JTBC drama 'Legal High' exposes corruption behind unfair dismissal claims

The 11th episode of JTBC's 'Legal High' portrays how Mangang Finance used a malicious dismissal system to conceal corporate misconduct. The drama reveals that employees Jo Geum-se and Lee Sang-il were dismissed under pretexts ranging from poor interpersonal skills to sexual harassment to prevent the exposure of massive corruption.

What does it look like when massive corruption is hidden behind a corporate issue of unfair dismissal? In the 11th episode of the JTBC drama 'Legal High,' the complex interests surrounding the unfair dismissal of employees by a conglomerate and the circumstances of the corruption hidden behind them are portrayed.

'Scouting' disguised as unfair dismissal and neglected employees

Jo Geum-se, formerly of Hangang Group, and Lee Sang-il of Hangang Chemical were each scouted by Mangang Finance. Amid rumors that the Mangang Finance established by Seong Gi-jun would grow rapidly, an individual named Cheon Sang-mu approached them, promising exceptional treatment to recruit them. Although they accepted the job after inspecting the office and observing employees working, the reality was different. Contrary to their promises, they had to work at a single desk in a place resembling a basement warehouse, and after being neglected in their duties for a month, they were eventually notified of their dismissal due to reasons such as a lack of interpersonal skills.

In the case of Lee Sang-il, allegations of sexual harassment and workplace bullying were cited as grounds for dismissal. The company claimed that Lee Sang-il engaged in inappropriate behavior based on statements from female employees, including Kim Eun-hui, Jang Eun-yeong, and Jo Hui-jin. The statements included allegations that Lee Sang-il peeked under a skirt in the supply room, requested dates on the way home from work, and peeked from a nearby building. However, during this process, it was revealed that Lee Sang-il suffered from irritable bowel syndrome, and controversy arose because a physiological phenomenon—accidentally passing gas during an important moment in a photo for an outstanding employee award—was used as a decisive ground for his dismissal.

The hidden side of a finance manager packaged as embezzlement and donations

The actions of Jo Geum-se, who claimed unfair dismissal, also met a twist. While appearing to be an aggrieved victim on the surface, it was revealed that during his tenure as the finance manager of Hangang Group, he manipulated business trip statements and sales and purchase unit prices, and embezzled A-position funds that were to be distributed to the group. Jo Geum-se attempted to justify his actions with the logic that he had donated the embezzled funds to an orphanage in the amount of seven truckloads. He argued that, true to his name, he only committed "a very little" and that he was too timid to do anything large-scale.

This corruption is also linked to the company's method of dismissal. Circumstances are presented suggesting that the real reason the company carried out the unfair dismissal was the fear that if they terminated the employees in question, the massive corruption those employees had committed would also be exposed. In other words, the pretext of unfair dismissal was the result of a malicious system designed by Seong Gi-jun to cover up the company's misconduct.

Legal battles and the emerging links of corruption

During the trial, Mangang Finance emphasized that Lee Sang-il failed to get along with employees, thereby harming the company atmosphere. The company claimed that employees who had even a delicate conversation with Lee Sang-il were suffering from anxiety, stress, and depression, and that an employee who made eye contact with him was receiving psychiatric treatment for discomfort and neurotic pruritus. Furthermore, they asserted the legitimacy of the dismissal based on a clause in the contract stating dismissal in the event of failure to meet performance standards.

In response, the defense countered that it was a malicious unfair dismissal system created through collusion between Hangang Group and Mangang Finance. Particularly in the case of Jo Geum-se, it was pointed out that his vast wealth—including three apartments, two foreign cars, and 2,000 pyeong of land—was related to the corruption during his time as the finance manager of Hangang Group. Jo Geum-se defended himself by stating that he only did "a very little" as his name suggests and that he donated the embezzled funds to an orphanage.

Cynicism toward justice and attempts by power to conceal

The trial shows a confrontation between emotional appeals calling for justice and cold reality. On one side, the position of the socially weak is represented with the logic that justice will surely triumph someday, while on the other side, a cynical view clashes, suggesting that such emotional appeals are unlikely to work in court. The debate over justice intensifies as even a newspaper article from a judge's university days is mentioned.

Ultimately, the case concludes as a complex matter that goes beyond a simple violation of labor laws, involving a malicious dismissal system designed to conceal corporate corruption and the attempts by those in power to cover it up in the process. The legal battle goes beyond the simple legitimacy of a dismissal, showing how those with power use the law and the system to cover their own wrongdoings.

Source: DRAMA Voyage (YouTube)