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Ms. Hammurabi (미스 함무라비; Miseu Hammurabi) is a 2018 South Korean television series written by Moon Yoo-seok, the chief judge of Seoul Eastern District Court, and starring Go Ah Ra, L and Sung Dong-il. It is based on the screenwriter's own novel of the same name, which was first serialized in 2015 on The Hankyoreh and was later published in paperback form in 2016 by Munhakdongne Publishing Group. It aired on JTBC's Mondays and Tuesdays at 23:00 (KST) timeslot from May 21 to July 16, 2018 for 16 episodes.
The series was well-received by viewers for its fresh perspective on judges as well as its honest depiction of adversities in modern-day Korean society.
Synopsis[]
Miss Hammurabi is a courtroom drama about an overly sympathetic judge, Park Chao Reum (Go Ah Ra), and the coolheaded Ba Reun (L). Park Chaoreum (Go Ah Ra) is a newly appointed judge who is assigned to the 44th Civil Affairs Department at the Seoul Central District. She is always on the lookout for injustice and is able to profoundly empathize with others. Compared to her, Im Ba Reun (L) is a rigid man of principle with the creed of creating a 'court that is equal to all'. He is displeased with junior judge, Park Chao Reum (Go Ah Ra), who is too sympathetic when it comes to cases.[1]
Cast[]
- Go Ah Ra as Park Cha Oh Reum, a passionate and idealistic rookie judge who stays by her beliefs and stands for justice
- L as Im Ba Reun, an elite judge who prioritizes principles and sticks to the rules
- Sung Dong-il as Chief Judge Han Se Sang, a down-to-earth chief judge with years of experience and knowledge who understands the harsh realities of life
Soundtrack[]
Episodes[]
In this table, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
Episode | Aired | Title | Average audience share | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AGB Nielsen | TNmS | |||||
Nationwide | Seoul | Nationwide | ||||
Episode 01 | May 21, 2018 | "Judges' Duties" | 3.739% | 4.179% | 3.7% | |
On her first day of work as a judge, Park Cha Oh Reum meets her alumnus and fellow judge, Im Ba Reun. Ba Reun acts as if he barely remembers her, but deep down, he has always wondered about her. When an elderly lady, who has lost a trial regarding her son's death, pleads the judges to help, the two judges clash. Unlike Cha Oh Reum, who believes it's only right to go out of one's way to help the weak, Ba Reun believes that all human beings are selfish deep down. | ||||||
Episode 02 | May 22, 2018 | "First Trial" | 4.553% | 5.201% | 4.8% | |
Cha Oh Reum attends her first trial with Im Ba Reun and Han Se Sang. Unlike Se Sang who witnesses all sorts of crazy chaos regarding civil cases and appeals, Cha Oh Reum remembers the people's heartrending pleas and becomes teary-eyed. Meanwhile, Cha Oh Reum gets into conflicts with her colleagues due to her rash decisions and blind ambition. | ||||||
Episode 03 | May 28, 2018 | "We Might Not Have Money, But We Have Our Pride" | 5.045% | 5.487% | 4.9% | |
Cha Oh Reum and Ba Reun attend a trial regarding a female intern who has experienced sexual humiliation from her manager. However, much to their disgust, all the female employees of that company who are summoned as witnesses stand on their manager's side and would rather make the intern look crazy. Cha Oh Reum, who has experienced several incidents of sexual harassment herself, cannot help but feel attached to this case. | ||||||
Episode 04 | May 29, 2018 | "Reputation Is Very Important" | 4.924% | 5.147% | 4.1% | |
Cha Oh Reum's fellow colleague, Hong Eun Ji, in another department recently becomes pregnant. However, knowing how much of a workaholic his senior and Presiding Judge Sung Gong Choong is, she dares not tell him about it. Meanwhile, Gong Choong has been working hard even on the weekends so that he may get a promotion. Cha Oh Reum sees how much of a hard time Eun Ji is having and decides to stand up for her. | ||||||
Episode 05 | June 4, 2018 | "General Judges' Meeting" | 4.735% | 5.049% | 4.8% | |
Ba Reun and Cha Oh Reum prepare for the general judges' meeting. They go against Presiding Judge Han's orders and start sending out flyers to fellow judges and even presiding judges. However, it is surely not an easy task. Meanwhile, the trial for the old lady begins, and Cha Oh Reum is called to the chief presiding judge's room. | ||||||
Episode 06 | June 5, 2018 | "The Right to Be Forgotten" | 5.083% | 5.612% | 5.2% | |
A trial opens when a congressman refusing to reveal a photo of himself from the past files a lawsuit. As a judge, Ba Reun tries to understand why the plaintiff is so determined to forget about his past. Meanwhile, Ba Reun becomes curious about Cha Oh Reum’s past, wondering what happened for her personality to change so much. | ||||||
Episode 07 | June 12, 2018 | "The Meaning of Family" | 4.475% | 4.726% | 4.4% | |
Ba Reun regrets confessing his feelings to Cha Oh Reum. They don't know how to deal with the awkwardness upon seeing each other. Ba Reun finds out that it is Cha Oh Reum's birthday and gets her a gift. However, he's unsure of how to give it to her. A case about a family feuding starts. Cha Oh Reum and Ba Reun have different views on the meaning of family. What kind of verdict will they come to? | ||||||
Episode 08 | June 18, 2018 | "Let's Handle It Together" | 4.523% | 4.660% | 4.7% | |
The trial for the attempted suicide of an elite man begins. Ba Reun gets emotionally involved in the case and struggles. Cha Oh Reum watches Ba Reun struggle and feels bad for him. The final verdict for a custody case makes Se Sang think in the shoes of the plaintiff. Meanwhile, Ba Reun is jealous of Yong Jun and Cha Oh Reum's relationship. | ||||||
Episode 09 | June 19, 2018 | "Privilege and Misunderstandings" | 4.495% | 5.053% | 4.6% | |
The court stirs with the rumors of former judges having special privileges, and Oh Reum's panel takes over a case where the lawyer is a former colleague of Presiding Judge Han. Moreover, Oh Reum sees a protest in front of the court that demands for Presiding Judge Han and Ba Reun. Meanwhile, Presiding Judge Gam asks Oh Reum for a favor regarding the case of Asia Cosmetics. | ||||||
Episode 10 | June 25, 2018 | "I'm a Testifier, Not a Victim" | 3.838% | 4.262% | 4.0% | |
Cha Oh Reum is questioned by the prosecution regarding Presiding Judge Gam Seong Ho's immoral actions. To make things worse, the judges hear about Sung Gong Choong’s promotion. Cha Oh Reum attends a trial regarding a whistleblower who got fired after disclosing a company's wrongdoings. Witnessing how those who seek justice fail in front of power, Cha Oh Reum begins to think that her becoming a judge was a mistake. | ||||||
Episode 11 | June 26, 2018 | "Don't Get Worked up over Little Things" | 3.867% | 3.946% | 4.1% | |
Oh Reum is in charge of underaged children addicted to glue. She feels sorry for the poor children being labeled as outlaws. Ba Reun joins in as Oh Reum starts to take action to attempt solving the problem from the very source. As Oh Reum keeps trying to solve such problems, she slowly realizes how to win those who show no remorse of their wrong doings. | ||||||
Episode 12 | July 2, 2018 | "Alcohol-related Violence" | 3.763% | 3.825% | 3.9% | |
Thanks to Presiding Judge Han Se Sang's fiery personality and slip of the tongue, Cha Oh Reum’s department takes over some of the criminal department's cases. While looking over the cases, Ba Reun is flabbergasted by the people who committed horrendous deeds and then blamed it on alcohol as if it could be justified. However, on the other hand, Cha Oh Reum listens to their stories and their situation. Once again, their opinions clash. | ||||||
Episode 13 | July 3, 2018 | "Remaining Neutral" | 3.438% | 3.704% | 3.3% | |
Word that a judge is dating a stenographer spreads, and Bo Wang gets upset that people are speaking negatively of his relationship. Civil Department 44 is in charge of a case where a professor is charged with the quasi-rape of his student. During the trial, Cha Oh Reum feels discouraged and struggles with being neutral. She asks Ba Reun to help her keep her neutrality, and Se Sang tells them about his past cases. | ||||||
Episode 14 | July 9, 2018 | "She Should Remain in the Court" | 4.121% | 4.494% | 4.2% | |
At the office, everyone is supportive of Bo Wang and Do Yeon's relationship. Ba Reun tells his colleague that he has changed ever since the relationship. However, Bo Wang notices that Ba Reun has also changed and that he's been curious about others which is unlike him. Meanwhile, Joo Hyung Min makes a suicide attempt, and Cha Oh Reum panicks, thinking she may have made the wrong decision. | ||||||
Episode 15 | July 10, 2018 | "I Want to Think About Myself Only" | 4.490% | 5.354% | 4.5% | |
The public refuses to back down and endlessly bash Cha Oh Reum, and she becomes more and more unsure about her position as a judge. Worried, Ba Reun brings her to the neighborhood they used to live in when they were younger. There, he opens up his heart and shows his feelings. Meanwhile, Cha Oh Reum is summoned by the disciplinary committee. | ||||||
Episode 16 | July 16, 2018 | "Thank You for Your Hard Work" | 5.333% | 5.916% | 5.6% | |
Ba Reun, Bo Wang, and the other young judges stand up for Cha Oh Reum. They tell Gong Choong that if she is wrong, they are just as wrong. Se Sang asks the Chief Presiding Judge if he feels no shame in front of his junior judges. Meanwhile, Cha Oh Reum and Ba Reun oversee a trial involving a jury. As the trial unfolds, the jurors' opinions clash. What will the final verdict be? | ||||||
Average | 4.401% | 4.788% | 4.4% |
[2] This drama airs on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC and EBS).
Production[]
This series reunites Sung Dong-il and Go Ah Ra who previously worked together in Reply 1994 (2013) and Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2016).
Awards and nominations[]
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2018 | 6th APAN Star Awards | Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries | Go Ah Ra | Nominated |
Best New Actor | L |
Trivia[]
- This drama took over the timeslot previously occupied by "Welcome to Waikiki" and was followed by "Life" on July 23, 2018.[3]
- The drama was based on the novel "Ms. Hammurabi" by Moon Yoo-Seok (published 2015 in daily newspaper The Hankyoreh).[3]
- First script reading took place on January 16, 2018.[3]
- The drama was 100% created in pre-production.[3]
- Episode 7 was originally planned to air on Monday, June 11, 2018, due to news coverage of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's summit in Singapore. Episode 7 instead aired on Tuesday, June 12, 2018.[3]