'Law and the City' puts lens on everyday life of attorneys

Actors Mun Ka-young, left, and Lee Jong-suk are seen during a press conference for tvN drama "Law and the City" at The Link Seoul in Guro District, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of CJ ENM

At a time when trust in Korea’s legal profession is eroding — fueled by criticism on former Prosecutor General-turned-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s “prosecutor republic” politics and his own indictment and trial on charges of insurrection — tvN is set to premiere a drama that offers a look at the lives of lawyers.

"Law and the City," premiering Saturday, will portray the triumphs and tribulations of five associate lawyers in Seocho-dong, Seocho District, in southern Seoul, known as the heart of Korea’s legal world. Home to the Supreme Court, high and district courts and top prosecution offices, the area hosts nearly 4,000 lawyers and a network of legal professionals, making it the perfect setting for a drama rooted in the real-life grind.

The drama marks actor Lee Jong-suk’s return to the small screen, following a three-year hiatus since "Big Mouth" (2022).

Lee described the drama as being about "everyday life and making a living," rather than high-stakes narratives about life and death or fighting evil.

"Personally, I enjoy stories about life and death. However, when I thought about what kinds of dramas I haven't done before, it occurred to me that I haven't done many comfortable, everyday-life dramas," Lee said during a press conference at The Link Seoul in Guro District, Seoul, Tuesday.

"This time, I think I wanted to do a comfortable drama where I could work closely together with other actors."

He plays Ahn Joo-hyung, a rational, nine-year associate at Kyungmin Law Firm who handles client defense with logic and facts, excluding emotions.

Reflecting on his previous lawyer role in "Big Mouth," Lee noted, "While I couldn't properly showcase my lawyerly side back then because I was in prison for a long time, in this drama I take on the role of a lawyer in earnest. I thought about how to appear like a seasoned senior, wondering how to make it look real."

Scenes from tvN drama "Law and the City" / Courtesy of CJ ENM

The writer behind the drama, Lee Seung-hyun, is a practicing lawyer, who brings firsthand knowledge of the profession. He follows in the footsteps of Choi Yu-na, another attorney-turned-screenwriter, whose SBS drama "Good Partner" (2024) was praised for its realistic portrayal of divorce lawyers.

"Law and the City" is particularly anticipated for its focus on the lives of associate lawyers, which haven't been prominently featured until now.

The drama's director Park Seung-woo, who previously helmed genre-heavy dramas such as "Kairos" (2020) and "Adamas" (2022), said his latest project is a slice-of-life drama.

Park said he initially hesitated when considering how the story of associate lawyers would land with viewers, especially when people mostly view the profession as part of a privileged, high-earning elite, far removed from everyday concerns.

"I think that the worries of a lawyer wouldn't be different from the worries of a lawyer as an office worker. This is because there are commonalities in workplaces, whether it's a professional occupation or not," the director explained.

"I thought about the characters in terms of having to do the work that's assigned to them and having to integrate even if they don't like it. I hope you will also focus on the universal points of concern in the portrayal of the characters."

Viewer fatigue

Despite the talent behind the production, some worry timing may work against it. Culture critic Kim Kyo-seok noted that public perception of the legal community is at a low point, which could hurt viewer engagement.

It mirrors the case of "Resident Playbook," which saw its broadcast delayed for a year due to real-life controversies surrounding medical strikes and negative public sentiment towards resident-level doctors, who were perceived as prioritizing their own interests over patient well-being.

"The realization of justice always holds universal value and I believe it's a genre that offers catharsis through vicarious satisfaction. However, while viewers may try to separate reality from fiction, as we saw with 'Resident Playbook,' a situation where trust in real-life legal professionals has plummeted, much like how the medical strike controversy affected 'Resident Playbook,' could diminish the appeal of the drama's premise itself," Kim said.