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Webtoon, Web Novel Franchise Judge Han-Young Lee Gets Live-Action Adaptation
posted on by Wonhee Cho
Korean broadcasting network MBC has announced a live-action series adaptation of Judge Han-Young Lee, a popular Korean web novel and webtoon with over 22 million combined views. The series is slated to premiere in the second half of 2025 on MBC.
Judge Han-Young Lee follows a corrupt judge who time-travels 10 years into the past and uses his second chance to fight against systemic corruption.
Ji Sung plays the title role — a low-ranking judge who gains power and influence through unethical alliances with a major law firm. Just as he resolves to change, he is unexpectedly transported 10 years into the past, where he begins a new chapter of life, using his legal authority to challenge institutional corruption.
Hee-soon Park plays Shin-jin Kang, the chief criminal judge at the Seoul Central District Court and a central figure in a shadow government led by a former president. Known for trading verdicts and abusing legal power, Kang becomes Lee's primary antagonist.
Jin-ah Won portrays Jin-ah Kim, a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. Driven by a personal mission to take down a powerful corporate figure, she reluctantly teams up with Lee. As she witnesses his shifting alliances, Kim finds herself torn between trust and skepticism.
With its mix of legal drama and fantasy elements, Judge Han-Young Lee is expected to deliver a fast-paced and morally complex narrative in its transition to the screen.
The web novel, which was written by Hae-nal Lee, was serialized in Naver Series in 2018. The webtoon, drawn by Dol-dol Cheon, has been serialized in Naver Webtoon since 2020. Currently, neither the webtoon nor the web novel are available in English.
Source: OSEN (Seo-jung Kang)
