Recap Korean Drama "Juvenile Justice" Season 1 Episode 10 (Final Episode)

What is Eun-Seok’s involvement with the brick case?

Episode 10 of Juvenile Justice starts with Geun-hee doing some research and realizing how emotionally invested Eun-Seok is in this case. She also realizes why she recognized her several episodes back.

Eun-Seok is brought before Geun-Hee, where she bitterly recalls how the brick incident case was over in 3 minutes. In those 3 minutes Eun-Seok tells Geun-Hee that the kids learned that the court is simple and even killing someone doesn’t have repercussions.

She abhors that Geun-Hee didn’t elaborate and make the two kids realize that what they’ve done is wrong and has destroyed a family.

That’s what Eun-Seok has been trying to do all this time, and seeing that the two kids waled away that day, smiling and pleased with themselves, while a family was left shattered and broken; it makes a mockery of the system.

Geun-Hee’s insistence at handling and resolving all of this at speed has created a generation of kids that realize there are no repercussions for their actions.

Does Geun-Hee have a change of heart?

Eun-Seok’s words cut deep and her scathing assessment of Geun-Hee’s methods cause her to think over her methods.

After this scathing assessment, Eun-Seok is obviously taken off the case given her personal claim to this.

However, the attention now turns to Do-Hyeon, who is actually part of this runaway group which includes In-Jun too.

What involvement does Do-Hyeon have in this?

Apparently the kids would use young girls like Ha-Rin to lure older, richer men into rooms and then con them out of money. Ha-Rin and the other girls would never be paid for their part in all this. Unfortunately, with no Do-Hyeon at the construction site, it’s going to be tough to incriminate him.

However, Eun-Seok continues to chase this up, investigating the different runaway girls that could be in collusion or know about Do-Hyeon. Apparently, Do-Hyeon is also the ringleader in rapes and threatening them with prostitution charges. Eun-Seok also learns that their hideout is located on the second floor of Daeho Inn.

Eun-Seok goes alone, eventually confronted with Do-Hyeon who beats her down. She holds her own and after knocking him back, finds a whole stack of shoes up on the wall, presented like trophies of his triumphs.

Do-Hyeon even proudly admits to what he’s done, but as he chokes out Eun-Seok, police sirens wail and she’s saved from what could have been certain death.

Are the kids incriminated?

As Eun-Seok makes her way back to see Geun-Hee, she confirms that there’s more going on here. The gang rape is just the tip of the iceberg, and as she bleeds from the shoulder, she implores Geun-Hee to do the right thing, rather than racing through this case as quickly as possible.

At court the next day, Geun-Hee gets ready but Eun-Seok – now all healed up – refuses to attend court. Geun-Hee actually does go beyond the norm, and calls into question In-Jun’s conflicting statement to the other boys.

Dong-Gyun and Gyeong-Su have both claimed there were 4 boys present at the construction site – including Do-Hyeon. There’s audio evidence to confirm this too, claiming that Do-Hyeon was the ringleader in this. They even claim to have been coerced into submitting, given if they didn’t then they’ll be stabbed.

What evidence is there against Do-Hyeon?

The police have done their job too, and find Do-Hyeon’s secret phone, giving them photographic evidence of the rapes.

With everything falling apart in court, Do-Hyeon’s arrogance ends up his undoing, given Gyeong-Su actually hooked up Do-Hyeon’s phone to the cloud. However, according to these kids, Seon-A was the one in the wrong for offering herself up. It’s a twisted, sick ideology and hearing this, causes Seon-A to break down crying.

With so much evidence incriminating the kids, the case is now going to the Prosecutor’s Office with the possibility of criminal charges against them. Despite being minors, they’re now going to get their punishments – but nowhere near enough given what’s happened.

This is something Joo Yeong-Sil is quick to point out to her colleague, Beom, reminding him that there’s no end for rape victims. They have to live with this for the rest of their lives.

What helped Geun-Hee change her mind?

Geun-Hee finishes up her statement in court by apologizing to those she’s hurt in the past. This is, of course, directed toward Eun-Seok, understanding the error of her ways and repenting for not being more emotionally charged to tackle these cases effectively.

But why the change of heart? Well, it turns out Won-Jung actually convinced her to stand up for Eun-Seok during a private dinner.

In the tranquility of the court after-hours, Eun-Seok and Tae-Ju discuss what it’s like to be a judge Tae-Ju admits he finally understands her, and how she hasn’t been swayed by emotions after all, but by beliefs. He has a newfound respect for her and understands everything she’s done up until this point.

Does Eun-Seok make peace with her past?

Alone, Eun-Seok heads home and looks over all the old belongings for her son. She weeps in private; the painful memories of her son all too much to bear.

The flowers we saw her carrying before were for Namgung Chan, her son, but this time she burns the belongings outside. It’s a symbolic act to show that she’s ready to move on now to a new chapter of her life. “I’ll see you again… my son.” She whispers as the flames flicker.

Eun-Seok has made peace with the death of her son and the nature of thee crime, butt at the same time maintains that same hatred for young offenders.

How does Juvenile Justice end?

Before the Supreme Court committee, Eun-Seok tells the officials she hates young offenders but that won’t effect her decision in court. She’ll remain unbiased and with a cool head, treating each case individually but continuing to despise young offenders all the same.

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The Episode Review

Juvenile Justice bows out its 10 episode run with some finality for Eun-Seok, including making peace with the death of her son. These scenes have been pretty heartbreaking to watch and at least the boys responsible are given a fair crack of the law this time.

Learning that Geun-Hee rushed through the brick case in around 3 minutes is absolutely shocking and Eun-Seok is right in her anger -what does this show the kids responsible?

As it happens, it shows them they don’t need to be afraid of the law and ultimately end up recommitting crimes, albeit ones far more shocking and damaging.

The show does a great job depicting that and although some of the cases haven’t quite hit the right note, many of them have been pretty thought provoking and shed light on the inadequacies inherent with the juvenile act as it stands.

There’s certainly been enough here to enjoy though and the ending certainly shows that there could be a follow-up season too.