Public interest lawyer Jeong Gyeong-ho, who experienced his first defeat before the constitution, foreshadowed an even bigger, fierce fight.
On the 3rd episode of tvN's weekend drama PROBONO (writer Moon Yoo-seok / director Kim Seong-yoon / planned by Studio Dragon / produced by Sequence One, Lotte Cultureworks, Studio Flow), which aired last Saturday the 13th, Kang Da-wit (played by Jeong Gyeong-ho), who took on the damage suit of a boy with a disability, Kim Kang-hoon (played by Lee Cheon-mu), rose from defeat and devised a new-concept defense strategy.
As a result, episode 3 recorded an average household rating of 5.1% in the metropolitan area, a peak of 6.1%, an average of 5% nationwide, and a peak of 6%, ranking first among cable and general programming channels in its time slot both in the metropolitan area and nationwide. It also ranked first among cable and general programming channels in tvN's target 20-49 male and female ratings. (Based on paid platforms integrating cable, IPTV, and satellite / provided by Nielsen Korea)
Kim Kang-hoon came to Kang Da-wit and gave an unbelievable request that he wanted to sue God for damages. He firmly refused, saying it was absurd to pursue a lawsuit against an invisible deity, but Kim Kang-hoon visited Kang Da-wit every day, and within the team a fierce debate erupted between the opinion that it could be a "meaningful lawsuit" and the skepticism that it was "nothing but tormenting hope."
Amid sharp confrontations, Park Ki-ppeum (played by So Joo-yeon), who was particularly moved by Kim Kang-hoon's story, launched an investigation alone and reached the conclusion that the obstetrics clinic where Kang-hoon was born could be the target of a damages claim. That was because it emerged that when Kang-hoon's mother visited the hospital while pregnant and expressed she did not want to give birth, they induced delivery and did not perform necessary tests.
However, the hospital's lawyer Woo Myung-hoon (played by Choi Dae-hoon) countered that the key evidence, the medical records, did not exist because their legally required retention period had passed, and he accused Kim Kang-hoon's mother of betraying the goodwill of the welfare foundation that had introduced the hospital to help runaway youths after hearing that she became pregnant while associating with a run-away group.
At a moment when the sense of crisis heightened, Kang Da-wit discovered circumstances suggesting that Woongsan General Hospital had unusually avoided abortions, and by tracing the links to the Elliot Foundation, Woongsan Welfare Foundation, and chairman Choi Woong-san, he raised the possibility that a powerful person's convictions may have permeated medical practice.
Despite the heated debate, the lawsuit was dismissed at the first trial, and the PROBONO team tasted defeat for the first time. While empathizing with the difficulties Kim Kang-hoon must have felt, the judge said that under the constitution that "all life is equal and should be respected," they could not accept the plaintiff Kim Kang-hoon's claim for damages that regarded his life as a loss and held the hospital responsible. In response, Kang Da-wit instead proposed a more resolute appeal strategy and rallied the atmosphere.
On the day of the appeal trial, Kang Da-wit declared he would directly question the effectiveness of whether Korea treats all life with dignity and equality. He added a bold remark that if damages were proven, he would directly sue chairman Choi Woong-san, who induced the mother to give birth, and the episode ended powerfully with him dramatically expanding the scope of the case.
What exactly will Jeong Gyeong-ho's appeal strategy be? The next story can be seen in episode 4 of tvN's weekend drama PROBONO, which airs tonight (the 14th) at 9:10 p.m.
[Photo] tvN PROBONO video capture
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