Not Your Mainstream Watch: Korean drama, 'The Devil Judge' starring Ji Sung is worth a watch

It’s Ji Sung’s birthday today and one can’t miss his 2021 release The Devil Judge that takes you to a dystopian Korea and the newly-implemented court of law. In this court, trials are held through live broadcast where the ‘real’ judges are the people of South Korea, who give their judgement through an app.

Ji Sung’s character, Kang Yo-han, is the chief judge of the live court with Park Jin-young (as Kim Ga-on) and Kim Jaekyung (as Oh Jin-joo) as his associate judges. Yo-han shows no mercy when it comes to criminals who come to his court. But, Yo-han has a secret, a secret that threatens to dethrone him from his seat and also sever his relationship with his young handicapped niece, Kang Elijah (played by Jeon Chae-eun), his deceased older brother, Kang Isaac's, daughter.

Things take an ugly turn for him when his nemesis, Jung Sun-ah (played by Kim Min-jung), is hell-bent on making his life a living hell. Ji Sung is fab, as always — he leaves you wondering whether Kang Yo-han is a good character or the ‘devil’.

The setting is scary — the hatred that people harbour for each other and the hunger for power makes you question humanity. If you are looking for dramas without fluff and romance, this should be on your list. Watch it not just for Ji Sung, but also for Jin-young who wins your heart with his naivety on screen, and for Park Gyu-young, who plays Jin-young’s childhood friend and lieutenant in the Regional Investigation Unit. Kim Min-jung wows with her sinister act — she makes you hate her with all your might, she’s that good!

If you like him in this drama, other ones worth giving a try are All In, The Doctors, Kill Me, Heal Me, Doctor John and Familiar Wife.

Where to watch: Netflix, Viki Rakuten