Ongoing legal drama "Defendant" has stirred up a debate between two associations for lawyers in Korea. The argument started when the Korean Lawyer's Association contested the profile description of Han Ji Woo's character in the SBS drama.
According to Korea Joongang Daily, the organization called out SBS to revise the profile description of the said character. In the drama's homepage, Han Ji Woo's character was described as someone who became successful in the field of law because of her connections.
Right after "Defendant" aired its second episode, the Korean Lawyer's Association asked SBS to alter the character's profile description. In a formal notice, the organization deemed that the portrayal is an insult to the profession.
"Because the unfair admission into law school or the unjust hiring into the law firm is being portrayed as ordinary, the reputation of current law school students and graduates are being defamed," it said.
However, the Korean Bar Association fired back at Korean Lawyer's Association, stating that the latter is "denouncing freedom of expression" with their claims. "It is because unfair admission to law school and resulting employment truly does exist that the depiction [of the character] is being based on facts," the former said on Feb. 6.
The Korean Bar Association even vowed to offer full legal support to SBS if the Korean Lawyer's Association continues to assert their claims against the "Defendant" character.
Previously, SBS was also slammed for a particular character in "The Good Wife." However, a representative of the agency countered the character only served as a dramatic representation.
Despite the ongoing debate for its profiling, "Defendant" continues to climb in terms of viewership ratings. In fact, the SBS drama recorded 20.9 percent ratings for its Feb. 13 episode as per Soompi.
The latest figures were 2.3 percent higher than the 18.6 percent of "Defendant" episode six. The legal thriller has been consistent with its two-digit ratings since it started airing on Jan. 23.
Reports stated the Ji Sung starrer earned 14.5 percent ratings for its first episode. Since then, "Defendant" continued to take a notch higher with its thrilling storyline.