In Law And The City Episode 9, he doesn’t shout. But it quietly pushes its characters to a breaking point. It aired on August 2 on tvN and followed a string of decisions that no one wanted to make—but had to.
Bae Moon-jung (Ryu Hye-young) was juggling more than work. She’s pregnant. She’s trying to stay in court. And she’s trying to protect her identity as a lawyer while also becoming a mother. That’s a lot for one person. Her husband, Kim Ji-seok (Yoon Kyun-sang), was kind and supportive. He made breakfast, picked up her clothes, and never once asked her to stop. That matters. But it doesn’t fix everything.
Moon-jung’s firm wasn’t exactly kind about her needing space. She mentioned parental leave during a lunch meeting. A few people supported her. Others didn’t seem to care. CEO Kang Jung-yoon (Jung Hye-young), who you’d think would understand, shot her down with a sharp question: “Are you even married?” No warmth. No real support. Just rules.
She did get offered a quieter job—a consulting role. But Moon-jung didn’t want to step away. She wanted to keep litigating. And she did. She won a small business case involving a tteokbokki restaurant. The case looked simple at first.
A part-time worker stole the recipe and copied the design. But it went deeper. With help from Ahn Joo-hyung (Lee Jong-suk), she proved the restaurant had copied everything down to the walls, just to look like a real branch. That win meant something. It wasn’t just about the food.
Legal Work vs. Real Life: Who Gets to Choose?
After that, Moon-jung cried. Not because she was sad. But because she liked it. She told her husband, “This is fun. I enjoy this.” She wanted to keep working. She didn’t know how childbirth and parenting would change her. But for now, she wanted both things. Her husband didn’t argue. He told her to do what she wanted. That’s love, but again—love doesn’t cancel out pressure.
Meanwhile, Ha Sang-gi (Im Sung-jae) faced a different path. He was offered a shot at a PhD program. He’d been teaching new students, and someone noticed he was good at it. But grad school costs money. It also needs time. And Sang-gi’s mom was sick.
He told himself he wanted to try. But he also knew it wouldn’t be easy. He tried to hide the idea from Kang Hee-ji (Moon Ga-young), but she saw through it. She asked the real question: “Do you actually want it?” His quiet “yes” said more than anything.
There was also Jo Chang-won (Kang Yoo-seok). His case went badly. A man accused of being part of a voice phishing scam was punished hard. Ten million won fine. Prison. Labor. Just because he couldn’t pay. That hit Chang-won hard. He felt helpless.
His father made it worse by telling him to quit law and run the family company instead. The pressure kept piling up.
Now, Chang-won was handed another tough case. A student was charged with attempted murder. He’d been bullied for years. One day, he snapped and brought a knife to school. No one asked why he did it. Everyone told him to plead self-defense. But Chang-won didn’t follow that advice. He still remembered the last case where the man suffered because no one spoke up. Chang-won thought maybe this one was his last case. He wasn’t being dramatic, but he was tired.
In court, he whispered to himself, “Let’s do our best today. This could be my last.” That line felt heavy. Not flashy. Just tired. At the same time, Bae Moon-jung clutched her stomach in pain. She might be losing the baby.
Small Victories, Bigger Costs
In another scene, Kang Hee-ji caught Ha Sang-gi looking nervous about a folder. She teased him a bit—asked if he had been to school. He brushed it off. He said their boss had asked about a PhD. She asked if he was interested. He didn’t know how to answer. Not really. He wanted it, but not badly enough to fight for it. Not with everything else going on.
He finally admitted that he did want it. But wanting doesn’t pay the bills. And it doesn’t help when your mom is sick. That’s the kind of detail this show slips in quietly—no music, no big moment. Just people trying to do the right thing with no guidebook.
Elsewhere, Ahn Joo-hyung helped Kim Hyung-min (Yeom Hye-ran) understand a contract issue. She thought it was an unfair investment deal. He explained it like it was no big deal. He said it wasn’t even a real investment. Just a loan dressed up with legal words. If they looked at the contract without the label, it was simple: someone loaned 100 million won and was getting 4 million every month. That wasn’t legal. Interest laws don’t allow that. He pointed out that the lender might even owe her money.
That kind of legal advice was fast, clear, and real. No drama. Just facts. That’s what this show does well. It lets smart people say smart things in a way that makes sense.
Final Thoughts
Episode 9 of Law And The City didn’t rely on flashy turns or dramatic twists. It let its characters carry the weight. Bae Moon-jung didn’t ask for sympathy. She just wanted to keep working. Jo Chang-won didn’t want to be a hero. He just didn’t want to quit on someone who couldn’t defend himself. Ha Sang-gi didn’t chase a big dream. He just wanted to study more—if life allowed it.
This episode was about limits. Emotional ones. Financial ones. Legal ones. Some characters pushed through. Some backed off & some were stuck in the middle. That’s what made it feel real. The stakes weren’t huge. But the decisions were.
Which Law And The City character are you most worried about after episode 9?
How Does this Article Make You Feel?
Kavita Mishra is a dynamic writer and passionate Korean entertainment enthusiast, combining her love for K-pop and K-drama with a flair for storytelling. With a keen eye for the latest trends, Kavita crafts articles that capture the pulse of K-pop idols, chart-topping hits, and the most buzz-worthy dramas taking over screens worldwide.
We pour our hearts into every K-drama recap. If our work brings you joy, please buy us a coffee. Your support keeps us going ❤️
🛍️ Earn Cash Back
Sign up on Rakuten via my link to get cashback + bonus when shopping online.
Join & Get Cash BackReferral link — you get a bonus too!
