‘Law and The City’ official poster
IF YOU have time for only one legal drama this season, make it Beyond the Bar (BtB). Oh, but make that two. You must watch Law and the City (LaTC), as well. It is rare for avid followers of this genre to get a double treat like this.
Both BtB (Netflix) and LaTC (Disney+), with 12 episodes each, were streamed on the Saturday and Sunday time slots with two episodes dropped every weekend. LaTC started streaming at 9:20 pm on July 5 and aired its final episode on August 10. Just as it was winding up, BtB’s first episode was released at 10:40 pm on August 2 and its last episode on September 7.
LaTC was produced by cable network tvN, one of the K-drama’s earliest presenters of material the three public networks then—KBS, MBS, and SBS—wouldn’t dare touch. It is still streaming on Disney+. At the time, when Netflix and Disney+ hadn’t encroached too aggressively on the world of K-drama, tvN was already producing dramas with more controversial themes, but shown much later at night.
With the advent of streaming platforms, some of its domestic hits started streaming on Netflix. Still, these popular series maintained that tvN vibe—It’s Ok to Not Be Ok, Vincenzo, Mr. Queen, as well as blockbusters like Reply 1988, Crash Landing on You, Goblin, Queen of Tears, among other notable outputs. LaTC, still streaming on Disney+, is distinctly tvN.
BtB is cable network JTBC’s chartbusting, critically acclaimed legal drama. It has joined the ranks of SKY Castle, World of the Married, Reborn Rich, and notably the minor and unheralded Law School.
The finale of LaTC, with 7.7 percent average nationwide viewership, took first place in its time slot across all cable channels, according to Nielsen Korea. It ranked second in Good Data Corporation’s list of dramas that generated the most buzz. This, from a modest premiere night showing of 4.6. Its lead actor Lee Jong Suk, in his much-awaited comeback to drama after a hiatus, rose to no. 6 on the list of most buzzworthy actors.
Barely midway into its 12-episode run, BtB‘s 6th episode was at the top of the roster of most buzzworthy dramas, its leads Lee Jin Yook and Jung Chaeyeon no. 8 and 9 among the most watched actors.
Beyond these numbers, what do Law and the City and Beyond the Bar offer viewers, and why should we watch both?
LaTC and BtB are very different—but complementary—in their approach to the fascinating and dramatic world of lawyers and litigants. Both show contrasting aspects of the justice system, and the skills and personal values that lawyers bring into the practice. Thus, the two are a good back-to-back watch on a weekend. It is also a plus that both recently ended their run. No more exasperating wait for a week to watch the next two episodes.
LaTC is a quietly compelling slice-of-life drama set in the bustling Seocho-dong judicial town in the heart of Seoul. That the series is more character-driven than plot-driven serves it well. It is a solid, focused series that zeroes in on the personal lives of the young lawyers, and the ethical dilemmas they face.
‘Law and The City’ is a solid, focused series that zeroes in on the personal lives of the young lawyers and the ethical dilemmas they face
The five young attorneys’ days consist of routine court appearances that are either harrowing and heart-rending or dull, but this is balanced by their shared meals in some of the best restos in the city.
We also get a sneak peek into the ruthless world of the Hyungnim law firms. How the senior partners work the young lawyers with almost complete disregard for their personal time and rights as employees is unapologetically depicted.
But the biggest draw of LaTC is the steadfast friendships that form among the five young legal eagles, each one employed in a different firm but with their offices all based in Hyungmin Building. They meet for a sumptuous lunch or dinner daily, and support one another through tough days at work.
BtB tells the story of the diverse crew of the Yullim Law Firm, known for its cutting edge and highly competitive cadre of attorneys with case files of the most controversial and lucrative cases in Korea. Directly under the firm’s senior partners are newbie law graduates vetted in the most exacting manner.
Senior attorney Yoon Seok Hoon (Lee Jin Wook), head of Yullim’s litigation team, is at the forefront of the series’ conflicts. He is a highly skilled elite lawyer, seemingly cold and sharply analytical. On the day the firm interviews the newbies, a confident yet socially awkward Kang Hyo Min (Jung Chaeyeon) rushes into the room, late.
The cast of LaTC is led by tall and debonaire Lee Jong Suk, who does not seem to age. He is associate lawyer Ahn Ju Hyeong, who has been with the firm for nine years, receives a record salary, and doesn’t find a compelling reason to start an independent practice—that is, until the last hour.
Moon Ga Young is Kang Hee Ji, the last one to join the group. She gets exposed to some really despicable people, but her empathetic nature wins the day as she navigates her way through the intricacies of her clients’ lives.
The two have a slow-burning romance that left many viewers wanting more. Providing the steamy romance towards the series’ end is Ha Sang Gi and his former boss. Completing the roster of LaTC are Ryu Hae Young as Bae Mun Jeong—career driven, lovingly supported by her doctor-husband; Im Sung Jae as Ha Sang Gi—while lawyering, he has the unfulfilled dream of being a teacher; and Kang Yoo Seok as Choo Chang Won—almost always uncomfortable, chafing under the ruthless directives of his immediate boss.
Into Hyungmin Building sashays Kim Hyung Min, played with aplomb by the versatile Yum Hye Ran. Here, she isn’t someone’s downtrodden mother or desperate accomplice (like she was in The Glory), but a seemingly suspicious character in smart corporate raiment, not a lawyer but a legal advisor.
BtB has a competent cast in the main roles supported by an ensemble with some of the best character actors in K-drama. In the main lead roles are Lee Jin Yook (Squid Game season 3, Dear Hyeri) as Yoon Seok Hoon and Jung Chaeyeon as Kang Hyo Min (Family By Choice, My First First Love).
In the early episodes, netizens anticipating a romance made a big deal about the age gap between LJY and JCY, but this was quickly overwritten as the series unfolded. They start as mentor and junior lawyer, but their story arc easily flows minus the fireworks that would have ignited a storm because of their positions in the firm.
In the end, a relationship blossoms that is earnest and caring enough, but not one to raise eyebrows. There is no kinship between them. Relaxing with a drink in the firm’s rooftop lounge after a long and grueling day at court, Seok Hoon tells Hyo Min, “You were born for this. This work is a perfect fit for you.” She answers, “I knew it, but before this, I felt like I was walking a dark tunnel by myself, so thank you for what you said, and for brightening my way.” What better way to express love for a fellow professional and the person behind the stern façade?
The more intense romance—an unlikely but heartwarming one—is provided by second lead couple Heo Min Jeong (Jeon Hye Bin), divorced mother of a teenaged daughter, 10 years older than her ardent suitor, the bachelor Lee Jin Woo (Lee Hak Joo), who is totally smitten with her.
Theirs is the steamy, rose petal-strewn love story that culminates in a romantic proposal on the rooftop, the perfect counterpoint to the warm but cautious relationship between Seok Hoon and Hyo Min.
Here’s a tip when choosing what legal drama to stream: Check out the writer and director.
Both LaTC and BtB are written by lawyers. The writer of LaTC is Lee Syeung Hoon; for BtB (also Esquire in Korean tv), it is Park Mi Hyun. Lee Syeung Hoon is a practicing attorney who wrote the screenplay of LaTC from her experiences, making the series a realistic depiction of the bustling world that is the Seocho-dong legal district. She writes with a light touch. Even the most tragic of the cases explored in LaTC is not overly dramatic, violent, or bloody like the typical scenes in a suspense thriller with a lawyer in a riveting courtroom drama. But, this does not detract from its appeal; rather, it is what engages viewers. After all, lawyers are as human as they come.
‘Beyond the Bar’ has a competent cast in the main roles, supported by an ensemble with some of the best character actors in K-drama
Law and The City is an emotional journey with heart-tugging moments, seamlessly blending romance with the realities of the life lawyers face. The human side of both plaintiff and defendant is explored as well, but with just the right amount of angst for both lawyer and client. Our young lawyers also grapple with ethical questions in their practice, but no one crosses the thin line of what is morally wrong, even if legally possible.
Here is what one avid watcher of legal dramas says about Law and the City: “…The cinematography is beautiful. It is one of the best photographed legal procedurals I’ve seen. The sweet OST adds to the charm of the series and the overall experience (watching it) becomes even more immersive and charming…It is slightly above the average K-drama. — Prakesh Palanivel, IMDb, 11 August 2025
Park Mi Hyun, who wrote Beyond the Bar (also known as Esquire in Korea), is a former lawyer whose vast experience contributes to the drama’s accurate description of the world in which the main leads, senior attorney Yoon Seok Hoon (Lee Jin Wook) and rookie lawyer Kang Hyo Min (Jung Chaeyeon), practice, a totally different depiction of what litigation is all about.
Where LaTC is character-driven rather than plot-centric, BtB plumbs the heart of what the law is all about, what lawyers are reminded of— that it is the spirit of the law rather than the letter of the law that matters. Its writer also deftly wove into the narrative aspects of the lawyers’ lives that have parallels to the cases of their clients.
Look out for these beautiful lines penned by writer Park Mi Hyun:
He says: “When the pain is too great, people turn to the law. In extreme situations, when they’re desperate, when people have no other option, they place what’s left of their trust in the law… look to the source, what will heal the pain.”
In response Hyo Min tells her mentor Seok Hoon: “You said it yourself…words are powerful, they have the ability to cut right to the soul. Do not abuse it, but instead use it to protect your client, and to protect the people you know need your help the most no matter what.”
In the director’s chair for BtB is Kim Jae Hong, who megged the critically acclaimed hit Revenant (2023) and one of this year’s best rom-coms Love Scout, in a reversal of roles with the female boss slowly falling in love with her highly efficient male secretary who anticipates her every need.
LaTC is directed by Park Seung Woo, best known for the chartbusting rom-com Business Proposal (2022) and the popular legal rom-com Suspicious Partner (2017).
Law and the City and Beyond the Bar are your best bets on a long weekend or when you simply want to forget the vexations and the stresses of daily life.
I only wish that both had at least two more episodes each—LaTC to provide a back story to its main character Ahn Joo Hyung (Lee Jong Suk). LJS has ably portrayed some of the best characters in his previous works, but his role in this series is underwritten and does not give him much to work with. We are told enough about the other lawyers, but get very scant information about Ahn Joo Hyung’s family.
Two more episodes for BtB would also be a fitting way to tell the rest of the beautiful relationship blossoming between Yoon Seok Hoon (Lee Jin Wook) and Kang Hyo Min (Jung Chaeyeon).
As a netizen said: “Beyond the Bar is one of those rare gems…It goes beyond being a legal drama, it weaves personal struggles and relationships, it should have more episodes.” – kokoette God’sgrace, IMDb, 8 September 2025.
