A Women Judge, directed by Hong Eun-won in 1962, depicts the journey of the female protagonist, Jin-suk (starring Moon Jung-suk), becoming a judge, getting married, and navigating her married life, while questioning whether peaceful coexistence between family and career, marriage life and social life is possible for women. The film continuously introduces the conflict between the private and public spheres, which remains today, through Jin-sook's dialogues. After passing the judicial exam with her parents' expectations and support, Jin-sookk confidently declares, ""I will not be just any woman until I become a judge!"" However, this foreshadows the conflict she will face as a judge, wife, daughter-in-law, and mother-in-law, along with the realization that Korean women's self-effort for advancement is crucial. While the three generations of family members are embedded in traditional family roles, Jin-sook constantly struggles between the public and private spheres. As she raises her voice in the public sphere, her personal space, her home, starts to crumble. Despite the conflicts with her husband, who has abandoned his faith in her as he agrees with the old saying that ""When the hen crows, the house goes to ruin,"" and the relatives who continuously nitpick, Jin-sook becomes a mediator, solving family murder cases under the name of the law.

The film raises questions about whether Jin-suk's attempt to reconcile the private and public spaces by becoming a lawyer and resolving issues from the perspective of a fellow woman is a compromise or an act of rebellion. The director Hong Eun-won explores the intense social reactions surrounding the death of Korea's first female judge, promptly reflecting on that time's consciousness. Although some scenes remain lost and unexplored due to the film's preservation status, the underlying message can still be understood. Even after 60 years, this film provides an opportunity to reflect on the reality faced by women like Jin-sook today and here. [BYUN Jairan]