The original authors of 'Judge Lee Han-young' created and gifted a celebratory poster along with behind-the-scenes stories of the work.
MBC's new Fri-Sat drama 'Judge Lee Han-young' (planned by Jang Jae-hoon, written by Kim Kwang-min, directed by Lee Jae-jin and Park Mi-yeon), scheduled to premiere on Jan. 2, 2026, is a justice-restoration time-slip drama in which corrupt judge Lee Han-young, who lived as a slave of a giant law firm, returns 10 years to the past and punishes great evil through a new choice.
'Judge Lee Han-young' is based on the work of the same name, whose original web novel recorded 10.75 million views and the webtoon recorded 101.91 million views, totaling 110 million views. Author Lee Hae-nal, who wrote the web novel, and artist Jeon Dol-dol, who drew the webtoon, sent congratulatory messages for the drama adaptation of 'Judge Lee Han-young,' drawing attention.
First, author Lee Hae-nal said of the drama adaptation of Judge Lee Han-young, "It was an honorable thing, and I was curious how a character that existed in my imagination would be portrayed," and added, "I am waiting for the drama with an excited heart." Artist Jeon Dol-dol also said, "I am looking forward to how the relationships among the characters have been integrated."
The two authors both praised the synchronization between the original 'Judge Lee Han-young' characters and Ji Seong (played by Lee Han-young), Park Hee-soon (played by Kang Shin-jin) and Won Jina (played by Kim Jina). Author Lee Hae-nal said, "When I heard the news that actor Ji Seong had been cast, I felt as if the picture I had imagined was becoming reality," and artist Jeon Dol-dol also said, "I was surprised that actor Park Hee-soon accurately captured Kang Shin-jin's uniquely cool and weighty atmosphere." He added, "What I was personally most pleased about was the addition of actress Won Jina, which made me think, 'The Kim Jina character will be more enriched in the drama.'"
The core keywords that run through 'Judge Lee Han-young' are undoubtedly "justice" and "conflict." In this regard, author Lee Hae-nal said, "I am looking forward to what kind of conflict will arise between Lee Han-young and Kang Shin-jin, who pursue different notions of justice and walk completely different paths." Artist Jeon Dol-dol, who made a celebratory poster exclusively for 'Judge Lee Han-young,' said, "I focused on dramatically expressing the tension within the tense confrontation between Lee Han-young and Kang Shin-jin while preserving the drama's atmosphere as much as possible."
Finally, the two authors encouraged prospective viewers to tune in to the premiere, saying, "Thanks to the readers who loved the original work, 'Judge Lee Han-young' was able to be produced as a drama," and "Please give the drama much interest and support."
[Photo] Provided by MBC
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