01x08 - Episode 8

[bunniefuu]

There she comes.

It's her.

Ms. Cha Jin-hui.

Pick whichever one you need.

Elijah!

My goodness, congratulations!

-Congratulations!

-Elijah's mother tipped us off herself.

Do you know that?

I had been so angry

because of Ma Yeong-suk.

How did you make time?

Well, I just had to come, of course.

I heard the great news today.

It's pretty confusing, isn't it?

All right.

-Let's thank them.

-Shall we?

Thank you, Mr. Kang.

-Yes, you did a great job.

-It was nothing, ma'am.

Goodness, excuse me

if I'd been rude to you.

I apologize.

It's embarrassing,

but that's what it's like to be a mother.

When it involves your child,

you panic and get overwhelmed.

And you become blinded by rage.

That's how it is. I'm sorry.

No, I completely understand.

That's how it feels when you're a mother.

-Thank you.

-Mom.

These pro bono attorneys

did an amazing job too.

Right. Goodness, thank you so much.

It was nothing at all.

Mr. Jang stayed up all night

to do the hardest part

of tracking IP addresses.

Really? All those… Thank you.

No need to thank me. It was nothing.

-Yeong-sil.

-Yeah?

You said Ji-hye was Elijah's avid fan.

Ask her for an autograph.

-I also want one.

-My autograph?

There's a client

I've been advising recently,

and she's a big fan of yours.

She would be thrilled

if she could get your autograph.

If you're helping her,

she must be in a very difficult situation.

You should come with her sometime.

I'll give her an autograph in person.

-You would meet with her?

-Yes.

She's going to be ecstatic.

Thank you, Elijah.

We have a bit of a busy schedule.

-So, please excuse us.

-Of course.

You all are full of surprising charm.

We'll get going now.

Thank you!

-Have a good day.

-Goodbye!

Do you think it's true?

"How could a mother do that?"

Is that what you mean?

What was that? What about a mother?

You have good ears.

That would be ridiculous.

Her mother tipped them off?

EPISODE 8

Right? She doesn't have any motives.

Before being a mom,

she's the CEO of her agency.

What would she get out of it?

I have a feeling Gu Ji-hwan is right.

What? Why?

He's known for making a living

by doing a variety of dirty work

for clients

in the entertainment industry.

Ms. Cha might have asked him

to do something.

No way. But they're family.

How could a parent

do that to her child?

Family can be more cruel

than anyone else.

I'm surprised

to hear you sound so cynical.

What?

Well, it's just…

It's probably because of Ji-hye's case

that I've been working on.

In any case, we won today.

Nan-hui was the star today,

so it'll be her treat.

-Sounds good.

-What? Why would you…

It's on me! Because I'm not petty!

Eat and drink all you want! Cheers!

Cheers!

You know how petty I am.

What is it?

Isn't that Elijah's boyfriend?

Why? What is it?

ELIJAH'S MAN IS A CHEATER?

-Has this prick lost his mind?

-Hey, it's mine.

What a jerk!

-Who's a jerk?

-Mr. Kang.

-What?

-Let's meet with Ms. Cha right now.

What?

I think I know

what she asked Gu Ji-hwan to do.

Are you kidding me right now?

Why can't you understand?

You think the words just come right out

when I write songs?

It was just a mistake I made

while I was working!

Just let it go.

Shut up, you jerk!

Are you okay?

Yeah, I'm all right.

By the way, the attorneys

are in Ms. Cha's office right now.

What?

Why?

Please come and sit.

I'd like to say this first.

I don't know if you'll believe me,

but with issues

between a mother and her child,

I can't be objective.

I'm always on the mother's side.

Okay, and why do you say that?

Why did you do that?

What are you talking about?

You tipped them off

about Elijah's boyfriend, didn't you?

What are you basing that on?

I'm a bit confused.

The online site that released

the article on her cheating boyfriend

is run by Mr. Gu Ji-hwan

under a different name.

Ms. Cha, do you know

what kind of person he is?

He's an attorney, but he makes a living

using others' weaknesses to threaten them.

Someone like that doesn't care

about protecting their clients.

He came and ratted you out

as soon as he was cornered.

You're her mother.

How could you tell him

about your daughter's affairs?

Because I'm her mother.

Sorry?

I would do even worse things

if it was for my child.

-It was you?

-Let's talk outside.

Let's go out.

It's my privacy.

Did you really do that?

Why on earth would you?

Did you want to destroy me?

No!

Why would I want that?

I just asked him

to get that awful jerk away from you.

Trust me. It was for your own good.

No, please.

I was worried

you'd go down the wrong path. Please.

They go around digging in others' privacy.

Don't you know

what kind of people they are?

After getting paid by you,

they tried to make more money

by revealing her boyfriend for clickbait.

I must have lost my mind.

To me, that guy wasn't the one for her,

but my Elijah kept insisting.

How can a mother

just sit by and watch

when her child is making a mistake?

How?

You're right.

He's garbage.

Yes. You know it now too, don't you?

But he was garbage that I chose.

Come on…

I should have been the one who dumped him.

Elijah.

It was for your own good.

I only did it for my precious daughter.

I'm sick of it now, Mom.

Elijah.

What am I going to do?

Elijah!

Gosh.

Calm down.

Calm down already.

Her boyfriend cheated on her,

and her mother leaked that information

to a garbage-tier YouTube channel.

Seriously, why are they

doing this to my Elijah?

I know.

How could he cheat on someone like Elijah?

There, there.

So many guys chased after her,

but they all ran away within six months.

This makes no sense.

What's there not to like about her?

MESSAGE

I'm really sorry.

It won't ever happen again.

I promise.

Please forgive me.

Can I really trust you this time?

You haven't eaten anything today.

You'll get in trouble

if you keep doing this.

Let's go. You have to

eat something. Come on.

It's all right.

I'm only halfway through practice.

Don't be like that.

As you know, the fate of our agency

depends on my US debut.

We've invested so much in the album.

I can still take it.

Why are you always so worried?

We'll start again.

Let's not do this between colleagues.

I'm an attorney too.

Business has been bad,

so what choice do I have?

I have to prey on other attorneys

to make ends meet.

I'm gathering your victims

to pursue a class-action lawsuit

against you for damages.

It's nothing personal.

I feel terrible too.

Please help me out.

Don't do this, Judge Kang.

What is with you?

You know how things work.

Like I said, I feel bad.

I'll do anything…

I'll do anything

you want me to do. I will.

Just help me out this one time.

I don't need anything from you.

-But--

-However…

I do have a question.

Yes. Go ahead. Ask me anything.

Elijah's mother, Ms. Cha.

-Yes.

-Was this your first deal with her?

Well… We've been doing business

for a while now.

At first, I gathered inside information

on the entertainment industry.

What about after Elijah got into college?

I made sure

that losers stayed away from her.

Interesting. Did you go old school

and hire th*gs to…

No.

-That's outdated.

-It is?

Yeah. So…

I simply hire a nice looking guy.

A guy?

To guys chasing Elijah,

he comes and says,

"I'm seeing Elijah. Okay?"

"Go away. Stop hanging around her!"

Would they really believe what he says?

-They would.

-What?

They believe it when he shows

photos of Elijah sleeping in her pajamas.

Photos of Elijah in her pajamas?

Where would you get…

Ms. Cha.

She gave me the photos

and ordered me to do it.

Use these this time

to drive those losers away. Okay?

Isn't it crazy?

The parents of celebrities hate it

when their children date.

They want to hold on

and mooch off of them forever.

If some random person takes them away,

it's not fair.

b*stard.

What?

-What a b*stard.

-Me?

-I've seen you somewhere though.

-What?

You're…

You're going to help me out, right?

How about this one?

It's so-so.

Bring me something striking.

Yes, Ms. Cha.

You're the newest one, aren't you?

You're good at your job.

Thank you, ma'am.

Please take your time, Ms. Cha.

You know what I like too.

Ms. Cha.

Okay. How about this one?

Let me help you--

No, not you. You do it.

Yes, Ms. Cha.

Hello, Mr. Kang.

Hello, this is Kang Da-wit.

I've given it some thought,

but I think I should tell you.

What is it?

Sorry?

I'm worried about Elijah.

I know. She must've been so shocked.

Hello.

Hi.

Wait. Elijah, what brings you here?

Your office is much bigger

and nicer than I thought.

Don't tell me…

The thing is, Mom…

What on earth were you doing?

You're the company director, but didn't

know she was gone? What were you doing?!

I heard you didn't even

show up to work today!

Actually, Mom,

I went to see the doctor

with So-yeon today.

You…

For goodness' sake. What do we do now?

Hurry and find her!

Did you run away from home?

My mom's house is right next to mine.

I can't go on like this anymore.

Where are you going to stay then?

For now, I'll stay in a hotel

until I find a new place.

But that's not what matters.

I don't know much about the law,

but this isn't a simple issue

between a mother and her daughter.

Am I right?

Yes, it's a case

between an artist and her company.

Yes.

The agency deceived its artist

and interfered in

and leaked her private matters.

It's an outrageous breach of contract.

Then…

I want to end the exclusive contract

with my company.

Please file a lawsuit.

EASTERN DISTRICT COUR

Gosh, look who's here.

Isn't it Mr. Woo, who lost his client

to someone without a college degree?

Gosh, look who's here.

Isn't it Mr. Kang,

the lawyer without a college degree

who stole someone's client

by using Elijah's fans?

I heard you couldn't let it go

and went to see Ms. Cha,

asking her to give you this case.

Do you want to lose to me that badly?

A little snot came out.

Think whatever you want.

-Come on.

-Yes, sir.

And I'll think however I want too.

SUIT DISPUTING EXCLUSIVITY

Your Honor,

the plaintiff has already sent

a certified letter notifying

the termination of her contract.

We request that you confirm

the non-existence

of an exclusive contract between the two.

Which part of the contract

justifies the termination?

Your Honor, perhaps I still don't have

enough legal experience.

But I've never seen

a contract like this before.

The defendant, EK Entertainment,

is the dominant party.

The plaintiff, Elijah,

is the subordinate party.

As you can see, the subordinate party's

contractual obligations are…

One, two, three, four…

How many are there?

There are more than 20.

"Comply with the company orders

without question."

"No social media. Maintain a strict diet."

On the other hand, the dominant party

does not have any obligations.

Zero.

You indeed are the dominant party.

Didn't the plaintiff read

and sign the contract?

When your mom hands you

a contract to sign,

what child is going to

read it thoroughly line by line?

On top of that,

she had just finished high school.

As an adult, she should at least know

that she has to be responsible

for the contract she signed.

But on what grounds

are you terminating

the exclusive contract?

It's a breakdown of trust.

Which article and paragraph

of the contract is that mentioned in?

Whether it is stated

in the contract or not,

trust is essential given the nature

of an exclusive contract.

Precedent has shown

it can be terminated once trust is broken.

You must have forgotten

much of the Civil Act

after working so long as a prosecutor.

I understand.

Aren't you the one who's forgotten

about the relationship

between the plaintiff and the defendant?

-Is that a question?

-Does it sound like an answer?

I'll answer for you

since it seems you don't know.

They are mother and daughter.

-Gosh, I see.

-You didn't know.

The breakdown of trust

between a mother and daughter.

Are you trying to sever

the sacred bond between family?

What have I done that was so wrong?

I've only done my best for my daughter.

You have never once respected

the plaintiff's free will.

What, because I worried

my precious daughter would date a bad guy?

Because I pushed her

to dream big and not settle?

That was wrong?

Then, every parent

in this county is guilty!

Ms. Cha, you have demanded the plaintiff

undergo an abnormal level of dieting,

infringing on her physical

and mental health tremendously.

As it's a profession with high visibility,

she simply persuaded her daughter

she had to put in more effort than others.

How can she become better if she only does

the same as everyone else?

I am her mother.

What mother would hurt

her daughter deliberately?

Okay, all right.

Please calm down. Plaintiff.

Please continue with your argument.

It leaves us with no choice, Your Honor.

I request that you order the defendant

to disclose details

of income and expenditures

for the plaintiff's entire career,

and submit the related accounting ledgers.

What?!

Goodness.

Do you really want to

play this out to the end?

Plaintiff, please submit

the relevant grounds in writing.

Elijah, are you all right?

You didn't have to

come in person to court.

I'm not going to avoid it.

It's my business.

It'll only get uglier.

That's how trials are.

I'm ready for it.

Geez, I'm fine.

Anyway, after skipping practice

for the first time in eight years,

the day feels so long.

It feels so lonely

staying in the hotel all by myself.

Elijah.

We have a vacant room at my place.

-It's not fancy, but do you want to come?

-Really?

I'd love that.

-But will it be okay with you?

-Of course. Come with me.

Sure!

Ms. Park,

you're not going to make her

serve food at the bakery, are you?

To get rich by getting fans

from all over the world to visit?

Mr. Kang!

Don't always view the world

from your perspective.

I think you liked the idea.

Geez, EK Entertainment!

We asked for income and expenditure data,

and they sent a bunch

of useless stuff too!

So they're trying to mess with us?

My goodness!

It's not easy to win

an exclusive contract termination case.

As for the boyfriend issue,

they'll blur things

with mother-daughter relationship stuff,

so we have to dig into the payments issue.

If we find something here,

there's no way out for them.

What are you all doing?

Get ready to stay up.

Look at Mr. Jang.

It's cramped there,

so come here and work.

What a terrible working environment.

Being a pro bono attorney…

It's terrible.

We can do it!

-Let's go!

-We can do it!

Over there. She's a famous singer.

Hello…

Hello.

Hello.

I'll be staying here for a few days.

You know sign language?

In the past,

I learned it for a film sh**t.

But I'm not sure if I'm doing it right.

It's right. You're really good.

Thank you.

Just a moment.

It's all right.

It's because I'm bored.

Is it okay to help you?

Gi-ppeum will scold us

if we make you work.

I promise I won't tell her.

It's okay.

What do we do?

We might be in trouble.

The earnings from music sales

and performances are substantial.

Why take in more investment

when they were making good money?

I wonder if they

even paid Elijah properly.

I doubt it.

Probably not.

-Mr. Jang.

-Yes?

Could you take a look at this?

The money flowed

into these foreign companies.

-Okay.

-It's such a strange flow.

-It isn't normal.

-I smell something fishy.

Doesn't it smell like ramyeon?

Is he eating alone? How cheap.

Doesn't it smell like distrust?

Kang Da-wit is the best!

I was especially craving

ramyeon today for some reason.

-Thank you!

-Thank you!

Thank you.

Where are we?

Ms. Park just showed us something.

-You should take a look.

-Okay.

Mr. Kim, as company director

of EK Entertainment,

you are responsible

for finances and accounting. Correct?

Yes, I am.

Since last year, you've pushed to bring in

investments for Elijah's entrance

in the US market, correct?

Yes, that's right.

Elijah must have made a lot of money

from music sales and performances.

You still needed

additional external funds?

-You don't know how this business works.

-I see.

It requires a fortune

to create a global artist.

The expenses for consulting and marketing

to enter the overseas market--

Is that so? Expenses like these?

Halford & Brown Company in LA

and JC Mackenzie in New York.

How did you…

But the thing is,

we found signs that showed

more than half of the funds

that were sent to these companies

was transferred to a third company.

After going through various steps

of money laundering,

the money ended up right there.

A limited company located

in an offshore tax haven called

It's "hope," right?

I don't know.

What does that have to do with me?

You failed to attract investments

in the end. Why was that?

That was the investors' call.

Why would you ask me that?

Wasn't the failed investments

due to accounting fraud?

Your Honor, Mr. Kang is asking

leading questions based on speculation.

Do you have grounds, Counsel?

We will submit them if needed.

This is the actual audit report

from an investor's accounting team.

"The balance sheet

of EK Entertainment cannot be trusted."

"Capital outflow has been confirmed."

You siphoned off the profits

that were to be paid to the plaintiff.

No! Those were all fabricated!

-Busted.

-Let me ask you one more thing.

In the truckload of documents

you submitted,

someone found this.

Mr. Kim, insurance fees

were part of your expenditures.

It was a substantial amount.

What was this for?

How would I remember all the details?

I think you do remember all the details.

We tracked it down,

and it was a life insurance plan.

It was life insurance

for Elijah, your sister.

That's…

At the…

At the company level,

for the artist--

"For the artist."

Who is the beneficiary though?

The person who will get that money

if anything happens to Elijah.

The sole shareholder of Hope,

where the money was sent.

They were the same person.

Seven-year-old Kim So-yeon.

Your only daughter.

No! They're all lies…

SOLE SHAREHOLDER OF HOPE

This is a lie.

Your Honor, this is all

merely vague speculation.

You can borrow your family's name

to open an account.

Plaintiff's Counsel, you should file

a criminal suit for embezzlement instead.

Stop making malicious false accusations

based on unverified evidence.

Okay?

We will submit the relevant evidence.

How dare you scam your mom?

You stupid prick!

I told you not to get greedy!

You took much more than I did,

so why are you yelling at me?

You shouldn't have gotten caught then!

Who do you think you are to be so greedy?

What? I'm not allowed to be greedy?

What?

Grandma!

Why did you come out, So-yeon?

Hi, Grandma.

Play with me.

I need to talk to your dad,

so go back inside.

So-yeon, you'll get sick out here.

Let's hurry inside.

Grandma.

Just go. She's coughing!

That little prick…

I'll raise my daughter

to be way better than Elijah. Got it?

I'm going to give her anything she wants.

The best of everything!

-Hello.

-Ji-hye.

Elijah.

This is Ji-hye.

Hello.

Elijah.

Are you really Elijah?

Yes. It's me, Ji-hye.

You know my name?

I can't… I'm not dreaming, am I?

Of course not, Ji-hye.

I really love your music, big sis.

I can't wait for your next song.

Am I really your big sis?

-Yeah.

-They say the big sis is the cool one.

Okay, then.

Should we take out the things

I prepared for Ji-hye?

Gifts!

Ta-da! It's my merchandise.

You know Ponies, right?

-Is it really okay for me to take this?

-Of course. Here.

This is a T-shirt with my face on it.

It's Elijah!

Thank you.

There's a lot of stuff.

She gave so many gifts.

Thank you, Elijah.

We'll get going.

Good night.

Did you say Ji-hye's uncle took

her parents' death benefits?

Yes. According to Mr. Jang,

he might be abusing her too.

How could he do that to someone so nice?

What even is family?

Elijah.

Did you really have no idea

that you weren't being paid correctly?

Mom always said

she would take care of the money,

so I could focus only on music

without worrying about it.

And you believed that?

She's my mother.

Someone who wishes the best for me.

Did you trust her?

Or did you want to trust her?

DEFENDAN

Plaintiff's Counsel.

Plaintiff's Counsel!

Yes, Your Honor.

Your Honor.

To expose the defendant's non-payment

and embezzlement of music revenue,

we will file a lawsuit

for embezzlement against Mr. Kim.

We request a tentative hearing date

until the investigation results come in.

Plaintiff's Counsel.

Since you studied it so long ago,

did you forget all about the Criminal Act?

What do you mean?

Article 361

and Article 328, Paragraph 1

of the Criminal Act.

Exemption of Crimes by Family.

These are fundamental basics.

And you were even a judge.

Property crimes committed

within family cannot be punished.

Did you forget

that a sibling can't be penalized

only if they live together?

If they live apart, they can be punished.

Does Mr. Kim live with the plaintiff?

Put it up.

This is a family photo

taken early last year.

The whole family lived together back then.

The plaintiff knew about it.

Did the plaintiff's counsel not know?

Your Honor, the capital outflow

that the plaintiff claims

mostly occurred

while she was living in this house,

so the Exemption of Crimes by Family

can be applied.

A lawsuit would be dismissed immediately.

Their claim is a waste of time.

If it happened while they lived together,

you'd be correct.

Right. The last incident occurred

after she moved out.

You can sue for that one if you'd like.

How much was it again?

-It's 820,000 won.

-It's for 820,000 won.

Your Honor,

it is true this it occurred

while she was living in that house.

However, the defendant's attorney

is overlooking one aspect.

Kim So-yeon, Kim Ju-won's daughter,

has to avoid outside contact

as much as possible

due to severe atopy and allergy symptoms.

Therefore, Mr. Kim installed

a separate door on the second floor

where his family lived,

and strictly prevented

other family members from entering.

They used a separate restroom

and living room.

And, of course, living expenses

were spent separately too.

Basically, he lived for free

on the second floor of his mother's house.

Can you actually say

that they lived together?

You are very well-prepared.

But…

Your Honor.

Ms. Cha would like to share a few words.

Okay. Go ahead.

Thank you.

It is all my fault.

Mr. Kim Ju-won just did

what I, as CEO, told him to do.

Whether it's fraud or embezzlement,

just please sue me.

Elijah.

Is this what you wanted?

To sue your mother.

-Do you have a tissue?

-Tissue…

Right.

With mothers, it doesn't matter

if they lived together or not.

As she is a lineal blood relative,

she is exempt from punishment.

LINEAL BLOOD RELATIVES EXEMP

FROM PROPERTY CRIME PUNISHMEN

Now, you won't waste your time.

Is it a lineal blood relative this time?

Yes.

So, you have to sue her mother?

Are you giving up on the bet,

Attorney Kang?

What do you mean, sir?

We already took the case

from Baekseung and won. And--

You got it wrong.

The bet you placed

was to take clients from them,

not a single case.

The client who pays the legal fee

isn't that little girl, Elijah.

It's EK Entertainment.

I heard that girl is penniless.

You're picking a fight

with the client you barely won over

for a penniless girl?

Why are you doing this now

instead of stopping me from the start?

-Do you think I'm that free?

-Sorry?

Why would I follow up

on such a trivial case?

Give up the bet.

Disband the team quietly as promised.

Do I have your word?

-You're dismissed.

-No, Dr. Oh--

Still,

it'll be very beneficial for us if we win.

We can take cases of other celebrities

who have been mistreated

by their agencies.

Okay.

Is this

the new Oh & Partners you wanted to make?

Korea's punching bag?

A law firm for filial impiety?

Or did you empathize too much?

Did you relate to the daughter

who wants to drive away her mother?

I'm disappointed.

I thought you resembled me.

But I was wrong.

Stop that lawsuit at once.

And break up the team.

Two number 4 desks.

One 4.5-foot desk.

-Sir.

-Yes?

What are you doing?

I was told to take out all the desks.

-What?

-What?

Really?

Yes, really.

Mr. Kang.

Is our team really going to get disbanded

if we proceed with this lawsuit?

This darn firm won't let us

represent the weak.

Well…

It's been bothering me from the start.

This isn't right.

Honestly, this isn't a pro bono case.

Frankly, a celebrity isn't

socially underprivileged.

She's isolated and can't trust

her mother, brother, and company.

Didn't we become pro bono attorneys

to help someone like her?

If I get fired,

I'll become a dismissed worker too.

Is wanting to keep my job a crime too?

Am I the only jerk here again?

I'm desperate too!

Jun-u.

What are you trying to do?

You really want to get disbanded

after this case?

If we quit,

we become the team

that ran away after coaxing

Korea's sweetheart to sue her mother.

The worst piece of trash team in Korea.

And you're their captain.

What do you want to do, Captain?

f*ck.

Ji-hye.

Shall we go in, Ji-hye?

Be careful.

Elijah.

She was constantly asking me

to come see you

because she was worried about you.

I bought your favorite, strawberries.

But you have it hard too.

Ji-hye!

Ji-hye?

Ji-hye, is something bothering you?

Should we sit for a moment?

-Let me see.

-Okay.

Ji-hye!

Ji-hye.

Who did this to you?

Yeong-sil!

How did it go?

Ji-hye's case didn't go well?

They can't punish Ji-hye's uncle either?

He'll only get a slap on the wrist

for the as*ault.

The charge of embezzling

the death benefits of Ji-hye's parents

was dismissed

without even an investigation.

I had begged them to investigate it

because there's a civil suit too.

What kind of law is this?

So it's okay to steal if you're family?

That's why some people took their cases

to the Constitutional Court.

But it was ruled constitutional

about a decade ago.

Then, are we all out of options now?

For both Ji-hye and me?

At a legal level, that's correct.

Is this right?

You're attorneys.

Is the law always correct?

You can do anything you want

if you're family?

No, you can't.

Elijah.

Actually, I ran away from home

before you ran from yours.

I left my home when I was in high school.

Wait. You never mentioned that before.

It's not a pleasant story.

My father ran a big business.

He had two wives.

The problem was

my mother was the second one.

Yeong-sil.

Father came home once a week.

But he didn't like me at all.

I stuttered

every time I saw him

because I was so nervous.

I still stutter

when I get even a little nervous.

Like right now…

I stutter.

How can I be an attorney

when I'm like this?

It's funny, isn't it?

Is that why you stayed quiet?

Whenever I stuttered,

Father would beat me so badly.

He said it was the only way to cure it.

Up until high school,

I was beaten every week.

Now, I'm certain of it.

That…

That was a crime.

We can't cover up crimes

in the name of family anymore.

Mr. Kang.

We have to do something.

Mr. Jang.

This time, it's a totally different case.

The Exemption of Crimes by Family

has existed as a legal provision

since the establishment

of the Constitution in 1953.

It was already ruled constitutional

in 2012 at the Constitutional Court.

It might also provoke public outrage.

-And--

-Use me.

Sorry?

Think of how many people out there

are like Ji-hye.

I'm a celebrity who makes a living

off of people's attention.

Use me to show the world

that people like Ji-hye exist.

People are being oppressed

in the name of family,

and they're not protected by the law.

Elijah.

What if we gather the victims

of family property crimes

and file a lawsuit together?

I'll pay for all of it.

Including Ji-hye's too, of course.

We appreciate it,

but you can't.

-What?

-Why not?

Because…

that's a job

for us pro bono attorneys to do.

Right, Mr. Kang?

The team is on the verge

of being disbanded.

You want to take on a fight

where we have a low chance of winning

and a high chance of being denounced?

Yes!

That's what pro bono attorneys do.

Do you all really feel the same?

Really?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

I have to keep my promise to you, Mom.

What should I do?

I've become entangled with clueless fools.

You haven't dropped the lawsuit yet.

Are you disobeying me?

Are you saying,

"I'm still the CEO here"?

Is that it?

Call a partners' meeting

to discuss a replacement for CEO.

Yes, Father.

But before I do that,

please take a look at this.

What is this?

It's a recording transcript

made by Ms. Seo, who you fired.

It's what you discussed on the phone

regarding the appeal case

of CEO Jang Hyeon-bae.

With someone in the Supreme Court.

-What are you doing?

-What are you going to do?

An alleged trial rigging

could be fatal to our firm.

If the senior attorneys

find out about this transcript,

there will be quite a disturbance.

Did you set a trap?

No way.

Ms. Seo came to me,

crying and saying it was unfair.

You fired her mercilessly in front of me.

Don't be ridiculous.

You probably bought her off in advance.

If I did,

I must've learned it from you.

"There is no one in the world

without a weakness."

"If such a person does exist,

plant a weakness."

I'm impressed.

Okay.

I'll watch your childish game

a little longer.

TRANSCRIP

Hey, Jung-in.

Let's do it.

Did you persuade Dr. Oh?

Persuade?

If you lose, it'll be over

for both me and you.

Mr. Kang!

My motto has always been,

"Don't start a fight you can't win."

But I can't do that this time…

because of some clueless fools.

Mr. Kang, then that means…

Let's go.

-Really?

-To the Constitutional Court?

That would take forever.

Then, where do you want to go?

I looked into the Constitutional Court,

and another constitutional complaint

had been filed.

It's been a while,

but it hasn't gotten far.

It hasn't been getting attention.

Let's make it so we get all the attention.

Because we have

a star.

No way!

A street concert to urge

an unconstitutional ruling?

That's attention seeking.

-Then what?

-Change the law?

The biggest stage would be…

Yeouido.

Let's go to the National Assembly

to change an unjust law.

Yes!

Let's go!

You can sit this out if you want.

I'll talk to Oh Jung-in--

It's okay.

It's the majority's decision,

so I should follow it.

Jun-u.

I'll do my job as a part of the team.

Please do your job as well, Mr. Kang.

Promise me

you'll win it.

Popular singer Elijah

was selected as a witness

for the Assembly's government audit,

garnering significant attention.

All eyes are on Elijah to see

if she will testify before the Assembly

about allegations of embezzlement

against her mother.

Elijah has already

sparked intense interest

in property crimes among family

with her recent lawsuit

against Cha Jin-hui,

her mother and the CEO of her agency,

to terminate her exclusive contract.

Hey, all the Assembly members are excited.

It's their chance to get a close-up

on network news.

Is that so?

All the beauty salons in Yeouido

are fully booked.

I heard they unanimously

selected her as a witness.

It's nice to be a celebrity

in times like this.

CHA HOLDING PRESS CONFERENCE,

PREPARE TO RESPOND

-What on earth?

-What?

Is there something going on?

Hey.

-Take a look.

-What is it?

Breaking news.

As top star Elijah's

expected attendance tomorrow

at the National Assembly

draws attention across the country,

her mother, CEO Cha Jin-hui,

opened an emergency press conference

moments ago.

Woo Myeong-hun, that prick.

Just blame me.

I'm a bad…

I'm a bad mother.

Ms. Cha's deep maternal love,

as you can see,

was the cause of everything.

What do you mean by this?

My daughter…

left home and abandoned me

because of a guy.

And she filed a lawsuit

against me right away.

She's accusing her mother

of embezzlement and theft.

This is just k*lling me.

Use this, Ms. Cha.

These days, there's a term called "MOW."

It means a "man-obsessed…"

Something like that.

To put it nicely,

they've lost their minds over love.

Isn't it true Ms. Cha admitted

to all embezzlement charges

in civil court,

but wasn't investigated

due to Exemption of Crimes by Family?

Ms. Cha, we have no choice.

Please tell the truth about this matter.

Mr. Woo, you're so cruel.

How could you ask me to say that myself?

I will say it on her behalf then.

Ms. Cha…

No, Cha Jin-hui,

who is a mother before being a CEO,

made a false confession

to take all the blame for the embezzlement

that her son committed by himself

and said she did it all.

What are you talking about?

Mom.

You know that's not true.

Mom?

-Ms. Cha!

-Ms. Cha!

I have a question!

What?

Did you see?

This is what a mother is.

Someone who embraces

all her children's faults as her own.

That's what mothers do. But…

But Elijah,

the so-called "Korea's daughter,"

wants to send her mother to jail--

I'm shocked.

How can she do that to her mom?

But a mother can't dump

her adult daughter's boyfriend.

I'm afraid my daughter will do that.

She's not Korea's sweetheart.

She's Korea's unfilial girl.

-Elijah!

-Elijah!

Top star Elijah will arrive shortly

for the Assembly's…

Lies every time she speaks.

WE LOVE YOU, ELIJAH

Her detractors and her fans have gathered

in front of the National Assembly.

And they have been aggressively

expressing their respective opinions.

What are we going to do with her?

Elijah is here!

Elijah!

-Elijah!

-Elijah!

-We object!

-We object!

Are you okay?

Are you all right?

Let's just go.

GOVERNMENT AUDI

FOR CRIMINAL ACT AND SYSTEM REFORM

After the press conference yesterday,

we also chose Ms. Cha Jin-hui

as a witness for the sake of fairness.

Are the counsels for both parties present?

-Yes, sir.

-Yes, sir.

Honorable Chairman, with your permission,

would it be okay

if Ms. Cha Jin-hui could say a few words

before Elijah makes her witness statement?

Sure. Go ahead.

Thank you.

Thank you.

To the honorable members of the Assembly,

this foolish mother

would like to ask a shameless favor.

My daughter was traumatized by her father

who yelled and got angry

when she was young,

so she gets severely upset

in similar situations.

I know this is a serious setting,

but I sincerely request

that you ask her questions

in the softest way possible.

Even in a situation like this,

you still worry about your daughter.

Because I'm her mother.

Even if she stabs me in the heart

and steals everything from me,

a mother still hopes

her child does not trip

on her way out.

We'll keep that in mind.

I ask the Assembly members

to be extra careful.

Okay, then. Ms. Elijah,

please come stand at the witness podium.

Yes, sir.

Ms. Elijah,

we will refer to you as Witness.

Yes, sir.

Did you see

the press conference yesterday?

-Yes.

-Was what she said true?

Some of it was true,

but some of it wasn't.

Which part was true?

When I was young,

my father did break stuff in the house

without any reason whenever he was drunk.

Every time he did that,

my mother hugged

and protected us with her whole body.

Then, she divorced our father for us

and struggled to make ends meet.

That's all true.

Honorable Assemblyman Kim Jun-pyo,

could you ask

the witness, Elijah, a question?

-You can ask her yourself.

-Thank you.

Witness.

Yes?

You know a constitutional complaint

on the Exemption of Crimes by Family

is in progress. Correct?

Yes.

Did you come here to form public opinion

to influence that constitutional trial?

That is right.

So in the end,

you're trying to change the law

so that your mother,

who struggled to raise you,

will be punished criminally.

Correct?

Yes, that is correct.

That is all.

Thank you, Assemblyman.

I think this actually shows why we need

the Exemption of Crimes by Family.

I think the witness has shown us proof

that a family can be maintained

when there's a limit

preventing parents and children

from suing each other

over property issues.

Isn't that so, Witness?

Witness?

Sir.

I'm Witness Elijah's attorney,

Kang Da-wit.

May I say a few words?

-Go ahead.

-Thank you.

Ms. Cha.

You know how smart and brilliant

your daughter is, don't you?

Don't you see why

such a smart person for all that time

did everything her mother told her to do,

signed every contract

her mother handed her,

and didn't ask or complain

about whether she was being properly paid?

-Don't you get it?

-What are you talking about right now?

Did you think she really had no idea?

Am I supposed to answer that?

No, just answer what you can.

Do you really think she didn't know?

Ms. Elijah.

You endured everything

despite knowing all along, didn't you?

You were grateful

for how she protected you

when you were young.

Despite knowing all along,

you endured it.

Correct?

No matter how hard you try to hide it,

the truth is bound to be revealed.

It's because there are people

who genuinely care about the witness.

Even within EK Entertainment,

do you know many people

are truly worried about you, Ms. Cha?

And your love for luxury brands

and your extravagant taste?

What are you talking about?

This is the hallowed National Assembly.

On what grounds,

are you making these claims--

Under whose name

is the Seongsu-dong apartment you bought

with the money you stole from Elijah?

Wait a minute.

Wait. What are you talking about?

Can he say whatever he likes

because he's an attorney?

Ms. Cha, please calm down.

Counselors, are you two here to fight?

This is a place

for explaining, listening, and asking.

Please be careful.

Okay. Please continue, Counsel.

Sir, we have one more key witness present.

May they come in?

I will allow it. Let them in.

-Thank you, sir. Mr. Hwang?

-Who's the witness?

-Can they do that?

-No. Usually, they can't.

Not you. You do it.

Chairman, may he come stand at the podium?

Yes.

Elijah.

Mr. Kang Min-ha.

You're a sales associate for VIPs

at a luxury brand store

in Cheongdam-dong. Correct?

Yes, that's correct.

Could you tell us who bought you

the apartment you are living in?

Yes. It was Ms. Cha

who is sitting right here.

I'm sorry, but may I see

the company card you carry?

Yes.

Gosh, it's a black card!

Goodness. Which company's card is this?

I heard this card

has a really high credit limit.

It belongs to EK Entertainment's CEO.

My goodness. Oh, dear.

The Exemption of Crimes by Family

doesn't apply

to embezzlement of corporate funds.

It's not true. He's lying.

I don't remember that card.

And I don't even know who he is.

I see. I didn't know

you were generous enough

to give this to a total stranger.

I understand.

Mr. Kang, why did Ms. Cha

offer these to you?

This is embarrassing to say,

but she said she liked me.

Okay, all right.

That ungrateful child.

I made her a star.

She's a nobody who thinks she became

a success because she's special.

I'm going to live for myself from now on…

with you

while having fun.

Chairman.

These days, there's a term called "MOW."

Pardon? MO…

It's a "man-obsessed…"

Something like that. To put it nicely,

they've lost their minds over love.

Kang Da-wit, that crazy…

Mr. Kang, it must've been

a difficult decision

to go against a big sugar mama… Sorry.

To go against someone

you're so grateful to.

What made you decide

to disclose the truth?

What? It's because you said

you'd try me as an accomplice…

Isn't there another reason?

Right. Well…

The apartment Ms. Cha gave me

turned out to be pretty run-down.

It's worthless with a full mortgage.

No, this is a fabrication!

Who on earth are you?

Witness, she says she doesn't know you.

-If you commit perjury, you'll be--

-Ms. Cha, I seriously trusted you.

But she gave the real deal

to a top host bar guy.

-How could you…

-This is slander, sir!

-How can love change?

-Calm down!

Calm down. This is not a court.

Both Counsels, that is enough.

We'll resume after taking a short break.

Elijah, drink some water.

You did great, Mr. Kang.

Now, you can say

what you've really wanted to say.

Everything is set.

Okay.

Mr. Jang!

Elijah.

Hi, Elijah.

Hi, Ji-hye!

-Thank you, Mr. Jang.

-It's nothing.

-Good luck, Elijah!

-Good luck!

You can do it.

How did my mother and I…

end up like this?

She was such a good mother

when I was young.

Was it the money?

Maybe.

Our family had never

laid hands on that kind of money,

and when it started pouring in,

I think it all started then.

Honestly,

I didn't want to go this far

and fight with my mom.

Money?

I didn't care if I gave it all to her.

All I wanted

was freedom.

I didn't want to live my whole life

as her ATM machine.

If I could somehow

get the exclusive contract terminated,

I was going to leave.

But…

Elijah.

When I met Ji-hye over there,

I realized it was not just about me.

Not only did Ji-hye's uncle and his wife

embezzle their niece's disability pension,

but they also still kicked her out

into the streets to beg to make money.

If she didn't make enough money,

they'd beat her.

It's sad, but sometimes,

family can be the assailant

who's the closest to you.

Is she talking about me as the assailant?

Just listen.

Could you stand for a moment?

Ji-hye.

They are the members of my fan club

and victims of family property crimes

who have gathered here,

thanks to pro bono attorneys.

An elderly man whose entire fortune

was stolen by his child.

A boy whose inheritance from his mom

was stolen by his stepdad.

A person with a physical disability

who couldn't stop her brother

from taking her money.

I'm embarrassed to say

I've received more love than I deserve,

but I haven't taken

full responsibility for it.

I simply exist because you care

and show interest in me.

The only way to repay this love

is to become a tool

to help tell the world

about the suffering people endure

that hasn't received attention

but needs to be known.

Please help them to ease their pain

and the injustice they feel when the law

and their families don't protect them.

Elijah.

The Exemption of Crimes by Family

has existed since ancient Rome.

The famous saying goes, "The law stops

at the doorstep of the house."

It's a custom that's very old.

And in Korea,

the law hasn't changed for over 70 years

since it was established.

Legal stability is a value

that is as important as,

or even more important than,

specific validity.

Yes, you are right.

Legal stability.

That's an important value.

But, sir, if it hasn't changed

for over 70 years,

couldn't that also mean

some have been suffering

for over 70 years?

If the law stops

at the doorstep of the house,

brutal, lawless chaos

unfolds behind that door.

Honorable members of the Assembly,

the law should change

along with the changing times.

I believe it is the noble duty

of the National Assembly

to breathe life into the law

so it becomes a standard

that lives and breathes with the times,

rather than a fossil trapped in the past.

Members of the Assembly,

I humbly ask

for your wise decision.

Mr. Woo.

Mr. Woo.

Excuse me, Mr. Woo!

What do we do?

-We should talk to a prosecutors' office--

-Why do you keep touching me?

Are you going to say you like me too?

-Mr. Woo!

-Never!

I never take on clients

who don't tell me everything.

Find another attorney.

Wait.

Wait, Mr. Woo.

Come on, Mr. Woo!

Wait!

Hey, you!

-For goodness' sake! What is it now?

-I really hate to admit it…

But you were pretty cool today, Mr. Kang.

Come on, now. Please.

That's old news.

When was I ever not cool?

There you go bragging again. This was why…

But how will it go?

Will we be able to win?

We don't know. We might lose.

But you know what?

Even if we lose today,

it will become a stepping stone

for the world to take

half a step forward tomorrow.

And next time, someone will be able

to start fresh from there.

Mr. Kang!

I know I said it,

but it was pretty cool. Do you agree?

Right, Jun-u?

Of course.

You sounded unfamiliar for a moment,

but now, you sound

just like the Mr. Kang I know.

-What?

-"Even if we lose,

today's win will be a stepping…"

Forget it.

-Ms. Yoo, call me big bro now.

-Why?

You're the big bro

if you're the cool one, right?

-Why would I?

-"Even if we lose…"

-That's what you said!

-I didn't!

ONE MONTH LATER

The Exemption of Crimes

by Family provision in this case

uniformly exempts

a wide range of relatives

from punishment for property crimes

without considering their severity.

Therefore, there is a concern

it will result

in allowing financial exploitation

of family members

in vulnerable positions.

Therefore, the Constitutional Court,

in which all members agreed unanimously,

rules the following.

The Court rules

Article 328, Paragraph 1

of the Criminal Act

is hereby declared unconstitutional.

Today, the Constitutional Court

issued a historic ruling

that deemed the Exemption of Crimes

by Family as unconstitutional.

Now, a path has opened

to protect people from the legal loophole

of property crimes committed

by their family members.

-I'm the CEO here!

-Don't resist.

Oh, my gosh!

Elijah.

Wait. I was wrong.

-Let's go.

-I was wrong.

It was all a misunderstanding.

Mom.

Hold on. Yes, Elijah?

Thank you

for bringing me into this world

and raising me.

Yes. My kind little Elijah.

Okay, you can drop the charges now,

and we can--

But, Mom…

you're fired.

I want you out of my life.

-Let's go.

-Go.

You know how hard I worked to raise you?

-Stop.

-Hey, you!

Damn you, b*tch!

I'm the one who made you a star!

Excuse me.

Is this Team Pro Bono?

Yes, it is. Who are you?

The Alliance of Judicial Victims

referred me to you.

They said you'd take my case.

Right. They told us about you.

You lost your father

due to a wrongful trial.

Yes.

The presiding judge abused his power

and k*lled my father

through a manipulated trial.

What was the name of the presiding judge?

Kang Da-wit.

Ms. Park Gi-ppeum.

I've spent the past ten years

gathering these.

Trust the evidence.

I don't care if I go to hell

as long as I can expose

Kang Da-wit's hypocrisy.

We've had a long, bitter history.

About Yoo Jae-beom,

his father was the CEO.

The defendant was changed by Mr. Kang.

Go get Yoo Baek-man.

Otherwise, I cannot proceed.

It was a manipulated trial.

What is happening?

CEO Jang's case was also rigged?

Is Kang Da-wit out of his mind?

I will take care of it.

Step down.

-Why don't you take the case?

-How could we…

Isn't it your job to help the victims

of abuse-of-power crimes?

Are you really going to take my case?

They all want to?

Please tell us everything.