The Empire (Cheongongui Seongchae / 디 엠파이어: 법의 제국)

(We would like to inform you that the names, institutions, companies and incidents in this drama are fictional.)

I would like to congratulate you for getting accepted

into the best law school in Korea.

Your intelligence,

and hard work have brought you here.

And you have now also become the chosen ones

to gloriously live your lives as officers of the law.

I always share a short saying which is my life motto

during my entrance ceremony speech every year.

Everyone,

I just said it was a short saying.

You should clap when you hear things like that.

You're watching one's ability

to become brazen which is the most important quality,

for lawyers.

Rudolf Von Jhering who published...

"The Struggle for Law" said this.

"One person has been obliged to battle and to labour..."

"For another who enjoys and lives in peace."

Everyone, I'll be straight forward.

Will you live to battle and to labour?

Or do you want to live in peace?

Based on how you spend your days at this school,

you will be either obliged to battle or live in peace.

Don't get carried away by getting into this law school.

You must stay on your toes.

There are 30,000 lawyers in Korea.

Getting a lawyer license will not give you a comfortable life.

The director definitely has a presence.

I'm going to study really hard.

The speech was disappointing.

And she totally misinterpreted the line.

My cousin who took the bar exam told me.

Jhering said

the purpose of law is to bring peace.

And the means to attain peace is to battle and labour.

The life of the law is to battle.

Battling to bring forth the law...

- Kang Baek. Excuse me. - Is not a curse, but a blessing.

"One person has been obliged to battle and to labour..."

"For another who enjoys and lives in peace."

It means that the peace you enjoy now

shouldn't be forgotten that it came from someone's sacrifice.

And it encourages you not to stop working hard to walk the right path.

Why are you going that deep?

Just let it go.

She just wants us to study hard. That's a good message.

If I don't pass the bar exam...

Goodness.

That will turn our peaceful life into a battlefield for sure.

Other people are living in a battlefield.

But can we say that there's peace just because your life is in peace?

Officers of the law are the last people to think so.

Sure. That's peace to me.

Attending the law school is a way out of the proletariat.

And it's the only ladder that will bring me to bourgeoisie.

- Mr. Revolutionist. - Sorry, Kang Baek.

- Let's go and get some food. - Starting this semester,

I'm going to get a tutoring class from a lawyer.

If you want, you can join me.

Sure.

What? You heard that?

Yes.

Back then, I didn't know she was your grandmother.

Sorry.

Don't be. I thought you were right.

You weren't upset?

So tell me.

You said the life of the law is to fight.

Mr. Officer of the Law.

What didn't you understand?

Well,

churches are unincorporated.

According to Article 275 of the Civil Law,

the assets of the churches belong to the members.

I understood that part.

But it confuses me when a church divides into two churches.

Then the Civil Law only considers this

as breaking away as a group or remaining in the original group.

Does it mean we can't consider this as a division of...

Guys, I brought coffee

I knew this would happen at some point.

Hey, I understand that you guys are young and all.

You guys can't kiss in this sacred study room.

- Nan Hee. - Don't worry.

I won't tell anyone.

You guys should be careful not to get caught.

I'll tell you a spot

where you will never get caught kissing.

You should let your eyes rest from time to time.

You're reading on your days off too.

Gosh. I'm not scolding you or anything.

I'm just worried that you might read books all night.

"Maurice?"

That's a great book. And he was an excellent writer too.

Did you enjoy the book?

Yes.

But I couldn't read it again because it was heartbreaking.

But this book has a happy ending.

Well, it wasn't just about the plot.

Living as a homosexual must have been painful and lonely.

And thinking that he was only able to share his love through a novel

he couldn't publish when he was alive

made me sad and pity him.

You pity him.

It really makes me so proud that you're always showing

interest in the socially weak.

You will be a much better officer of the law than me.

I don't think I can be.

No. I believe in you.

With all of my heart.

Wrap up your reading and come to the dining room.

Let's have lunch.

And don't let your grandpa see you reading this.

You know how he is, right?

He's going to throw a fit if he catches you reading this.

Don't take too long.

My beloved members.

No one can be born homosexuals.

Homosexuality is an acquired preference.

They either got addicted after watching gay porn,

or were sexually aroused when they were kids.

That's when people become homosexuals.

In the Bible, homosexuality is considered an abominable sin.

And it says those will be stoned to death.

However, in the Bible, as long as one repents their sins,

and decides to turn over a new leaf,

everyone can be forgiven.

Even if you committed a grave sin of homosexuality,

The Christian way to live.

- Amen. - Amen.

Amen.

Leave.

Don't ever come back.

- Kang Baek. - Leave.

It's over.

It's all over now.

- Don't do this. - No. You stop this.

Just punch it with your hand.

It's nice. Isn't it?

- We can make it as big as a face. - Right.

Make Italian food since we're having a visitor.

Well, Ms. Ham said she wanted us to make octopus gourd soup,

and hot pot rice with pine mushrooms for dinner.

No.

Actually, we received some excellent shrimps.

I will make bisque pasta and a pine mushroom appetizer.

You can make fresh pasta, right?

I don't have enough time to age it, but I'll do my best.

Please tell the visitor that the dinner is at 7pm.

- Okay. - There's no need.

If you're talking about Kyung Yoon, he just left.

Already?

They have exams coming up soon. He came by to just say hello.

Kang Baek hasn't eaten anything lately.

I chose the menu for dinner without talking to you first.

I'm sorry.

Let's have Italian food for dinner like she suggested.

- Okay. - That's fine.

I only told them to change it because the last time he was here,

he seemed to like pasta.

I would like some Korean food for tonight's dinner too.

You should prepare healthy meals Kang Baek likes for now.

Okay. I will do that.

Thank you.

I'll come down when dinner is ready.

Should I prepare a cup of tea in your study?

No.

I need to pray.

I must pray.

"When you pray, go into your room,"

"close the door,"

"and pray to your Father who is unseen."

"Then your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

"Do not be like them,"

"for your Father knows what you need..."

"Before you ask him."

Hello. How may I help you?

I want to buy a birthday gift.

Is that for your girlfriend?

Yes.

This is the most popular piece this season.

It's a platinum...

This kind of design isn't...

Do you have one in a simple design?

Well, if you don't have couples' rings yet,

how about a ring?

Pardon?

Oh, rings...

The design is the same for both men and women.

And it won't be uncomfortable to wear it in your day-to-day life.

As it feels comfortable,

many couples buy them for their wedding bands.

You can get them engraved without charge

within the first month of your purchase.

I'll take them.

Okay. Do you know your girlfriend's ring size?

Well...

I don't.

I think the size might be about the same,