Diary of a Prosecutor: Episode 2

by quirkycase

Our hotshot prosecutor’s arrival to Jinyeong causes some friction within our team. While no one’s quite sure what to do with her, our lead is particularly affected as it becomes clear their styles couldn’t be more different. And she’s not about to just sit back and take orders. Plus, it seems this isn’t the first time our leads have crossed paths.

 
EPISODE 2

Everyone gawks at the posted notice of Cha Myung-joo’s appointment to Criminal Division Team 2. Our team assumes she must’ve caused trouble to get sent here. Min-ho informs them that the suspect of her recent fraud case turned out to be the Vice Minister’s father-in-law.

To their shock, Min-ho says she agreed to be transferred. Seon-woong gives us the rundown, from her graduating in first place at the institute to spending five years at the various branches in Seoul. Her credentials are no joke, making everyone wonder why this prestigious prosecutor would ever come to Jinyeong.

We revisit when Seon-woong first saw her in the office. She’d politely introduced herself, saying she’d be starting there next week and came to look around. He’d stood there dumbfounded and wondered if she really didn’t remember him.

Min-ho tells the team to just act casual about the transfer. Yoon-jin chimes in with an “of course,” but her (and everyone else’s) face says otherwise. Meanwhile, Seon-woong keeps repeating “hello” out loud, trying to work out whether Myung-joo’s greeting meant she forgot him.

Sure enough, the next day, everyone comes to work looking like they put extra effort in for their new, no big deal, team member. Seon-woong watches as everyone primps before Myung-joo shows up. The second they hear her arrive they panic over how to look most casual.

When she enters, everyone tries to play it cool except Jong-hak who rushes to introduce himself. Aw, Min-ho doesn’t even let Baby Prosecutor Jung-woo introduce himself before they sit. Although seating proves to be a challenge as everyone quickly tries to do the math for seniority and rearrange themselves.

Min-ho tells her to just familiarize herself with the office for her first week. As he starts saying, “Well, let’s get down to business,” Jung-woo shoots up, poised to take lunch orders. Ha! Myung-joo turns to look at him and the others panic.

He realizes his mistake and decides the best course of action is to pretend he stood for a group selfie. Pfft. Everyone’s embarrassed but plays along. Myung-joo just stares in disbelief, especially as they take a second one.

Everyone stares as Jong-hak shows Myung-joo her office (Room 309). Later, Jung-woo and Yoon-jin do the whole “eh, she’s not all that” routine despite falling all over themselves seconds ago, while Seon-woong is still hung up on her forgetting him. Myung-joo sits alone in her new, bare office and lets out a deep sigh.

In his office, Chief Kim opines to Prosecutor Nam and Min-ho that it was his words of encouragement that gave Myung-joo the strength to go on as a prosecutor. Cue dramatic music and an emotional Myung-joo full of gratitude. Min-ho and Prosecutor Nam share a look and sip their tea.

Meanwhile, Seon-woong sits down with two elderly men who are in a love triangle that resulted in one man smearing cow manure on the other’s door. Eww. Things get heated and they have to be pulled apart.

Over a posh lunch, Min-ho enquires about Seon-woong’s case. Seon-woong is reluctant to discuss the case at the table, but he finally admits the property damage was due to cow manure which cracks Yoon-jin up. Min-ho tries to change the subject to no avail.

Jung-woo is particularly amazed that both parties are in their 80s. They wonder at how passionate people can be about love, but Min-ho takes offense when Jong-hak assumes it’s just platonic at that age. Min-ho calls him close-minded. Do they think they’ll never get old?

Noticing Myung-joo hasn’t said a word, Min-ho asks her opinion on the case. “It’s a summary offense.” She goes back to eating. So not a talker.

In front of the prosecution office, a man stands with a sign urging Seon-woong to indict Park Jae-shik. Inside, the man complains Seon-woong is neglecting his duty; it’s been two months and he hasn’t indicted yet. Seon-woong assures the man they’re still investigating the overdue wages to obtain solid evidence.

Seon-woong claims he’s the eighth person to bring the same charges against Jeongsu Industries. So far, they’ve gotten off scot-free or with a slap on the wrist. He’s trying to ensure this one sticks and asks the man to trust him.

Seon-woong reports to Min-ho that Jeongsu Industries has a five-year habit of not paying its contract workers and has been using underhanded means to get charges dropped. He wants to consolidate the cases and only needs another week. Min-ho grants him permission.

Min-ho suddenly asks if Seon-woong and Myung-joo were close in school. Seon-woong remembers her re-introducing herself and answers no. Even so, Min-ho orders Seon-woong to look out for her as her sunbae. When alone, Seon-woong recalls a school get-together where she uttered, “How obnoxious” and left.

Reluctantly, he knocks on her door, bearing beverages, and is surprised to see her with two women drinking those same drinks (which he quickly stashes behind his back). He pulls a “whoops, wrong room” and gets out of there, dropping one of the drinks. He hears laughter after he closes the door.

A dejected Seon-woong goes back to his office only to have Man-ok bring up that he and Myung-joo went to college together. Jung-woo is amazed: “Were you two close?” Seon-woong remembers offering to treat her to a meal and her soundly rejecting him asking, “Why would you buy me a meal?” He testily asks Jung-woo how he could be close with everyone in his department.

They have a welcome party for Myung-joo, although “party” implies fun, which no one here is having. Like a fanboy, Jung-woo can’t hold it in anymore and tells Myung-joo, to everyone’s discomfort, how much he admires her since she even went after the Vice Minister’s father-in-law. She claims she just did her job.

As she pours everyone a drink, Myung-joo says she hates prosecutors asking how she could go after someone like that. She looks right at Seon-woong. What’s the big deal in doing your job? Min-ho praises her outlook.

Later, the gang goes to their secret spot for round two and venting. They marvel at Myung-joo’s directness. While everyone theorizes about whether she’ll quit soon, Seon-woong looks thoughtful. He finally speaks up to ask if they noticed how she stared right at him when she said, “I hate hearing that.” No one has a clue what he’s talking about.

As Myung-joo settles into her office the next day, she notices the talisman underneath her desk and tosses it in the trash.

Seon-woong meets with the woman from the elderly love triangle, hoping she can talk some sense into the men who are at a stalemate. She proudly admits they do listen to her…

At lunch, Myung-joo shocks everyone when she asks to meet with them all later in Min-ho’s office. Seon-woong is saved from the awkward silence by a call that sends him running to the emergency room. At the hospital, the protester tells Seon-woong he’s thinking of taking the money Jeongsu Industries is offering since he needs help caring for his son with epilepsy.

As Seon-woong tries to dissuade him from dropping the charges, prosecutor-turned-attorney CHOI TAE-JOONG (Cha Soon-bae) appears. Judging by Seon-woong’s expression, he’s not a fan. When Tae-joong encourages the man to settle, Seon-woong urges him not to agree unless Park Jae-shik personally comes to give him the money and Seon-woong is there to witness it.

At the meeting in Min-ho’s office, Myung-joo requests half of the new cases that come to their team and all cases older than two months. She apologizes for not consulting Min-ho privately, but she wanted everyone present to avoid misunderstandings.

Their team’s workload is 25% even though they get 20 of the 50 cases per week that come into the prosecution office. Each prosecutor also has around 100 unsolved cases that continue to pile up. Myung-joo says, so long as she’s there, the branch can’t stay like this and to think of it as her lessening their burden (you know, rather than outperforming them).

Seon-woong shows up right as she finishes and is confused by the atmosphere. Everyone briefs him afterward. Jong-hak and Jung-woo are all for her proposal, but it doesn’t sit right with Yoon-jin.

Min-ho goes to Chief Kim to discuss it, saying he’s okay with her doing the work, but it’s negatively affecting the work atmosphere. Chief Kim uses a metaphor about catfish and sardines to basically say it could heighten the team’s survival instincts.

Jung-hwan is determined not to be it this time and argues they send a different investigator to Room 309. But everyone claims to be sooo busy. Right then, Myung-joo walks in and pointedly introduces herself to Jung-hwan after hearing he’s a good investigator. Guess who’s it?

The team’s impressed when they see Myung-joo already working with Jung-hwan on the old cases in the cafeteria.

At the drinking hideout, Man-ok tells Yoon-jin she finally gets why Myung-joo came here. She must have a backer. Yoon-jin argues she wouldn’t have gotten transferred if that were the case, but Man-ok disagrees.

15 years ago, a promising prosecutor was sent to Jinyeong just like Myung-joo. He was nicknamed “Spider-Man” for his connections that, within a year, got him transferred to the most prestigious Seoul office. Five years ago, he became the Prosecutor General. Yoon-jin is amazed when Man-ok casually calls him and puts him on speaker. He asks if she’s at “the Fog,” which must be their hideout name.

Seon-woong receives a notice he is not happy about and heads to Min-ho’s office. He runs into Myung-joo there and requests she stay. His Jeongsu Industries case has been reassigned to Myung-joo, and he wants it back. Min-ho is hesitant and Myung-joo chimes in that reassigning it twice within a day is a bit much. She smiles and tells him not to worry—she’ll do well with her case. Gauntlet thrown.

After Min-ho shoos them from his office, Seon-woong chases after Myung-joo but she ignores him. In her office, she asks Jung-hwan to request another investigator since they’ll be swamped. Mi-ran is working for both her and Seon-woong right now, but Myung-joo assures her she’ll be working just with her soon. Mi-ran doesn’t look happy…but maybe that’s just her face?

Myung-joo orders Jung-hwan to retrieve old case files that include a reason for their delay and a one-page summary from the prosecutor in charge. Jung-hwan hesitantly asks if that applies to Seon-woong, seeing as he’s her college senior. She replies she became a prosecutor first. Guess that’s a yes.

In his office, Seon-woong is complaining to the rest of the team about the reassignment when Jung-hwan comes in with Myung-joo’s request. Jong-hak is ready, but Jung-hwan says only prosecutors below Myung-joo need to comply. Yoon-jin swallows her anger and agrees.

Jung-hwan awkwardly states that Seon-woong is included too and then backs out of the tension-filled room. Seon-woong calls and summons Myung-joo to the interrogation recording room. Man-ok sends out a notice of the upcoming Seon-woong versus Myung-joo battle so the entire staff can eavesdrop behind the glass (with snacks, ha).

Seon-woong lays it out. First, Myung-joo should respect her colleagues more—they’re prosecutors too. She notes that he’s only saying this after she asked him to write summaries. His second point? He hopes she’ll work closely with him on the Jeongsu Industries case. “Is that a request?” After a beat, Seon-woong says it’s advice.

Myung-joo doesn’t think she needs advice from a prosecutor under her. Seon-woong argues he graduated first, but she laughs it off as unimportant. Stepping closer, he says, “You don’t like me, do you? I know that.” She looks a bit surprised. He continues, “It doesn’t matter. I don’t like you either!” and storms out. Pfft.

Myung-joo stares at the door just blinking. The shocked onlookers file out silently, while Yoon-jin and Jong-hak cringe in second-hand embarrassment.

In the office, Man-ok and Jung-woo don’t know what to do with themselves and can’t even look at Seon-woong. He narrates that he definitely didn’t lose. Nope. Because this is a marathon, and they’re just getting started.

After noticing the tension between Seon-woong and Myung-joo at lunch, Min-ho stops by Seon-woong’s office that night with beer. Min-ho brings up the fight and says they’re all on the same team which is why he invited Myung-joo to join them.

When Seon-woong uses a ruler to pop the beer caps off, Myung-joo gets a strange look. Back in her office, she recalls graduation when people were discussing who got the “carpenter’s ruler” that goes to the top student. She gives a humorless laugh as she says she always wondered who received it.

The next day, Seon-woong gets a call from attorney Choi Tae-joong who gloats about how quickly he got the settlement. This sends Seon-woong straight to Myung-joo’s office where he berates her for not investigating Jeongsu Industries further. But she claims there wasn’t enough evidence to indict and the victim agreed, so it’s not on her.

Seon-woong brings up the victim’s son’s hospitalization, but Myung-joo doesn’t think it’s relevant. He fires back that she can’t relate with her expensive clothes, but for some people, it’s a matter of survival. Myung-joo retorts that as a rich kid, what does he know about survival? She accuses him of wanting to play the hero and ignoring the victim’s desperation.

Voices raise as they go back and forth over what a prosecutor’s duty is until Min-ho comes barging in to bring them to task like errant children. Seon-woong narrates that it’s not always easy to say who wins, and in some cases, winning doesn’t matter. We see the older woman from the love triangle leaving both men behind.

At her apartment, an exhausted Myung-joo gets a call from Chief Min, who had ordered her transfer. He’d assumed she’d quit and backhandedly compliments her for knowing when to lower her head. He says he’ll visit Jinyeong, but she claims she’ll go to Seoul instead. She takes a drink after hanging up, looking like she’s preparing for battle.

At home, Seon-woong flashes back to that college get-together. He’d talked about how he could barely sleep after seeing the starving children on his trip to Africa. Worrying about the bar exam felt like a luxury. Oh, he was one of those. He just had to do something, so he was thinking of sponsoring a kid and wanted others to join him.

Myung-joo had scoffed, “How obnoxious.” They were already struggling, yet he made $10 sound like nothing. How typical for a rich kid. He shoots up as he remembers she called him that same thing in the office. She does remember him!

We get some battle music as the final possibility for Myung-joo coming to Jinyeong emerges: to reunite with someone from the past.

Epilogue

We flash back to the Chief Kim’s phone call to Myung-joo. As they spoke, she scrolled through the bios of Jinyeong prosecutors and did a double-take when she saw Seon-woong. Staring at his photo, she’d told Chief Kim she’d see him in Jinyeong.

 
COMMENTS

Myung-joo has arrived. We knew going in that her and Seon-woong were going to butt heads over their differing philosophies, so that was no surprise. But I like that the difference in approach goes beyond just having a rational versus emotional bent. Now that we know some of their backstory, it’s clear Myung-joo always took issue with Seon-woong’s lofty ideals that she saw as coming from a place of insincerity and privilege. I’m guessing she comes from a more modest background which informs her practical perspective. Their argument over the Jeongsu Industries case was interesting in that they both were fighting for justice but from different vantage points. Seon-woong takes the more ideological approach of fighting wrongdoing on principle and preventing further violations, whereas Myung-joo concentrates on the practical ramifications in the here and now.

Compared to Seon-woong, Myung-joo is still a bit of a mystery. She’s obviously a good prosecutor who sticks to her principles, even if those principles aren’t the norm or put her at odds with those around her. Although she can be harsh, she doesn’t come across as a mean or vindictive person. I like that she’s direct without being overly confrontational. She pretty much just goes about her business, but she will push back if challenged. It’ll be interesting to see if any of her well-curated professionalism slips as her war with Seon-woong intensifies.

After that epilogue, I’m really curious as to what she’s hoping to accomplish with Seon-woong. I mean, it looks like she only agreed to go to Jinyeong after seeing he worked there. But right when she got there, she pretended not to know him. And from the flashbacks, there’s no love lost between those two which makes her intentions even murkier. She doesn’t seem like the petty type, so I imagine her reasons are deeper than wanting to cause trouble for someone she dislikes.

Jong-hak and Jung-woo have been Team Myung-joo from the start, so it looks like Yoon-jin is the only other prosecutor who has issues with her. I wonder what everyone will do if Seon-woong and Myung-joo draw a line in the sand. Will we get factions, or will they be neutral bystanders? Judging by how into that showdown they got, my guess is they’ll keep observing from a distance with snacks at the ready for a while yet.

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