“Vai all’inferno (Fall into hell).”
With violet eyes blazing, Kang Bit-na (played by Park Shin-hye) raises her hand, her glistening purple blade aimed unwaveringly at her target’s heart. The hilt, etched with the fiery-red word “gehenna” (from the Greek “geenna,” meaning Hell), burns with infernal intensity. As the brand sears the sinner’s forehead, the underworld’s gates prepare to swing open.
In the SBS Friday-Saturday drama “The Judge from Hell,” Park Shin-hye plays Judge Kang Bit-na, a criminal judge who brings ruthless offenders to trial twice: once in the courtroom and a second time in the underworld, transformed into the demon adjudicator Justitia, who takes over Kang’s body to deliver a final, irreversible judgment. In the formal court, her rulings are relatively “lenient” given the severity of the crimes, allowing offenders to go free. Disillusioned by Judge Kang’s tempered sentences, victims and their families direct their anger toward her.
Leaving the courtroom amid public outrage, Park Shin-hye confronts the freed criminals secretly, declaring, “Now begins the real trial! To hell with you!” Her wide eyes gleam with chilling intensity, and the unsettling smile slowly spreading across her lips sends shivers down viewers’ spines. By the end of her character’s second trial, viewers feel an intense sense of relief, as though justice has finally been served.
Celebrating over two decades since her debut as a child actor in 2003, Park Shin-hye’s latest role in “The Judge from Hell” has captivated audiences with its intense portrayal of justice. Viewers have responded eagerly to this unique dual-justice storyline, driving the drama’s ratings from a 6.8% premiere on Sept. 21 (Nielsen Korea) to 13.6% by Episode 8, with a peak at 16.1%—a clear testament to its breakout success.
The drama’s appeal lies in its adherence to the principle of “an eye for an eye.” Judge Kang does not merely pass down human rulings but exacts a second, more personal judgment, condemning the souls of the guilty to hell. This stark, almost mythic approach sets “The Judge from Hell” apart from traditional “anti-hero” narratives, where legal limits usually restrain vengeance. Here, Judge Kang’s relentless pursuit of vengeance confronts heinous criminals: the abusive ex-boyfriend Moon Jung-jun (Jang Do-ha), insurance fraudster and child abuser Bae Ja-young (Im Se-joo), murderer Yang Seung-bin (Yang Kyung-won), and corrupt heir Choi Won-jung (Oh Eui-sik), who assaults a union leader and stages it as a suicide. Each criminal skillfully exploits legal loopholes—claiming mitigating factors like mental lapses, insanity, or bribed witnesses to evade harsh punishment. Inspired by real-life cases, these storylines resonate deeply with viewers, who feel a powerful sense of long-awaited justice in Judge Kang’s retribution.
However, the show’s intense depictions of punishment have sparked debate. Park Shin-hye’s character uses various weapons and spills blood in her quest for justice, while scenes with Lee Kyu-han’s psychopathic character wielding a hatchet have faced criticism for being excessively violent. Supporters argue that these portrayals reveal the extreme cruelty humans are capable of, emphasizing a meaningful difference from the gratuitous violence often seen in streaming series.
Beyond the intense visuals, “The Judge from Hell” addresses core questions of judicial justice. With lines like, “Why does the court forgive when the victim does not?” the show has sparked public discussion on the perceived leniency of the legal system and its disconnection from public sentiment. Many viewers have responded by calling for a revival of Hammurabi-like laws, the reinstatement of the death penalty, and a shift away from sentencing practices that often leave victims and their families vulnerable and fearful.
