The MBC Friday–Saturday drama The Judge Returns has surpassed double digit ratings, showing strong popularity.
In episode 5, which aired on Friday the 16th, Lee Han Young (played by Ji Sung) revealed a ledger exposing military service corruption involving political and business figures. He then secured a transfer ticket to the Seoul Central District Court, where his longtime enemy Kang Shin Jin (played by Park Hee Soon) is based, and stepped deeper into the heart of major corruption.
According to Nielsen Korea, the episode recorded 10.1% ratings in the metropolitan area and 10.0% nationwide, setting a new personal best for the drama.
A scene where Chief Judge Baek Yi Seok (played by Kim Tae Woo) announced that Lee Han Young and Im Jung Sik would go to Seoul with him peaked at 11.7% nationwide, firmly placing the drama at the top of the Friday–Saturday time slot.
The drama also ranked No. 1 in the key 20–54 age group rating at 3.4% among all programs aired that day, proving its strong buzz and competitiveness. With this rise, The Judge Returns achieved a triple crown, ranking first in metropolitan, nationwide household, and 20–54 ratings, establishing itself as a leading drama.
The episode also revealed how Lee Han Young came to possess the ledger exposing military service corruption. After receiving it from his mother Shin Nam Sook (played by Hwang Young Hee), who runs a junk shop, he was suddenly attacked by Gwak Soon Won (played by Park Gun Il).
By looking into his eyes, Han Young realized that Gwak Soon Won was the person who killed him in his previous life. As people gathered, Gwak fled, and Han Young learned that the real person seeking the ledger was Kang Shin Jin, not Lee Chang Hyo (played by Choi Hong Il). The past and present became tightly connected, raising tension.
Unable to recover the ledger, Kang Shin Jin tested Han Young by offering to send him to Seoul in exchange for the ledger, but Han Young firmly refused. When asked if he would regret it, Han Young replied, “People only truly regret things at the moment they die,” showing how different he is from his past life. With the support of Chief Judge Baek Yi Seok, Han Young exposed the ledger and directly challenged powerful forces.
As a result, chaos erupted at Su O Jae, the hideout of former president Park Gwang To (played by Son Byung Ho). Kang Shin Jin was criticized for failing to manage the ledger properly and for hiding the existence of additional names. At the same time, Woo Gyo Hoon, the justice minister nominee, looked down on Kang Shin Jin’s background, revealing more of Kang’s hidden story and deepening the plot.
Kang Shin Jin continued to pressure Han Young by threatening Im Jung Sik through Gwak Soon Won. When summoned to meet Kang, Han Young hid his desire for revenge and introduced himself as “the son of a redevelopment victim,” easing Kang’s guard. When asked what kind of person Kang was, Han Young replied that he saw him as someone who could guide him and promised to become someone Kang would need. Kang then secretly asked Han Young to bring down Woo Gyo Hoon before his confirmation hearing.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Kim Jin Ah (played by Won Jin Ah) failed to stop Jang Tae Sik (played by Kim Beop Rae) from being released after his detention hearing for overseas tax evasion. Later, she visited her hospitalized father and said, “This is the real beginning,” hinting at a deeper story between her and Jang Tae Sik.
As figures involved in military service corruption were arrested one by one, calls for reform spread through the judiciary. Judge Baek Yi Seok was summoned to Seoul Central District Court by the new chief justice and took Lee Han Young and Im Jung Sik with him. In response, Kang Shin Jin sent spy Kim Yoon Hyuk (played by Jang Jae Ho) to Seoul to closely watch their moves.
At the end of the episode, Lee Han Young was shown heading to Hae Nalo Law Firm, preparing his next step against corruption. His inner resolve, saying that the other side had chosen him again in this life and that he would decide their fate, raised anticipation for what comes next.
Viewers responded enthusiastically, saying things like, “Ji Sung’s action scenes are amazing,” “The scale keeps getting bigger and more exciting,” and “The mind game between Ji Sung and Park Hee Soon is something to look forward to.”
Episode 6 of The Judge Returns will air on the 17th at 9:50 PM on MBC.
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