Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: A Festival Where Everyone Laughs
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A festival where everyone laughs.
Divorce.
The act of dissolving a legally valid marital relationship while both spouses are still alive.
The Republic of Korea is currently experiencing the worst gender conflict in its history.
A plummeting marriage rate.
The lowest birth rate in the world.
It felt like the country had achieved more progress than it deserved, and now it was hitting the reset button itself, as if saying, "That's enough; time to end it."
They had smashed to pieces the nation's long-term plan for the next century: the birth rate.
One of the reasons was the media.
The media fueled women's vanity and spotlighted only the unhappy aspects of family life.
There are just two genders in the world—men and women—and it perfectly divided them.
The basic unit of the nation is the family.
Yet the state was actively encouraging families from not forming.
In the meantime, men were dying out.
Most countries operate on the sacrifices of men, and Korea was no exception.
Marriage and divorce were a "business" from the nation's perspective.
Through the media, they inflated women's vanity, making it the default that men must provide an apartment upon marriage.
This dumped sky-high apartments onto young men just entering society, forcing them to pay off debts for life and injecting vitality into the real estate market.
Dowries, wedding venues, sude makeup, luxury bags for proposals.
The massive costs of marriage were recouped as taxes through businesses, fattening the bellies of countless companies and people in the wedding industry category.
And then divorce.
Most young men just starting out in society had no choice but to rely on their parents.
In the end, it became the norm for the man's family to buy an apartment and cover wedding costs with blood, sweat, and tears.
Many took out loans, but in a society where marriage was impossible without an apartment, countless men squeezed their parents' spines dry to get one.
The key here was divorce.
The state had rigged the property division system like mad dogs.
Men were gripped by fear.
Stories of lives ruined by bad marriages spread everywhere, deeply embedding themselves in their minds thanks to media and SNS development.
Just as there were businesses profiting off marriage, there were those living off divorce.
Grinning ear-to-ear at record-high divorce rates were the divorce specialist lawyers.
Divorce rates of 30-40% were a joke, and most were within the first five years of marriage.
The state milked taxes from the marriage market boom, but divorce brought in hefty income too.
Capital gains tax from selling apartments out of necessity due to property division.
But the woman receiving the division got 50% of the market value clean, with no relation to those taxes.
Including taxes, the man effectively lost nearly 60% of his assets.
Think about it.
Only men get screwed in divorce.
The state loves raking in taxes, lawyers take their success fees plus 10% of the division amount.
And the wife walks away with a fortune, even if she was a full-time housewife the entire marriage.
This was the state's so-called wealth redistribution.
In the end, only men cried.
The state, lawyers, the ex-wife.
A festival where everyone laughs.
That was "divorce" in the Republic of Korea.
"Hmm~ This place looks really reliable. Should I at least get a consultation?"
Ji-su was closely examining the ad for 'RD Law Firm' she'd found while searching online.
The phrases 'divorce specialists' and 'extensive international litigation experience' caught her eye.
Conveniently, the firm's location wasn't far.
She had built up resentment toward her previous lawyer.
'All he did was say it couldn't be done because of his incompetence...'
Online communities said women always get half the assets in divorce as the national rule, so winning the Korean trial only for US litigation to be 'difficult' was nonsense.
Ji-su expected RD Law Firm to be different.
The name alone screamed 'law firm.'
It had to be leagues above a solo practitioner's office.
She immediately booked a consultation.
Even if it meant suing in the US, she was determined to get that money.
In truth, reality out in society was harsh.
There were no easy-money jobs like she'd vaguely imagined.
Standing for 10 hours a day at part-time gigs was incomparable to her comfy housewife days—it was brutal.
She hated working.
She wanted to live comfortably.
That's why she became even more obsessed with getting the property division from Kim Ji-hoon.
'Hmm~ Since it's a law firm, they must have a solid way, right?'
Ji-su pulled her nicest outfit from the closet and got dressed.
Following the saved address, she headed to the sleek building housing RD Law Firm.
Her steps carried new hope and anticipation.
There are about 40,000 registered lawyers in Korea.
Divorce suits were profitable.
Proof: the number of divorce specialist lawyers had surged sixfold in just six years.
Honestly, most were easy cases.
The laws were heavily tilted toward women.
But with the explosion in lawyer numbers, competition among them was fierce.
Large firms were intimidating for average people to approach.
Solo lawyers offered much cheaper fees everywhere.
Choi Ji-young of RD Law Firm couldn't hide her beaming smile at the rare client visit.
"You've come to the right place, Ms. Kim Ji-su! With the judgment already in hand, this is a total slam dunk. We'll definitely take it on!"
Ji-su's face lit up at Choi Ji-young's confident words.
It was an expression of deep emotion.
"Um... the previous lawyer tried so hard to dissuade me from suing in the US... Can you really pull it off?"
"Of course! Absolutely!"
Choi Ji-young waved it off.
"We have a formal partnership with a US firm. Linking up with them guarantees success—no worries at all."
She held Ji-su's hand, making an empathetic face.
"As a woman myself, I totally get how you feel. Us women have to help each other! Don't worry!"
"Really? Wow... Law firms really are different~"
Ji-su seemed completely won over.
"But... what are your fees like?"
The all-important money question.
Choi Ji-young maintained her gentle smile.
"Well... our firm's retainer is 7 million won. Success fee is 10% of the amount recovered. And... for the US suit, there'll be additional costs from the local firm, depending on how long it drags—can't say exactly now. But it won't be cheap."
"...That's more than I expected...?"
Ji-su was slightly shocked by the larger-than-anticipated sum.
"Hehe, this is standard everywhere. Still, going through our partnered firm is way cheaper than finding a US lawyer yourself. We handle their paperwork, cutting those extras."
"Ah... I see. Um... can I discuss with my parents first and get back to you? Just a business card..."
"Sure, of course. Here's my card. Please call."
Choi Ji-young handed it over, reassuring her one last time.
"It's such an easy win. If it wraps quick, costs might be lower than you think."
"...Yes!"
After the consultation, Ji-su left the firm with a somewhat lighter heart.
"Yawn~ Too easy."
As soon as Ji-su was gone, Choi Ji-young leaned back and stretched.
'US courts just enforce the Korean judgment anyway—this is pure honey.'
From the firm's view, overseas suits justified high fees—big money.
And the 'US firm partnership'? Pure fiction.
In reality, RD dispatched one in-house lawyer with a US bar to set up a nominal office there.
In these times when attracting clients was like plucking stars, this white lie was standard sales tactics.
'Without the judgment, it'd be a headache, but this is lying down eating rice cakes.'
"Yawn~ Hope she calls soon~"
Choi Ji-young grinned happily at the long-awaited case.
The reason Choi Ji-young smiled so satisfactorily was simple.
US litigation meant 'big money.'
Basic lawyer fees in the US were outrageously high.
Even if—which was unlikely—they lost, the firm lost nothing.
Conservatively, US lawyers at $500/hour, minimum 20 hours/month for trial: 10-13 million won monthly.
No reason for the firm to refuse.
The '7 million retainer' quoted to Ji-su was just for appointing the Korean RD firm.
If Ji-su returned for the US suit, Choi planned to charge at least 20 million for the US lawyer retainer.
Industry average.
So Ji-su would pay 27 million just to start.
Then monthly minimum 10 million until trial end.
That evening, Ji-su sat before her parents with a gloomy face.
A heavy silence filled the living room. Her father spoke first.
"So... how'd the lawyer consultation go?"
Ji-su, as if she'd been waiting, poured desperation into her voice.
"Dad, Mom. They say I can get the money! I consulted another firm today, and they said they can definitely get it!"
Her mother eyed her suspiciously.
"But didn't the last lawyer say it was tough?"
"That lawyer was incompetent!"
Ji-su raised her voice.
"This one was a big firm with US partnerships, and the lawyer said she understands women and it's a sure win!"
Her father still looked doubtful.
"So... it's not automatic; we need another lawsuit?"
"Yeah... Sue in the US. But with the Korean judgment, it's just enforcement—should be quick!"
Ji-su tried her best to frame it positively.
"So, Dad..."
She hesitated before getting to the point.
"It needs some money to start... Could you help a bit? I'll repay with interest right away! Please?"
Her mother sighed.
"Where would we get that money now... You've spent so much just this past year..."
"I know! But this money is guaranteed!"
Ji-su practically begged, on the verge of tears.
"This lawyer seemed really capable! Success fee only 10%! Just a little... really just a little help?"
Her father felt his resolve weakening at his daughter's desperation.
But anxiety gnawed: was this pouring water into a bottomless jar?
He exchanged glances with his wife.
Deep deliberation began.