Presentation
Korean Title: 악마판사
Aired in: 2021 (16 episodes)
Channel: tvN
Grade: 10/10
Actors: Ji Sung, Park Jin Young and Kim Min Jung
For more…
Ji Sung:
– Kill Me, Heal Me
– Defendant
– Doctor John
– Familiar Wife
Park Jin Young:
– He is Psychometric
– When My Love Blooms
– School of Magic
– When a Man Loves
Kim Min Jung:
– Mr. Sunshine
– My Fellow Citizens
– New Heart
– The Merchant: Gaekju 2015
Analysis
Synopsis
Set in a dystopian Korea, Kang Yo Han is a respected and prestigious judge, who punishes criminals. He leads a Live Court show, along two other judges, Kim Ga On and Oh Jin Joo. But under his upright mask, Yo Han hides a dark secret. On top of that, his methods are not always approved by his colleagues, especially Kim Ga On.
My Opinion (No Spoiler)
This drama is a masterpiece! I can’t tell how much I loved it! I may be biased because I am very fond of dramas that enable viewers to question their environment, the society they live in or even themselves, but I have to say that The Devil Judge really blew me away. The depiction of this dystopian Korea, the numerous moral, societal, ethical and judicial questions as well as the amazing acting performance were enough to caught my attention in episode 1 and to keep me on edge until the finale.
The “other Korea” and characters’ own beliefs were consistent throughout the entire drama. On top of that, I really loved the fact that I could ask myself the same questions as the leads, especially regarding the trials and sentences. Would I have made the same decision? Would I have voted with my Dike App to condemn harshly someone? Would I have turned into a monster, if my circumstances and upbringing had been unfavorable? Honestly, I don’t know, but thanks to that drama, I may have gotten closer than ever to an answer.
For the record, I think that the drama is so well written and presented because the screenwriter is none other than a judge, Moon Yoo Seok, to whom we owe the excellent Ms. Hammurabi. If you liked his previous drama, you are going to love this one as well!
Also, The Devil Judge stars Ji Sung, Kim Min Jung and Park Jin Young, what else do you need?
Analysis (Spoiler Alert)
Characters: Kang Yo Han (Ji Sung) is a tortured and very complex being. He has a very dark past, which is revealed little by little. In a nutshell, he is the son of a wealthy man who had an affair. His mother abandoned him at his father’s house, but the latter despised and hated him for not being his wife’s child. He was belittled, beaten up, scorned and very lonely. His only ally was his older brother Isaac (Park Jin Young), who took care of him throughout his childhood. At school, Yo Han was also very isolated, other kids would talk behind his back and after an incident involving a dying bird, others treated him like a monster and would be scared of him. Yo Han didn’t speak a lot, kept his emotions for himself, but nurtured his love and respect for his older brother. Despite all of these difficulties, Yo Han grew up well.
However, the sudden death of his brother and almost death of his niece changed him. He decided to get his revenge on those who inflicted this to his remaining family. He became a judge, respected and admired.
Personality-wise, Yo Han is soft on the inside, especially when it comes to his beloved niece, and very tough on the outside. He has learned to ignore others’ judgements, criticisms and remarks. He seems cold, cruel, distant and has an incredible poker face, so that you can never know what is going on in his head. This is at the same time his greater strength and weakness. Indeed, his enemies don’t know his game, but his family is unable to feel his love and care. At the end though, and with Ga On‘s (Park Jin Young) help and Elijah‘s (Jeon Chae Eun) – his niece – he finally opens up and frees himself from his past. The truth regarding the fire (Elijah was unfortunately responsible) is revealed, emphasizing Yo Han’s protective side; and Elijah also frees herself from guilt and resentment. They both leave for Switzerland, because there is a clinic specialized in Elijah’s disability.
I sincerely loved that dark hero! Kang Yo Han is strong, determined, very clever, but also cruel, fierce and ruthless. He has both dark and white sides pushed to the extreme.
Kim Ga On is a young, smart and upright man. He is loyal, full of ideals and principles, but he is also very naive, clueless and impressionable. Just like Yo Han, he’s had a difficult past. His parents died after being scammed and he became an orphan. He was then taken care of by his first love Yoon Soo Hyun (Park Gyu Young), who became a police officer and Jung Min Ho (Ahn Nae Sang) a judge, who inculcated his own beliefs in him. Ga On is also handsome and resembles trait for trait to Yo Han’s brother Isaac.
Episode after episode, Kim Ga On grows up, understanding the ways of the world, seeing it for what it truly is and losing his precious Soo Hyun at the hands of evil. He seems kind of lost throughout the drama, not knowing whom to believe, but he eventually becomes more assertive and confident. At the end, he knows exactly what he stands for and how to survive.
Jung Seon Ah (Kim Min Jung) is the main antagonist of the drama. As he child, she witnessed her mother being beaten up by her father. Later on, we suspect that she is responsible for their deaths, although she was cleaned of all charges. She met Yo Han, when he was young. Indeed, she worked as a maid in his house. Since then, Seon Ah developed a sort of obsession for Yo Han. He didn’t reciprocate her feelings, and the constant rejection pushed Seon Ah to destroy Yo Han. If she can’t have him, no one can. That’s why, she spends most of her time getting in his way, crushing his plans and fighting opposite him with the Group of 7, that later becomes the Group of 6. That Group is made up of Minister of Justice Cha Kyung Hee (Jang Young Nam), President Heo Joong Se (Baek Hyun Jin) and his wife Do Yeon Jeong (Jung Ae Yoon), Saram Media CEO Park Du Man (Lee Seo Hwan) and his wife Pi Hyang Mi (Yoon Da Kyung), and Minbo Group CEO Min Young Shik (Hong Seo Joon) and his wife Kim Sang Sook (Joo In Young).
Apart from her obsession and loneliness, Seon Ah is a skillful strategist, who knows how to use her pawns and how to place them on the chessboard. She also has a lot of authority, even over the President, and is more refined than the Group of 6. Indeed, they generally think about money, when Seon Ah is all about power. This refined side of her is also the reason why she disagrees with what occurs at Dream Village (the experiment on the people). She knows where she comes from and doesn’t forget it.
I have to say that even her death is more refined. She has understood that the end is near for her, so she takes her own life and accepts her defeat against Yo Han.
The 3 main characters actually have some common points: they have a difficult past, lots of suffering in their life, suffered from injustice because of the most powerful and have been lonely most of their lives. Yet, they all took a different path, that strangely brought them back together.
Ambiance: I have to say that the drama was flawless. The trials kept me on edge, they were tense, stressful, captivating and full of surprises. The drama carried that dark and sometimes unsettling vibe, that matched the plot. On top of that the direction was amazing! Some sequences really caught my attention. Among them, I would quote the scene showing the fire at the church, the revolt scene, the live broadcast from the chaos outside and naturally the bombing at the end, as my favorites.
What are the themes tackled?
The dystopian South Korea: The greatest asset of the drama, in my opinion, is the fact that it really forces viewers to question our current society and to think about the negative changes that could come in the next few years. Just like an episode of Black Mirror or SF8, the dystopia portrayed in the drama sheds light on a lot of problematic issues like: living in a world ruled by technology, the media, fake news that spread rumors and enable scammers and manipulators to take control of the country; having to live with new sets of viruses and suffer from pandemics (like the recent COVID-19 crisis); accepting that money is King, that could turn institutions into businesses, rotten to the core and controlled by the most powerful and the wealthiest; having a dictatorship disguised behind a democratic mask because everything is controlled by the same people and serve their interests; giving room to more manipulation and lies; destroying the most basic values (in the drama, there is no more love, trust, generosity, selflessness, instead you have betrayal, violence, hate, greed, chaos and riots that help take advantage of the situation, the disguise of terrible deeds behind selflessness such as organ trafficking), etc….
In a nutshell, here are some crucial elements of the dystopia, that could be realistic someday:
– Corrupted judicial and political systems
– The poor are poorer versus the rich get richer
– Backstabbing exists under all its possible forms
– Money and power rule the world (the President is a former actor for instance)
– Truth is created, manipulated and faked
– The drift of incorporating technology, fame, and soft power in general within the ancient and usually timeless law system
– The hate of foreigners, who are said to take citizens’ jobs and women (racism and discrimination under disguise)
At some point, the depicted system almost reminded me of that of the Nazis (maybe my claim is far-fetched I admit, but still it was a strong impression), especially the behavior of the rich and powerful Group of 6. For instance, when they take away people in vans, bring them to the so-called Dream Village to experiment drugs on them (like in camps during WWII), and then get rid of them when need be, but they still make money out of them: “Nothing goes to waste” they said.
What is an appropriate sentence?: Not only society, but also justice is brought under scrutiny by rekindling some debates regarding sentences. Taking into account some defendants’ behavior, the drama dares to proceed with some of the worst, most painful and most humiliating punishments in line with the damaged caused to the (often numerous) victims like: death penalty, physical abuse (cut off penis), flogging… Once again, I couldn’t help but wonder, whether I would agree for that punishment or not, whether it was indeed justified or too cruel.
Pessimistic versus idealistic visions of the world: For me, the drama is clearly divided in two sides, though it is far from being dualistic. Still, there is a constant tension between Kang Yo Han, who sees the world with pessimistic goggles, and Kim Ga On, whose youth and upbringing puts him more on the idealistic side.
Indeed, Yo Han saw and sees the worst in human nature (especially because of his past) and considers the world with a dark realism, that is to say human beings are bad, they are willing to do anything to satisfy their thirst, interests, even if it means stepping onto others to survive. Therefore, he follows the Law of the Jungle, meaning that of the strongest.
On the other hand, Kim Ga On has grown up “kind of sheltered” from evil. Yes, his parents were scammed and it resulted in their death, still he was surrounded by people with moral values, such as Soo Hyun and Min Jung Ho, both driven by idealism and a strong sense of proper justice. On top of that, I could imagine the fact that Ga On was a young judge, who was elated by the idea of bettering the world. Therefore, he is completely unable of seeing through Yo Han’s lenses for most of the drama.
Personally, but I am surely biased, I shared Yo Han’s vision, particularly if you take into account the fact that the story is set in a dystopian South Korea. There is no black and white, right or wrong anymore, there is only grey, and the only element that distinguishes people are not the means but the end. What I mean is that sometimes to win over bad, you have to adopt its methods (though unethical). Think about it, I don’t think a fight between one man with a stick and another with a gun is a fair one, you need to be loaded in a similar way if you want the same chances of success. Like Machiavelli said: “The end justifies the means”. It couldn’t truer here!
Kim Ga On’s double wake-up call: By the end of the drama, I think that Kang Yo Han has really succeeded in opening Ga On’s eyes. Soo Hyun’s sudden murder and Yo Han’s being framed for it, make the young judge realize that you don’t win a war with ideals. His second wake-up call is when he sees Min Jung Ho’s double face and understands that he has been manipulated all this time.
This eye-opener puts Ga On on the right track, the one he has chosen after a very long period of hesitation and doubt.
How do you define a monster?: Generally a monster is characterized by its ugly appearance and repulsive form. Yet, in the drama, looks are deceiving and monsters are disguised under wealth and luxury. So, it makes it harder to really see the monster for what it is. The true face of the monsters in the drama is only shown behind closed doors, during their meetings at the Blue House for instance or in a special room. Outside these walls, they pass for the generous and philanthropist type, building houses for the homeless and giving out money to charity. In The Devil Judge, the monster is defined for its drift from normal behavior and respected social norms.
The different types of monsters?: Yes, I think there are different types of monsters represented in the drama: you have those who became monsters because of their circumstances, others to survive in the world and those who are just evil. I would classify them on a scale from one to five:
First level: Pure evil, a.k.a. the Group of 6. They think about themselves and are completely blinded by power and greed.
Second level: Devilish hypocrisy, a.k.a. Min Jung Ho. This character pretends that he advocates for good and real justice, when he is in fact a hypocrite, willing to betray, backstab and sacrifice others, if it means fulfilling his idea of justice.
Third level: Became a monster to survive, a.k.a. Kim Seon Ah. Personally, I don’t think Seon Ah is entirely a monster. She kind of became one because she needed affection and love, and suffered from loneliness and unrequited love. Despite that, she never forgot her past upbringing and disapproved the ill-treatment of people who are like her past self in Dream Village. Thus, I would say that there is still a small part of her that is still lucid and not corrupted. Of course, this doesn’t condone her murders.
Fourth level: Became a monster to protect others, a.k.a. Kang Yo Han. Once again here, Yo Han is probably one of the most complex characters ever written. He is the definition of a dark hero, someone who does bad things but acts for the greater good. These bad deeds present him as a monster, when he is in fact the only one that stands in the way of evil people. Moreover, he has a revenge to satisfy.
Fifth level: On the verge of becoming one, but has moral principles to abide by, a.k.a. Kim Ga On. Though we are not sure how Ga On will act in the future, one thing is for certain, he has chosen his side. After having been educated by Yo Han, chances are high that he will adopt some of his ways. I am also convinced that Ga On will try not to divert too far away from his moral principles, but who knows what the future holds? What’s for sure is that the world has not really changed and the end shows that a new cycle is about to begin.
For monsters from the third to the fifth level, I believe that absolution is definitely possible. Still, it would be a long way to go for certain people like Seon Ah.
How to fight monsters?: There is a certain gradation, when it comes to monsters in the drama. Not all characters are at the same level, which made me think that sometimes you need to turn into a monster yourself in order to fight them. When everything around Kang Yo Han is corrupted and false, his only option is to use the same weapons as his enemies. However, he didn’t corrupt his mind or got blinded by money. In a sense, I think this provides him a certain redemption at the end.
How do you become a monster?: Loneliness, survival instinct, a lot of suffering in the past and thirst of revenge. The recipe is simple. Now, you have to make a difference because those who are born monsters and those who become ones.
Religion: I don’t know if you had realized it, but the drama is made up of a lot of strong religious connotations. Let’s break them down one by one and see how they fit in the plot.
The biblical names and metaphors:
Isaac: In the Bible, Isaac is the son of Abraham. The latter is asked by God to prove his faith by burning in own son (Isaac) at the stake. Precisely when Abraham is about to set his son on fire, an angel comes down and prevents him from doing it. God believes in his faith.
In The Devil Judge, Isaac dies at the stake (or in a similar way through fire). This can represent the upcoming chaos of the world (he is not saved like he is supposed to), or God’s wrath, dissatisfied with humans’ evil ways. He doesn’t save Isaac in that case, but he choses Yo Han as his messenger to right the wrongs of the world. Isaac’s sacrifice has to be honored.
Interestingly, Isaac also has a brother in the Bible named Ishmael. The name means “For Lord has heed your suffering”. In a sense, I think we can draw a parallel between these two biblical figures and the doppelgängers in the drama: Isaac being Isaac and Ga On representing Ishamel, if we consider his personal suffering (he lost both his parents, his father had a debt and committed suicide, his mother died of the shock). The character’s past would then fit the meaning of the name.
Yo Han: There are three possible connotations here. First, Yo Han comes from the Hebrew Yohan and means “God is merciful”. In that case, Yo Han in the drama is given a chance to atone for his misdeeds by acting for the greater good and protecting innocent people, what he does.
Second, Yo Han is the root of the name John, which is also the name of the Christ’s favorite apostle. This confers him a sort of sacred aspect and a morally positive side (he acts for the good of the people).
Finally, Yohan can also stand for Yahweh, which means God in Hebrew. In that case, it would emphasize Yo Han’s role as the punisher of evil in the trials.
Elijah: The name is short for Elie, who is a prophet. In the Bible, he is said to have brought fire down on Earth (like when the little girl sets the church on fire?), and he also worships the Hebrew God (like her uncle Yo Han?). I guess, it rings some bells again.
Gaon (Ga On): In Hebrew, Gaon means “excellency“. It used to be a title accorded to Jewish spiritual leaders, who stood out for their great moral values, principles and were to safeguard the Talmudic Law and Jewish legal traditions. That being said, Kim Ga On seems to fit the profile, don’t you think? I mean, he is a judge for starters, has strong beliefs and principles and has to protect Yo Han’s heritage at the end of the drama.
Ga On is said to embody Judas: Probably one of the most famous figures of the Bible, Judas embodies the traitor. He was one of Jesus’ 12 apostles and is said to have facilitated Jesus’ arrest by Pontius Pilate. In The Devil Judge, Kim Ga On is responsible for Yo Han’s arrest by Seon Ah. Yo Han trusted Ga On, but the latter betrayed Yo Han’s faith by siding with the wrong people. Kim Ga On realizes later on that he has been manipulated and used, but his action remains the worst backstab of the drama, turning him into a real Judas.
The Group of 6: The number 6 is ofter associated with the number of the Devil (666). This amount emphasizes the fact that the President, the CEO of Saram Media, the CEO of Mine Group and their wives are truly evil.
The events from the fire in the church to the blow off of the court room:
In a flashback scene, we discover that the rich and powerful Group of 6/7 (if you count Cha Kyung Hee) managed to escape from the fire at the church. However, not everyone could be saved and the fire resulted in Isaac and his wife’s death and in Elijah becoming disabled.
Metaphorically, the fact that only evil people survived can illustrate the fact that demons now walk the earth, after they have escaped from Hell (fire representing the house of the Devil). At the same time, the fire occurs in a church, a sacred place, where christian values (such as love, compassion, generosity, etc…) are normally to be respected. Yet, all of these precious values were crushed, when the Group left the church in a hurry, leaving an innocent child and her parents to die inside. The way I see it, this event is a way to destroy the sacred aura surrounding these christian values and show that the world has changed. If you want to protect those you love, you have to drift away a little from them.
The story starts with a church and it ends in a court room. Therefore, there is a shift from beliefs, moral and ethics (what you need to do to survive) towards the judicial system, corrupted by the same demons who walked out of Hell. In episode 16, Yo Han blows up the court room with the Group of 6 inside.
Metaphorically, this depicts the explosion of the system that has gone bad and the destruction of the evilest people ruling South Korea. Moreover, fire is often referred to a purifying element, which gives us hope for the future. The root of evil has been eradicated, and the system can start from scratch. That’s the reason why, Yo Han (an emblematic representative of the previous fallen system) also disappears, while Kim Ga On (the rebirth) is to replace him.
The drama portrays a long battle between good and evil, and good seems to triumph at the end. Although, Kim Ga On still has to deal with the relics of the old world, especially in the political circles.
Fallen Angel or Angel of Death?: Interestingly, Yo Han’s character could be, in my opinion, the embodiment of Lucifer (Beelzebub), the King of Hell. He is a Fallen Angel, who survives the fire after Hell has broken loose (after the church fire). He definitely has questionable methods, when it comes to bringing justice, but let’s not forget that Lucifer is also considered as “The Lightbringer”. In episode 16, not only does Kang Yo Han takes “his demons” back to Hell with a bomb, but he also brings a ray of hope to the world, giving room to future change.
One can also argue that Yo Han is simply at the end Azrael a.k.a. The Angel of Death, as he kills the Group of 6.
Costumes, direction, setting:
There is surely a religious meaning to details and elements surrounding the court room. First, the robes that the judges wear look very much like priests’ robes. Moreover, the setting of the court room reminds us of a judgement and a sentence that is given by God, since the judges overhang defendants. Kang Yo Han, Kim Ga On and Oh Jin Joo give the impression that they have been empowered by forces greater than that of the judicial system. Hence, the harsh punishments given to prisoners.
We can also mention the fact that the judges are three people. The number 3 in the Bible is often the symbol of wholeness and harmony. It is associated with God through the idea of the Trinity. That being said, it is obvious that the judges are to present God’s will/punishment to the defendants. The number 3 is to the divine, what the number 6 is to evil, the antagonist number.
The sentences: Clearly, many of the sentences given were rather unexpected, yet very satisfying in a way. Indeed, if you consider the mean deeds done by the defendants, it can be understandable that they receive some unusual (and sometimes painful) punishments. Let’s break down these sentences trial by trial:
1st trial: The CEO of a corporation threw chemicals in a river, that provided water for surrounding villages. Many of the elderly people got cancer and the amount of chemicals resulted in the death of many inhabitants, among which a little kid. The sentence was: 235 years in prison.
Possible religious interpretation: The CEO is doomed to spent the rest of his life in a prison, which could represent Hell for eternity (as he’ll continue serving his sentence even after his death).
2nd trial: The son of the Ministry of Justice is arrested and convicted. He assaulted, insulted, disrespected and ill-treated many different people, who testified against him during his trial. As he didn’t show any sign of remorse, he is condemned to 30 floggings.
Possible religious interpretations: Flogging can refer to two stories: the flogging of the Christ. During the Crucifixion, The Christ endured 7 tortures among which flogging. This torture was supposed to bring him to the brink of death. In the drama, flogging can be associated to this event, but I would rather link it with the usual meaning of flogging which is to atone for your sins. Because of the way the defendant treated others, he has to feel the same pain for himself. This is the only way he can at least feel a little remorse and/or expiate his faults.
3rd trial: A man sexually assaulted women. The asked sentence is to cut his penis off. It is refused, so instead he is sent to the US, to a rehabilitation center for sex offenders, plus 20 years in prison. In that case, it is not impossible that the defendant would also be abused the same way he abused women.
Potential religious interpretation: It may be a bit far-fetched here, but I found an interesting mention of cut off penises in the Deuteronomy 23:1 “No man whose testicles are crushed or penis is cut off can join the Lord’s people”. (It is more or less the translation). In that specific case, we can say that Yo Han gives a chance to the man to atone, but he would have to suffer the pain he inflicted to others to do so.
4th trial: Defendant Juk Chang (Lee Hae Woon) is accused of inciting riots, assaulting innocent foreigners, and to live stream violent actions. He is sentenced to wear an anklet, that everyone can trace on the App, meaning that he can be chased by haters, or ordinary people, who want to assault him.
Possible interpretation: Whether it’d be in the Bible or in philosophical texts (such as Rousseau’s The Social Contract), the crowd is power. Individuals aggregate in a community, a large group and have the right to defend themselves as a people/nation by chasing out/punishing criminals. That’s the basics of a democracy.
5th trial: Once again, it is against Juk Chang, this time for having killed an old man. He is sentenced to the death penalty by the electric chair.
Possible religious interpretation: Well, capital punishment as it is called in religious texts, is still a debatable question. Some texts like the Old Testament specify that homicide is a sufficient crime to inflict death, whereas other texts advocate for the “Thou shalt not kill” maxim. In The Devil Judge, the debate is open as well, as citizens are hesitant and in the end, as if it were God’s sign, Juk Chang is miraculously saved from death at the last minute. So, the balance would tip for the second option: don’t inflict death to others.
Other potential religious connotation: Can the virus embody the Apocalypse (preceded by the plagues – riots and chaos)?
Chess game and lex talionis: Apart from the religious meanings, the drama seems to follow a very ancient, but famous rule called “lex talionis” or with plain words: “an eye for an eye”. Indeed, there are throughout the episodes many references to war (life is a battlefield) and chess (evil is black on the board and good is white, there are many pawns like Juk Chang and Yo Han’s allies), leading to this supreme rule of talion. Indeed, at war or in a chess game, you show no mercy for your opponent(s). The goal is to win, and to do so you have to use pieces, sacrifice others and scheme all the time. The drama is literally the illustration of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a punch for a punch” in real life.
The meaning of Dike: In case you didn’t know, in the Greek mythology, Dike is the goddess of Justice. She symbolizes at the same time Justice as a moral principle, as the social norm (such as laws) and as the institution itself (the Court Room for instance).
That being said, it is clear that the basic idea of Dike has been perverted at the beginning of the drama. Indeed, the Dike App is used to serve the ambitions of the rich and powerful, as the system is completely corrupted and real laws are obsolete or misused. However, Yo Han manages to give its purpose back to the App, by turning it into a democratic, and sometimes cruel tool. Indeed, people are to vote, and these votes are to be the defendant’s sentence. By doing so, the App gives the power back to the original sovereign (that is the people), puts people’s faith back in the institution and destroys the evil and unmoral behaviors and attitudes. The truth is unveiled and the App spreads awareness regarding what’s right and what’s not.
Most memorable quotes: The Devil Judge is full of punchlines and amazing sentences worth remembering. Here are some of my favorites:
“The only thing that can be thoroughly manipulated is the system itself. This is the system. A system has no chance against power. Power can control a system however it likes”. Kang Yo Han
“If the devil really does exist among us, it would be the self-pity of the powerful”. Kang Yo Han
“What really killed this people is not a virus, it’s poverty.”
“There is no such thing as an innocent person in this world.”
What is your favorite one?
OSTs and music: From plot to music, there isn’t a single flaw to that drama. The music translates at the same time the action, a certain tension and even sometimes despair that perfectly match the drama. I highly recommend “Tempest” by Huckleberryfinn!
P.S.: What did you think of this drama?
Once Upon a Drama 