Joseon Attorney: A Morality (2023) Episode 1

A boat docks at the pier, and out steps KANG HAN-SOO (Woo Do-hwan), our suave hero. Right off the bat, he exudes charisma in spades — though he’s also just as much of an oddball. Han-soo’s optimism runs deeper than his pockets; he may have spent his entire life savings on the boat trip to Hanyang, but that isn’t stopping him from his legal aspirations. See, the entire city’s population is a potential source of income! Ha, his quirky and confident demeanor reminds me of another eccentric lawyer, and I’m already loving it.

Lawyer wannabe Han-soo isn’t above pilfering a couple of carrots for his horse, and that’s how he gets tangled up in his first case. A plum wine seller comes sprinting into the stables, on the run from the ruffians who are terrorizing him for not paying their unreasonable taxes. For a moment it seems like Han-soo’s going to cover for him — but one look at the intimidating mob and Han-soo leads his horse right out, effectively throwing the cowering wine seller to the wolves. LOL, this guy.

 

The quarrel gets physical, until a young lady bravely steps in to break up the fight. It’s our fearless heroine SO-WON, whose real name is LEE YEON-JOO (Bona). Why does she have two names, you ask? That’s because she’s an undercover princess — her empathetic heart draws her towards the common people, so she moonlights as an assistant to the moneylender LADY HONG (Shin Dong-mi), who runs the merchant inn Sowongak.

Lady Hong isn’t to be trifled with, and she sends the bristling gangsters on their way with an icy glare. Meanwhile, Yeon-joo notes the nonchalant bystander Han-soo with distaste. (Han-soo simply shrugs as if he hasn’t done anything wrong.)

In the wake of the incident, the wine seller tries to salvage his business, but to no avail. Not a single attorney is willing to go up against the thugs of the notorious Jang guild, leaving the wine seller with no choice but to leave Hanyang and seek business elsewhere.

Of course, our righteous Yeon-joo refuses to let this injustice slide. Donning her princess robes, she returns to the palace to meet her cousin, the young king LEE HYUL (Song Geon-hee). Over a cup of delicious plum wine, Yeon-joo shares the wine seller’s woes, and Hyul agrees that they ought to do something about the tyrant guild. Aw, they’re both so cute!

Unfortunately, Hyul barely has any sway in the palace, since the nation is currently ruled by the queen regent. Chief State Councillor YOO JE-SAE (Chun Ho-jin) even has the audacity to blow his royal summons off, brazenly keeping the king waiting till nightfall. (Noooo, Song Geon-hee’s tearful eyes!)

 

That night, someone deliberately sets fire to the wine seller’s house, destroying the plum blossoms that serve as the family’s entire livelihood. At his wits’ end, the wine seller finds his way to Han-soo and signs the attorney contract. By the time Yeon-joo figures out that Han-soo was the arsonist, it’s too late — she can’t report him or the wine seller will be left without an attorney.

I have to admit I was quite appalled by Han-soo’s actions here, because for all his mischief and rule-breaking, I never expected him to stoop that low. Thankfully the fire was extinguished with no casualties, but it still dealt a dangerous and devastating blow to the wine seller’s family. I’m hoping Yeon-joo knocks some sense into Han-soo as the drama unfolds, because I like my heroes morally gray but not callous.

In any case, the trial proceeds as planned. We get our first glimpse of the young judge YOO JI-SUN (Cha Hak-yeon), who helpfully explains the legal terms to the confused audience. Unfortunately, Ji-sun isn’t our presiding judge today — instead, it’s the corrupt MAGISTRATE HEO (Hwang Man-ik), who’s already received a hefty bribe from Jang’s guild.

Except Han-soo throws a wrench in their plans when he intercepts the guild’s “proof,” then proceeds to read it out in Chinese. Turns out it’s a precedent from the Ming dynasty, which naturally holds no weight in a Joseon court. Han-soo rallies the people in a series of patriotic cheers, and soon he has the entire court on his side. Quirking his lips in an amused smile, Ji-sun walks off — he doesn’t need to stay to know that Han-soo’s won his case.

Han-soo may have achieved a favorable verdict, but he still has to face the music. Yeon-joo’s reported him for his arson, but she provides both the illness and the cure — when she realizes that Han-soo did sincerely help the wine seller family, she urges them to testify that the fire was an accident. That reduces Han-soo’s sentence to twenty floggings, and to his credit, he acknowledges that he’s receiving his due punishment.

Still, Yeon-joo feels guilty about the whole ordeal, so she offers Han-soo tofu and an awkward apology. Ever the mischievous imp, Han-soo teases that she ought to apologize properly by giving him a kiss on the cheek. LOL.

Yeon-joo is adorably indignant, scolding him for making light of her sincerity. But Han-soo suddenly pulls her close, shushing her as romantic music swells — but this show likes to emphasize the latter part of “rom-com.” The Jang guild thugs have come to take revenge, and Han-soo winds up dangling upside down above a bucket of snakes. Whoops.

Thinking on his feet, Han-soo tries to negotiate, pointing out that MASTER JANG (Lee Jun-hyuk) has been looking for a way to ingratiate himself with the royal palace. He can help with that! He knows the man who currently possesses the painting that the palace’s supply officer has been searching for! He’s an attorney, so he can get that painting thief out of jail!

Needless to say, Master Jang is tempted but skeptical, and he demands that Yeon-joo serve as collateral. To Han-soo’s chagrin, Yeon-joo easily agrees — and since she can’t admit that she’s curious about Han-soo’s motives, she bluffs that she’s going to such lengths for him because she fell in love at first sight. Han-soo looks so baffled, LOL.

Well, Han-soo’s not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, so off he goes to track down the painting thief. The scumbag is also a child trafficker, and neither Han-soo nor his assistant can stomach the criminal’s shamelessly unrepentant attitude, but they both know they have bigger fish to fry.

Luckily for Yeon-joo, her captivity doesn’t last long. Master Jang’s henchman JO CHUL-JOO (Hong Wan-pyo) cuts away her rope bindings, and she’s quick-witted enough to realize that he wants her to act as a decoy and distract Han-soo so that he can look into him.

With that, Yeon-joo challenges Han-soo to a drinking contest. Before long, they’re both drunk as skunks, and Han-soo staggers off — only to regain his footing once he’s a safe distance away. Ooh, Yeon-joo double-crossed the ruffians! Atta girl.

Han-soo makes it to the trial, which soon goes awry. For some reason, Thief Pyo deliberately fumbles their cover story, accusing Master Jang of being the real culprit. Master Jang calls upon Henchman Jo to testify in his favor — but in an unexpected reversal, Henchman Jo corroborates Thief Pyo’s story. Master Jang is cornered, since he can’t provide his alibi without implicating himself in the trade of illicit wares.

It turns out that Han-soo appealed to Henchman Jo’s ambition, promising that he can oust Master Jang so that Henchman Jo can take his place. Gone are his days of being a subservient minion, and he proudly presents the retrieved painting to Commissioner PARK JE-SOO (Jo Hee-bong), who then uses it as a diplomatic gift for the Ming envoys.

 

Locked up in prison, a ragged Master Jang enlists the help of Commissioner Park to bail him out. However, he tactlessly mentions Commissioner Park’s history of forging evidence to frame an innocent man, thinking those same tactics can get him out of jail scot-free. All it gets him is a solid bludgeoning from a furious Commissioner Park, who leaves the bleeding man for dead.

Infiltrating in and revealing himself as the son of the framed judicial officer, Han-soo asks Master Jang how it feels to be in the position his father was once forced into. With his dying breath, Master Jang ekes out that the orders came from much higher up — in other words, the late king himself. According to his claims, Officer Kang died trying to challenge the status quo; he’d wanted to change the law to benefit the common people, and the authorities hadn’t liked that.

In a flashback, we witness the farce of a trial that Han-soo’s father had to go through. A bundle of stolen royal treasures had been planted in the Kang household, giving the soldiers an excuse to storm in and arrest them all. Faced with countless layers of corruption — the lying witness Commissioner Park, the deceitful investigator Master Jang, and the corrupt judge CHOO YOUNG-WOO (Choi Moo-sung) — Han-soo’s father never stood a fighting chance. The young Han-soo is denied a chance to prove his family’s innocence, and his father is beaten to death in front of their very eyes.

Some time later, Han-soo returned home to find his mother dangling from the rafters. It’s unclear whether it was a deliberate choice or a setup, but either way Han-soo finds himself chased by dogged pursuers until he’s forced to jump off a cliff into the raging sea below. To this day, Han-soo is still tormented by nightmares, waking up in a cold sweat to the panicked consternation of his friend.

 

Back in the present, Han-soo burns the portrait of Master Jang, watching pensively as it crumbles to ashes. One down, two more to go.

Han-soo’s making headway by reclaiming justice one step at a time, and the next notch on his tally is the conniving Thief Pyo. The cruel man finally gets his comeuppance — he’s trussed up and delivered onto the departing Ming vessel, with a helpful sign that points him out as the thief who stole the Ming prince’s painting.

Just when Han-soo thinks things have finally returned to their rightful place, Yeon-joo comes running up to him with a beatific grin. Dressed in a more practical hanbok, she’s ready to begin her new job — at Han-soo’s law firm, as his personal secretary. HAHAHA, have I mentioned that I love her?

I’ve probably said this a million times already, but gosh, this drama is so much fun! The beautiful cinematography and creative camera angles notwithstanding, the music direction is absolutely on point. From the rousing soundtrack, to the hilarious sound effects, there really isn’t a single dull moment.

The show has a knack for undercutting its sentimental moments with sudden comedy — the abrupt tonal shifts are hilarious, and serve to keep both its viewers and its characters on their toes. Plus, I love the misunderstanding between our leads, especially because it seems like Han-soo will fall first. He’s already amused by Yeon-joo’s forthright ways, and though he denies it, it’s clear he’s genuinely affected by her presence — after all, she’s the first person he’s ever received a sincere apology from.

Of course, no historical drama is ever complete without at least a little politicking. Our big bad is the Hungu faction, which includes Councillor Yoo, Judge Choo, Commissioner Park, and the late Master Jang. They’re clearly up to nefarious schemes, what with their illicit pottery dealings and friendly relations with the Ming envoys.

What has me concerned, though, is how Ji-sun ties in to this power struggle. He’s the son of Councillor Yoo, which is definitely a plot point that’s going to rear its ugly head later. Still, something in his gaze tells me Ji-sun isn’t all that naive when it comes to his father’s affairs. Let’s hope he proves to be a trustworthy ally for our protagonists — I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of him next week.