Vocabulary
양치하다
verb
Beginner
to rinse/gargle; to brush teeth (here: gargle after dental work)
work
밥 먹고 나서 꼭 양치해.
Make sure you brush your teeth after eating.
신고하다
verb
Beginner
to report (to authorities); to file a complaint
community work
수상한 사람을 보면 경찰에 신고해.
If you see a suspicious person, report them to the police.
억울하다
adjective
Beginner
to feel wronged; to feel unjustly treated
emotions
내가 잘못한 것도 없는데 혼나니까 너무 억울해.
I didn't even do anything wrong, so being scolded feels so unfair.
충전하다
verb
Beginner
to recharge (battery; also used figuratively for resting/recovering energy)
emotions
피곤할 땐 잠깐 쉬면서 충전해.
When you're tired, take a short rest and recharge.
성희롱
noun
Intermediate
sexual harassment
work emotions
직장 내 성희롱은 절대 묵인해선 안 돼.
Sexual harassment in the workplace must never be tolerated.
뻔뻔하다
adjective
Intermediate
to be shameless; brazen; impudent
emotions
거짓말해 놓고 사과도 안 하다니, 진짜 뻔뻔하다.
You lied and won't even apologize — that's really shameless.
합의
noun
Intermediate
settlement; agreement (esp. legal settlement out of court)
community work
법원 가기 싫으면 합의를 봐야 해.
If you don't want to go to court, you'll need to reach a settlement.
고소하다
verb
Intermediate
to sue; to file a legal complaint against someone
community
그 사람을 사기죄로 고소할 거야.
I'm going to sue that person for fraud.
진술
noun
Intermediate
testimony; statement (given to police or court)
community
목격자의 진술이 재판에서 중요한 역할을 했어.
The witness's testimony played an important role in the trial.
타박상
noun
Intermediate
contusion; bruise (medical term for a bruising injury)
work
넘어져서 팔에 타박상을 입었어.
I fell and got a contusion on my arm.
출동
noun
Intermediate
dispatch; deployment (of police, firefighters, etc.)
community
신고를 받고 경찰이 즉시 출동했어.
Upon receiving the report, the police were immediately dispatched.
묵인하다
verb
Advanced
to tacitly permit; to turn a blind eye to; to overlook (a wrongdoing)
community emotions
잘못을 보고도 묵인하면 결국 더 큰 문제가 생겨.
If you turn a blind eye to wrongdoing, eventually bigger problems arise.
Key Expressions
Confronting wrongdoing / demanding accountability
눈으로 똑똑히 봤어!
"I saw it clearly with my own eyes!"
Used to assert that you witnessed something firsthand and cannot be deceived. Emphasizes certainty and indignation.
변명하지 마. 내가 눈으로 똑똑히 봤어.
Don't make excuses. I saw it clearly with my own eyes.
반드시 처벌받게 할 거야
"I will definitely make (them) be punished"
A firm declaration of intent to see justice done. The adverb 반드시 signals unwavering resolve.
그 사람 어떻게 해서든 반드시 처벌받게 할 거야.
No matter what, I will make sure that person is punished.
Dismissing threats / showing defiance
그래서요? 어쩌라고요?
"So? What about it?"
A dismissive retort when someone tries to intimidate you with their status or connections. Signals that you are unimpressed.
네 아버지가 유명하다고? 그래서? 어쩌라고?
Your dad is famous? So? What about it?
법대로 하면 되잖아
"We can just do it according to the law"
Said defiantly when someone challenges you; implies you have nothing to hide and are confident the law is on your side.
나 떳떳하니까 법대로 하면 되잖아.
I have nothing to hide, so we can just let the law decide.
Expressing disbelief / outrage
어떻게 이게 말이 돼?
"How does this make sense?"
Expresses indignant disbelief that a situation is unjust or illogical. 말이 되다 literally means 'to make sense.'
죄 없는 사람이 잡혀가다니, 어떻게 이게 말이 돼?
An innocent person gets taken away — how does that make any sense?
이게 처음이 아니라서
"Because this isn't my first time"
Used to explain resignation or calm in the face of something upsetting; implies a painful pattern of recurring experience.
울지도 않더라고. 이게 처음이 아니라서 그런가봐.
She didn't even cry. I guess it's because this isn't her first time.
뻔뻔하다는 말을 이렇게 실감한 적이 없었어
"I've never felt the word 'shameless' so keenly before"
A vivid way to say someone's behavior perfectly embodies a negative quality; 실감하다 means to feel something vividly or concretely.
억울하다는 말을 이렇게 실감한 적이 없었어.
I've never felt the meaning of the word 'wronged' so acutely before.
Giving/receiving comfort and solidarity
괜찮아? 다행이다
"Are you okay? That's a relief"
A quick two-part check-in expressing concern followed by sincere relief. 다행이다 is a natural, warm response when you learn someone is safe.
많이 다친 건 아니지? 괜찮다니 다행이다.
You weren't seriously hurt, right? I'm so relieved you're okay.
너도 누워.
"You lie down too."
A casual, caring suggestion delivered in banmal. In this scene it shows Du-sik's laid-back but genuine concern even in an absurd situation.
피곤하면 너도 누워. 방 넓어.
If you're tired, you lie down too. There's plenty of room.
Grammar Patterns
-(으)면 안 되다
Prohibition / 'must not'
This pattern attaches to a verb stem to express that something is not allowed or should not be done. It is equivalent to 'must not' or 'shouldn't' and is one of the most common ways to state a rule or moral prohibition in Korean.
Practice sentences
다른 사람 아프게 해서는 안 돼.
You must not hurt other people.
증거도 없이 사람을 몰아붙이면 안 돼.
You shouldn't corner someone without evidence.
💡 Don't confuse -(으)면 안 되다 (prohibition) with -(으)면 되다 (permission/sufficiency) — the presence of 안 completely flips the meaning.
어떻게 해서든 -고 말겠다
Determined resolve / 'no matter what, I will'
어떻게 해서든 ('by any means / no matter what') combined with -고 말겠다 expresses an iron-willed determination to see something through to completion, often despite obstacles. The -고 말다 ending adds a sense of finality and emotional commitment.
Practice sentences
어떻게 해서든 그 진실을 밝히고 말겠어.
No matter what, I'm going to expose that truth.
어떻게 해서든 이 문제를 해결하고 말 거야.
I'll solve this problem no matter what it takes.
💡 -고 말겠다 is stronger and more emotionally charged than just -겠다; reserve it for situations of genuine determination or defiance.
-(으)ㄹ 수가 없다
Strong impossibility / 'simply cannot'
This pattern intensifies plain -(으)ㄹ 수 없다 by adding the subject marker 가 to 수, making it feel more emphatic and emotionally loaded. It conveys that something is utterly impossible or unbearable — not just impractical.
Practice sentences
저 사람이 한 짓을 보고 그냥 넘어갈 수가 없어.
I simply cannot let what that person did slide.
너무 억울해서 잠을 잘 수가 없어.
I feel so wronged that I simply cannot sleep.
💡 The 가 in 수가 없다 is often dropped in fast speech; but including it adds emotional weight in written or emphatic speech.
Cultural Notes
Sexual harassment reporting culture in Korea
Mi-seon's resigned line — '이게 처음이 아니라서' ('It's not my first time') — reflects a historically documented pattern in Korea where workplace and service-sector sexual harassment was underreported due to fear of retaliation, social stigma, or being disbelieved. The #MeToo movement gained significant momentum in Korea from 2018 onward, and the scene critiques exactly this normalization. Hye-jin's refusal to let it go represents a generational and cultural shift in attitudes.
Using connections (빽) to intimidate
The patient's boasting about his father's business and his uncle the city councilman is an example of what Koreans call 빽 (back-channel influence or connections). In smaller communities like the fictional Gongjin, such social hierarchies can carry real weight. The scene deliberately skewers this by showing Hye-jin — an outsider — as the one who refuses to be cowed by it.
Victim testimony as evidence (피해자 진술)
Officer Eun-cheol's statement that '피해자 진술도 이 경우엔 증거가 됩니다' ('the victim's testimony can serve as evidence') reflects an important legal development in Korean sexual harassment law. Prior to legal reforms, the lack of physical evidence was frequently used to dismiss such claims. The scene is written to educate viewers: testimony alone can meet the evidential bar, a fact many perpetrators count on victims not knowing.
Holding cell (유치장) and police station procedure
In Korea, a 유치장 is a short-term detention cell inside a police station (not a prison), used to hold individuals temporarily while a case is being processed. Hye-jin's complaint about mixed-gender cells reflects real policy: Korean regulations require gender-separated holding cells, making her outrage legally grounded as well as funny in context.