One Dollar Lawyer (천원짜리 변호사/One Thousand Won Lawyer) is a Korean legal drama series directed by Kim Jae-hyun, starring Namkoong Min, Kim Ji-eun, Choi Dae-hoon, Lee Deok-hwa, Park Jin-woo and Lee Chung-ah alongside other cast members. Namkoong Min was last seen in 2021’s The Veil, while Kim Ji-eun was last seen in Again My Life.
The series takes up SBS’ Friday-Saturday 10 PM KST timeslot, previously occupied by Today’s Webtoon. One Dollar Lawyer episode 8 has a runtime of 60 minutes.
Disney+ describes the series as:
A LAWYER WHOSE COMMISSION FEE IS ONE DOLLAR CONFRONTS BLINDFOLDED JUSTICE TO DEFEND HIS CLIENTS.
– One Dollar Lawyer Episode 8 Recap Contains Spoilers –
One Dollar Lawyer episode 8 starts at the prosecutor’s office, with Ji-hun telling Yoon-sub that he wants to be a prosecutor like him. Little did he know that, within a short few minutes, he would lose his father to corruption and greed. As predicted, Yoon-sub takes the fall for the illegal slush fund, and Ji-hun rushes to his father’s house to get the list of corrupt officials from his office.
Unfortunately, everyone starts to doubt him and blame him for what happened to Yoon-sub, and although he promises to bring those responsible for this death to justice, it seems like the road to justice is going to be rather difficult to walk on.
In the present, Ye-jin asks Ji-hun to pick a drunk Ma-ri up from the bar and then goes back to the story.
Ji-hun throws himself back into work and tries to figure out what could’ve happened to his father while those around him start to look at him differently. They point fingers at him for doing the right thing. That evening at the hearing, Ju-yeong follows Ji-hun to the courtroom and watches upfront the toll Yoon-sub’s death has had on him.
Afterwards, she tries to comfort Ji-hun, but upon hearing about his relationship with Yoon-sub, she is left in disbelief. Later on, Ji-hun tries his best to get close to the truth but is stopped at every turn, and his investigation is hampered by those around him. In the end, he isn’t able to find out who talked to his father the last time.
However, this is not why Ji-hun left the prosecutor’s office. Through all of his heartbreak and despair, Ju-yeong stayed by his side to the best of her ability. And, as she makes him smile for the third time, they go out on their first date.
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2 years later, a fight has broken out at Baek Law Firm. Hyun-mu has had enough of the drama and eventually hands Ju-yeong a partnership agreement to sign. Unfortunately for him, Ju-yeong hands him her resignation and rents the space that we see Ji-hun working in in the present. Ju-yeong falls in love with the place at first sight and eventually tries to recruit Ji-hun.
As they shop for fish for Ju-yeong’s aquarium for the law office, it seems like Ji-hun has fallen in love with her. She later on, asks him whether he is truly free as he can be, like how she feels now. She promises to make him see himself how she sees him, but he eventually has to leave to go back to the office.
Later, out on a dinner date, Ji-hun seems to be lost in his own thoughts. When she enquires about it, he acknowledges that he has been caught up in the past. However, he fears that if he cannot get over those feelings, what will their relationship be?
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The discussion seems to be going towards a breakup, but weirdly, Ji-hun proposes to Ju-yeong leaving her happy and, honestly, somewhat relieved!
As time rolls around for Ju-yeong to leave Baek Law Firm, it’s honestly a bittersweet moment. Unfortunately for her, she knocks into the man (who I am assuming is the big bad guy of the series) with whom her papers get exchanged. When he figures out the mixup, he immediately sends someone to retrieve the correct papers.
Meanwhile, an aloof Ju-yeong gets her first client – the future office manager Mu-jang. As she gets excited about her first client, she calls Ji-hun to tell him the good news and finally sees the documents that she got her hands on, on accident. She rushes out to meet Ji-hun while someone breaks into her office to retrieve the documents.
As she gets on the subway, Ji-hun tells him that he will meet him at the station. In a rather thrilling scene, Ju-yeong makes her way to the front of the car while the masked man follows her through the car. When she sees the man, she immediately figures out what is going on. At the station, Ji-hun is left confused when he is unable to find Ju-yeong where they had planned to meet.
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He gets in the car and senses a commotion on one of the bogies. Ji-hun walks towards the commotion, already looking like he is expecting the worst, and finds Ju-yeong sitting on one of the seats, motionless. When he gets to her, she looks feeble and covered in blood. She apologizes to him and then passes out, much to Ji-hun’s distress.
They are unable to save her even after rushing her off to the hospital, leaving Ji-hun to go through the hell of losing someone close to him once more. Eventually, he walks out wearing the wedding ring that he had given her, with renewed determination to get revenge.
One Dollar Lawyer Episode 8 Ending
At the office, Ji-hun is determined to take on the case as the attacker turns himself in. However, he eventually realizes that this isn’t the person who actually killed her fiancée. On his way out, he cleans himself and puts on a sunglass, another aspect of Ji-hun’s present personality.
At Ju-yeong’s new law firm office, Ji-hun is overwhelmed with the emotions of losing the only person who stood by him. Eventually, Mu-jang comes to the office to talk to Ju-yeong and Ji-hun takes on his case in her place for 1000 won.
One Dollar Lawyer Episode 8 Review
Well, that was a heartbreaking episode. Coming in for only a short few episodes, Ju-yeong has been able to create a lasting impression on our minds with her easy charm and righteous personality. She is the rock that kept Ji-hun from spiralling out of control and who was the voice of reason in his life.
But even without him, it was always great to watch her on-screen; she provided the moments of comfort that the audience so desperately craved in the rather gloomy episodes. Thus, losing out on a sweet character this early on seems like a loss for all of us.
Regardless, I think the episode really brought Ji-hun’s character to the surface. Before these last 2/3 episodes, he was an enigma of goofiness and craziness. But his actions make sense now. We understand and sympathise with him on a deeper level. And honestly, I just want him to catch a goddamn break for once. Like, what the heck, guys?
One Dollar Lawyer episode 8 is an emotional ride for all the Ju-yeong lovers and will probably make you want to give Ji-hun a tight hug.
One Dollar Lawyer is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.