Name: Divorce Attorney Shin season 1 episode 3
Director: Lee Jae-hoon
Released: 2023-03-11T23:55:30

In the third episode of Divorce Attorney Shin, Ae-ran decides to divorce her husband and approaches Sung-han regarding the same, while a man from Sung-han’s past visits him, bringing back painful memories. The episode is now streaming on Netflix.

Recap

After getting drunk with Hyeong-geun, Sung-han wakes up hungover the next morning. Jeong-sik calls him to tell him that someone has posted on the internet a video of him playing the piano last night. The video is getting a lot of views, which does not sit well with Sung-han.

Seo-jin is still trying to mend her relationship with her son; she drives him to school but hears the voice of the new DJ, who has taken her job, on the radio and gets upset.

After getting hit by Ae-ran, the cleaning lady, Ae-ran’s mother-in-law admits herself to a hospital. She plans to stay in the hospital for longer than necessary in order to get a diagnosis. She is mad at her son for letting Ae-ran get away with hitting her, even though he claims he scolded her.

Sung-han messages the person who posted his video online and asks him to take it down; his account name is “June Man”. Sung-han is then visited by Ae-ran, as she wants to consult him regarding her divorce.

She does not know if this is the right thing to do, but she knows that she cannot live like this anymore. She admits to Sung-han that she used violence against her mother-in-law. Ae-ran wants to divorce her husband and get her share in the property.

Ae-ran tells Sung-han that her husband bought a building. As his business failed and he was on the brink of bankruptcy, he transferred the building to his mother to save it. Ae-ran only got to know about the transfer once it was done.

She also tells Sung-han that she has been living miserably like a doormat for 20 years, but she could not see her daughters being treated like that. That is why she lost her cool and hit her mother-in-law.

Seo-jin goes for a job interview and realizes that the job requires her to create R-rated content. She gets offended and walks out, but not without overhearing that she is no longer a morning radio DJ.

Sung-han and Hyeong-geun, both hungover, go to eat at their favorite ramen restaurant, which has finally reopened.

However, instead of the old owner, her daughter is managing the outlet. She laughs at the sight of them, owing to the stories she has heard about them from her mother.

Jeong-sik finds the two men and informs them that they drank so much last night that they left without paying. He had to pay the bill on their behalf.

Ae-ran’s husband argues with her because of her fight with his mother. His mother lost his father early in life, and because of that, he expects Ae-ran to be patient with her. Ae-ran replies that she has also had a difficult life; she has been deprived of any rest.

Her husband does not like this and bitterly remarks that she will now start complaining about his failed business, after which he started drinking day and night and was chased by creditors.

This makes Ae-ran realize that he is just like his mother. He wants her to apologize to his mother, but Ae-ran now wants a divorce.

Hyeong-geun wants Sung-han to drop Ae-ran’s case, as it will not be an easy one, but Sung-han does not want to give up so soon; he wants to ask around a bit and know more about Ae-ran’s relationship with her mother-in-law.

Jeong-sik goes undercover to investigate. He finds out from Ae-ran’s neighbors that her mother-in-law is infamous for her temper, whereas Ae-ran is liked by all because of her work and her patience.

He also discovers that people know about Ae-ran getting mistreated by her mother-in-law. On top of that, she works all day; she sells gimbap in the morning and cleans the building until late at night.

Hyeong-geun goes to meet his wife, Ji-eun. The meeting is very awkward. Hyeong-geun tells her about his new job, and his wife notes that he seems to like this job, unlike the one that he had at his previous company, where he had no time for anything other than work.

Hyeong-geun still wishes to open a cafe with Ji-eun, even though she is living with another man. He keeps hoping that she will come back to him, but she loves the man she is living with and just wants to divorce Hyeong-geun.

Sung-han talks to Ae-ran and informs her that her daughters might need to testify in court, which is not an ideal scenario for Ae-ran.

He also needs evidence like a transaction document or a notarized document signed by her husband and her mother-in-law to prove that the building’s real owner is indeed her husband.

However, the problem is that Ae-ran’s mother-in-law has the notarized document and the recording that proves the building is Ae-ran’s husband’s. She tells Sung-han that she will retrieve them somehow.

Sung-han’s nephew, Gi-yeong, talks to him on the phone and wants to play a game with him when they meet next. Later, Yeong-ju does not let Ha-yul play with Gi-yeong.

Sung-han gets a reply from June Man, who refuses to take down the video now that it has so many views. June Man is elated because of the video’s popularity and wonders about Sung-han.

Seo-jin visits Sung-han’s office, hoping to get a job there. She needs proof of employment because her ex-husband might file another lawsuit after losing the custody of their son.

Seo-jin makes her worth known by fixing the door that has been troubling everyone at Sung-han’s office. She ends up impressing everyone.

Park Yu-seok, the man sent by Yeong-ju, comes to meet Sung-han. He advises Sung-han not to live in the past and to move on in life. He further informs him that Gi-yeong’s family has decided that his monthly visits with Sung-han will end now.

Yu-seok was Sung-han’s sister’s attorney, but now he is delivering the message of those she fought. Yu-seok claims that he did not have a choice, as Gi-yeong’s stepmother, Yeong-ju, is the PR director of his firm.

Yu-seok also points out that he had previously testified that meeting his uncle would help Gi-yeong’s emotional stability. However, Sung-han accuses him of not fighting his sister’s case in the best way possible.

He is still so angry because Yu-seok is a puppet who was sold out for money; he even became a partner at a firm. On the other hand, Yu-seok claims that if he had inherited a building like Sung-han, he would not need to sell out.

Sung-han tells him that rage motivated him to study and become an attorney, even though he is from a rich family. Yu-seok knows that Sung-han wants to get to the bottom of his sister’s divorce and will fight him once all the grapes in the chart are colored.

Yu-seok calls his company’s top intern, who happens to be June Man; it is his last week at the company. Yu-seok asks him to look into the divorce case Sung-han is preparing for, as he plans to ruin his cases from now on.

Ae-ran goes to her mother-in-law’s apartment to look for the recording and the papers, but her husband unexpectedly comes there and catches her.

Sung-han dreams about his sister, Ju-hwa. She was playing the piano in front of him, and the next moment, she disappeared. He remembers her accident and cries thinking about her.

Review

Fortunately, this episode provided some clarity with regard to the events in the last episode. While the viewers still do not know everything about Sung-han’s past, the episode at least clarified the link between Sung-han, Yu-seok, and Gi-yeong.
The episode depicts that people who have been hurt in the past then hurt others. Ae-ran’s mother-in-law has had a difficult life, and she tries her best to make Ae-ran’s life difficult as well. The show presents her in a way that the viewers cannot sympathize with her at all.
Cho Seung-woo’s performance adds layers to Sung-han’s character. He usually seems kind, quirky, and light-hearted. However, in this episode, he effortlessly shows the viewers his other side, which is full of rage and heartache.