Diary Of A
Prosecutor 검사내전
jtbc (2019-2020) 16 Episodes
Legal Drama, Grade: A
Korean Drama Review by Jill, USA (No End Spoilers)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I started
the Korean legal drama Diary Of A Prosecutor
in the year it began, 2019, but originally thought it
seemed a bit dry, so put it off for another day. That
other day turned into years until its lead actor,
beloved Lee Sun Kyun, tragically committed suicide
around Christmastime 2023. Then I felt prodded by my
own nostalgic sadness for this actor to watch Diary
Of A Prosecutor from the beginning and finally
completed it early 2024. Instead of feeling it was
rather dry I suddenly realized that it was instead
cerebral, humorous, informative, and compelling. Ah,
the hazards of quitting on a drama too soon and
missing its sublime growth as a story about amazing
human beings! Plus I fell in love with Lee Sun Kyun
all over again, just like I had in his hit dramas My
Mister, Pasta,
and Coffee
Prince. This is a legal drama that will
make you think, not just feel.
Director
Lee Tae Gon did a good job with the pacing of this
legal drama, based on a popular novel by Kim Woong. He
also had a hand in the production of the screenplay. I
remembered how much I had liked his work on an older
drama he directed, The
Last Scandal Of My Life, which had been
the swan song of the late actress Choi Jin Sin who had
also tragically committed suicide.
The
Story:
Set mostly in the fictional city of Jinyeoung, Korea,
we meet a group of hard working, salaried legal
professionals, and we learn about their everyday
personal struggles and legal case challenges. The
story is told through the main perspective of
Prosecutor Lee Sun Woong (Lee Sun Kyun) of Criminal
Investigation Team 2 at the District Prosecutor’s
Office. He is a brave attorney with a keen sense of
justice, who handles most of his cases with serious
dedication. Jinyeoung is his hometown and he's at ease
there, helping to support his extended family, though
he himself is not married.
One portion of the
prosecution’s job is issuing summonses, and another
portion involves negotiating with numerous suspects,
victims, witnesses, and sorting through legal
documents that, if stacked together, would be taller
than the building rooms they work in! There is an
unofficial competition between the Criminal
Investigation Team 1 and Team 2 at the Jinyeong
branch.
The Chief Prosecutor Jo Min
Ho (Lee Sung Jae, Jealousy
Incarnate, Gu
Family Book, The
Suspicious Housekeeper) frequently
compares Team 1 with Team 2 and finds 2 consistently
wanting. One significant distinction is that they have
a great deal of more unsolved cases than Team 1, so
that increases their stress at work. Additionally,
they rank second in the number of incidents in which
the victims file formal complaints, the number of
autopsies required, and the proportion of senior
employees.
Sun Woong’s junior from the
law school Judicial Research and Training Institute,
Cha Myung Joo (Jung Ryeo Won) often competes with him,
but not in a nasty way, rather in a serious but
sometimes humorous way. Myung Joo, because of her
success record, has become an elite prosecutor, one
who was rising on the ladder of success at the Central
Seoul District Prosecutor’s Office in Seoul before
being assigned to the District Public Prosecutor’s
Office in Jinyeong. She is determined to serve her
time in Jinyeoung quietly and diligently, with the
ultimate goal of returning to Seoul as soon as
possible.
Myung Joo meets a number of
dedicated and overworked prosecutors in Jinyeong who
work towards their aspirations by settling cases in
the best ways possible. In time Myung Joo develops a
new perspective on the role of law, order, and justice
after coming to know about Sun Woong’s ideas of legal
procedures, and observing the daily lives of the
overworked prosecutors and how they handle the cases.
Some of these overworked prosecutors are Hong Jong Hak
(Kim Kwang Kyu), female attorney Oh Yoon Jin (Lee Sang
Hee), Kim Jung Woo (Jeon Sung Woo), and female
attorney Sung Mi Ran (Ahn Eun Jin, whom I had loved so
much in My
Dearest).
Loaded with comedy, pathos, and heartfelt moments, the
drama depicts the actual and raw life of lawyers,
taking a distinctive step forward from other dramas
that glorify this profession. The series focuses on
the prosecutors’ pragmatic attitudes while ignoring
notions of a glamorous life and heroic resolution to
crimes. Their daily lives are filled with challenges
and obstacles. The drama depicts how they battle their
inner demons, strive to better themselves every day,
fight against all odds, and strive to bring justice in
the greatest way possible with each passing day. Some
of their cases help the disenfranchised, the
handicapped, victims of gangs and gambling outfits,
and workplace harassment.
The strong
character bonds are a highly commended ingredient of
the series. Their friendships are put to the test
multiple times, but they remain unwavering, willing to
lend a helping hand to each other in times of need. By
allowing the characters to progress personally, the
drama demonstrates good character development. Every
one of them develops into a better person by the end
of the story. Enjoy this great drama. Last I checked
it is available on both Netflix and Viki.