Difference between revisions of "Pro Bono (Korean Drama)"

Revision as of 05:03, 14 December 2025

User Rating

Current user rating: 91/100 (465 votes)

You need to enable JavaScript to vote

Profile

Drama: Pro Bono
Revised romanization: Probono
Hangul: 프로보노
Director: Kim Sung-Yoon
Writer: Moon Yoo-Seok
Network: tvN
Episodes: 12
Release Date: December 6, 2025 - January 11, 2026
Runtime: Sat. & Sun. 21:20
Language: Korean
Country: South Korea

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Kang Da-Wit (Jung Kyoung-Ho) is an ambitious judge on the fast track. Due to his perfect work and neat image, he is an influencer in the legal field and has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. An unexpected event causes him to resign from his job. He decides to start as a public interest lawyer for a non-profit organization known as Pro Bono. There, he meets Park Gi-Ppeum (So Ju-Yeon) who is a public interest lawyer. She is a geek in the field of law and likes to dig deeply when she becomes interested in something. She believes that a lawyer's mission is to protect human rights and realize social justice. Kang Da-Wit and Park Gi-Ppeum, who both belong to public interest team of the Pro Bono association, use money, that is earned by defending conglomerates, to defend victims in desperate situations and realize justice for them.

Notes

"Pro Bono" takes over tvN's Sat. & Sun. 21:20 time slot previously occupied by "Typhoon Family" and followed by "Undercover Miss Hong" January, 2026.

Cast



Jung Kyoung-Ho	So Ju-Yeon
Kang Da-Wit	Park Gi-Ppeum

Pro Bono Team



Yoon Na-Moo	Seo Hye-Won	Kang Hyoung-Suk
Jang Yeong-Sil	Yoo Nan-Hui	Hwang Jun-U

Oh & Partners



Lee Yoo-Young	Kim Kap-Soo	Ko Han-Min	Kim Jae-Man	Bang Min-Sun
Oh Jung-In	Oh Gyu-Jang	Bae Yong-Hun	Cha Guk-Jin	lawyer (ep.3)

Legal Profession



Choi Dae-Hoon	Lee Moon-Sik	Chae Seo-An	Yu Seung-Il	Park Yong
Woo Myeong-Hun	Shin Joong-Suk	Yoo I-Na	Criminal Senior Chief Judge (ep.1)	Civil Senior Chief Judge (ep.1)

Ungcheon People



Kim Jung-Young	Yeon Je-Wook	Park Yoon-Ho	Choi Jae-Yoon
Kim Sung-Rye	Kim Ju-Seop	Kang Da-Wit (teen)	Kang Da-Wit (child)

JS Group



Song Young-Chang	Jang Yong-Chul
Jang Hyeon-Bae	lawyer

Byeol Ownership Case



Yun Sang-Jeong	Sung Byoung-Sook	Yang Jae-Seong	Kang Hae-Jin	Sung Dong-Il
Ji So-Yeon (e.2-3)	defendant (e.2-3)	defendant (e.2)	plaintiff (e.2)	Choi Ho-Jip (e.2)



Shin Hye-Ji	Choi Seung-Yoon	Lee Hyun-Kyun	Lee Nam-Hee	Oh Yeon-Jae
Baek Han-Byeol (e.2)	prosecutor (e.2)	Oh Jae-Seop (e.2)	Lawyer Park (e.2)	maid (e.2)



Park Ki-Ryoong	Kim Kwon	Byeon Chang-Yeol	Yang Jin-Seon	Shin Chae-Rin
Lee Du-Cheol (e.2)	judge (e.2)	witness (e.2)	trial spectator (e.2)	A-Reum (e.2)

Kim Gang-Hun Case



Lee Chun-Moo	Jeong Saet-Byeol	Choi Hee-Jin	Lee Dae-Yeon	Park Chul-Min
Kim Gang-Hun (e.3-4)	Jung So-Min (e.3-4)	Kim Jin-O (e.3)	Kook Yeong-Jun (e.3)	Park Cheol-Min (e.3)

Lee Hyun-Seo

OB/GYN (e.3)

Others



Kang Han-Saem	Lee Kang-Wook	Ji So-Young	Lee Doll-Hyung
electronics repairman	Reporter Kim	Reporter Park	Lee Hwa-Ryong



Lim Young-Joon	Han Ki-Jang	Ma Jung-Pil	Kim Yong-Jin	Jin Tae-Yeon
Bae Jeong-Hwan (ep.1)	aide (ep.1)	interviewer (ep.3)	Ko Il-Ju (ep.3)	professor (ep.3)

Jang Joon-Ho

law school interviewer (ep.3)

Additional Cast Members:

Gu Bon-Jin - detective (ep.2)

Trailers

Episode Ratings

Date	Episode	AGB
Date	Episode	Nationwide	Seoul
2025-12-06	1	4.451%	4.136%
2025-12-07	2	6.180%	6.017%
2025-12-13	3	-	-
2025-12-14	4	-	-
2025-12-20	5	-	-
2025-12-21	6	-	-
2025-12-27	7	-	-
2025-12-28	8	-	-
2026-01-03	9	-	-
2026-01-04	10	-	-
2026-01-10	11	-	-
2026-01-11	12	-	-

Source: AGB Nielson

Comments

Janet Moisan May 28 2026 10:14 am One of the best Korean dramas I’ve seen and trust me I’ve seen a lot! A hard hitting story which makes a change from the usual apple blossom, rainy, amusement park stuff that is churned out!

Park Apr 08 2026 4:58 am 9/10

It was good episode 1-8 then dropped got boring 9-10 then finished strong episode 11-12. Maybe season 2 can have Kang Da Wit transition into supreme court judge while owning private pro bono firm.

Nik Mar 29 2026 2:49 pm Watching this was so much fun! And soooo many known actors

Watch it if you haven't yet, you won't waste time!

Kdramawatcher Mar 26 2026 2:09 pm Drop Yoo Nan-Hui's character and the show becomes like a thousand times better. She was painful to watch. Almost blew my eardrums too.

Kdramastan Mar 12 2026 7:25 am anything with Jung Hyoung Ko is always good to watch. Loved how they brought up serious matters like autism, immgrant's exploitation , disability in an easy way and yet made sure the message was put forth strongly

Roli Feb 05 2026 9:11 pm The drama was good but I still feel he should have gone and become a judge again but that my personal take lol

Kiera Feb 02 2026 5:46 am This was everything a kdrama that’s great has! Loved it the acting and actors and all the different emotions every episode is exciting and you can’t wait to watch more! So good, fun, sad, exciting and funny! Definitely deserves a 96-100 rating!!!!

Jane Jan 31 2026 10:16 am I really enjoyed watching this drama and hope we get a second season. The script was brilliant because there were moments when I even started to doubt Kang Da Wit. Did you notice that actor Lee Kang Wook played two characters? One was the reporter, and the other was the attorney in Elijah’s case. No wonder Kang Da Wit kept saying his face looked so familiar maybe they were twins. ?

Overall, I’d give this series a 9/10. Totally enjoyable with no boring moments at all.

Jet Jan 29 2026 2:55 am this is such a good legal drama. there was never a boring episode, and i loved each case story. there’s a new case every two episodes, which is really refreshing. it’s something lee jong suk’s recent law kdrama lacked. all in all, i’d give it a 9.5/10. i hope there’s a season 2!!!

Russell Jan 24 2026 6:28 pm I simply don't understand all the criticism of this legal drama. I thought it was exceptional, both funny and sad at times. There was lots of character growth, which is what Korean dramas excel at. All the cast were excellent at their roles. This is an A+ drama, that's for sure.

Kat Jan 24 2026 5:07 am Kang David is an exceptionally intelligent and strong-willed character. However, in stark contrast, the pro bono team is utterly incompetent, useless, and contributes absolutely nothing to him except constant opposition and suspicion. Every victory is entirely David's own achievement, and he is the sole character who kept me watching until the end. If there is a second season, I sincerely hope the writers will consider removing this team or replacing them with another one that is actually intelligent and more befitting of the title “lawyers.”

Nguyet Nguyen Jan 24 2026 12:09 am It think this is one of the excellent film that I had watched I guess the focus is on the different disadvantages from people who don’t have a voice or power to protect themselves . Every character from the dog,the disabled kid to the foreigners and also DV victims who are ignored and abused, and other characters on the other side of the power spectrum,all played superbly their roles. I might be biased but after I watched this film,I prefer to watch similar films like this,and other films seem very ordinary!

Jillibean Jan 23 2026 6:04 pm I loved the drama, it made me both laugh and tear up at times as well. There was a lot of personal and professional growth in these lawyers of various persuasions so if you only watch half the episodes you won't see that satisfying growth.

Jung Kyoung Ho was at the heart of the drama, and I always love watching him. He was in the very first Korean drama I ever watched, in 2006, I'm Sorry, I Love You (2004) with So Jisub and Su Jeong Im. He'll always be "Yune" to me, no matter what else I watch him in. ;) However I think this is the strongest performance I have seen from him over two decades. Particularly in the first two episodes he made me laugh like crazy. I love to see him do humor in the dramas, he really excels at it. :)

Rocky Jan 18 2026 10:15 am Why is the reporter and the lawyer from that idol episode the same actor??? ???

Ryunami Jan 17 2026 8:22 pm Till the end that fluffy dog, there is no story about it *sobs* its function just as a promotional poster boi?

Meowster Jan 17 2026 4:01 am Jung kyung ho carried this drama

Kim Ayaza Jan 14 2026 8:31 am I Hope Season 2 Please. I'm sure season 2 will be more interesting with the same tim.

Anonymousnottooanonymous Jan 13 2026 3:14 pm A special drama If they have a season2 with he some actors I will watch it again

hihihello Jan 13 2026 4:26 am I looooooove this drama so much! This drama and UDT are hilarious and heartwarming at the same time. The theme about humanity, helping each other and teamwork, love them!

Jung Kyungho totally nailed his role as Kang Dawit (and love the reference about David and Goliath!), but the others were also very good. The humor did not seem to be forced/out of place, and the pacing and the dialogues were very good too.

Thank you for all the staffs who worked hard (looking at their BTS at the end of the last episode). Would give this drama 9.5/10

JD Jan 13 2026 3:30 am Kyoung Ho is the reason why I started this series. I really enjoy it and how he acted. And I gotta say it was painful for me to watch the last two eps. I was so pissed at the whole team except for David. How can they be so stupid, naive, aggressive, reckless and annoying!!! And they supposed to be freaking lawyers!!! No wonder they always lose before David came. Kyoung Ho literally carries this whole drama on his back!

Buchay Jan 13 2026 1:08 am I have watched a TON of kdrama series, and this is one of the best law kdrama I’ve watched! It made me cry and laugh at the same time. I love every episode not boring and good thing that they didn’t add romance or it will not be this good. Hoping for a season 2! ?

Kris Jan 12 2026 11:17 am Highly Highly Recommended Kdrama

It shows how the real world is like justice can only be served if your powerful enough. The cases in this shows are very realistic very timely too. Season 2 is a must.

Marg Jan 12 2026 3:51 am Just finished the series and I would say thank goodness, 2025 was saved. I thought kdramas lately are boring , but I would say before the year ended a couple of series got released that saved 2025. Pro Bono was so satisfying to watch, from the script to the acting and actors' chemistry. I really hope there would be a season 2.

Tam Jan 12 2026 2:48 am One of the gems in kdrama series!!! Thank you for making this, it feels like there's still hope in this judgmental, toxic, pressing world of corrupt leaders and beings. Clean conscience matters. Gomawoyo!

Cherish Jan 11 2026 4:25 pm I just have three things to say: 1. The pro bono team except for Da Wit pissee me off throughout most of the episodes, especially when they took up Da Wit case. They all acting naive, stupid and as if they are the only good people in the world. He deserved an apology after that case. 2. The drama felt somehow rushed at the last episode. They could have made it a 16 episodes drama instead of 14. 3. I definitely hate Jung-In character. This is her second drama where I don't like her character. The first one is Law and the city, where she was the male lead's ex.

Elisa Jan 11 2026 12:16 pm The music theme is just like Dua Lipas Dance the Night from Barbie, fair?

Slay Jan 11 2026 11:38 am Daebak! I love this drama so much!

Season 2 please!!!!

Adlar Jan 11 2026 9:20 am Yeong-Sil is the only good (barely good) lawyer in pro bono team. The rest is trash. If the writer and director want us to believe that rest of the team are trash and Da-Wit is just damn good, Good Job.

Furry furry Jan 11 2026 9:15 am Kyung Ho is the only one who's carrying the drama. The whole pro bono team member are like newbies who do not understand a thing about law. I hate the FL as well, she's definitely too naive and stupid, always puts her feeling put first in every situation, she should have worked for an NGO instead of becoming a lawyer with that attitude.

Jasmin Jan 11 2026 4:32 am Not hating the plots - i just can’t take how these characters are portrayed like they don’t seem to be lawyers nor professionals at all. Idk if the writer was trying hard to be humorous but it’s definitely icky. The main lead is the only one normal. I understand some people could be weirdly special but all of them are acting immature like do these kind of lawyers or professionals even exist??

It’s so painful to watch.

The main lead carried this series. I loved him at Prison Playbook, Signal, and Hopital Playlist so i finished this series because of him. Barely hanging though.

It was a bit of a waste of time, ngl.

Lala Jan 11 2026 2:57 am Why the FL in drama is always this annoying. She live in her own bubble and only have empathy or agree to take action if it benefitted her own belief. Not having belief is wrong, but her view is so narrow. God she is so annoying. And she only have 1 emotion. The whole series her face is literally the same. Nan hui should be the FL.

RL Jan 08 2026 5:38 pm The case against Da Wit, the hero of the drama, is to highlight the conflicts between law and morality. Law often not accounting for morality, more often against each other. Lawyers are trained to deliver the best possible outcomes for their clients, within the boundaries of law. Make no difference if the client is a criminal, murderer. In his case Da Wit could be right morally, but legally wrong as a judge (up to ep 10). The pro bono team is forced to take up the case against him by the CEO. They are just doing their job as lawyers. The character of Gi Ppeum is created to be one at the worst possible position in this conflict, as the accused is the one who saved her family and now she had to put him in jail according to law. This is called a great drama. If hating the pro bono team now might as well hating all the criminal lawyers in the world.

Lalgarmirch Jan 06 2026 10:34 am Fantastic drama. Excellent acting by the cast. The fact that you go from liking them to hating them (Da-Wit's probono team mates!), to rooting for Jung In to be his love interest tells you that the cast is excellent. The storyline is brilliant - cliffhangers every Sunday leaves you counting the days until the next episode.

Definitely worth the watch.

Hamyuzai Jan 06 2026 6:16 am The drama is great until episode 9 where the whole team suddenly have their IQ reduced ??

Emma Jan 05 2026 9:47 pm Can't wait for the last 2 episodes ?????

Kaia Jan 05 2026 2:54 pm I watched this drama because of Jung Kyoung-Ho. Tbh, I love the story and the cases that they handle, it's very relevant. But the supporting characters are not 'supporting' at all, specifically the probono team aside from Kim Dawit. The FL is very annoying and doesn't act like a professional lawyer, the other one with anger issue is very OA, though I love her in other kdramas. Their group has no chemistry at all. I'm hoping for some character development for the probono team.

jkh my king Jan 04 2026 3:34 pm One of the most hateable ensemble of supporting characters. The Pro Bono team is truly made of betrayers. The only reason I'll continue watching is because Jung Kyoung Ho is absolutely magnificent as Kang Da-wit.

NGS Jan 04 2026 1:33 pm Heol till the end the probono team do it like Dawit do, really they need to wake up. And apologize to Dawit and Learn. Cant lie, the probono team is nothing without him.

I know the character should be variative and there will be character development, but the team is.... speechless.

Setti Jan 04 2026 12:56 pm Correct on the last comment - what kind of team is pro bono, they would never win any case if not for kim da wit. No team loyalty and spirit. Nerd lawyer is really irritating, so gullible and emotional, a tress playing the role acts like she is still in dr romantic. Lawyer with anger issues should be the one taking that role coz she can actually play many roles.

Lia Jan 04 2026 11:11 am Those characters in Pro Bono team are illogic and annoying in ep 9 and 10. No trust in Kang Da Wit. I hope they lose in that case.

NGS Jan 03 2026 1:02 pm I wish all the team member will apologize, Deeoky Apologize to Dawit if Dawit proven innocent. I still annoyed with the team member really

Mary Jan 01 2026 10:12 am the angry issue character is so annoying ...

Cathy Dec 31 2025 11:45 am This could be so good. But somehow everyone except the male lead act like idiots one minute and insightful and intelligent the next. Just because a lawyer is pro bono doesn't mean they are over the top ridiculous. The female lead lawyer went to good schools and was hired into that prestigious lawyer but acts like an uneducated hoodie.

Daniel Dec 29 2025 6:16 am No wonder Kang Da Wit always say that Gu Ji Hwan (Ma Yeong Suk's Attorney Eps 7-8) face is familiar, He is the same actor of Reporter Kim Do Hoon ??

Sara Green Dec 29 2025 4:39 am I am wondering how close to actual law these cases are. The first few episodes highlighted a corrupt legal system, and it was enjoyable to watch this system being manipulated legally for a win. However, the last two cases dropped the cynicism to allow for sentimentality by the team. They began to win by setting precedents and changing the law, eg not being able to sue a member of the family for serious crimes. Was this an actual law that was overturned by the high court recently? I am really enjoying this show it certainly shows the inequities poor people face in court but would like to know if the defense is accurate with respect to Korean law.

Marvin Zuker Dec 28 2025 7:33 pm From a purely legal perspective, all of the episodes have an incredible air of reality. As someone with a background doing Pro Bono work from time to time over the past 56 years, the issues raised, the discussion of Korean Law and thinking about those laws in comparison with Canada where I am, much food for thought, especially the cultural issues and differences. The writers certainly know the law, medical issues, social issues and mental issues. Love the dialogue and facial expressions. Even the judges are likeable, not always the case. I know.

RL Dec 28 2025 4:58 pm Ep 7 epilogue is a bomb! It is a critical development for the key characters but no one yet commented on it, surprisingly. But it is actually expected as Da Wit woke up from sedation and only seeing one face, but not realising he had been sedated, only meaning that he saw no change before and after woke up. Love to see the PDwriter followed through the developments.

mj Dec 28 2025 11:05 am Jung Ji So here looked like Han Ga In

RL Dec 28 2025 5:04 am In contrary to some reviews here, the relationship developments between the 2 leads is highly enjoyable. It is used as a sweetener throughout the drama. From totally not compatible, one of them has to go in the beginning, to always close but recently distanced (commented by Yoo Nan Hui). Basically always together including Da Wit's sedation period! The fl is used as a key to discover the secret of the bribery video, no doubt. That will help greatly the future career of Da Wit.

Jillibean Dec 28 2025 3:34 am Wow the ratings almost doubled between episodes five and six. Word of mouth in Korea must be good.

Ann Dec 27 2025 8:52 pm The woman who was from Kazakhstan is Kaya's friend who worked at the restaurant when Kaya's husband was getting furious after his friends warned him to watch out Kaya's appearance. Kaya is written in the story as a Burmese.

HelloMe Dec 26 2025 9:12 am ML always awesome! Watched andn liked him since prison playbook. Good acting can b funny and serious at thr same time. His pro bono team are a great support! FL is annoying though (not the sctress) coz she is just good at research but puts emotions first instead of being rational- she shouldnt be a lawyer but a so ial wellfare person. She also a ts similar to her role in Dr. Romantic

NGS Dec 25 2025 2:01 pm @pecky : IKR. I also often feel angry about that

Olya_1004 Dec 24 2025 1:30 am @baek mari trying to bring awareness of things that happen on a regular basis but don't get discussed is not pushing for anything. If you haven't experienced it firsthand or know people who have that's okay but trying to have a more empathetic and open world view is good for you. I can imagine many people in South Korea have a lot they feel ashamed about and this is just one way to try and open a conversation about difficult topics

London Tommy Dec 22 2025 2:08 am <<>>

But does all the dreadful shouting and screaming stop?!!!

Clint Dec 21 2025 3:31 pm I also noticed that too. Father could even be from Myanmar. Mother and daughter might memorize the lines

HayZel Dec 21 2025 9:49 am Anyone who noticed young Kaya is speaking Burmese in ep 6 but in ep 5 it was mentioned kaya is from kazakhstan. Why Netflix do it like that? They should do it properly. If they don’t wanna mention the country name don’t do it at all. It was all wrong.

Russell Dec 18 2025 11:53 pm I loved the first episode! It was hilarious! I'm watching to the end.

Ep.2 Dec 16 2025 4:40 pm Why nobody mentions the Itaewon tragedy from 2022? The granddaughter died at a street festival...in October.

Un modeste admirateur Dec 15 2025 10:44 pm Here is a pro tip if you're starting «Pro Bono». Jump directly at the second episode, and watch from there. It's a fantastic drama, with all talented actors, but the first episode is just lore about the main character, and I feel that a drama like this, focused on protecting human rights and realizing social justice, shouldn't put the main character before human rights and before social justice. By skipping ep. 1, which is in reality ep. 0, you set the priorities straight, and you go to the actual cases.

Jillibean Dec 14 2025 11:52 pm I am absolutely loving this drama and the male lead's physical and emotional antics. I keep laughing out loud. :) He was in the very first Korean drama I ever watched, way back in 2006, and he always nails his roles 100%.

Pecky Dec 14 2025 12:51 pm I honestly do not enjoy the disrespect Da Wit receives from his team especially from the nerd.

erd Dec 14 2025 11:18 am Answering kim tae won comment, watching eps 3 also makes me saying what kind of case is this, i also blame the mom. But seeing eps 4 how the case unfold and both POV they just dont know who to blame and their problem lies in communication, while the CEO also learn a lot from it. I also stand with the CEO believe, wont speak more for this case eps, but i think they really did a good job.

Kim tae won Dec 13 2025 4:13 pm Episode 3 It's not Gods fault why you are like that. Your Mom abused herself while pregnant to you. What kind of silly episode is this. Good episode 2 but this. Lol!

Asanokatana Dec 11 2025 10:09 pm I know a lot of dramas use fictionalized versions of real events, but it’s pretty gutsy to directly use a real tragedy as part of a storyline. Especially a recent one over which a lot of SK is still very raw. That can backfire easily if not handled extremely sensitively, but I think they did a very good job with it.

Jillibean Dec 10 2025 3:40 am A lot of my favorite actors are in this one. I'm in! :)

Hospital Playlist Romantic Dec 08 2025 1:52 pm This is a brilliant series who a star studded cast. The script is excellent and the legal premise of each case is so humane. Subtle reference to the Itaewon Halloween crowd crush on 29 Oct 2022 in ep2 makes the series a truly smart one anchored in realism.

Mam Dec 07 2025 5:44 pm If you're looking for a romantic drama, then this isn't the drama for you. If you like mystery, and crime, this is right up your alley, so far it appears to have potential. I am glad to see Jung Kyoung-Ho in a new drama, he is a versatile actor!

Han Ji-Min fan Oct 29 2025 10:38 pm Uri chingu is back. You know, I have no chingu!

Duke hyda Aug 24 2025 7:04 am This is going to be cool

External Links

Offiical Website

@@ Line 196: / Line 196: @@
 |4charactername=Lee Hwa-Ryong
 }}
-{{CastPictures5
+{{CastPictures6-5
 |1picture=File:Pro Bono-Lim Young-Joon.jpg
 |1name=Lim Young-Joon (1981){{!}}Lim Young-Joon
@@ Line 209: / Line 209: @@
 |4name=Kim Yong-Jin (1981){{!}}Kim Yong-Jin
 |4charactername=Ko Il-Ju (ep.3)
-|5picture=File:Pro Bono-Jang Joon-Ho.jpeg
+|5picture=File:Pro Bono-Jin Tae-Yeon.jpeg
-|5name=Jang Joon-Ho (1968){{!}}Jang Joon-Ho
+|5name=Jin Tae-Yeon (1975){{!}}Jin Tae-Yeon
-|5charactername=law school interviewer (ep.3)
+|5charactername=professor (ep.3)
+|6picture=File:Pro Bono-Jang Joon-Ho.jpeg
+|6name=Jang Joon-Ho (1968){{!}}Jang Joon-Ho
+|6charactername=law school interviewer (ep.3)
 }}
 '''Additional Cast Members:'''

Difference between revisions of "Pro Bono (Korean Drama)"

Revision as of 05:03, 14 December 2025

Contents

User Rating

Profile

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki Staff ©

Notes

Cast

Pro Bono Team

Oh & Partners

Legal Profession

Ungcheon People

JS Group

Byeol Ownership Case

Kim Gang-Hun Case

Others

Trailers

Episode Ratings

Comments

Leave a Comment

Comments

External Links