting power show"?

▶This is the scene where Lee Han-young sentences serial killer Kim Sang-jin to death. I wanted to comfort the victim's heart even in the drama. That's the highest sentence of the death penalty, but I liked the way Lee Han-young fully understood the victim's mind and called them to court. "Who should the victim blame?" The perpetrator? Social environment? Your own carelessness? Even after Judge Lee Han-young is over, it is still a question.

-Is there a scene that you personally want to pick?

In Part ▶14, Lee Han-young and Kang Shin-jin debate justice in court. It is a scene in which Lee Han-young's line begins, "Justice! It's not speed, it's direction," and Kang Shin-ji's crooked definition contrasts. I wanted to convey the value that it is important to take even one step on the right path rather than sprinting in the wrong direction through Lee Han-young.

-How do you want viewers to remember this drama.

▶In short, it's a refreshing drama. It's a drama that remembers that there were warm people.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.