Bad Prosecutor | K-Drama | Prosecutors Who Cover Up Crimes are Bad

Bad Prosecutor is a Korean drama series, released in 2022, and is being streamed via Viki, The Roku Channel, and Amazon Prime. The literal title for this legal drama is True Sword Battle. Prosecutor Jin Jeong carries a wooden sword with words engraved on it that say “Anti-justice can not beat justice.” His father taught him that and he lives by those words.

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Wielding a Sword of Justice

As a young child, Jin Jeong (played by Doh Kyung-soo, “100 Days My Prince”, “Swing Kids”) saw things that were unjust. He made up his mind to fight against this injustice by becoming a swordsman. The swordfighters in video games provided him with inspiration.  The truths he learned from his father guided him on the right path. When he grew up, he could plainly see that people with wealth and power had rigged the justice system, in their favor. The “sword of justice” he planned to use would not be effective in eliminating crime and corruption.

So when he saw that the government was hiring prosecutors, he applied for the job, passed the exam, and was hired. He was assigned to the Central District Prosecutors’ Office Criminal Division 3. It was the perfect job for him. As a prosecutor, he would be able to wield a sword of justice and fight against crime and corruption. The wooden sword that he carried with him was part of his Kendo/Kumdo martial arts training but it was also symbolic, as well as practical. In his line of work, he sometimes confronted bad guys, and that sword was very handy for self-defense.

If It’s Not Done By the Book, Is It Bad?

Prosecutor Jin Jeong was determined to bring criminals to justice. It did not matter how wealthy and powerful they were. If some of the prosecutors he worked with were corrupt then he would work to expose them as well. Jin Jeong was fully aware that there were bad guys on the outside who committed crimes and never worried about going to jail. They had ties with bad guys on the inside, working in the Prosecutors’ Office and in other positions of public trust who would cover up their crimes.

Because his work methods were different from his fellow prosecutors, Jin Jeong was labeled a “bad prosecutor”. When performing his prosecutorial duties, sometimes … actually, most of the time … he did not go “by the book”. As a result, his superiors constantly reprimanded him:

• for disregarding the hierarchy, order, and authority, and
• for not following the “official rules” for prosecutors.

Why Not Follow the Rules?

Jin Jeong knew that the real bad prosecutors had pledged their allegiance to someone who spearheaded a large-scale criminal network that included:

• some of his fellow prosecutors,
• people who served in higher-up government positions,
• law enforcement personnel,
• judges and politicians in the Blue House, and
• people engaged in organized crime operations (escort girls, gambling, etc.).

Going by the book was not only time-consuming but the rules usually did not work. Members of “the network” often cleaned up and covered up evidence of criminal acts.  THEY BROKE THE RULES.  Lawbreakers were set free, while innocent people went to prison.  Jin Jeong knew that some prosecutors had ways to erase dirty deeds so he found ways to work around them. How does that make him a bad prosecutor?

• Do Kyung-Soo Redefines ‘Bad’ As The Justice Seeking ‘Bad Prosecutor’ | Forbes

Viewership and Rating

Viki viewers gave Bad Prosecutor a rating of 9.5 out of 10 stars. I agree.

This was Doh Kyung-soo’s first TV role after completing his mandatory two-year military service and he did not disappoint his fans. Movieweb.com mentions Bad Prosecutor in its list which ranked the top 20 Korean legal dramas.

Season 1 was 12 episodes and definitely binge-worthy.  The storyline has room to grow, but as of June 2023, there is no definite news about Season 2. On the plus side, Doh Kyung-soo may be starring in Season 3 of Along With the Gods and Season 2 of 100 Days My Prince. (Maybe.)