Episode 2 of SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama "Phantom Lawyer" (written by Kim Ga-young and Kang Chul-gyu, directed by Shin Joong-hoon), which aired on March 14, hit 9.2% in the Seoul metro area with a minute-by-minute peak of 11.3% (Nielsen Korea). The show cracked double digits by only its second episode. It also ranked No. 1 in both average ratings and the key 20-49 demo among all dramas airing in the same time slot as well as all Friday-Saturday miniseries.
"Phantom Lawyer" follows “possessed lawyer” Shin I-rang (played by Yoo Yeon-seok), who helps the dead settle their unresolved grudges, and “cold-blooded elite lawyer” Han Na-hyun (played by Esom), who will do anything to win. Yoo’s hard-carry performance―literally channeling each spirit’s traits―has viewers hooked, signaling a new hero in SBS’s streak of satisfying courtroom dramas. With the catharsis kicking in, anticipation is soaring for his otherworldly run.
# “I Hate That I Can See Ghosts” ― An Unwilling, New-Style Hero Is Born
Shin I-rang isn’t your typical justice-driven hero. Branded by “that incident” involving his prosecutor father 10 years ago, he kept getting rejected by law firms. So he opened his own, vowing to build the best firm under his own name. But the office he rented―Unit 501 of Okcheon Building―used to be a shaman’s place. Beneath the wallpaper, talismans were everywhere. After lighting an incense burner he found in a desk drawer, he started seeing ghosts.
He tried to run, terrified, but a persistent spirit wouldn’t leave him alone. In the end, he couldn’t ignore the man’s unjust story and threw himself―body and soul―into the case, equal parts funny and painful. Half willing, half dragged into it, this unprecedented “possessed lawyer” character delivered fresh fun and punch-the-air payback.
# A “Possessed” Transformation With Every Spirit ― Yoo Yeon-seok’s Limitless Range
From soft-hearted attorney to a brutal gangster spirit, Yoo Yeon-seok’s range drove the immersion. He tore through a warehouse with bare-knuckle action. He suddenly burst into rough satoori and curses with flushed cheeks, then panicked once the possession lifted. Yoo, tackling full-on comedy for the first time, nailed the laughs.
He didn’t stop at comedy. He left a lump in viewers’ throats as he sincerely comforted Lee Ji-woo (played by Ahn Chae-heum), who blamed herself for her father Lee Kang-poong’s (played by Heo Sung-tae) death: “It’s not your fault your dad died.” The reversal―urging Lee Kang-poong to stay and watch his daughter grow―was moving.
Yoo’s hard-carry has only just begun. As more spirits―of all ages and backgrounds―arrive, he’ll embody each of their personalities and quirks in true “multi-character” fashion. Starting with the schoolgirl ghost who appeared at the end of Episode 2, fans are eager to see which spirits will borrow Shin I-rang’s body to shout the truth―and how Yoo will transform each time.
# “Becoming the Voice of the Dead” ― The Next Evolution of SBS’s Satisfying Legal Dramas
After delivering beloved dark heroes with series like "Taxi Driver" and "The Judge From Hell", SBS pops the cap again―this time with a lawyer who gets possessed. The heart of "Phantom Lawyer" is simple: it lets us hear the voices of the dead, the ones we can no longer hear. Criminals who thought they could slip through the cracks get hit with swift, satisfying consequences.
“The dead can’t speak, so their injustice is usually buried forever,” the production team said. “Shin I-rang becomes their voice and drags the truth into the light. The core is how he’s forced to see ghosts, releases the dead’s grudges, and grows into a hero.” They added, “We’ll keep delivering cathartic stories for those silenced by the walls of law and reality, and we’re confident this series will carry on SBS’s legacy of satisfying legal dramas.”
SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama "Phantom Lawyer" airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)