Seoul Central District Court [서울중앙지방법원]
Workplace
Seoul Central District Court is one of the main workplaces of judges and prosecutors in K-Dramaland.
Tae Su-mi (Jin Kyung) holds a press conference in front of this building in final episode 16 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo (이상한 변호사 우영우) (ENA/Netflix, 2022); [Spoiler] announcing that she will step down from her candidacy for the minister position and concentrate on being a mother.
Cha Min-Joon (Yoon Hyun-Min) clears his client of a sexual assault charges by his secretary at this court in episode 1 of Get Revenge/Revenge/The Goddess of Revenge (Boksuhaera/복수해라) (TV Chosun, 2020-21).
In episode 3 of Hush (허쉬/Heoswi) (JBTC, 2020-21), Deputy Editor Jung Se-joon (Kim Won-hae) of the Daily Korea Digital News Desk attempts to goad MP Go (Shin Hyun-jong) with more accusations of fraud on the front steps of this Court, after the MP was acquitted. The MP retorts with his own allegations of a reporter who takes bribes and fabricates stories.
Yoon Hee-jae (Ju Ji-hoon) wins the White Scandal law suit at this court at the beginning of episode 1 of Hyena (하이에나/Haiena) (SBS, 2020) at which Yoon Hee-jae (Ju Ji-hoon) works. At the end of the same episode, Hee-jae sees himself —and to his surprise— opposite of Jung Geum-ja (Kim Hye-soo) in a custody case at this court and looses but not without asking Geum-ja for an explanation who [SPOILER] breaks up with him as an answer at the court’s parking lot.
Sunwoo Young-ae (Kim Mi-sook) works at this court as judge in Beautiful Love, Wonderful Life (사랑은 뷰티블 인생은 원더풀) (KBS2, 2019) — as seen in episode 1 (full episode 1) for instance.
On her way to work in episode 1 of Legal High (리갈하이) (JTBC, 2019), an old lady that protests against a certain ‘pervert’ and money-crazy lawyer Ko Tae-rim (Jin Goo), grabs Seo Jae-in’s (Seo Eun-su) attention — which, of course, will forge her impression of Tae-rim.
Kwon Jung-rok (Lee Dong-wook) is shown leaving the courts in the highlight reel of Touch Your Heart/Reach of Sincerity (진심이 닿다) (tvN, 2019).
Most people work here in Your Honor/Dear Judge (친애하는 판사님께) (SBS, 2018). From episode 3 onwards, Han Kang-Ho replaces his brother Han Soo-Ho (Yoon Si-Yoon) and Song So-Eun (Lee Yoo-Young), a trainee judge, becomes his assistant.
This is where the prosecution team in Partners for Justice/Investigation Couple (검법남녀) (MBC, 2018) work at, including Eun Sol (Jung Yoo-mi) and Kang Hyeon (Park Eun-seok), and they also return here to fight more cases in Partners for Justice 2/Investigation Couple 2 (검법남녀 2) (MBC, 2019).
Park Cha O-reum (Go Ara) and Im Ba-reun (L of Infinite, Kim Myung-soo) work here as judges in Ms. Hammurabi/Miss Hammurabi (미스 함무라비) (JTBC, 2018). We see them often in front of the East Hall.
In episode 1 of Return (리턴) (SBS, 2018), Dokgo Young (Lee Jin-wook) confronts prosecutor Choi Ja-hye (Ko Hyun-jung) about a case.
Lee Jung-joo (Park Eun-bin) and Sa Ui-hyun (Yeon Woo-jin) presides at this court in Nothing to Lose/Judge vs. Judge (이판사판) (SBS, 2017-18) and it is also Do Han-joon’s (Dong Ha) workplace.
This is Lee Dong-joon (Lee Sang-yoon) workplace in in Whisper (귓속말) (SBS, 2017).
In Woman with a Suitcase (캐리어를 끄는 여자) (MBC, 2016) Cha Geum-joo (Choi Ji-woo) works here regularly as a paralegal.
This is also where the scammer trio Heo Joon-jae (Lee Min-ho), Jo Nam-doo (Lee Hee-joon) and Tae-oh (Shin Won-ho) occupy an office in disguising themselves as elevator technicians to welcome a ‘client’ and his wife in episode 1 of Legend of the Blue Sea (푸른 바다의 전설) (SBS, 2016-17).
Going to Trial
A number of people leave this court after a hearing (either their own, or others’):
[SPOILER] After the death of Sim Soo-ryeon (Lee Ji-ah), Cheon Seo-jin (Kim So-yeon) goes to trial for her murder and other crimes at the ‘Seoul High Court’ in final episode 14 of Penthouse 3/The Penthouse: War in Life Season 3 (펜트하우스 3) (SBS, 2021).
Jang San (Moon Sung-geun) and his directors are brought to trial here in final episode 16 of When My Love Blooms/The Most Beautiful Moment in Life (화양연화 – 삶이 꽃이 되는 순간) (tvN, 2020), with Jang Seo-kyung (Park Si-yeon) sitting in the stands.
Cha Dong-il (Kim Dong-young) is brought to trial here in episode 4 (full episode 2) of Soul Mechanic/Fix You/Soul Repairer (영혼수선공) (KBS2, 2020) for impersonating a police officer, but is acquitted on the grounds of his mental state — much to Dr Lee Shi-joon’s (Shin Ha-kyun) relief.
Jin Jae-kyu (Jo Han-chul) is brought to his court trial amidst a media scrum outside the building as Dong Baek (Yoo Seung-ho) and Han Sun-mi (Lee Se-young) watch from a distance in episode 10 of Memorist (메모리스트) (tvN, 2020).
Jang Geun-won (Ahn Bo-hyun) is sentenced at this court to seven years of prison in episode 10 of Itaewon Class (이태원 클라쓰) (JTBC, 2020).
Defence lawyer Lee Tae-kyung (Choi Jin-hyuk) goes to trial here in episode 1 (full episode 1) of Justice/Jeoseutiseu (저스티스) (KBS2, 2019) to defend the son of the National Tax Service who’d assaulted and raped a fellow classmate — ensuring that he’d be acquitted from his crime. In episode 2 (full episode 1), he returns for another trial and runs into Seo Yeon-ah (Nana), who turns out to be the prosecutor. She also sees Song Woo-yong (Son Hyun-joo), who had accompanied Tae-kyung to the building.
In episode 16 of Cross (크로스) (tvN, 2018), Kang In-kyu (Go Kyung-pyo) leaves the court after his hearing, which sees him only receiving a short-term suspension for a first offence.
Hong Seok-pyo (Lee Sung-yeol of INFINITE) has a trial here in episode 1 of Love Returns/Hate to Love You (미워도 사랑해) (KBS1, 2017-18).
Joo Jang-mi (Han Groo) has to defend herself against the accusation of continuous harassment here in episodes 1-2 of Marriage Not Dating (연애 말고 결혼) (tvN, 2014) and Kong Ki-tae (Yeon Woo-jin) comes running to help her to ask her in return to meet his mother and fake that they want to get married.
Also seen in episode 1 of Rugal (루갈) (Netflix/OCN, 2020); episode 1 of Team Bulldog: Off-duty Investigation/Further Investigation (Beonoisoosa/번외수사) (OCN, 2020).
Getting a divorce
Also, quite a few people hand in their divorce papers and other juridical papers here:
Jung Da-jung (Kim Ha-neul) comes to this court for the first settlement meeting for divorce in episode 1 of 18 Again (18 어게인) (JTBC, 2020). But her husband Hong Dae-young (Yoon Sang-hyun) doesn’t show up and when she exits the course, she gets the news that she passed the written exam to become an announcer at JBC.
Song Ga-gyeong (Jeon Hye-jin) and Oh Jin-woo (Ji Seung-hyun) has their divorce finalized here in episode 14 of Search: WWW/Type in Search Word: WWW (검색어를 입력하세요: WWW) (tvN, 2019). While he couldn’t quite find the words to say to end of their decade of marriage, Ga-gyeong thanks Jin-woo “for being miserable” with her. Later, she tells him that she’ll attend his movie premiere with him, as they haven’t had any proper photos taken together through their marriage.
Chae Sung-woon (Hwang Dong-joo) and Park Yoo-ha (Han Ji-hye) finalize their divorce here in episode 5 of Marry Me Now?/Shall We Live Together (같이 살래요) (KBS2, 2018).
In a flashback in episode 4 of Should We Kiss First/ Shall We Kiss First (키스 먼저 할까요) (SBS, 2018), we see how Son Moo-han (Kam Woo-sung) witnessed the discussion between An Soon-jin (Kim Sun-ah) and Eun Kyung-soo (Oh Ji-ho) after their divorce.
Ma Jin-joo (Jang Na-ra) and Choi Ban-do (Son Ho-jun) leave this building after their divorce in episode 1 of Go Back Couple (고백부부) (KBS2, 2017)
Han Ji-hoon (Lee Seo-jin) and Kang Hye-soo (Uee) go here to divorce and he tears up the divorce papers on the stairs outside afterwards in episode 12 of Marriage Contract (결혼계약) (MBC, 2016).
In episode 9 of Temptation (유혹) (SBS, 2014), Cha Seok-hoon (Kwon Sang-woo) and Na Hong-joo (Park Ha-sun) also submit their divorce papers here.
Seo Eun-hye (Kwon Yu-ri of Girls Generation) hands in a motion for retrial here in episode 18 of Defendant (피고인) (SBS, 2017).
Han Jung-soo (Jin Yi-han) comes here with a woman who poses as his wife Kang Jae-mi (Lee Bo-young) in order to get a divorce, as seen in episode 2/3 of Hooray For Love/Bravo, My Love!/A Thousand Affections (애정만만세) (MBC, 2011-12).
This location was also seen in final episode 10 of The Sound of Your Heart/Sound of Heart (마음의 소리) (KBS2/Netflix, 2016-17); in episode 16 of Beating Again/Falling in Love with Soon Jung/Falling for Innocence (순정에 반하다) (JTBC, 2015); The Legendary Witch (전설의 마녀) (MBC, 2014-15); I Can Hear Your Voice (너의 목소리가 들려) (SBS, 2013); in episode 14 of Reply 1997 (응답하라 1997) (tvN, 2012).
Seoul Central District Court [서울중앙지방법원] is a building designed by South Korean architect Kim Swoo-geun [김수근] (1931 – 1986); a key figure in South Korean’s architectural history and cultural life in general. The building – which also incorporates the Seoul High Court (서울고등법원) and Seoul Bankruptcy Court (서울회생법원) – is located in Seoul’s neighborhood Seocho [Seocho-dong/서초동] in the Seocho District [Seocho-gu /서초구].
Address
157 Seochojungang-ro, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea
서울특별시 서초구 서초중앙로 157
(서초동 1701-1)
Geolocation: 37.496068, 127.011484
Getting here
Seoul Nat’l Univ. of Education Station [교대역 (법원·검찰청)], Seoul Subway Line 3 and 6, Exit 6 or 11
— submitted by Marion KDL, updated by Mich KDL; last updated 20/08/22
— Legal High added by deannekitty29
— Hush added by sarahms