The Devil Judge Season 1 — ★ 8.4 avg | TVHeat | TVHeat
16 episodes
2021
19h 53m total
In a near-future dystopia, an enigmatic judge punishes the haves by carrying out his vision of justice in trials live-broadcast and voted on by citizens.
After two years of turmoil brought on by an unidentifiable disease that dramatically comes to an end, the government plans to hold an experimental trial where the people are the judges. Kang Yo Han, the presiding judge of the experiment, is known for his unforgiving ways of justice. However, is justice what he genuinely intends? The newly appointed presiding judge, Associate Judge Kim Ga On, starts to suspect Judge Kang, whom he admires.
Judge Kang Yo Han yawns as a victim weeps in front of him. As everyone applauds him for his sentence, Judge Kim Ga On's distrust in him deepens. Although Judge Kang senses Ga On's skepticism, he still invites him into his dazzling world. A tug of war between the enigmatic Kang Yo Han and the mystified Kim Ga On begins.
An explosion in a judge's office shocks the entire nation. Was this an act of terror, or was it someone's warning message to Yo Han? However, Yo Han continues to race towards justice. What is the next trial he has prepared? Meanwhile, Ga On, who had lost consciousness while saving Yo Han, wakes up in a quiet mansion.
With new information, Ga On falls deeper into confusion. He and Soo Hyun investigate Yo Han's past, and Lee Young Min fails to stop the indictment against him. Meanwhile, Cha Kyung Hee gets engulfed with anger against Yo Han and tries to figure out how to save her son.
Ga On returns and starts working with Yo Han and Jin Joo again. His fans and the public welcome his comeback. Kyung Hee secretly visits his son in prison and watches him in grave pain. Then, Sun Ah comes up with a new strategy for Kyung Hee to tackle the situation. Meanwhile, a famous actor who has a young daughter is accused of committing sexual violence against his female colleagues, and the live trial starts.
Ga On introduces Elijah to Soo Hyun, but this makes Yo Han furious. Yo Han strongly warns Ga On not to do anything to Elijah. Kyung Hee holds a press conference and claims that Yo Han bribed a witness who made a testimony on his first live court show. The public gets deeply disappointed by Yo Han. Meanwhile, Soo Hyun gets attacked while following a witness of the Joo Il Do case.
Yo Han declares war against the state as he admits to his crimes in front of the people. The people of power at the foundation are outraged at Yo Han's surprise attack. But strangely, Sun Ah remains calm as if she had anticipated it. What does Sun Ah have up her sleeve? Meanwhile, Ga On reminds Yo Han, who has lost all faith in the world, of the importance of justice, as Yo Han takes him somewhere.
Ga On gets shocked after realizing the prisoner isn't the man he remembers. And for the first time, Yo Han candidly reveals the hardships of his life to Ga On. All the beliefs and morals Ga On has lived by crash down on him as he experiences firsthand the corruption of those in power. Now, he slowly recognizes his developing sympathy toward Yo Han. Will Ga On take Yo Han's hand against the recklessness of those in power and stop them?
Yo Han is like a hyena playing with its prey while Sun Ah hovers around the live court show. Sun Ah's presence disturbs him. But for some strange reason, he notices the loneliness hidden in the smiling face she shows him. What is the definition of the relationship between them? Meanwhile, Ga On determines to stand by Yo Han, who he thought was evil, and together, they go after the people of power, the truly evil ones.
An immense figure stands hidden behind Juk Chang, the YouTube star who was only considered to be attention-grabbing. Shocked by this new information, Yo Han and Ga On decided to put Juk Chang on trial in the live court. However, it's not an easy task with the police protecting Juk Chang. With the help of Soo Hyun, they start their hunt for Juk Chang.
Sun Ah realizes that her secret has been exposed to Cha Kyung Hee, and the sense of betrayal toward Yo Han deepens. Meanwhile, Kyung Hee makes an irrefutable offer to Sun Ah, and she has to make an extreme choice. Now that she is in a tight spot, Sun Ah looks for Yo Han, but as if he was expecting her to come, Yo Han makes an offer of his own. Two offers stand, and one of them will eventually result in a tragic ending.
After Kyung Hee committed suicide, Ga On and Yo Han run into Soo Hyun in Kyung Hee’s office. Feeling betrayed and disappointed by Ga On, Soo Hyun warns him to stay away from her. Meanwhile, now that Kyung Hee has been eliminated, Sun Ah starts to believe that Yo Han is on her side. She suggests to Joong Se that Yo Han should be the next president.
Yo Han gets injured, and at the same time, Ga On finds himself in a tight spot while trying to help the residents in Hyungsan-dong. Neither of them can rely on the other for help, but they must somehow escape the life-endangering situation. On top of that, the nation is faced with the nationwide epidemic due to the so-called virus, possibly led by Sun Ah and the foundation.
Ga On loses Soo Hyun, and his reason to live dies with her. As Yo Han empathizes with what Ga On is going through, he helps Ga On find another reason to live. Together they prepare a trial to punish Juk Chang. However, it feels as if they are thinking different things. Will Yo Han and Ga On get through the live court show without any issues?
Due to Ga On's shocking announcement of the live court's manipulation in cases, Juk Chang's trial comes to an abrupt stop. Although he thinks he made the righteous move, something troubles his heart. For Yo Han, being betrayed by someone he trusted changes him to someone unlike himself. Meanwhile, the foundation directors move on to their next target and plot to take down Sun Ah. Will Sun Ah win the battle against the directors?
After Yo Han is put in prison, Ga On blames himself, thinking that his distrust of Yo Han caused all this chaos. He decides to fix everything even if that means he should risk his life. Soon, he hears the news that Yo Han was killed in prison. Joong Se and the members of the foundation feel happy with the news of Yo Han’s death, and at the same time, they plot against Sun Ah.
