# Beyond the Bar
**Beyond the Bar** (에스콰이어: 변호사를 꿈꾸는 변호사들, *Esquire: Lawyers Who Dream of Being Lawyers*) is a 2025 South Korean legal drama in which a rookie lawyer with a strong sense of justice joins a top law firm and navigates the legal world under a cold, demanding mentor[1](https://www.netflix.com/ws/title/82065691). It aired on JTBC from August 2 to September 7, 2025, in twelve episodes, and streamed internationally on Netflix in step with the Korean broadcast[2](https://www.koroute.com/drama/beyond-the-bar-netflix-kdrama-guide/) • [3](https://www.jaehakim.com/2025/09/beyond-the-bar/). The series became one of 2025's most widely traveled Korean dramas, reaching Netflix's weekly top 10 in 53 countries and ranking second in the platform's global non-English TV category[4](https://www.kculturewire.com/title/beyond-the-bar) • [5](https://welcon.kocca.kr/mobile/en/support/issue-focus/392).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 에스콰이어: 변호사를 꿈꾸는 변호사들 (Esquire: Lawyers Who Dream of Being Lawyers)[6](https://asianwiki.com/Beyond_the_Bar) |
| Broadcast | JTBC, Saturdays and Sundays at 22:40, August 2 to September 7, 2025; 12 episodes[3](https://www.jaehakim.com/2025/09/beyond-the-bar/) • [7](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/85770/beyond-the-bar) |
| Creators | Director Kim Jae-hong, screenwriter Park Mi-hyun[1](https://www.netflix.com/ws/title/82065691) |
| Leads | Lee Jin-wook as partner lawyer Yoon Seok-hoon; Jung Chae-yeon as rookie Kang Hyo-min[8](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/netflix-korean-tv-shows-2025/) |
| Domestic ratings | Episode 3 averaged 6.7 percent nationwide; episode 4 reached 9 percent in the Seoul metropolitan area and 8.3 percent nationwide, with peaks above 10 percent[9](https://www.soompi.com/article/1765867wpp/law-and-the-city-beyond-the-bar-and-the-winning-try-all-climb-to-their-highest-ratings-yet) • [5](https://welcon.kocca.kr/mobile/en/support/issue-focus/392) |
| Netflix performance | Top 10 in 51 countries in its first full week; No. 2 in the global non-English TV category; about 4.6 million views[5](https://welcon.kocca.kr/mobile/en/support/issue-focus/392) |
| Audience scores | IMDb 7.8/10 from 5.6K votes; Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter 94% from fewer than 50 ratings[10](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37660730/) • [11](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/beyond_the_bar/s01) |
| Content rating | TV-MA in the United States; available dubbed and subtitled in English[12](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/beyond-the-bar) |
## Premise and characters
The story centers on the litigation team of Yullim Law Firm, one of South Korea's leading firms. Yoon Seok-hoon ([Lee Jin-wook](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-jin-wook)) is a partner and team leader, a cool-headed risk-taker admired for his skill but difficult to approach because of his cold manner and lack of small talk. Kang Hyo-min ([Jung Chae-yeon](https://www.edgepedia.org/jung-chae-yeon)) is a socially awkward but righteous and confident rookie who joins his team and, despite a rocky start, impresses him when she finds a discrepancy in their first case[13](https://kdrama.co.kr/dramas/beyond-the-bar/) • [1](https://www.netflix.com/ws/title/82065691). The supporting cast includes Lee Hak-joo, Jeon Hye-bin, Kim Eui-sung, and Kim Yeo-jin[1](https://www.netflix.com/ws/title/82065691).
The series runs as a case-of-the-week procedural. Its episodes take on a delivery driver's drunk-driving accident, a fertility clinic break-in, a copyright dispute involving a developmentally disabled artist, a sexual consent lawsuit, an assisted-suicide arrest, a news anchor charged with assaulting her husband, and a doctor facing possible murder charges[1](https://www.netflix.com/ws/title/82065691) • [14](https://www.jaehakim.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/15-Best-K-Dramas-of-2025-From-%E2%80%98Made-in-Korea-to-%E2%80%98When-Life-Gives-You-Tangerines-_-Teen-Vogue.pdf). Alongside the cases, an internal arc follows power struggles at the firm, including Ko Tae-seop's plot to oust Seok-hoon and Kwon Na-yeon's sudden appointment as a new representative[1](https://www.netflix.com/ws/title/82065691).
## Production
**Writing and direction.** The drama was directed by Kim Jae-hong and written by Park Mi-hyun, who worked as a corporate attorney before turning to screenwriting; reviewers credit her legal background with the show's detailed depiction of litigation practice[1](https://www.netflix.com/ws/title/82065691) • [15](https://www.thediarist.ph/why-are-we-suddenly-swooning-over-lawyers/) • [16](https://www.kdramalove.com/Beyond_The_Bar.html). The Korea Creative Content Agency's industry bulletin described the pairing of the seasoned writer and director as producing a legal drama known for its emotional depth and genre fidelity[5](https://welcon.kocca.kr/mobile/en/support/issue-focus/392).
The Korean title, which translates as "Esquire: Lawyers Who Dream of Being Lawyers," points to the show's central theme: the gap between holding a law license and knowing how to do the job well[2](https://www.koroute.com/drama/beyond-the-bar-netflix-kdrama-guide/). Commentators have placed it in the workplace coming-of-age tradition rather than the legal thriller, and it aired in a 2025 season crowded with Korean legal dramas, following *[Law and the City](https://www.edgepedia.org/law-and-the-city)* on tvN and preceding other courtroom series on the platform[2](https://www.koroute.com/drama/beyond-the-bar-netflix-kdrama-guide/) • [17](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250823/what-makes-courtroom-dramas-so-popular).
## Reception and viewership
**Domestic ratings.** According to Nielsen Korea, the third episode earned a nationwide average of 6.7 percent, the series' highest rating to that point[9](https://www.soompi.com/article/1765867wpp/law-and-the-city-beyond-the-bar-and-the-winning-try-all-climb-to-their-highest-ratings-yet). The fourth episode, aired on August 10, recorded 9 percent in the Seoul metropolitan area and 8.3 percent nationwide, with peak ratings exceeding 10 percent, a level the industry bulletin described as among the highest achievements for JTBC weekend miniseries in recent years[5](https://welcon.kocca.kr/mobile/en/support/issue-focus/392).
**Global streaming.** On Netflix, the series ranked first on the platform's Korean "Top Series Today" list as of August 13, 2025, second in the global non-English TV category, and entered the overall top 10 in 51 countries, with about 4.6 million views in that window[5](https://welcon.kocca.kr/mobile/en/support/issue-focus/392) • [18](https://www.tenasia.com/tv/2025081415274). It reached a cumulative 14.7 million views by its sixth week on the platform[19](https://zapzee.net/2025/09/10/netflixs-top-non-english-hits-sept-1-7-viewership/). Aggregated chart data shows it held 281 weekly top-10 places across 9 weeks in 53 of 93 tracked countries between August 3 and September 28, 2025, reaching number one in five markets including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea; the median Korean title that charts at all reaches 2 countries[4](https://www.kculturewire.com/title/beyond-the-bar).
**Critical response.** Reviews divided over the show's sentimental case writing. Pierce Conran, reviewing for the *South China Morning Post*, called the episodic cases mawkish and manipulative and criticized the leads as poorly drawn[20](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3321568/netflix-k-drama-beyond-bar-lee-jin-wook-jung-chae-yeon-lead-cloying-legal-drama). Jae-Ha Kim gave it 3 of 4 stars, praising its complete characters who do not need a partner to be whole[11](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/beyond_the_bar/s01). On Rotten Tomatoes the season holds a 94 percent Popcornmeter score from fewer than 50 audience ratings, with only 3 critic reviews tallied[11](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/beyond_the_bar/s01). IMDb users rated it 7.8 out of 10 from about 5,600 votes, though per-episode ratings on the site ranged from 6.0 to 7.0[10](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37660730/) • [21](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37660730/ratings/). [Marie Claire](https://www.edgepedia.org/marie-claire) included it among the best Netflix K-dramas of 2025, calling it the platform's first entry in that year's courtroom drama boom[8](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/netflix-korean-tv-shows-2025/).
## Aftermath
In April 2026, production company SLL confirmed it was discussing a second season, with no schedule or cast finalized[2](https://www.koroute.com/drama/beyond-the-bar-netflix-kdrama-guide/). The first season is listed as ended[13](https://kdrama.co.kr/dramas/beyond-the-bar/).
## References
1. [Beyond the Bar, Netflix Official Site](https://www.netflix.com/ws/title/82065691)
2. [Beyond the Bar: A Guide to the JTBC Legal Drama on Netflix, K-culture (koroute.com)](https://www.koroute.com/drama/beyond-the-bar-netflix-kdrama-guide/)
3. [Beyond the Bar review, Jae-Ha Kim](https://www.jaehakim.com/2025/09/beyond-the-bar/)
4. [Beyond the Bar: Netflix in 53 countries, 9 weeks charted, K Culture Wire](https://www.kculturewire.com/title/beyond-the-bar)
5. ["Beyond the Bar" Surpasses 9% Ratings and Enters Netflix Global Top 10 in 51 Countries, KOCCA WelCon](https://welcon.kocca.kr/mobile/en/support/issue-focus/392)
6. [Beyond the Bar, AsianWiki](https://asianwiki.com/Beyond_the_Bar)
7. [Beyond the Bar, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/85770/beyond-the-bar)
8. [The Best Netflix K-Dramas of 2025, Marie Claire](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/tv-shows/netflix-korean-tv-shows-2025/)
9. ["Law And The City," "Beyond The Bar," And "The Winning Try" All Climb To Their Highest Ratings Yet, Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1765867wpp/law-and-the-city-beyond-the-bar-and-the-winning-try-all-climb-to-their-highest-ratings-yet)
10. [Beyond the Bar (TV Series 2025), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37660730/)
11. [Beyond the Bar: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/beyond_the_bar/s01)
12. [Beyond the Bar Parents' Guide, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/beyond-the-bar)
13. [Beyond the Bar, KDrama.co.kr](https://kdrama.co.kr/dramas/beyond-the-bar/)
14. [15 Best K-Dramas of 2025, Teen Vogue (via jaehakim.com)](https://www.jaehakim.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/15-Best-K-Dramas-of-2025-From-%E2%80%98Made-in-Korea-to-%E2%80%98When-Life-Gives-You-Tangerines-_-Teen-Vogue.pdf)
15. [Why are we suddenly swooning over lawyers?, The Diarist](https://www.thediarist.ph/why-are-we-suddenly-swooning-over-lawyers/)
16. [Beyond The Bar Korean Drama Review, kdramalove.com](https://www.kdramalove.com/Beyond_The_Bar.html)
17. [What makes courtroom dramas so popular?, The Korea Times](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/amp/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250823/what-makes-courtroom-dramas-so-popular)
18. [Drama 'Beyond The Bar' Starring Lee Jin-wook and Jung Chae-yeon Captivates Audiences with Soaring Ratings, TenAsia](https://www.tenasia.com/tv/2025081415274)
19. [Netflix's Top Non-English Hits: Sept. 1-7 Viewership, Zapzee](https://zapzee.net/2025/09/10/netflixs-top-non-english-hits-sept-1-7-viewership/)
20. [Netflix K-drama Beyond the Bar review, South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3321568/netflix-k-drama-beyond-bar-lee-jin-wook-jung-chae-yeon-lead-cloying-legal-drama)
21. [Beyond the Bar Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37660730/ratings/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Korean contemporary drama › Medical, legal, and workplace series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license