The Judge From Hell Episodes 1 and 2 Summary: Reasons Behind Kang Bit-na’s Stabbing of Han Da-on

The Judge from Hell premiered on September 21, 2024, featuring the talents of Park Shin-hye and Kim Jae-young in lead roles.

This captivating series centers around Kang Bit-na, an elite judge with a hidden identity as a demon tasked with dispensing justice by punishing the wicked and sending them to hell. Her journey intertwines with Detective Han Da-on, a skilled yet deeply troubled investigator. Fans are eagerly anticipating Park Shin-hye’s return to the screen in this striking dual role.

The cast is further bolstered by notable supporting actors such as Kim In-kwon, Kim Hye-hwa, and Lee Joong-ok. The first two episodes establish the premise of The Judge from Hell as Justitia, the demon, enters the mortal realm to fulfill her mission, inadvertently pulling Detective Da-on into the fray.

Recap of The Judge from Hell Episodes 1-2: Kang Bit-na’s Unconventional Trial

In the inaugural episode of The Judge from Hell, Kang Bit-na unexpectedly finds herself in the infernal realm meant for murderers after her own death, although she was intended to enter a mock hell for her trial. Justitia is the presiding judge, and as part of her daily tasks, she brands Bit-na and condemns her to Gehenna for punishment.

Due to the mishandling of her ruling, Bael, the director of hell, imposes a new task on Bit-na; she must eliminate ten murderers from the human world during her year as Kang Bit-na, guided by her assistant, Valak.

Under the label of being a monster, Kang Bit-na is diagnosed with PTSD and a delusional disorder. Upon resuming her judge duties, she encounters the case of Han Da-on, a detective wrongly accused of assault.

Bit-na opts to acquit him and rushes to meet the case’s victim, Cha Min-jeong. While chasing the truth behind a non-punishment letter, she is taken into custody at the police station but is released by Da-on, who admires her commitment to justice.

The accused, Moon Jeong-jun, admits to the assault but denies threatening her, claiming love and vowing not to approach her again. Skeptical, Bit-na allows him to escape with a fine, anticipating he will eventually kill Min-jeong.

Meanwhile, Min-jeong’s family and Detective Da-on do everything possible to ensure her safety. However, Jeong-jun forces his way into her home, assaults her once more, and threatens her parents if she defies him. Cornered, Min-jeong contemplates taking her own life. With her demonic powers, Bit-na senses the situation and decides to confront Jeong-jun.

A glimpse into Kang Bit-na’s torment in hell shows her battling to reach the mock hell while being attacked by another entity, ultimately saved by a cross, which concludes the first episode of The Judge from Hell.

The second episode continues with Detective Da-on and the police detaining Jeong-jun after Min-jeong’s suicide attempt. However, they are compelled to release him due to a lack of arrest warrants. Da-on watches both Jeong-jun and Min-jeong’s families closely, intent on preventing further issues.

As the situation escalates, Min-jeong’s family becomes increasingly paranoid. During a visit, her father mistakenly attacks Da-on, who strives to reassure them until he receives a call informing him of Jeong-jun’s death.

Earlier, Bit-na uses Valak’s powers to mimic Min-jeong’s voice, luring Jeong-jun to an abandoned building for trial. Despite his refusal to cooperate, she forces him to relive his assaults on her through a hallucination, where the roles are reversed, and she embodies his abuser. Jeong-jun wrestles with surviving the abuse within the hallucination and ultimately tries to end his own life within it. Her retaliation successfully overwhelms him.

He begs for forgiveness, acknowledging his role in Min-jeong’s attempted suicide and asserting that he deserves death. In response, Bit-na terminates him with her dagger, marking him for Gehenna and concluding her trial.

When police arrive, they find nothing but Jeong-jun’s severely mutilated corpse. Justitia’s cleaning crew has erased all traces at the scene, leaving the body outside to bewilder the investigators and inject some amusement into the chaos.

To further her quest for murderous souls, Valak (now disguised as Man-do) suggests seeking information from a detective. Soon, Bit-na is summoned to the Chief Judge’s office for a stern reprimand. It’s revealed that she had been previously engaged to Assemblyman Jeong’s eldest son but broke it off.

Min-jeong expresses her gratitude to Da-on, sharing that Bit-na reassured her not to feel guilty about finding relief in Jeong-jun’s death.

In this episode, Bit-na flirts with Da-on and attempts to get him intoxicated in pursuit of information about potential murderers. In a haze of drunken confession, Da-on admits to having killed someone by stabbing them. When asked about it the next morning, Da-on insists that she keep it a secret.

Having identified her second target, Bit-na takes matters into her own hands and stabs him with her knife. This marks the conclusion of the second episode of The Judge from Hell.

The third episode of The Judge from Hell is scheduled to air on September 27 on Disney+ in select regions.

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