The extraordinary parole defense of Go Soo has begun.

The tvN Monday-Tuesday drama ‘Parole Judge Lee Han Shin’ (directed by Yoon Sang Ho, written by Park Chi Hyung), which first aired on the 18th, surpassed 5% in viewership ratings in just two episodes.

From the first episode, ‘Parole Judge Lee Han Shin’ recorded an average of 4.9% and a peak of 6.5% based on households in the metropolitan area, and an average of 4.6% and a peak of 5.7% based on households nationwide, recording the second highest first-episode ratings among tvN Monday-Tuesday dramas aired this year, following ‘Marry My Husband’ (episode 1, 5.2%). The second episode that aired on the 19th recorded an average of 5.4%, a high of 6.9%, and an average of 5.3%, a high of 6.6% in the metropolitan area. (Nielsen Korea)

The main character Lee Han-shin (played by Go Soo) is behind these ratings. His extraordinary performance, where he implements justice in a way we‘ve never seen before, caught everyone’s attention. Lee Han-shin‘s appearance, using the ‘parole’ system to deal a refreshing blow to conglomerate chairman Ji Dong-man (played by Song Young-chang), who reigned above the law, showed at a glance why he became a parole officer for revenge and what role a parole officer plays.

In particular, Lee Han-shin’s unique actions, which seemed puzzling at first, were eventually revealed to be part of a bigger picture, providing a thrilling catharsis. The scene where she performs a trot song in a sparkly costume for Chairman Ji Dong-man or brings her pet dog Leo to his ex-wife Choi Won-mi (played by Hwang Woo-seul-hye) wasn‘t simply to win over Ji Dong-man’s favor.


This was all part of Lee Han-shin‘s clever plan, realizing that he couldn’t prevent Ji Dong-man‘s parole with ordinary methods. He used his status as a lawyer to leave malicious comments on Ji Dong-man’s ex-wife Choi Won-mi during visiting hours, arranged for them to meet his pet dog, and took pictures of them to prove that he was a person with the power to influence the outside world even while in prison.

Based on this, he made Choi Won-mi sue Ji Dong-man for defamation, and successfully prevented his parole by highlighting the influence that Ji Dong-man could have on the investigation. In addition, Lee Han-shin attracted attention by not using his position as a parole officer just for revenge, but by giving new opportunities to those who truly reflect and want to rehabilitate.

Lee Han-shin‘s unique and meticulous side revealed in this process raised expectations for the future story. Above all, it is evaluated that Go Soo’s serious image and witty acting, who plays Lee Han-shin, are exquisitely combined.

The production team said, “Blocking Ji Dong-man‘s parole is just the beginning of the revenge story against Ji Dong-man and Jimin Seop (played by Lee Hak-joo)” and “Please look forward to the activities of real-life hero Lee Han-shin, who will continue to use outrageous methods to make villains pay for their crimes.”

‘Parole Judge Lee Han-shin’ airs every Monday and Tuesday at 8:50 PM.

Hong Se-young, Donga.com reporter, projecthong@donga.com