Beyond The Bar episodes 1-2 recap: Do Seok-hoon and Hyo-min solve fertility clinic case despite the first day setbacks?

On August 2 and 3, 2025, episodes 1 and 2 of Beyond The Bar (Esquire) premiered on JTBC and Netflix, respectively. It kicked off an emotionally charged legal drama set in one of Seoul’s top law firms. The story introduces viewers to the unlikely pairing of two lawyers.

Yoon Seok-hoon (Lee Jin-wook) is a perfectionist senior litigator who plays by the book. Meanwhile, Kang Hyo-min (Jung Chae-yeon) is a passionate and instinctive newcomer who believes law should serve people before power. She’s the winner of the 12th National Law School Mock Trial.

From the beginning of Beyond The Bar, sparks fly as Kang Hyo-min chooses to go to Yoon Seok-hoon’s litigation team at the last minute. The two couldn’t be more different. He values structure and strategy, while she’s impulsive and emotional.

Their first major case together in Beyond the Bar centers around a controversial fertility clinic lawsuit. It revealed their clashing personalities and quickly complicated matters both inside and outside the courtroom.

Despite early chaos, including an embarrassing courtroom dispute and an internal warning from the firm, the unlikely duo manages to win the case using a mix of sharp legal logic and heartfelt advocacy.

Their victory raises more questions about teamwork. Can a team work when its players don’t trust each other? And in a world where image is everything, can Kang Hyo-min survive another day?

---

Beyond the Bar episodes 1-2 recap: A newcomer Kang Hyo-min shakes up the courtroom

Beyond The Bar kicks off inside the walls of Yullim Law Firm. It is a prestigious firm in Korea that’s built on five powerhouse partners. Yoon Seok-hoon is the no-nonsense head of the Litigation Division. Yullim prepares to welcome a new group of entry-level recruits, and one applicant stands out, but not for the best reasons.

In episode 1 of Beyond the Bar, Kang Hyo-min arrives late to the group interview. She was flustered, with stained clothes and scuffed shoes. She’s quickly dismissed by Seok-hoon before she can even sit down.

Despite her initial failure, she’s brought back into the interview process after impressing the senior partners. At the induction ceremony, each team head introduces their division. Seok-hoon, unlike the others, is brutally honest. He warns the newcomers that most of them won’t survive the trial period. Half will be cut based on performance.

While others avoid joining litigation, Hyo-min surprises everyone by choosing it voluntarily. This immediately puts her at odds with Seok-hoon, who sees her as a risky pick, especially after her sloppy entrance. Alongside Hyo-min, other new recruits land in litigation. One of them includes her lively friend Guk-hyeon, and rookies Sang-cheol and Ho-yeon.

Hyo-min is assigned to a city gas advisory case involving Gangdong City Gas. She delivers an insightful claim and attends a shareholder meeting. She notices a puzzling pattern: only Onpyeong’s revenue has dropped drastically over the last seven years.

She takes initiative, visiting Onpyeong Hot Springs to investigate the issue herself. But she misses two days of work in the process. When she returns, soaked and unprepared, Seok-hoon is livid.

However, Hyo-min stuns everyone by revealing her findings. She discovered that gas usage had been manipulated, and nearly 2.5 million cubic meters of gas had been stolen. Her research could help the firm win a 3.8 billion won settlement.

Despite her success, Seok-hoon reminds her that talent alone won’t be enough and that she must follow proper procedures if she wants to stay in litigation.

The second episode of Beyond the Bar opens with a scene at Hoseon Fertility Clinic. A furious man named Park Gi-beom vandalizes the facility. He demands that they "give it back," clearly referring to something more personal than property.

Hyo-min and Guk-hyeon begin to dig into Gi-beom’s story. Turns out, he’s infertile after surgery for testicular cancer. He had preserved his sperm at Hoseon for future IVF with his wife, Ye-rim. But due to the clinic’s negligence, the sperm was destroyed. This incident took away the couple’s last hope of having a biological child.

To complicate things further in Beyond the Bar, the clinic is now represented by Yullim’s rival firm, Lee & Seo. The lead attorney is none other than Han Seong-chan, Hyo-min’s boyfriend. He also proposes to her earlier in the episode. However, he was shaken when she shared that she has a hearing-impaired twin sister, Hyo-ju, who was hidden from the world due to societal stigma.

Seong-chan’s reaction is dismissive and cold. Later, he’s even seen going on a blind date, which signals the end of their relationship.

In court, Seok-hoon surprises everyone by countersuing for 500 million won, even though it’s a bluff. Hyo-min is anxious because they don’t yet have solid proof.

But the turning point in Beyond the Bar comes when Ye-rim courageously enters the courtroom. Her appearance, paired with Gi-beom’s emotional testimony, leaves the court stunned. As a reporter from Hansang Daily takes note, Lee & Seo start sweating.

Lee & Seo agree to pay 100 million won in damages and settle all charges, if the deal is signed within three days and the matter is kept out of the media. Gi-beom and Ye-rim are grateful, though the emotional wounds remain.

Meanwhile, Hyo-min, now heartbroken over Seong-chan, finds quiet comfort sharing tea with Seok-hoon. He commends her efforts, perhaps beginning to trust her, just a little.

---

Beyond the Bar episodes 3 and 4 are scheduled to release on August 9 and 10, respectively, on Netflix.

Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay