The hit MBC legal drama The Judge Returns wrapped up its 14-episode run on February 14, 2026, leaving viewers with a complete story but also a lingering question: will there be a second season? With ratings that tripled since its premiere and a dedicated fanbase hoping for more, director Lee Jae-jin has finally addressed the possibility of continuing the story of Judge Lee Han-young.
The time-slip drama starring Ji Sung started with a 4.3 percent viewership rating in early January and climbed all the way to 13.2 percent by the time the finale approached . This kind of steady growth does not happen often, and it naturally made people wonder if The Judge Returns Season 2 could become a reality.
What The Judge Returns Director Said About Season 2
During a recent press briefing at MBC’s Sangam-dong headquarters in Seoul, director Lee Jae-jin spoke openly about the future of the series. When asked directly about producing another season, he made it clear that the decision is not his alone to make .
“Many people around me ask about season 2. First, it’s not something I can decide alone. The writer and the actors would have to be on board, but I think the company is thinking positively,” Lee explained .
The director revealed that the writer had always hoped for a multi-season format from their very first meeting. This is important because Korean dramas are typically planned as single-season stories, but when a writer envisions a longer arc from the beginning, it changes things.
Lee added, “When I first met the writer, they hoped for a seasonal format, so I think it’s likely to be positive. I can’t give a definitive answer yet, and as a company employee, if the higher-ups say ‘let’s go,’ then we go. But the atmosphere feels like they’re thinking positively” .
The Writer Always Wanted More Than One Season
One of the most encouraging signs for fans hoping for The Judge Returns Season 2 is that the creative team intentionally left room to continue the story. Unlike many Korean dramas that wrap everything up neatly in the final episode, this one was designed with flexibility.
“From the start the writer wanted to do season 2,” Lee Jae-jin confirmed. “I think we tried to leave room to move forward in our own way. You can think of it as tightly closed but with a feeling of being open” .
This approach is still rare in the Korean drama industry, but it is becoming more common as streaming platforms create demand for longer-running series. The director described the ending as a happy one because “justice must prevail,” but he suggested that the door is not completely shut .
Ratings Success Makes a Strong Case
The numbers do not lie. The Judge Returns started modestly but gained momentum week after week. By the time episodes 11 through 14 aired, the pace picked up and viewers stayed hooked .
Lee Jae-jin shared his thoughts on the ratings success: “Honestly, MBC had a very hard time last year, so I hoped things would go well and that the numbers would reach double digits. There was a strong competing program at the time, and I said I was secretly watching, but actually I watched it openly. I thought it was fun and a good work, but I also thought there were elements viewers could follow or differences” .
He admitted that the show hit double digits sooner than expected, which felt good. For the finale, he set a personal goal: “Still, I want to exceed 15 percent” .
Why Korean Drama Seasons Work Differently
For international viewers used to American TV shows that run for many seasons, the Korean system can be confusing. Most K-dramas are planned as one complete story from start to finish. The actors and crew typically move on to new projects once filming ends.
This reality makes The Judge Returns Season 2 more complicated than it might seem. Director Lee acknowledged this challenge when talking about the possibility of a reward vacation for the cast and crew.
“That’s not something I can decide. Because it was pre-produced, even if it does well now and they say go on reward vacations, the staff who worked hard on the production are scattered, so I think it would be difficult to gather everyone to do something” .
Even so, the industry has seen more multi-season dramas in recent years. Shows like Taxi Driver and Tale of the Nine Tailed have proven that Korean audiences will follow stories across multiple seasons when the quality stays high .
Ji Sung’s Commitment to the Role
Lead actor Ji Sung brought Judge Lee Han-young to life with a performance that impressed both viewers and the director. Interestingly, director Lee flew all the way to New York to convince Ji Sung to take the role, since the actor was living there with his wife Lee Bo-young for their children’s education .
The director recalled his three-day trip to meet Ji Sung: “I thought it was necessary to meet and talk directly, so I requested to go to the U.S. one last time to meet him, and I was sent on a business trip so we met briefly. When I said I would go he was pleased and scheduled more frequent meetings” .
During those meetings in New York, they discussed everything from the character’s glasses and fashion to the overall direction of the drama. Those conversations helped shape the final product that viewers loved.
For Ji Sung, this role marked a return to playing a judge five years after The Devil Judge. He addressed this at the drama’s press conference earlier in January, explaining that he felt no pressure because the two projects are fundamentally different .
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What Could The Judge Returns Season 2 Be About?
While no official story details exist yet, the time-slip premise offers plenty of room for continuation. The drama follows Judge Lee Han-young, a man who once served the interests of a powerful law firm, gets murdered, and then returns to the past with all his memories intact to seek real justice .
The original web novel and webtoon, which together garnered over 100 million views, provide source material that could support additional storytelling . Director Lee mentioned that compressing the long original story required tough decisions about which characters to keep and which to cut .
If a second season moves forward, it could explore deeper systemic corruption or show how Lee Han-young’s changed timeline affects other characters. The supernatural element gives writers creative freedom to expand the story in unexpected directions.
The Cast’s Chemistry Made the Show Work
Director Lee had nothing but praise for the entire cast, singling out several actors for their performances. He mentioned Park Hee-soon, who played villain Kang Shin-jin, and explained how they made the antagonist more than just a one-dimensional bad guy .
“We created more backstory than in the original so this character would not be a simple villain but a villain with conviction,” Lee said. “I think everyone believes they are right at times” .
The director also praised Won Jin-ah, who played prosecutor Kim Jin-ah, noting that she brought a strong energy to a role different from her usual melodramas. He called her a “small giant” and singled out her first appearance after the time slip as his favorite scene .
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Will the Company Give the Green Light?
The biggest factor in whether The Judge Returns Season 2 happens comes down to MBC and the production company. Director Lee made it clear that he follows orders as an employee. If the company decides to move forward, the cast and creative team would need to align their schedules.
Given the positive atmosphere and the writer’s original vision for a seasonal format, the chances seem better than average for a Korean drama. The ratings success provides a strong business case, and leaving the ending slightly open gives creators somewhere to go.
For now, fans can take comfort in knowing that the people who made the show are thinking about more stories to tell. The director’s honest update suggests that discussions are happening behind the scenes, even if nothing is official yet.
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