If I Were A Whale
In the present, Hyang-Sim is a North Korean defector who is trying to protect her daughter from being taken away by the South. She’s regretful but puts on a brave face as she walks away from the orphanage.
Hyang-Sim, a Korean national, has been charged with injury as a result of a robbery. The Public Interest Case means that Woo Young-Woo, the prosecutor in charge of the case, will work alongside Su-Yeon, the victim’s representative. ..
In early 2019, a woman named Lee Sun-Yeong came to the attention of the police after making a series of false accusations against her ex-boyfriend. She claimed that he had physically and emotionally abused her, and that she had no choice but to go to the police because she was afraid for her safety. Lee Sun-Yeong is an experienced criminal lawyer, and has been working on this case for months. She is confident that she can prove her innocence, and that her ex-boyfriend will be found guilty on all counts. The pair head off to the detention center together where they meet Hyang-Sim. Lee Sun-Yeong is the lady pressing charges. Now, a brief history lesson fills us in on the details for this case.
Hyang-Sim asked “Mom” (the North Korean defector broker, Choi Yeong-Hui) for 10 million won. It was transferred to Sun-Yeong who in turn transferred it on to Hyang-Sim. Hyang-Sim had intentions of splitting her money with Jeong-Hui, another defector from North Korea. ..
The pair forced Sun-Yeong to hand over the ten million won, manhandled her, and caused extensive damage.
The landlord downstairs called the police when he saw all the commotion. Hyang-Sim ran away intending to be there for her daughter, while Jeong-Hui was arrested and served 4 years behind bars. ..
After hearing her passionate plea, the pair decide to try and get her probation. The only way to do that though is to reduce down Hyang-Sim’s sentence to under 3 years. That seems difficult given how old the case is and the circumstances around this. The only solution is to try and prove that the victim wasn’t actually physically assaulted by Hyang-Sim.
A doctor who assessed Sun-Yeong may be biased against those from North Korea, according to an article recently published. The doctor’s article showed his clear bias against defectors, which could potentially impact Sun-Yeong’s ability to receive medical care.
Sun-Yeong is beaten down by a man every time she goes to see her landlord. This has been going on for five years now.
Sun-Yeong takes the stand and claims she doesn’t remember calling the police in the past. Hyang-Sim loses control and stands up, claiming it’s lies and that Sun-yeong is pretending to be forgetful.
Fortunately, Young-Woo manages to get them a recess so Hyang-Sim can compose herself in the courtroom. When they finally reconvene, Young-Woo is given the task of trying to prove to the courtroom that the doctor is biased against North Korean defectors.
The doctor is reluctant to speak about his views on North Korean defectors until Young-Woo pushes him in a corner. The doctor rattles off his true feelings about defectors, how they’re not taxpayers so shouldn’t be treated the same, and how their treatment at the hands of the North Korean government is unfair.
Hyang-Sim’s actions in regards to robberies were a means of trying to explain her actions in relation to the North Korean rules around robbery. Now, as Hyang-Sim is more aware of her own culture and the North Korean laws, she technically wouldn’t be at fault for her actions given what she knows about her own culture.
Hyang-Sim tells the jury that she was owed money by the judge himself, and that she doesn’t know a whole lot about North Korean law either. She claims that she only received a small amount of money from him, and that she doesn’t know how to get her money back. This causes the jury to start questioning her credibility, and they eventually decide in her favor.
Judge: I’m sorry, but I won’t allow the resumption of this hearing.
The jury’s verdict and Hyang-Sim’s probation are a major victory for her. She was originally charged with crimes that could have landed her in prison for years, but thanks to the judge’s lenience, she now has to serve only a few months in jail. In addition, she confessed to the crimes she committed, which made them all the more difficult for prosecutors to prove. This victory is a huge step forward for Hyang-Sim and shows that she is truly sorry for what she did.
After the court case, Su-Yeon and Young-Woo head to the department store together. However, that CEO from Taesan last episode is there and she happens to pass Young-Woo unknowingly.
The Episode Review
This episode of the show was really good. Attorney Woo turned the attention to North Korean defectors and woven a story around that which was interesting. The angle was well executed and I thought it was a great choice.
The show has had its moments and the balance between drama and comedy works surprisingly well again. I really like the way Su-yeon and Young-Woo are building up this friendship together as well and it’s nice to see that explored in more detail across this chapter. Oh, and a shout out to Young-Woo’s “whoa, whoa” too, which was nicely implemented for Hyang-Sim’s case. ..
The writing in this show is excellent. Every character has a lot of depth and the fact that we’re exploring them across episodes says a lot about the writing. ..
Here’s hoping in the future we see more of Jun-Ho and his past as it’ll be good to see exactly how that collides with Young-Woo. But will she accept him back?
