Around eleven o’clock that morning, the trial against the director of the electrical plant ended. Those who had attended the trial flooded out the door of the courtroom. The mood in the hallway was austere. The law did not forgive or compromise with the criminal. The cross-examination, accusations, and harsh sentence instilled fear in the attendees. As they walked out, no one made a sound. Only nervous coughing and footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Judge Jeong Jin Wu secured all the legal documents under his arm and walked back to his office. As soon as he sat down, someone opened the door.
“I’m from the Provincial Industrial Technology Commission Board,” said the man in a coarse voice. He was obese, but he entered the office with easy nimbleness.
Though Jeong Jin Wu was exhausted from the morning trial, he got up from his seat and stuck out his hand.
“Hello, I’m Judge Jeong Jin Wu.”
“I’m Chae Rim.”
Jeong Jin Wu glanced at the man again and was relieved that his guest was not the man whom he had divorced six years ago. It was just a coincidence that they had identical names. If the man whom he had divorced six years ago came to see him today, it would have been most unpleasant for Jeong Jin Wu.
Chae Rim’s heavy body fit snugly in the armchair. He unbuttoned the blazer that was wrapped tightly around his body and loosened his brown necktie. He rubbed his heavy chin as he surveyed the office. It was a condescending look from a man full of arrogance. He did not have many wrinkles on his face despite his age, and his complexion was smooth and bright, evidence of his concern for his appearance. He had a large square forehead and a tasteful hairstyle, meticulously combed to one side. Chae Rim’s imperious demeanor told of his satisfaction with his wealth and accomplishment. Nothing seemed to worry him. This speculation arose from Jeong Jin Wu’s many years in his profession.
When Chae Rim realized that the judge was waiting for him to explain his visit, his face took on a solemn cast.
“The reason I’m here, and I’m not trying to interfere with your work—”
Chae Rim bore in mind his telephone conversation with the judge the other day and proceeded cautiously.
“I came to ask you for a reasonable favor. I feel as if I’m representing the divorcée.”
“Comrade Chairman, are you related to Chae Sun Hee?”
“Yes, she’s my second cousin. I know it’s not the closest of family relations, but she has no other family in this city. She just calls me ‘cousin’ to keep it simple. However, I’ve been so busy with work that I haven’t been able to look after her. Even though I knew she’d been fighting with her husband for some years now, I just thought that they would get over it someday…”
Chae Rim’s words seem to drift off into a vast empty space. Jeong Jin Wu had no interest in this discussion and stared blankly at Chae Rim, focusing only on his moving lips. This was not the first time that a relative had come to him as an advocate for a member of a divorcing couple. An urgent curiosity, though, occupied Jeong Jin Wu. Chae Rim. Perhaps it was the identical name that continued to linger in his thoughts, the name of the man whom he had divorced six years ago.
What kind of woman did Chae Rim marry after the divorce? His son must be much older by now. Probably around thirteen. If his stepmom had turned out to be a nice woman, then he surely hadn’t had any problems growing up.
“That’s why,” continued Chae Rim, “I’ve decided to roll up my sleeves and do something about Sun Hee’s marital problems…”
Jeong Jin Wu remembered that day in the courtroom six years ago. Chae Rim’s wife. The woman who wiped away the tears that were streaming down her freckled cheeks, the one who ardently cried out for someone to respect her dignity as a woman, the one who had lived in the deep mountains with her two children, the one who had planted trees to support her husband financially. Then there was the daughter, who refused to be separated from her younger brother and who requested to live with her mother. These were all matters that did not concern the law, but these thoughts distressed Jeong Jin Wu. He could not escape a haunting concern for that family. Was it wrong for me to divorce them? Had there been a problem with the division of their property or with the child custody arrangements?
Jeong Jin Wu was exasperated with Chae Rim’s seemingly endless explanation. He sighed deeply and asked, “Comrade Chairman, you say that you know Sun Hee’s marital problems well. What do you think? Who do you think is at fault?”
Jeong Jin Wu did not ask Chae Rim because he wanted legal advice but to get him to stop talking.
Chae Rim straightened his posture and smirked. “Comrade Judge, do you ever go to the theater?”
“Yes, every now and then.”
“Then you must have seen Sun Hee’s performances.”
Jeong Jin Wu nodded and said, “She sings well.”
“It’s sublime!” corrected Chae Rim. “As a mezzo-soprano, her voice is bright and soft with depth and richness, very distinct from her colleagues. Whenever she sings about the nation, I, along with the rest of the audience, fall in love with our country all over again.”
Chae Rim spoke as if he were a music connoisseur, gesticulating with his arms to the cadence of his excitement.
“Comrade Judge, don’t you agree that the relationship between a family and the nation is interlinked? Think about it. Can a woman who sings so passionately about the nation be the source of her family’s troubles? No, she can’t. She would be a hypocrite, and we all know that a hypocrite cannot move her audience the way a genuine singer can. Sun Hee sings genuinely and, therefore, cannot be the cause of her failed marriage.”
Jeong Jin Wu was impressed with Chae Rim’s rational analysis and remained silent.
“Sun Hee is the kind of woman who lives her life as nobly as she sings. She has a bright future ahead of her. The problem is with that husband of hers, Seok Chun. He is the source of their marital problems. I’ve never seen anyone who lives as pathetically as he does. At my factory, we accept young, intelligent workers. But Seok Chun has no aspirations or ambitions. He just remains a lathe worker. He lives his life like a tree, stationed in one place with his roots deep down in the soil. He either stays home or by his wife’s side. He’s always so clingy and always nagging. How can a celebrity walk around town with an annoying man like that?”
Jeong Jin Wu withheld his thoughts until Chae Rim finished.
“Sun Hee just couldn’t handle it anymore, so she suggested that he attend college and change his profession. She even tried to change his appearance, you know, make him look presentable. But then he would frown and yell at her, asking what was wrong with the way he dresses. He would mock her for this and that and yell at her for no reason. That imbecile screwed up his work and his family. He’s a failure. Do you think it’s right for him to talk back to his wife and flex his patriarchal muscles?”
Jeong Jin Wu sensed that Chae Rim’s bias was getting out of hand and cut his words short. “I, too, have met with Comrade Seok Chun.”
“Ah, really? Then he must’ve said some nonsense like how hard he’s been trying to finish his project.”
“That seemed to be the truth.”
“Of course. He has to tell the truth. Who does he think he is? He has to tell the truth in front of a judge.” Chae Rim uttered these words to gain Jeong Jin Wu’s confidence, but he did not believe in those very words. Chae Rim adjusted his position and quietly asked, “So, did he request a divorce as well?” Chae Rim held his breath in anticipation, trying to read Jeong Jin Wu’s eyes.