Juvenile Justice is a 2022 Netflix Kdrama starring Kim Hye Soo, Kim Moo Yul, Lee Sung Min, Lee Jung Eun in main roles. Kim Hye Soo plays the role of Sim Eun Seok who is a new judge recently transferred to the juvenile court in the Yeonhwa District Court.
Sim Eun Seok can be described as a rational, cold-hearted, and unfriendly person who will do anything to deliver justice.
After watching Juvenile Justice Kdrama questions do come up as to why Sim Eun Seok is built that way? Why is she feared by juvenile criminals?
Does Sim Eun Seok hate juvenile offenders? If so why? What is Sim Eun Seok’s real reason for working in the juvenile court?
Sim Eun Seok and Cha Tae Ju
Cha Tae Ju also works at the Yeonhwa District Court where Kang Won Jung is the presiding judge. Cha Tae Ju mistook Sim Eun Seok as a visitor/client on their first meeting.
Looking at Sim Eun Seok and Cha Tae Ju, there is a stark difference between their personalities and dispositions. Does that mean their idea of delivering justice also differs?
Cha Tae Ju can be described as a hard-working and soft-spoken man who has his own beliefs, strong convictions, and the idea of juvenile reform. He believes that people can change if given a chance.
However, Sim Eun Seok is clearly built differently than Cha Tae Ju. Sim Eun Seok believes that juvenile criminals are the worst offenders.
They should be punished properly so that they can truly reform and do not turn into heinous criminals when they grow up.
Juvenile Justice Kdrama followed an episodic structure where they showed different cases and Sim Eun Seok delivered justice rightfully and ethically.
Sim Eun Seok as the Judge
After watching the entire series, Sim Eun Seok’s character is not just built differently, the character teaches the real meaning of justice and reform in the current society.
Sim Eun Seok is a brilliant judge who outclassed everyone to earn the infamous nickname among the criminals and her peers.
As a judge, Sim Eun Seok delivers her duty and tries to educate the minors through punishment and legal boundaries when the parents and society failed to educate them.
In the beginning, it might seem like Sim Eun Seok hated juvenile criminals, but it’s far from the truth. In every case, she tried her best to find the truth and deliver justice to the bereaved.
Sim Eun Seok could have dismissed the cases easily or simply did what her supervisor Judge Kang Won Jung ordered her to, but this is Sim Eun Seok. She worked hard to the point of collapsing but her intention to deliver justice remained.
There was no real hatred but only the drive to pursue every case with the honesty and decorum of the judge.
Why was the last case different?
Although Sim Eun Seok is a brilliant judge, she is a human after all. In the last case, there was a conflict of interest because the perpetrators Hwang In Jun and Baek Do Hyeon were responsible for the death of her child in the past.
Unfortunately, the case was tried as an accident by Na Geun Hee. As a result, the kids were never punished and later became the mastermind of the blackmail, pornographic distribution, and main offenders in the sexual assault case.
Sim Eun Seok’s judgment was clouded when she saw their names in the new cases and wanted to participate. Even her husband openly warned her.
Thankfully, Judge Na Geun Hee took over the case, and with the collaboration of Cha Tae Ju and Sim Eun Seok, they were able to deliver the rightful punishment to juvenile criminals.
In sum total, Sim Eun Seok doesn’t really hate juvenile criminals, but the idea that they can escape punishment because of age. There’s a long way ahead of Sim Eun Seok, and she taught everyone that it’s harsh to judge someone simply based on appearance.
Judge Sim Eun Seok may seem like an unfriendly and harsh person, but in reality, she tries every case with utmost conviction and to hold judgment in the right possible way.
She can be defined as someone who’s trying to deliver justice in an ethical manner without giving in to the power or abuse of power.
Juvenile Justice Kdrama was a short series and quite enjoyable. Do check out the Netflix Kdrama and decide whether you think Sim Eun Seok was right o wrong.
Thanks for reading!!!
