2015 MBC 'Acting Awards' winner actor Ji-sung returns as 'Judge Lee Han-young,' who gains a new life after being a sinner.
The new MBC Friday-Saturday drama 'Judge Lee Han-young' (planned by Jang Jae-hoon, written by Kim Kwang-min, directed by Lee Jae-jin and Park Mi-yeon), set to premiere Jan. 2, 2026, is a justice-restoration time-slip drama about corrupt Judge Lee Han-young, who lived as a slave to a giant law firm and is sent back 10 years to make new choices and punish great evil.
Ji-sung plays Lee Han-young, a servant judge of Haenal Law Firm who followed power. After his mother's death he becomes embroiled in a case and in an instant is treated as a sinner; after a wrongful death he returns to his days as a single-judge 10 years earlier. Reborn, he abandons his stained past as a "corrupt judge" and sets out to uphold justice.
Stills released today (the 19th) show the colorful range of Ji-sung's wide acting spectrum and draw attention. In a robe with a cold gaze, Ji-sung becomes the icy "Lee Han-young" himself, captivating the eye. By contrast, his appearance in a prison uniform pleading his innocence raises expectations for his explosive acting.
True to his reputation as a "method acting master," Ji-sung is expected to delicately portray the emotional changes Lee Han-young feels after going back 10 years, the cases he will face and the character's resulting transformations. Ji-sung will also lead the drama by emitting tense chemistry that alternates between allies and enemies with Park Hee-soon (as Kang Shin-jin) and Won Jina (as Kim Jin-a).
Regarding this, the production team of "Judge Lee Han-young" said, "Actor Ji-sung is throwing himself into filming with enthusiasm as this marks his return to MBC after 10 years. Please pay a lot of attention to Ji-sung, who has become one with the character Lee Han-young," and added, "Please watch with interest to see what Lee Han-young, who has been given a chance to become a new person, will show in front of the power that once strangled him."
Meanwhile, "Judge Lee Han-young" is based on the work of the same name, which recorded 11.81 million views for the original web novel, 90.66 million views for the webtoon, and a combined 101.247 million views. Director Lee Jae-jin, who demonstrated stylish directing in "The Banker," "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Motel California," joined forces with director Park Mi-yeon and writer Kim Kwang-min.
[Photo] Provided by MBC
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