'Judge Lee Han-young' writer Kim Kwang-min presented 'the weight of choice' as the core message he wants to convey through the work.
Scheduled to premiere on Fri., Jan. 2, 2026, 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) is a comeback justice drama about a corrupt judge, Lee Han-young, who lived as a slave of a giant law firm and returns 10 years to the past to punish great evil through a new choice.
With a cast of top actors including Jisung, Park Heesoon and Won Jina, and drawing attention even before broadcast for its novel genre attempt combining a time-return story with a courtroom drama, on the 30th (today) writer Kim Kwang-min revealed the reason he decided to write "Judge Lee Han-young."
Writer Kim said, I thought as a fan of the original that the weight of choice in the story was very powerful, and added, Because humans are imperfect, everyone makes mistakes, regrets them and hopes to turn back. I wanted to portray Lee Han-young facing the past created by his wrong choices and atoning for them. He said he sincerely hopes that through Lee Han-young's journey with a second answer sheet in life, viewers will have an opportunity to reconsider the weight of "choice" in their own lives.
Meanwhile, the special point that Kim Kwang-min thinks is unique to "Judge Lee Han-young" is that the protagonist Lee Han-young's most formidable enemy to fight is his own past self. He emphasized, In traditional courtroom dramas, if a righteous outsider or a reform-minded insider fought a great evil, the corrupt Lee Han-young, who used the judicial system most efficiently, must fight against the methods he once used to win in order to defeat his current enemy.
Kim Kwang-min lavished praise on the actors who realistically brought such a complex character to life. Kim said, The actors' synchronicity is more than 100 percent, adding, Jisung's performance, which captures on his face the extreme contrast between the cynical corrupt judge of the past and the desperate penitent of the present, is the core of this drama. He also gave thumbs up about Park Heesoon and Won Jina, saying respectively, He filled the great evil with overwhelming charisma and weight, and I liked the bright energy that refreshes a drama that could have become heavy.
Finally, Kim Kwang-min picked as viewing points of "Judge Lee Han-young" Jisung's unsurpassed performance showing the weight of atonement with his whole body and the catharsis when the former corrupt judge defeats enemies with an insider's logic. He concluded by saying, I hope the sincerity of this "human" story, which depicts how a judge's choice can change someone's life and how desperately he fights through new choices, is well conveyed.
[Photo] Provided by MBC
[OSEN]