❤ Ji Sung ❤ 지성 / Drama 2022 : Adamas

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 *** Wahhh...........his drama continues to soar since it began airing. I am super glad Koreans are enjoying "Defendant".  It receives good reviews & high praise.  It also started off with an impressive figure for its first episode. The ratings for the drama are increasing faster. I hope it will reach the 20 percent mark soon. I'm happy for Ji Sung, he deserves it!  This drama is so good.  It gives me the chills watching it... really enjoyed watching it. Ji sung is good...

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First Impressions: “Defendant,” Starring Ji Sung And Girls’ Generation’s Yuri

 

Spoiler

Ji Sung returns to SBS in a new Monday-Tuesday drama, “Defendant,” also starring Kwon Yuri (Girls’ Generation) and Uhm Ki Joon. It’s an action-packed thriller about a prosecutor out to prove his innocence in the suspected murder of his wife and child.

While fans of Ji Sung and Yuri were excited to hear about their casting, not a whole lot was released about the show before the first episode aired. Several posters and chilling trailers made their way around, but the details of the show’s plot were kept pretty secret. After watching the first two episodes, I’m pretty convinced the secrecy was necessary, because this drama is definitely a wild ride.

Warning: spoilers ahead

Production Value

Ji Sung’s character, Park Jung Woo, is a homicide prosecutor who winds up on death row after… well, he doesn’t quite remember. But I’m jumping ahead.

The show opens up to a scene at a prison where Ji Sung is making his escape — alarms blare, dark vans roll out of warehouse-looking buildings, men lead dogs through the woods, and just as he hits the main road, it looks like he’s about to be run over. Boom. That’s all we get. Suddenly viewers are thrown back in time to show us the hard-working, family-loving life of Ji Sung’s character. Thereafter begins the mayhem and complexity of a good crime drama: bring on the character introductions, set locations, and story build-up!

There are a lot of characters introduced in the first two episodes, from people involved in law, businessmen, doctors, to Ji Sung’s future cellmates. The casting director managed to snag a few big names in this drama, including Uhm Ki Joon and Oh Chang Suk, along with a few extras drama fans will definitely recognize. It seems like a pretty solid cast so far; I didn’t have any complaints about the acting.

While the cast isn’t so big that I would call it “excessive,” a lot of the characters vary in career, so while you’re still working out who is who, you have to figure out all the settings too. As a viewer, there were times I wanted to ask my screen, “Okay, where are we now?” Scenes ended pretty quickly and we’d move to a whole new location, and since the first two episodes have so much happening, I was worried I would miss an important event if I blinked.

yes_kyun

I’m a pretty big fan of dramas that involve police work, and SBS is definitely good at handling big-action dramas. More specifically, they’re good at handling dramas that require a big crew because of all the work they entail. “Defendant” is no exception. However, was all of the camerawork, such a huge and varied cast, and jam-packing the first two episodes really necessary? Probably not. There were moments when camera angles changed so rapidly in attempts to build anticipation that I had to look away, when the same could probably have been accomplished with less.

Does this drama have a high production value? Yes. Was all of it necessary? Not really.

Storyline

“Defendant” is a modern drama involving a homicide prosecutor (Ji Sung) who wakes up in a jail cell on death row with temporary amnesia. Ji Sung’s character, Park Jung Woo, is introduced as a prisoner in the middle of a jailbreak, but throughout most of the first episode, Park Jung Woo is shown as a hard-working and dedicated prosecutor who loves his family. He has a wife and daughter and is respected enough in his field to receive love calls from private law firms despite his specialty being homicide. So when he suddenly wakes up in a jail cell accused of murder the immediate question is: what happened? Where did this guy go wrong?

briony

The rest of the first episode flashes back (again) to help explain what we missed and what Ji Sung’s character has apparently forgotten. Then enters the central antagonist, an evil twin who rolls in money, has little respect for anyone, and commits a pretty grizzly murder just minutes into his introduction. Cha Min Ho (Uhm Ki Joon) is the kind of chaebol we all love to hate, while his twin, Cha Sun Ho (Uhm Ki Joon), works as an executive in their family’s corporation. The brothers find themselves at odds, the good brother ultimately loses, and the evil brother steals his identity to live with a clean ledger.

He might have even gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for our pesky hero, Park Jung Woo. The prosecutor smells something fishy and starts his own investigation, threatening the evil twin’s façade, so he does what every great, evil chaebol does: uses power and money to put his opponent in a tough spot. Only, we don’t know exactly what he did, and neither does Park Jung Woo, who is currently suspected of killing his beloved wife and daughter.

Much of the second episode involves Park Jung Woo’s new life in prison, memory loss, the possible deaths of his wife and daughter, and an ongoing case to determine his fate. The story unfolds through the introduction of various characters now involved in this chaos, including the prosecutor overseeing his case and Kwon Yuri’s character, a defense attorney with a history of losing to Park Jung Woo in court.

This crime-drama promises viewers 16 episodes of courtroom battles, mystery and intrigue, lives on the line, devilish plotting, and several twists that are sure to occur.

Cast and Characters

Confession, I am a huge Ji Sung fan. If I see his name on a drama or movie, I immediately make plans to watch it. If I said I didn’t start watching this drama because he’s the star, I would be lying. One of Ji Sung’s strengths as an actor lies in his ability to portray characters that are emotionally or mentally unstable or a bit more complicated than your everyday guy — his last drama role was a guy with seven personalities, after all.

The great thing about the set-up in the first two episodes and Ji Sung’s acting skills is that even though viewers want to believe in his innocence, a lot of the evidence and even his case’s head prosecutor, played by Oh Chang Suk, point against him. While it’s clear Ji Sung put himself in danger by taking on Uhm Ki Joon’s evil twin character, there isn’t a 100 percent certainty that his character is innocent. Even Ji Sung’s character can’t remember what happened.

briony

The first two episodes do not give a clear indication what Kwon Yuri’s role in this drama will be, but considering her work as a defense attorney and her history with Ji Sung’s character, my guess is that she’ll take on his case. While we at least have an idea about what kind of relationship they have, she hasn’t appeared much yet. However, I’m looking forward to more of their interactions in the future.

Oh Chang Suk’s character is also intriguing, as he appears to be a prosecutor who genuinely wants to find out the truth behind this case. However, the major role of his character thus far is to cast doubt on Ji Sung’s innocence. The prosecutor believes him to be guilty and views several pieces of evidence that support this. While his character is pretty admirable so far, he’s still the man running the opposition against the main character.

While Ji Sung’s character and acting will carry a lot of the show (he is the main character), Uhm Ki Joon’s character makes for an exciting antagonist. His body count is rising and he’s doing a pretty good job of assuming his brother’s identity while taking care of anyone who doubts him. However, when he isn’t trying to take down people who suspect his real identity, he does face the major task of keeping his own family in line. When one brother is loyal and dedicated and the other nasty-as-can-be, is it really possible to fool one’s parents or his wife? The wife in question, Uhm Hyun Kyung, has given several indications that she suspects him, but hasn’t taken a firm stance. Perhaps this quiet-natured woman will be the dark horse of the series and surprise us in the end. For now, she’s just a silent, pretty face.

So far, the characters are very intriguing with a lot of side-characters who mix up the flavor well and promise to add some interesting twists to the plot. The cast is solid, and hopefully the writing and directing will continue to do the actors justice.

Final Thoughts

The first two episodes were packed with introductions and intrigue like any good crime drama; I also give “Defendant” bonus points for making viewers question the lead’s innocence. Otherwise, this would be a typical crime-drama. Ji Sung and Uhm Ki Joon have both shown superb acting so far (no surprise there), and Yuri seems to be doing okay, although she hasn’t had many scenes.

There was some confusion in the timeline in the first episode since it jumps around and the second episode added to that; some viewers may need a few more episodes to get a clear grasp of what’s going on while other viewers are already creating theories about the ending or the twists we can all feel coming.

I’m definitely looking forward to more twists and Uhm Ki Joon’s evil plotting in the future… and lots more of Ji Sung.

 

 

credit : soompi news

Spoiler

 

 

 

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Drama viewership ratings for the week of Jan. 30-Feb. 5, 2017

 

Murder mystery crime thriller Defendant will be the show to beat, though—and it won’t be easy, with it nearing 20% in only its second week.

 

(skipped unrelated.....)

 

Monday, Jan. 30
Hwarang	13	KBS	9.7%
Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People	1	MBC	8.9%
Defendant	3	SBS	17.3%
Introverted Boss	5	tvN	Pre-empted
Tuesday, Jan. 31
Hwarang	14	KBS	9.1%
Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People	2	MBC	10.0%
Defendant	4	SBS	18.7%
Introverted Boss	6	tvN	Pre-empted

 

LINK here : http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/02/drama-viewership-ratings-for-the-week-of-jan-30-feb-5-2017/

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“Defendant” Stays On Top In Its Time Slot With “Rebel: Thief Who Stole The People” Hot On Its Heels

 

 

SBS’s “Defendant” has kept its title as the most-watched Monday-Tuesday drama for another episode.

According to Nielsen Korea, the episode that aired on February 6 scored nationwide viewership ratings of 18.6 percent. This is a small 0.1 percent drop from the previous episode, but has kept the drama in its top position.

Spoiler:

Real-time ratings peaked at 22.42 percent, when detective Ko Dong Yoon (played by Lee Shin Sung) is remembering the conversation he had with Park Jung Woo (played by Ji Sung) after suffering a car accident caused by Cha Min Ho (played by Uhm Ki Joon).

Ko Dong Yoon discovers that the form to transfer Cha Min Ho’s body was signed by Cha Min Ho, which makes him realize that Cha Min Ho and Cha Sun Ho have swapped places. He calls up Seo Eun Hye and demands that they meet. At that moment, his car is crashed into and he loses consciousness in his overturned car.

It is at this moment that he remembers the conversation he had with Park Jung Woo. He asks the prosecutor, “Do you remember the name Cha Min Ho?” and receives a negative answer. To this, Ko Dong Yoon says, “The day before the incident, you told me that you were close to catching someone or something. Your only hope is to remember what you were looking for.” While the detective’s consciousness is slipping away, the man who caused the accident can be seen ending Ko Dong Yoon’s phone call to Seo Eun Hye and walking away. This scene is overlapped with Park Jung Woo sitting in his cell and repeating the name “Cha Min Ho” to see if he can remember anything.

Representatives of the drama stated, “Next week’s episodes will bring satisfaction to our viewers as they will answer a lot of the questions, and will also bring a game-changing twist that will surprise everyone. Episodes 5 and 6 are the lead-ups to this, like a frog that is collecting all of its energy as it prepares to jump.” They amplified the anticipation for the upcoming episodes by adding that while filming next week’s episodes, staff were in shock as they watched the plot twists unfold.

Meanwhile, MBC’s “Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People” recorded nationwide ratings of 10.5 percent, which is 0.5 percent higher than the previous episode. The drama has been on a consistent rise since its first episode, which scored ratings of 8.3 percent.

 

credit : soompi news

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*** This drama is still going strong retaining its position as No. 1 in the Monday-Tuesday time slot. According to TNMS, the last episode of “Defendant”, which was last night February 7 garnered 15.3 percent ratings, which is 1.1 percent higher than the previous episode.

 

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"Defendant" Ji Seong's daughter Sin Rin-ah's body not in carrier

 

 

Ji Seong's daughter Sin Rin-ah's body wasn't in the carrier.

On the latest episode of the SBS drama "Defendant" on the 7th, Park Jeong-woo (Ji Seong) was at Yoon Ji-soo's (Son Yeo-eun) wedding.

Jeong-woo met his mother-in-law Oh Jeong-hee (Seon Byeong-sook) who cried in front of him and he apologized to her, handing her a note saying not to clean up the house.

In the place that Jeong-woo mentioned, there was a carrier and Park Ha-yeon's (Sin Rin-ah) body wasn't in there. Yoon Tae-soo (Kang Seong-min) lost it at Jeong-woo but he didn't remember anything.

 

Source : www.osen.co.kr/articl...

Translation : Hancinema

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"Defendant" Kim Min-seok has Ji Seong's child

 

Things took a surprising turn of events on the latest episode of the SBS drama "Defendant".

Seong-gyu got out of prison. Jeong-woo tried to kill himself thinking he killed his own wife and child. However, Seong-gyu stopped him saying, "It wasn't you, it was me".

Seong-gyu sang the Song Jeong-woo's daughter liked to sing. Jeong-woo raged at Seong-gyu. Everyone else in the room got up to break them apart and the guards locked him up in solitary. He paid a fine to get out.

A doctor in the medical room recognized Jeong-woo and offered to help. When the guards left, Jeong-woo used the doctor's phone to call Eun-hye. He told her to look for Seong-gyu and she did. Seong-gyu's sister was in the hospital.

Eun-hye found out that his sister died in a hospital last year. Min-ho went to see Geum-ja but saw Eun-hye and learned that Jeong-woo was looking for Seong-gyu. Min-ho was also looking for Seong-gyu knowing that Jeong-woo and Seong-gyu were in the same prison.

Eun-hye found out that just when Jeong-woo's case happened, Seong-gyu used to live right in front of Jeong-woo's house. Seong-gyu went to see Jeong-woo and said, "Thank You". Jeong-woo asked what happened that day but he didn't answer.

Jeong-woo yelled, "Is Ha-yeon here?" but Seong-gyu ignored him. He got into his car parked outside the prison and in the backseat was Jeong-woo's daughter Ha-yeon.

 

Source : www.osen.co.kr/articl...

Translation : Hancinema

 

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*** The drama came in first again. According to Nielsen Korea, the drama rated 20.9% on the 13th, which was last night's EP. This is a 2.3% increase compared to the previous episode. The drama is in the lead with its competitors on the same time slot.

 

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February 14, 2017

 

Drama heats up law school debate : SBS legal thriller causes a stir due to character’s preferential treatment

 

Conflict between graduates of law schools and those of the national bar exam is heating up due to a particular episode of a recent television drama.

The show in question happens to be “Defendant,” the new SBS legal thriller. The 16-part mini-series is about a reputable prosecutor named Park Jeong-u, played by actor Ji Sung, who finds himself on death row for the alleged murder of his family and must now recover his lost memories in order to uncover the truth.

The controversy in question is centered on a particular supporting character named Yeo Min-gyeong, played by actress Han Ji-woo, who according to her profile description on the official homepage, is described as a lawyer who was able to get into law school thanks to the influence of her father and hired into her law firm thanks to her uncle. Basically, her success is credited only to her connections.

The Korean Lawyer’s Association on Jan. 26 sent an official notice to SBS asking for the revision of the character’s description.

The association stated, “Because the unfair admission into law school or the unjust hiring into the law firm is being portrayed as ordinary, the reputation of current law school students and graduates are being defamed.”

However, lawyers that have passed the bar exam have protested these claims.

“The Korea Lawyer’s Association’s is denouncing freedom of expression,” said the Korean Bar Association on Feb. 6. “It is because unfair admission to law school and resulting employment truly does exist that the depiction [of the character] is being based on facts. Should the Korea Lawyer’s Association continue to assert their stance, then we will provide full legal support to the network’s staff and cast members.

Similarly, last year’s tvN drama “The Good Wife” heard similar cries of disapproval from the law school community due to a certain character who was a graduate from law school and just happened to have influential parents.

A rep from SBS said, “We don’t see this as a big problem since the character is based on a dramatic representation.”

The age-old judicial bar examination system has been the traditional method of being able to enter the legal field since its introduction in 1963.

However, the implementation of a Western-style law school system in 2009 is supposed to be the new standard, and the rigorous bar exams were planned to be phased out.

However, protests from those in support of the exams began to spread, as the high tuition fees of law school and lack of transparency in the admission process led those opposed to accuse the law school system of only benefitting the rich, with further accusations that law firms were hand-picking candidates from elite backgrounds.

The tuition for Yonsei University’s law school, which is among the highest of the 25 universities that adopted the program, is 9.7 million ($8,430) won per semester for this year.

Similarly, law school students have expressed frustration at the slow-pace of reforms and the delaying of the abolishment of the bar exams. With social stigma further stacking up against law school, enrolled students have been demanding that the government “keep their word” on its policies.

With a number of protests and strikes coming from both sides and the bar exam becoming effectively obsolete this year, the issue will be one for debate in the upcoming presidential election.

On Feb. 6, presidential frontrunner Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party said, “As a person who participated in the government that created the law school, it would be difficult to overturn state policies and go back to the bar exam system.”

Meanwhile, Seongnam Mayer Lee Jae-myung and competitor of Moon in the upcoming DP primaries advocated on Jan. 31 during a presentation that “the bar exams must continue to exist.”

The drama itself, while bringing attention to a possible political issue, has been enjoying high viewership ratings. The episode aired on Feb. 7 was the highest in its timeslot, recording 18.6 percent in ratings, according to Nielsen.
 

BY NOH JIN-HO AND CHUNG JIN-HONG [chung.jinhong@joongang.co.kr]

 

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***  I'm happy that the drama continues to grow in ratings.  According to the results from Nielsen Korea based from last night's EP, February 14, the seventh episode earned 20.9 percent ratings. I'm very thankful that this has been growing more in viewership ratings with each episode at a very fast pace. This drama is good. It deserves the good ratings. Everything in this drama is AWESOME! Great storyline. 

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"Defendant" The real culprit was Eom Gi-joon, faces Ji Seong in prison

 

 

Eom Gi-joon committed another murder and was on the verge of having his identity revealed. Ji Seong gave up on his appeal and was planning an escape as he was being moved to another prison as a death-row convict but he recalled Eom Gi-joon was the one who ordered the manipulation of killers.

On the eighth episode of the drama "Defendant", Park Jeong-woo (Ji Sung) gave up his appeal despite Seo Eun-hye's (Kwon Yoo-ri) persuasion. Park Jeong-woo told Seo Eun-hye Seong-gyu's sister already died and the house he moved was no other than the house right in front of his. Park Jeong-woo said, "The little sister Seong-gyu was talking about was Ha-yeon".

Park Jeong-woo said, "I have to become the criminal for Ha-yeon to live. I made all the evidence. The appeal will take a couple of months. Motive and evidence is perfect and they even have my confession which led to the death penalty. Who will believe me?"

"I have to be the criminal for Ha-yeon to live. Let's make it look like I had an affair". He prepared to escape from prison. However, he met an escape artist (Lee Deok-hwa) through one of his inmates and from him he heard, "This place is small and old. There is no place that can't be seen. The human eye is the hardest to fool. There is a watch tower still. They already know which way we're going to go out".

Park Jeong-woo recalled the past and he remembered who the criminal was. It was Cha Min-ho (Eom Gi-joon). They reunited in prison when Cha Min-ho was arrested for killing Jennifer Lee (Oh Yeon-ah) and was framed for Na Yeon-hee's (Eom Hyeon-kyeong) car accident.

Seong-gyu threatened Park Jeong-woo right after the Yoon Ji-soo (Son Yeo-eun) case.

Seong-gyu returned to the house where Ha-yeon (Sin Rin-ah) was. It was the house right in front of Park Jeong-woo's. Seong-gyu let Ha-yeon talk to her father. When he heard Jeong-woo say, "It's daddy. I will come get you soon. Can you wait? Mommy's a little sick", Seong-gyu threatened him, "Make a confession if you want to save her".

Meanwhile, Cha Min-ho was on the verge of getting his identity revealed. He was surprised to see Jennifer Lee, his brother Cha Seon-ho's ex-girlfriend and Na Yeon-hee's friend. She was someone who knew Cha Seon-ho when he was alive.

Na Yeon-hee told Cha Min-ho, "She's Jennifer Lee. She was Cha Seon-ho's ex-girlfriend". Cha Min-ho asked Na Yeon-hee to help him and pretended he lost his memory.

However, Jennifer suspected him and Cha Min-ho killed her.

 

Source : news.nate.com/view/20...

Translation : Hancinema

 

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February 15, 2017

 

'Defendant' viewership soars above 25 pct in Seoul area

 

SEOUL, Feb. 15 (Yonhap) -- SBS TV's mystery crime thriller "Defendant" further emboldened its lead in the Monday-Tuesday drama race, with the show's rating rising above 25 percent among Seoul households, data showed Wednesday.

Tuesday night's eighth episode of "Defendant" recorded 25.2 percent viewership in Seoul, according to Nielsen Korea. The show's overall national rating rose to 22.2 percent.

Rival shows "Rebel: A Thief Who Stole The People" and "Hwarang" both lost ground from a day before, falling to 10.6 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively.

 

This image captured from SBS TV's "Defendant" shows actor Ji Sung as a former prosecutor framed for the murder of his daughter and wife and now a death row prisoner. (Yonhap)

 

In "Defendant," actor Ji Sung takes on the role of Park Jung-woo, a former prosecutor with partial memory loss who is framed for murdering his family and now a death row prisoner.

The 16-episode series, directed by Cho Young-kwang and penned by Choi Soo-jin, has mesmerized TV viewers from the start, with its premiere garnering 14.5 percent viewership nationwide.

In the series, Park does not remember how he ended up in prison and tries to unravel a conspiracy in the face of mounting odds. Um Ki-joon plays the main antagonist, a psychopath who kills his twin CEO brother and assumes his family and life, and Yuri of idol group Girls' Generation plays Park's tough-as-nails public defender.

In the latest broadcast, the plot traveled deeper into Park's past that was erased from his memory, revealing a surprise development as to how he got in the impossible situation in the first place.

Thanks to Ji's strong performance and a good, twist-filled plot, the show is expected to gain more viewers during its remaining run.

 

odissy@yna.co.kr

(END)

credit : Yonhap News

 

[willenette]

‘Defendant’ continues to dominate

 

SBS TV’s mystery crime thriller “Defendant” further emboldened its lead in the Monday-Tuesday drama race, with the show’s rating rising above 25 percent in Seoul households, data showed Wednesday.

Tuesday night’s eighth episode of “Defendant” recorded 25.2 percent viewership in Seoul, according to Nielsen Korea. The show’s overall national rating rose to 22.2 percent.

Rival shows “Rebel: A Thief Who Stole The People” and “Hwarang” both lost ground from a day before, falling to 10.6 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively.’

In “Defendant,” actor Ji Sung takes on the role of Park Jung-woo, a former prosecutor with partial memory loss who is framed for murdering his family and is now a death row prisoner.

The 16-episode series, directed by Cho Young-kwang and penned by Choi Soo-jin, has mesmerized TV viewers from the start, with its premiere garnering 14.5 percent viewership nationwide.

In the latest broadcast, the plot traveled deeper into Park’s past that was erased from his memory, revealing a surprise development as to how he got in the impossible situation in the first place.

Thanks to Ji’s strong performance and a good, twist-filled plot, the show is expected to gain more viewers during its run.
 

Yonhap

[willenette]

5 Characters You Shouldn’t Underestimate In “Defendant”

 

 

Spoiler

Note: At the time this piece was written, “Defendant” had only aired eight episodes. Spoilers ahead.

Currently one of the highest-rated dramas in Korea, “Defendant” has debunked the common myth that a Korean drama needs romance to be good. A drama built entirely on suspense and thrills, “Defendant” tells the story of Park Jeong Woo (played by Ji Sung), a respected prosecutor who suddenly wakes up one day and finds himself in prison for murdering his wife and daughter. He believes he is innocent and tries to clear his name, but faces a huge inconvenience – he cannot remember anything that has happened to him in the past four months, which includes the time of murder and his supposed confession.

We all know the main cast will play a critical role in how the story ultimately pans out, but below are five minor characters who may become major players in bringing the truth to light.

Character 1: Ha Yeon

A big reveal in recent episodes is that Park Jeong Woo’s daughter, Ha Yeon (played by Shin Rin Ah), is still alive. Everyone had thought she was brutally murdered by her father, but now a few key people have caught onto the surprising fact that she is alive. This means we will not only be seeing more of her in future episodes, but also seeing her emerge as a more important character in the story. After all, she is a key piece of evidence that could clear Park Jeong Woo’s name. Park Jeong Woo was found guilty because he confessed to killing his wife and daughter, but if he were the real murderer, he would have known if the victims were truly dead. So if Ha Yeon suddenly appears alive and well, it would show that Park Jeong Woo did not commit the crime and was coerced into confessing, which means a re-investigation will have to happen.

And of course we can’t forget the people who will be unhappy to know Ha Yeon is alive. For them, Ha Yeon will be another piece of evidence they have to eliminate to cover their crime, so fingers crossed that the right people get to Ha Yeon first!

Character 2: Cha Min Ho’s mother

Cha Min Ho’s mother (played by Ye Soo Jung) now joins the very small circle of people who know for a fact that Cha Min Ho killed his twin brother and assumed his identity. But unlike most other people in that circle, she is still alive, which means she could expose the truth should she choose to. The terror on her face when she realizes what Min Ho did shows she is a person with a moral conscience, so maybe she will do something about this. However, she has a history of mental instability, which could complicate things. People might dismiss her as an unreliable source and disregard her even if she reveals the truth. But her mental instability might be a hidden advantage in that it allows her to dig deeper and find more answers without raising eyebrows, since people will think she is just being strange as usual. As a person with important information, a conscience, and an ability to go under the radar, she could become a critical character later on and a surprise obstacle that Cha Min Ho did not see coming.

Character 3: The Prison Warden

The prison warden is Cha Min Ho’s right hand man in prison, keeping a close eye on Park Jeong Woo at all times, but all of that is about to become past tense. Fed up with following Cha Min Ho’s orders like a “dog” and not receiving his promised promotion, the prison warden has begun lying to his former master about Park Jeong Woo’s condition. He is also secretly looking into why Cha Min Ho is so obsessed with Park Jeong Woo and currently holds a critical tape recording. Who knows where the prison warden’s personal ambitions and investigations will lead him, but should he find out any piece of the truth, he will become a prominent player in the case and a massive headache for Cha Min Ho.

Character 4: The Psychiatrist

We briefly saw the psychiatrist (played by Seo Jeong Yeon) in earlier episodes when both Prosecutor Kang and Cha Min Ho set up individual meetings with her to learn about amnesia. Now she has reappeared, but this time in prison, where she performs a checkup on all the inmates. She strongly insists on seeing Park Jeong Woo for a check up despite resistance from the prison warden and his men, and when she finally gets to see him, she secretly helps him make an important phone call to his lawyer. It’s still too early to say whose side the psychiatrist is on, since we haven’t seen much of her, but her persistence in seeing Park Jeong Woo and helping him make the phone call certainly raises questions about who she is and what her intentions are. Is she helping Park Jeong Woo per Prosecutor Kang’s request, or is she using this opportunity to collect intel on him for Cha Min Ho? Or is she neutral and just digging deeper into the case before determining whose side she will be on? It looks like her screen time in the drama will begin to increase as her actions indicate she may be catching onto something and will emerge as an important character later on.

Character 5: Investigator Go

Investigator Go (played by Lee Shin Sung) is in a coma, which means there’s still hope that he can awaken, and if he does, he will most definitely become important to the story. After all, he was one of Park Jeong Woo’s closest co-workers, and he can fill in all the memory gaps Park Jeong Woo has. He is also the only person who has found incriminating evidence against Cha Min Ho, so if he awakens and has a chance to share what he knows with the right people, everyone will be in for a wild ride.

What other minor characters do you think will emerge as important figures later on?

 

credit : soompi news

Spoiler

 

 

 

[willenette]

Drama viewership ratings for the week of Feb. 13-19, 2017

 

 

It happened—Defendant finally broke the 20% mark in style, proving that it’s the force to be reckoned with in the Monday-Tuesday slot.

 

(skipped unrelated.....)

 

Monday, Feb. 13
Hwarang	17	KBS	8.2%
Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People	5	MBC	10.7%
Defendant	7	SBS	20.9%
Introverted Boss	7	tvN	2.2%
Tuesday, Feb. 14
Hwarang	18	KBS	7.7%
Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People	6	MBC	10.6%
Defendant	8	SBS	22.2%
Introverted Boss	8	tvN	2.1%

 

LINK here : http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/02/drama-viewership-ratings-for-the-week-of-feb-13-19-2017/

[willenette]

“Defendant” To Air Two Additional Episodes

 

A two-episode extension has been confirmed for SBS’s “Defendant.”

“Defendant” was originally scheduled to end on March 14, but it will be ending on March 21. The next drama in line, “Whisper” (working title), will be postponed one week and air on March 27.

SBS’s drama department expressed, “We decided to extend the drama by two episodes for several reasons. We judged that it would impossible to complete the story in just 16 episodes, and we also received a flood of viewers’ requests for an extension. We will respond to our viewers’ support with a stronger storyline.”

Meanwhile, the cast of “Defendant” will get a reward vacation for achieving high viewer ratings. The exact date and place have not been decided yet.

“Defendant” airs every Monday and Tuesday. Watch it exclusively on Viki!

 

Source (1) / soompi news

 

[willenette]

*** The drama came in first once again. According to Nielsen Korea, "Defendant" rated 22.2% per last night’s EP, February 21, which is 0.8% lower than the previous episode.  

[willenette]

*** This is fine with me but I hope the story will not drag. Hopefully the ending will be happy times for the daughter and her dad. I hope the extension will give more moments between Ji Sung and his daughter. I am hoping this drama would still be able to finish on a high note. So far so great. I am just worried about a possible drop in quality. I love “Defendant”. I would be happy to have more hours of Ji Sung on my small screen. Really don’t care about the extension just give me more of Ji sung.

 

**********************************************************************

 

SBS’s Defendant gets 2-episode extension

 

 

LINK here : http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/02/sbss-defendant-gets-2-episode-extension/

[evie7]

On 2/14/2017 at 3:44 AM, willenette said:

The age-old judicial bar examination system has been the traditional method of being able to enter the legal field since its introduction in 1963.

However, the implementation of a Western-style law school system in 2009 is supposed to be the new standard, and the rigorous bar exams were planned to be phased out.

That was very interesting to read. It's strange though if the Korean Lawyers don't have to take a bar exam. That's like the hardest thing lawyers in US have to accomplish.

Thanks for the ratings info, Ji Sung deserves them. He is just putting in an epic performance.

[willenette]

5 hours ago, evie7 said:

That was very interesting to read. It's strange though if the Korean Lawyers don't have to take a bar exam. That's like the hardest thing lawyers in US have to accomplish.

Thanks for the ratings info, Ji Sung deserves them. He is just putting in an epic performance.

 

Hi evie, ye, dear he deserves it indeed! When dramas play the ratings game they win or they die. Death can mean simply losing money or being quickly forgotten. A badly performing drama can have its EP count reduced or dropped entirely. Currently, the motto going around the drama industry especially in Korea is “3-EPs.” If a drama doesn’t get good ratings within three episodes it’s unlikely to have a good run later on. Therefore, the lead to the pilot EP is as important as the broadcast itself. 

[willenette]

"Defendant" Ji Sung's fatherly love

 

 

Ji Sung's fatherly love made the nation cry.

On the latest episode of the SBS drama "The Defendant", Park Jeong-woo (Ji Sung) reunited with his daughter Park Ha-yeon (Sin Rin-ah).

Cha Min-ho (Eom Ki-joon) knew that Jeong-woo knew who he was and called him for a meeting in prison. He provoked Jeong-woo by saying, "Let's have a race to find your daughter". He threatened that he would kill her in front of Jeong-woo or kill him in front of Ha-yeon. However, Jeong-woo guessed through this that it was Seong-gyu (Kim Min-seok) who had his daughter.

Jeong-woo thought of ways to get out of prison. Sin Cheol-sik (Jo Jae-yoon) told him he could get out if he made it through seven doors in the prison. Jeong-woo planned and prepared a shard of glass and keys to handcuffs.

Jeong-woo's plan to escape from prison began. He thought of framing Min-ho. Cheol-sik stabbed Jeong-woo with the shard of glass and handed it to Min-ho. Min-ho ended up being retained in the prison without knowing why. Jeong-woo was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment just as he planned.

However, the problem began then. The keys to the handcuffs weren't real. Yoon Tae-soo (Kang Seong-min) helped him. Tae-soo un-cuffed him and was surprised to hear that Ha-yeon was alive. He wanted to see her with his own eyes. Jeong-woo got his help and got out of the hospital in a doctor's gown. He called Seo Eun-hye (Yoo-ri) and she told him Ha-yeon was at the same hospital.

Jeong-woo finally found her. He cried as he kissed her on the forehead and whispered that daddy' was here.

 

Source : news.nate.com/view/20...

Translation : Hancinema

[willenette]

Drama viewership ratings for the week of Feb. 20-26, 2017

 

 

Defendant hasn’t managed to beat the record it already set for itself, but it stuck firmly to that very impressive 22.2% this week, which should still count as a win. That meant that Hwarang was left to finish its run at an okay 7.9%, while Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People saw a small jump upward to 11.5%, which seems well deserved.

 

(skipped unrelated.....)

 

Monday, Feb. 20
Hwarang	19	KBS	7.6%
Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People	7	MBC	11.4%
Defendant	9	SBS	21.4%
Introverted Boss	9	tvN	1.6%
Tuesday, Feb. 21
Hwarang	20	KBS	7.9%
Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People	8	MBC	11.5%
Defendant	10	SBS	22.2%
Introverted Boss	10	tvN	1.9%

 

LINK here : http://www.dramabeans.com/2017/02/drama-viewership-ratings-for-the-week-of-feb-20-26-2017/