The latest episode of the legal K-drama Pro Bono delivered a courtroom bombshell. Kang David, fighting a case brought by his own former team, shocked everyone by standing up and declaring he was guilty of all charges. The episode, which aired on Sunday, January 4, 2026, saw past secrets and personal betrayals come to a head, leaving the future of the Pro Bono team in serious doubt.
This major turn of events followed a tense and messy trial where the team David once led used every trick he taught them against him. With only two episodes left in the series, the story has taken its most dramatic and unpredictable turn yet.
The Case Turns Into a Circus
The legal battle in Episode 10 was anything but ordinary. From the start, both sides used underhanded methods to gain an advantage. The Pro Bono team, now representing David’s accuser Yoo Jae-beom, began by calling the judge’s father-in-law as a witness. This move was a direct tactic learned from David, designed to make the presiding judge uncomfortable and force a delay.
David, choosing to represent himself, responded with his own dramatic play. He showed up to one hearing in a wheelchair, pretending to be too ill to proceed. The act successfully convinced the judge to postpone the trial. The back-and-forth showed how the teacher and his students were now locked in a chaotic battle, with the courtroom rules being bent at every turn.
Jun-woo’s Betrayal and a Secret Alliance
A central conflict emerged from within the Pro Bono team itself. Hwang Jun-woo, once David’s most loyal follower, took a fiercely aggressive stance against his former mentor. He presented court records that suggested David had strategically sought a judgeship in the district where Jae-beom’s father’s company was located, framing the old case as a long-planned act of revenge.
Team member Yoon Nan-hee grew suspicious of how Jun-woo accessed these confidential documents. Her investigation led to a major discovery: she went undercover as a cleaner and overheard Jun-woo conspiring with the firm’s owner, Dr. Oh. It was revealed that Jun-woo was leaking team information to Dr. Oh and the new CEO, Attorney Bae, in exchange for career advancement and help with the case against David. This betrayal split the team, with Nan-hee becoming the only member to openly question the attack on David.
The Tragic Past That Fuels the Present
The heart of the case against David revolves around a tragic event from his youth. During the trial, the full story of David’s mother was revealed. She was a single mother who worked at a paper mill owned by Jae-beom’s father. She lost her hand in a severe workplace accident but was sent home with only a box of peaches as compensation, instead of proper medical care or financial support. The young David tried to confront the factory owner but was dismissed.
“She wanted to be cremated and have her ashes scattered over a river so he’d have no place to mourn, and she wanted Da-wit to climb to the greatest possible heights and do good things.”
This devastating experience motivated David to study law and become a judge, dedicating his career to fighting for the powerless. However, the Pro Bono team argued that this personal history also gave him a powerful motive for bias when he later presided over the case involving Jae-beom’s father.
A Surprising New Ally for David
In a major shift, Oh Jung-in, the former CEO of the law firm, made a bold move. After realizing her father, Dr. Oh, was manipulating the case to destroy David, she confronted him about a lifetime of control and resigned from the company. She then walked into the courtroom as David’s newly appointed defense attorney.
Jung-in’s sudden appearance changed the dynamics of the trial. She began to effectively counter the accusations, challenging the evidence and pointing out the questionable motives of those pushing the case. Her decision to side with David marked a definitive break from her father and added a new layer of corporate intrigue to the legal drama.
Gi-ppeum’s Personal Conflict and David’s Final Confession
The episode’s most emotional moment came for Park Gi-ppeum. While helping her parents with a debt notice, she made a shocking personal discovery. The judge who had once saved her family from financial ruin by granting them a debt exemption was none other than Kang David. He was the very reason she had become a lawyer dedicated to justice.
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This revelation left Gi-ppeum emotionally torn. During the trial, she directly confronted David, urging him to tell her the truth. He coldly replied that the only truth that mattered was the one proven in court, and challenged her to defeat him there. Feeling desperate, Gi-ppeum used a harsh strategy in her final argument, citing the story of David’s mother to paint him as a judge driven by personal vengeance.
In response to this, David did the unexpected. He stood up and confessed.
“He tells everyone that he is guilty of manipulating the trial and using his judicial powers unjustly.”
He stated that everything he did was to get revenge, accepting all charges against him. This sudden guilty plea brought the episode to a close on a massive cliffhanger, leaving viewers to question whether his confession is a true admission of guilt or another strategic move in a complex game.
The episode is available for streaming globally on Netflix, with a runtime of approximately one hour.
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