‘The Judge from Hell’: Park Shin-hye’s New Role

The Judge from Hell, starring Park Shin-hye, is an upcoming K-drama directed by Park Jin-pyo that follows her Doctor Slump—one of our best K-dramas of 2024 thus far. Park Shin-hye and Park Hyung-sik co-starred in Doctor Slump as two first-rate doctors suffering sudden setbacks with their careers going south; thanks to fate, it brings them together many years later and turns their lives around. 

The Judge from Hell comes almost eight months after Doctor Slump’s release (January 27). The story is romance, fantasy, action, and courtroom drama elements combined into a solid narrative. Park Shin-hye plays Kang Bit-na, a devil who emerges from hell to kill and condemn to hell those who have ruthlessly harmed others. Thus, she assumes the role of a judge and meets Kim Jae-young’s Detective Han Da-on, a pleasing, perceptive, and kind man who’s secretly suffering. But, once he encounters Bit-na, things begin to change.

The juxtaposition of opposites—the good and bad—in a fantasy courtroom thriller drama makes for an interesting and intriguing dynamic that I’m looking forward to seeing in The Judge from Hell. Fantasy K-dramas are so good in their deft portrayal of the supernatural, such as Bit-na, in this context and the world of fiction that set the scene for conflicts between good and evil in a story.

The essence of Bit-na’s eerie, mysterious personality is best captured by the recently released promotional poster for The Judge from Hell. With Park Shin-hye staring right into the lens with a sharp gaze, her deep, brilliant purple eyes, and a devious, enigmatic smirk hinting at a vindictive quest, the dimly lit crimson background lends to the plot’s darkness. A line says “Welcome to My World” in the top left of the banner. Her enormous black spread-out wings behind make it apparent she is hell’s angel, the devil’s advocate, and a sinister savior who’s coming to judge and slay the evil in her distinctive style. 

I’m unsure of how many or what kind of “action sequences” we’ll get to see Park Shin-hye in here in this drama. But knowing that action is one of its mainstays and the sort of character she’s playing, I’m hopeful for quite a bit of her physically demanding action-packed episodes. As it is, she’s one of those renowned Korean actresses who specializes in scenes of action, fights, and stunts reminiscent of her previous popular works, such as The Doctors (2016), Alive (2020), and Sisyphus: The Myth (2021). 

Park Shin-hye frequently plays strong, unconventional female roles that capture the ferocity and rawness of a very strong woman. Her versatility as an actor is evident in the ease with which she can go from sensitive roles to intense action sequences. This time, to further add spice to the mix, she holds the devil’s power, although she’s harnessing it for the greater good. I thoroughly enjoy female-driven stories, and The Judge from Hell is a good example of how they can revolutionize such stories.

The drama will premiere on September 21.