he Judge Returns is a regression (time-return) courtroom drama that begins on January 2, 2026 and asks a simple but heavy question: If you could redo one ruling, would you choose the same verdict again? The story builds tension not only from trials, but from the consequences that follow a judge’s decision long after the gavel falls.
This English overview introduces The Judge Returns Cast and a spoiler-light episode guide so international K-drama fans can track the characters, power blocs, and shifting alliances without getting lost.
1. Drama Basic Information
| Title | The Judge Returns |
| Network | MBC (South Korea) |
| Air Dates | January 2, 2026 – February 14, 2026 (scheduled) |
| Schedule (KST) | Every Friday & Saturday, 9:40 PM – 11:00 PM |
| Total Episodes | 14 |
| Genres | Courtroom, Time Regression, Fantasy, Social Commentary |
| Streaming (OTT) | Wavve, TVING (availability may vary by region) |
2. The Judge Returns Cast : Main Cast
(1) Lee Han-young (played by Ji Sung)
- Lee Han-young is a single-judge at the South Chungcheong District Court.
- Lee Han-young once delivered rulings that benefited powerful networks_big law firms, insiders, and money.
- After the regression, Lee Han-young decides to rule differently, even when the personal risk becomes impossible to ignore.
(2) Kang Shin-jin (played by Park Hee-soon)
- Kang Shin-jin is the Senior Chief Judge of the Criminal Division at the Seoul Central District Court.
- Kang Shin-jin treats the judiciary like a chessboard, and Kang Shin-jin uses connections, slush funds, and political channels to control outcomes.
- Kang Shin-jin becomes Lee Han-young’s defining rival.
(3) Kim Jin-ah (played by Won Jin-ah)
- Kim Jin-ah is a prosecutor at the Seoul Central Prosecutors’ Office.
- Kim Jin-ah is sharp, persistent, and practical, and Kim Jin-ah digs until she reaches the core of a case.
- Kim Jin-ah sometimes clashes with Lee Han-young and sometimes collaborates with him, but Kim Jin-ah keeps the investigation engine running.
3. People in the Court System
(1) Baek Yi-seok (played by Kim Tae-woo)
- Baek Yi-seok is the chief judge (court president) of the South Chungcheong District Court.
- Baek Yi-seok values principle and balance, and Baek Yi-seok often becomes the figure who stabilizes chaos when the institution starts to split.
(2) Im Jeong-sik (played by Kim Byung-choon)
- Im Jeong-sik is the Senior Chief Judge of the Criminal Division at the South Chungcheong court.
- Im Jeong-sik watches internal currents closely, and Im Jeong-sik feeds signals upward when power begins to move.
(3) Kim Jin-han (played by Jung Hee-tae)
- Kim Jin-han serves as Kang Shin-jin’s closest practical operator.
- Kim Jin-han carries out persuasion, pressure, and enforcement, and Kim Jin-han turns hidden intent into visible consequences.
(4) Kim Yoon-hyuk (played by Jang Jae-ho)
- Kim Yoon-hyuk is another single-judge at the South Chungcheong court.
- Kim Yoon-hyuk intersects with Lee Han-young inside the same building, and Kim Yoon-hyuk becomes a variable depending on where the cases_and the institution_lean.
(5) Gwak Soon-won (played by Park Geon-il)
- Gwak Soon-won handles “field” work on Kang Shin-jin’s side_threats, intimidation, and direct pressure.
- Gwak Soon-won raises the suspense when Lee Han-young realizes Gwak Soon-won was the person who killed him in his previous life.
(6) Ma Kang-gil (played by Kim Young-pil)
- Ma Kang-gil sits above Kim Jin-ah in the prosecutorial chain.
- Ma Kang-gil controls pace and direction, and Ma Kang-gil pushes organizational logic whenever Kim Jin-ah tries to pursue justice at full speed.
(7) Park Gwang-to (played by Son Byung-ho)
- Park Gwang-to is a former president who still influences the board from the shadows.
- Park Gwang-to represents the top of the power pyramid, where politics, wealth, and legal authority quietly converge.
4. Haenal Law Firm
(1) Yoo Se-hee (played by Oh Se-young)
- Yoo Se-hee is the youngest daughter of Haenal_and Lee Han-young’s ex-wife.
- Yoo Se-hee is pulled between family interest, corporate strategy, and personal emotion, and Yoo Se-hee can destabilize choices that seem “clean” on paper.
(2) Yoo Seon-cheol (played by Ahn Nae-sang)
- Yoo Seon-cheol is the head of Haenal, a top-tier law firm.
- Yoo Seon-cheol blends law with capital, and Yoo Seon-cheol shapes outcomes before a case ever reaches the spotlight.
(3) Yoo Jin-gwang (played by Heo Hyeong-gyu)
- Yoo Jin-gwang is Haenal’s eldest son.
- Yoo Jin-gwang executes the family’s interests with a cold efficiency, and Yoo Jin-gwang treats loyalty as a transaction.
(4) Yoo Ha-na (played by Baek Seung-hee)
- Yoo Ha-na is Haenal’s eldest daughter.
- Yoo Ha-na prioritizes reputation and profit, and Yoo Ha-na strengthens the “family as institution” theme running through the firm.
5. S Group (Chaebol Side)
(1) Jang Tae-sik (played by Kim Beop-rae)
- Jang Tae-sik is the CEO of S Shopping and the son of the S Group chairman.
- Jang Tae-sik turns ambition into action, and Jang Tae-sik flips the board ruthlessly when the numbers demand it..
(2) Jang Yong-hyeon (played by Kim Byung-gi)
- Jang Yong-hyeon is the chairman of S Group.
- Jang Yong-hyeon symbolizes the “giant enemy” of the story, and Jang Yong-hyeon connects business power to legal and political influence.
6. Family & Neighbors
(1) Seok Jeong-ho (played by Tae Won-seok)
- Seok Jeong-ho is a former loan shark who now runs Dajul Cash.
- Seok Jeong-ho is Lee Han-young’s closest friend, and Seok Jeong-ho provides street-level help_information, contacts, and fast support when danger turns physical.
(2) Song Na-yeon (played by Baek Jin-hee)
- Song Na-yeon is a legal affairs reporter at Daejin Daily.
- Song Na-yeon chases stories aggressively, and Song Na-yeon becomes a natural ally when public pressure is the only weapon left.
- Song Na-yeon also has an impulsive streak, and Song Na-yeon can jump to the wrong conclusion_adding rhythm to the tension.
(3) Park Cheol-woo (played by Hwang Hee)
- Park Cheol-woo is a prosecutor at the South Chungcheong Prosecutors’ Office.
- Park Cheol-woo values procedure, and Park Cheol-woo repeatedly swings between conflict and cooperation with Lee Han-young because their standards for “right” are not always the same.
(4) Lee Bong-seok (played by Jung Jae-sung)
- Lee Bong-seok is Lee Han-young’s father.
- Lee Bong-seok lives modestly, and Lee Bong-seok reminds his son that responsibility is not an abstract concept_it is a daily weight.
(5) Shin Nam-sook (played by Hwang Young-hee)
- Shin Nam-sook is Lee Han-young’s mother.
- Shin Nam-sook reacts strongly to the moral cost of her son’s rulings, and Shin Nam-sook pressures him with the blunt question: “Was it truly fair?”
(6) Park Mal-rye (played by Sung Byung-sook)
- Park Mal-rye is the elderly neighbor raising her granddaughter in hardship.
- Park Mal-rye grounds the drama in everyday survival, and Park Mal-rye shows what “justice” means when rent and food come
(7) Han Na-young (played by Im Yul-ri)
- Han Na-young is Park Mal-rye’s granddaughter.
- Na-young works part-time to support their home, and Na-young becomes the clearest reminder that one verdict can redirect an entire life.
7. Plot: A Judge Who Returns to Re-Choose Justice
- Lee Han-young compromises with an elite network of judges, chaebol interests, and a top law firm_and Lee Han-young eventually collapses into tragedy and death. Then Lee Han-young wakes up ten years earlier, back in his single-judge days, facing the same crossroads again.
- Lee Han-young chooses differently this time. The drama does not treat trials as simple “case-of-the-week” puzzles; the drama treats each ruling as a moral lever that shifts families, careers, and institutions. That is why every change in one verdict reshapes the entire power map.
8. Character Relationships: Key Connections
① Lee Han-young ↔ Kang Shin-jin: a head-on collision of justice vs. power-as-management
② Lee Han-young ↔ Kim Jin-ah: cooperation and friction between bench and prosecution
③ Lee Han-young ↔ Song Na-yeon: truth meets public exposure through journalism
④ Judiciary ↔ Law firms: privilege and protection exchanged through “legal sophistication”
⑤ S Group ↔ Haenal: capital and legal strategy interlocking at the top
※ These ties evolve episode by episode, tightening conflict and forcing characters to reveal what they truly value.
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9. Conclusion
If you want one page that orients you fast, The Judge Returns Cast gives you the faces behind each power bloc, and this episode guide helps you understand how the 14-episode story escalates from personal regret to institutional confrontation. The drama’s core appeal comes from its central idea: a second chance does not automatically create justice_only a new choice does.