In ‘Labor Attorney Noh Mujin’, Jung Kyung-ho, Seol In-ah, and Cha Hak-yeon supported and comforted weary youth in their own unique voices.
In the broadcast of MBC's Friday-Saturday drama ‘Labor Attorney Noh Mujin’ (directed by Im Soon-rye, Lee Han-jun, written by Kim Bo-tong, Yoo Seung-hee) on the 20th, the ‘Mujins’ (Noh Mujin played by Jung Kyung-ho, Na Hee-joo played by Seol In-ah, Go Gyeon-woo played by Cha Hak-yeon) were depicted saving job seeker Heo Yoon-jae (Yoo Seon-ho) who was at a crossroads between life and death. The story of supporting youth who are exhausted from job hunting and struggling with unreasonable labor conditions provided emotion and hope.
The viewership rating for the 7th episode of ‘Labor Attorney Noh Mujin’ recorded 5.6% nationwide and 5.4% in the metropolitan area, breaking its own record once again. This ranked first in viewership ratings for the same time slot and Friday-Saturday dramas, with a peak rating of 6.1%. The scene that recorded the highest momentary rating was when Mujin instilled hope in Yoon-jae by saying, “There is definitely an end,” during a tunnel scene, accompanied by the OST ‘Running’ sung by Seol In-ah and Cha Hak-yeon, adding to the emotion. (Based on Nielsen Korea)
The 7th episode began with Yoon-jae, who had become a soul in a state of coma, meeting Mujin. Mujin investigated why Yoon-jae was found collapsed at a supermarket instead of the large company he was supposedly employed at. It turned out that Yoon-jae had received an abrupt cancellation notice for his job just before starting work and had instead taken a job as a non-regular employee at a large supermarket. Assigned to collect carts, Yoon-jae lost consciousness while pushing carts in the parking lot and did not wake up. The reason was a pulmonary embolism caused by severe dehydration.
However, the company denied any responsibility, claiming that cart work is a common task that even people in their 40s and 50s can do without difficulty. When Mujin requested CCTV footage, they said that permission from the headquarters was needed because it was a foreign company. The headquarters did not respond to emails, no matter how many were sent.
In response, the ‘Mujins’ set out to solve the issue in their own way. Gyeon-woo infiltrated the supermarket to experience cart labor firsthand, while Hee-joo filmed the process. Gyeon-woo revealed through ‘Gyeon-jjang TV’ the reasons why Yoon-jae, a healthy young man in his 20s, collapsed: the sweltering heat of the parking lot with a perceived temperature nearing 39 degrees, the labor intensity of pulling over twenty 20kg metal carts at once, and the difficult working environment that made it hard to take breaks. However, mindless comments such as ‘Kids these days are too pampered and weak’ and ‘Why dehydration when they’re not even marching?’ were posted in criticism.
The biggest problem was that Yoon-jae had lost his will to live. He did not want to burden his financially struggling sister any further, and with student loans and medical bills piling up, he contemplated giving up on life. Yoon-jae’s expression, saying “No matter how hard I struggle, nothing will change,” and “I just want to rest now,” looked weary. To change Yoon-jae’s mind, who felt that waking up wouldn’t change his life, Mujin took him to the sea.
Mujin’s heartfelt message to Yoon-jae was also a comfort and encouragement for all youth. Mujin gently reassured Yoon-jae, saying, “Right now, life may feel endlessly frustrating like this tunnel, but they say the tunnel is the fastest shortcut to the next destination. It may seem like there’s no end right now, but there is definitely an end.” As soon as they exited the tunnel, Yoon-jae smiled at the bright sea. Mujin suggested that Yoon-jae take the labor attorney exam, as he had lived diligently studying.
The efforts of Hee-joo and Gyeon-woo also bore fruit. Yoon-jae’s former part-time job bosses and colleagues, who watched ‘Gyeon-jjang TV’, stepped forward. They couldn’t stand the thought of uninformed people criticizing Yoon-jae and volunteered for interviews and positive comments. Additionally, Gyeon-woo persistently searched for the CEO of the headquarters on social media and sent direct messages, leading to the company’s accountability and approval for industrial accident compensation. Gyeon-woo expressed his joy, saying, “It shows that when you take an interest and act, things can change.” Yoon-jae’s story became a hot topic on social media, drawing attention to the labor conditions faced by young people.
Empowered by Mujin and the people around him, Yoon-jae found hope to live again. Mujin kept his promise of having chicken and beer (chimaek) with the awakened Yoon-jae by the Han River. Yoon-jae expressed his new dream, saying, “Seeing you, I think being a labor attorney seems like a good job, so I’m going to try it.” Hee-joo and Gyeon-woo, who announced ‘Day 1 of Dating’ in front of them, added laughter by showing off their lovey-dovey hand hearts.
MBC's Friday-Saturday drama ‘Labor Attorney Noh Mujin’ episode 8 will air on June 21 at 9:50 PM.
