Beyond the Bar
| Beyond the Bar | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Hangul | 에스콰이어: 변호사를 꿈꾸는 변호사들 |
| Lit. | Esquire: Lawyers Who Dream of Becoming Lawyers |
| RR | Eseukwaieo: byeonhosareul kkumkkuneun byeonhosadeul |
| MR | Esŭk'waiŏ: pyŏnhosarŭl kkumkkunŭn pyŏnhosadŭl |
| Genre |
|
| Written by | Park Mi-hyun |
| Directed by | Kim Jae-hong |
| Starring | |
| Music by | |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Park Ki-yeol |
| Producers |
|
| Running time | 70 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | JTBC |
| Release | August 2 – September 7, 2025 |
Beyond the Bar (Korean: 에스콰이어: 변호사를 꿈꾸는 변호사들) is a 2025 South Korean television series starring Lee Jin-wook, Jung Chae-yeon, Lee Hak-joo and Jeon Hye-bin. It aired on JTBC from August 2, to September 7, 2025 every Saturday and Sunday at 22:40 (KST).[3] It is also available for streaming on Netflix.[4]
Synopsis
An office drama about Kang Hyo-min, a rookie lawyer at Yullim Law Firm, who is upright and confident but awkward in social life. With the help of her partner, the cold but experienced and talented lawyer Yoon Seok-hoon, she flowers into a full-fledged lawyer.
Cast and characters
Main
- Lee Jin-wook as Yoon Seok-hoon[5]
- the cold but experienced and talented lawyer.
- Jung Chae-yeon as Kang Hyo-min / Kang Hyo-ju[5]
- Kang Hyo-min: a rookie lawyer at Yullim Law Firm.
- Kang Hyo-ju: Hyo-min's older twin sister.
- Lee Hak-joo as Lee Jin-woo[5]
- Jeon Hye-bin as Heo Min-jeong[5]
Supporting
Yullim's Lawyers
- Kim Kang-min as Ji Gook-hyeon[6]
- Lee Ju-yeon as Choi Ho-yeon[7]
- Pyo Jae-beom as Oh Sang-cheol[7]
- Kim Yeo-jin as Kwon Na-yeon[8]
- Kim Eui-sung as Ko Seung-cheol[7]
- Park Jeong-pyo as Go Tae-seop[7]
- Hong Seo-jun as Kim Yul-seong[8]
People related to Kang Hyo-min
- Kwon A-reum as Han Seol-ah[9]
- Lee Seung-yeon as Lee Ji-eun[7]
- Kang Sang-jun as Han Seong-chan[10]
Production
The series is directed by Kim Jae-hong, who co-directed Revenant (2023), Love Scout (2025) and directed Flex X Cop (2024). It is written by Park Mi-hyeon. The series is a co-production between SLL, BA Entertainment, Studio S and Story Allum Corporation.[11]
Viewership
Beyond the Bar : South Korea viewers per episode (millions)
Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.[12]
| Season | Episode number | Average | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |||
| 1 | 0.987 | 1.153 | 1.531 | 1.905 | 1.739 | 1.792 | 1.622 | 2.050 | 1.716 | 2.219 | 1.710 | 1.981 | 1.700 | |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)[12] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Seoul | ||
| 1 | August 2, 2025 | 3.703% (1st) | 3.965% (1st) |
| 2 | August 3, 2025 | 4.714% (1st) | 5.175% (1st) |
| 3 | August 9, 2025 | 6.727% (1st) | 7.208% (1st) |
| 4 | August 10, 2025 | 8.318% (1st) | 8.987% (1st) |
| 5 | August 16, 2025 | 7.168% (1st) | 7.537% (1st) |
| 6 | August 17, 2025 | 7.701% (1st) | 8.001% (1st) |
| 7 | August 23, 2025 | 7.044% (1st) | 7.215% (1st) |
| 8 | August 24, 2025 | 8.681% (1st) | 9.298% (1st) |
| 9 | August 30, 2025 | 7.141% (1st) | 7.400% (1st) |
| 10 | August 31, 2025 | 9.101% (1st) | 9.889% (1st) |
| 11 | September 6, 2025 | 7.541% (1st) | 8.027% (1st) |
| 12 | September 7, 2025 | 8.439% (1st) | 9.078% (1st) |
| Average | 7.190% | 7.648% | |
Notes
References
- ^ a b Jang, Woo-young (August 1, 2025). 이진욱X정채연 '에스콰이어', 첫방 하루 앞두고 OST 전곡 선발매 [Lee Jin-wook and Jung Chae-yeon's 'Esquire' pre-releases all OST songs a day before its premiere.]. Osen News (in Korean). Retrieved August 1, 2025 – via Naver.
- ^ "WHO WE ARE - 매니지먼트 오름". Management Allum. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- ^ Kim, Kyung-yoon (June 24, 2025). 변호사로 돌아온 이진욱...JTBC, 8월 드라마 '에스콰이어' 방송 [Lee Jin-wook returns as a lawyer... JTBC to air drama 'Esquire' in August]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Archived from the original on July 8, 2025. Retrieved June 26, 2025 – via Naver.
- ^ "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Beyond The Bar' On Netflix, Where A Young And Talented Lawyer Learns The Litigation Ropes From Her Very Tough Boss". Decider. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Yoo, Ji-hye (May 27, 2025). JTBC 금요드라마 신설...이동욱 '착한 사나이' 첫 타자 [JTBC's new Friday drama... Lee Dong-wook's first batter in 'Good Man']. JTBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 1, 2025. Retrieved May 27, 2025.
- ^ Son, Bong-seok (July 11, 2025). 김강민, '에스콰이어' 지국현 역 출연 확정 [Kim Kang-min confirmed to appear as Ji Gook-hyun in 'Esquire']. kyunghyang (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 1, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025 – via Naver.
- ^ a b c d e 등장인물소개 | 에스콰이어: 변호사를 꿈꾸는 변호사들 [Character Introduction | Esquire]. JTBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 6, 2025. Retrieved July 23, 2025.
- ^ a b Kim, Soo-yeon. '에스콰이어' 김여진X홍서준, 믿보배들의 출격 ['Esquire' Kim Yeo-jin X Hong Seo-jun, the trustworthy treasures' sortie]. Star Today (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 1, 2025. Retrieved July 19, 2025 – via Naver.
- ^ Jeong, Hee-yeon (July 11, 2025). 권아름, 정채연 룸메이자 절친 됐다...'에스콰이어' 합류 [공식] [Kwon A-reum and Jung Chae-yeon become roommates and best friends... Joining 'Esquire' [Official]]. Sports Donga (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 1, 2025. Retrieved July 18, 2025 – via Naver.
- ^ Son, Byong-sook (July 7, 2025). 배우 강상준, '에스콰이어: 변호사를 꿈꾸는 변호사들' 출연··· 이진욱X정채연과 호흡 [Actor Kang Sang-jun to appear in 'Esquire: Lawyers Dreaming of Becoming Lawyers'··· Working with Lee Jin-wook and Jung Chae-yeon]. kyunghyang (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 15, 2025. Retrieved July 19, 2025 – via Naver.
- ^ Ha, Soo-jong (July 30, 2025). 이진욱X정채연 '에스콰이어', 감독·작가 밝힌 관전 꿀팁 [Lee Jin-wook and Jung Chae-yeon's 'Esquire': Director and Writer Reveal Watching Tips]. OSEN News (in Korean). Retrieved July 30, 2025 – via Naver.
- ^ a b Nielsen Korea ratings:
- "Ep. 1". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). August 2, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
- "Ep. 2". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). August 3, 2025. Archived from the original on August 3, 2025. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
- "Ep. 3". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). August 9, 2025. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
- "Ep. 4". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). August 10, 2025. Archived from the original on August 10, 2025. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- "Ep. 5". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). August 16, 2025. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- "Ep. 6". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). August 17, 2025. Archived from the original on August 17, 2025. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
- "Ep. 7". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). August 23, 2025. Retrieved August 24, 2025.
- "Ep. 8". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). August 24, 2025. Archived from the original on August 24, 2025. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
- "Ep. 9". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). August 30, 2025. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
- "Ep. 10". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). August 31, 2025. Archived from the original on August 31, 2025. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
- "Ep. 11". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). September 6, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
- "Ep. 12". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). September 7, 2025. Archived from the original on September 7, 2025. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
External links
- Official website (in Korean)
- Beyond the Bar at IMDb
- Beyond the Bar at HanCinema