01x06 - The Man With the Hiking Boots

[bunniefuu]

[The drama was based on a book, and all people, organizations,]

[locations, and incidents in this drama are fictitious.]

[It was filmed in accordance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines.]

[The crime-related scenes were staged.]

[This drama may contain disturbing and brutal scenes.]

Are you investigating this case as a serial m*rder?

It's too early to confirm that.

As you know,

these murders took place in different districts.

It's been over a month after the Suseong-dong incident.

You still haven't made any progress?

The detectives in those districts and the Special Crime Squad...

are doing their best.

Are you sure this isn't a serial m*rder?

Everyone, please.

Don't jump to conclusions. You'll only scare the public.

I heard the MO for all three cases was the same.

And your answer is still a no?

Just look at these murders.

Are you sure there wasn't any accomplice?

Is there a reason behind not treating this a serial m*rder?

Since these incidents took place in different districts,

they couldn't have been a one-man job.

Take this. You dropped this. Look.

- I'm sorry. - That was so not cool.

What's going on?

Gosh.

Hello?

It's an alarm.

Just last September,

there had been three break-ins that led to murders.

But the police still haven't found a suspect...

- Kitty, slow down. Okay? - which is alarming the public.

The police announced that they are taking various approaches...

to investigate these three m*rder cases.

Some people are suggesting that the culprit targeted...

wealthy senior citizens.

But the police announced...

that grouping individual cases...

into one serial case was a risky move.

- Without any definitive proof, - Hey. Take this.

- the police dispatched... - What's that?

more resources to question more people.

So they are focused more on legwork.

- But they haven't found a lead yet. - Okay.

- The police are open... - Bye.

to other possibilities such as...

robberies or crimes of passion by the victims' acquaintances.

And the police are following up on other possibilities.

Listen. Detectives like us...

who do all the legwork catch the culprits.

When we were canvassing these neighborhoods...

to the point that we got blisters,

what did those district cops do?

Yes. I'm glad you brought that up.

Where were you in all of this?

Right. You were at a sauna.

I went there once!

Yes. I know that.

You went to the sauna once, the go club once,

and the Internet cafe once.

Are you having fun playing a computer game with high schoolers?

You're 40 years old, for goodness' sake.

Do you think she's the type to tell on me about that?

You punk. I have ears too.

I believe it is necessary to set the boundaries...

between our squad and the Behavioral Analysis Team.

Right. That's my point.

They just wear suits and act all cool.

They just have meetings like some scholars.

What do you think they can do?

As long as they can pinpoint a suspect,

it doesn't matter if they have meetings...

like scholars or standing on their heads.

What do you care?

Entering the crime scene as they please...

is obstructing the investigation.

Captain Kook isn't the chief of the Forensics Squad anymore.

And Song Ha Young was always into playing the hero.

He keeps crossing the line. You know how he is.

I won't participate in making personal attacks.

What?

Other teams aren't happy with the Behavioral Analysis Team.

If there are no boundaries between us and them,

whenever we get cases, there's bound to be a conflict.

Listen.

They are taking the lead on their own.

- How can I stop them? - Gosh.

Besides, they aren't really getting in your way.

They can actually help you out.

Goodness. Did you all have coffee this morning?

- Hello, sir. - Hello.

Come on! What's the matter with you?

What's going on in there?

It's too early to be yelling at this hour.

Well, the thing is...

Yesterday, when Chief Kim Bong Sik...

went to check out the area in Jinjung-dong,

he ran into Inspector Song.

Darn it, that little...

Gosh.

- It's... - Captain Yoon and I...

also run into him whenever we go...

to Suseong-dong or Gungok-dong.

It seems like Inspector Song...

is visiting all the scenes on a daily basis,

so people are talking.

- Captain Yoon. - Yes, sir.

As police officers, it is our job to catch criminals.

Whether he's trying to play a hero or not,

let's not doubt his genuine intentions.

I don't doubt his intentions.

- Hello, sir. - What's going on?

The Behavioral Analysis Team reports directly to me.

What's your problem?

If you have a problem, talk to me.

It's not a big deal, sir. There was a small misunderstanding.

Ban the Behavioral Analysis Team from entering the scenes.

Oh, that's what you want?

That's it?

Sure, fine.

If you have a problem with that, I'll be sure to let them know.

- Thank you, sir. - But the thing is,

I can't stop them if they want to conduct their own investigations.

They're cutting down on sleep to do that...

on top of conscientiously completing their own tasks,

so I can't tell them not to do that.

I can't dictate how much sleep they get.

Right, they're not kids.

We're not asking you to just go ahead and stop them.

I think the Behavioral Analysis Team needs to understand that...

they're not one of our investigation teams.

Right, I also think...

What's going on?

Hurry to the scene in Hwanghwa-dong.

A senior citizen was m*rder*d.

Hurry to the scene at once.

- Let's hurry. - Come on.

Oh, I see. Got it.

- Come on. It's urgent. - Okay.

It's in Hwanghwa-dong!

Come on.

- Hey, get the car ready! - Yes, sir!

[The Safest City, Seoul]

[Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency]

[Through the Darkness, Episode 6]

Gosh, I didn't know that so many people were into hiking.

I did this all day yesterday,

and I don't see an end in sight.

At this rate, I'll become a hiking expert,

not a statistics expert.

Hey, those in Forensics have it way worse.

Their hands have already turned into feet,

so they walk on all fours now. Like this.

Can't you laugh a little even if it's not funny?

What? Why did he have to storm out like that?

What would you like for lunch?

You've gotten quite brazen, Chu Chu.

[Special Crime Squad 1]

Did something happen?

Another senior citizen was m*rder*d in Hwanghwa-dong.

They all went to the scene a little while ago.

Goodness. Hey! Get it done properly!

- Sir, you can't come in here. - Why not?

- Go the other way. - This is crazy.

- Go the other way! - Darn it.

I didn't mean to offend you.

I just said to go the other way.

Gosh, this is so frustrating.

Guys, keep the residents out.

- Sir! You can't come in here. - Why not?

What's going on?

This is nuts.

You can't come in here.

- You can't come in here. - Goodness. Move.

Gosh, what is this?

Chief! You can't touch that.

You know that you can't touch anything here.

We're still trying to lift all the fingerprints.

- You can't touch that. - You can't come in here now.

- No, stop! - My goodness.

- Don't touch anything. - Darn it.

Get out of my way. Get rid of this stench first, idiot!

You're contaminating the scene.

Darn it. Let go!

Gosh.

- There he is. - Hey.

Hey, how did the fire break out?

The culprit tried to set the house on fire.

Thankfully, the fire died out after partially burning the body...

and the ceiling.

Then maybe it was someone else.

We'd have to look into it further, but a blunt weapon was used.

The triangle again?

[Forensics]

Gosh, this is insane.

What is happening?

Then why did the culprit start the fire?

Maybe there was something that the culprit wanted to hide.

We're looking into that too.

Then I'll return to the office...

and collect statements from the bereaved.

Okay, sure.

How long do you think this will take?

There was a fire, so I'd say about ten hours.

By the way, what's Kim Bong Sik doing inside?

I have no idea. Why is he...

I'll lift all his prints...

and submit them as evidence.

- Darn it. - All right, I'm sorry.

- Take it easy. - Get back to work.

- Take it easy. - Thank you.

- What happened? - No idea.

- What is going on? - Hey.

- Gil Pyo. - Yes.

I told you not to smoke and contaminate the scenes.

I'm just frustrated. They said it'd take ten hours.

Frustrated, my foot.

How many of these did we find last time?

Do you want to end up on the list of suspects again?

Why are you here? Did you come here to nag me?

Whatever. Anyway, what happened?

The Forensics Squad is investigating the scene now.

We're waiting too.

You guys in the Analysis Team should return to the office.

How could we go back to the office now?

Gosh, seriously.

Captain Kook.

Chief Kim Bong Sik is inside.

He's inside?

- Kim Bong Sik, this little... - Hey.

- Hey, stop. - This is wrong.

You're no longer in the Forensics Squad.

And you know that Kim Bong Sik likes to talk.

Look, many eyes are watching.

If people start to complain about your team...

frequenting the scenes, things will get complicated for all of us.

Both you and Superintendent Baek are here.

Why should I walk on eggshells around him?

We can't have your back forever.

The two teams must respect each other's boundaries.

You were the one who came up with this system.

Exactly. Just go back to the office and wait.

We'll share all the updates with you.

Why must we argue about this now?

- Just go back to the office. - I'm so angry right now.

Why is he standing there alone, looking all serious?

Let's go for a smoke.

Sure, let's go.

- Go somewhere far. - I can smoke over there, right?

- Not within a 50m-radius. - Fine, I heard you!

The culprit must've tried to burn the house down.

Yes, there's the burning smell.

Who's the victim?

A female in her 60s.

A quiet alley in an affluent residential area.

Of course, I don't see a single security camera.

But an arson attempt. That's a first.

It was probably premeditated, right?

But it's a little odd.

What's odd?

The 1st incident took place on September 12.

The 2nd one, on the 24th. The 3rd one, on the 30th.

The interval between the cases had gone down from 12 to 6 days.

But now, it has increased to a month.

If this really is a premeditated serial m*rder case,

such decreased intervals and sporadic patterns...

mean that the k*ller is becoming bolder.

However, it took the k*ller a month to commit this m*rder.

There must've been a reason.

What could it be?

Was it suicide?

What caused the fire? Was it attempted arson?

- Move back. - Did the fire k*ll the victim?

- Or was it m*rder? - Move back!

Have you identified a suspect yet?

Is that Yoon Tae Gu from the Seoul HQ?

There have been many murders lately. How do you plan to prevent crime?

- Was the victim m*rder*d? - Just a comment, please!

- What exactly happened? - Tell us!

- Is this a homicide case? - Tell us!

Was the victim m*rder*d...

Earlier today, at around 11:10am on Thursday, October 30,

Yoon Jung Yoon, a 65-year-old female,

was found dead in her home in Hwanghwa-dong, Seoul.

She was attacked with a blunt weapon.

Her husband, Han Jong Yong,

saw that their house was filled with smoke...

upon returning home from work...

and called it in.

What was used to start the fire?

We believe that the culprit used newspaper and paper...

to start the fire.

Any lead on the culprit?

We can't tell you anything at the moment.

We're restricting access to the scene as we wait...

for the Forensics Squad's preliminary results,

so we can't share any details with you at the moment.

I hope you all understand.

Was anything stolen from the scene? Cash or any valuables?

How did she get in here?

At the moment, it doesn't seem like anything was stolen.

Do you still think it was done by someone who knew the victim?

We are considering every possibility.

As I mentioned earlier,

we're still waiting for the preliminary results...

Do you admit that this may be connected to the cases...

that occurred in Suseong-dong, Gungok-dong, and Jinjung-dong?

Serial murders targeting affluent senior citizens.

Do you admit it?

Well...

We plan to expand the investigation keeping in mind...

the possibility that the culprit could be the same person.

Do you think there was an accomplice as in the Jijon Family case?

There wasn't any accomplice?

Are they related?

- Do you have any speculations? - Are the cases related?

Excuse me, reporters. I apologize.

I'm sure you have more questions,

but that's all for today's briefing.

We will do our best to arrest the culprit,

so please give us some time.

Thank you.

- Where are you going? - That's it?

- Are those done by the same guy? - Is everything related?

Breaking news.

This morning in a residential area in Hwanghwa-dong,

a woman in her 60s was m*rder*d.

The police launched an investigation.

The police believe these cases of wealthy elderly murders are...

possibly planned as serial m*rder.

The police identified the culprit of the Hwanghwa-dong incident...

as the same one who committed...

the three previous murders of the elderly.

They repeatedly stated they would expand the investigation...

to a serial m*rder case.

[Daehan Daily]

["Police Admits the Elderly Murders as Serial m*rder"]

[Emergency Response]

[Scientific Investigations Team]

[Forensics]

Why did he suddenly start a fire?

He tried doing something he had never done before.

Did you find any inflammable?

- Check out this area first. - Okay, sure.

He didn't prepare anything in particular.

I think he started it with newspaper.

If he didn't carry any inflammable here,

I don't think he sought after psychological exhilaration...

as most arsonists do.

If he was after psychological exhilaration,

he would've stayed and watched the fire grow bigger.

He probably would have.

I'm sure he came across an expected situation.

He either wanted to destroy traces he didn't want anyone to see.

Or it could've been his trace.

He failed to open the safe.

Maybe this was a copycat crime.

He wasn't keen on taking the valuables until now.

But he used the same weapon.

Triangular?

Then let's check the body first.

[Joy, prayer, thanks]

He destroyed the cross. An unnecessary act.

Mallet. Hammer. Brick.

We took everything we can find...

to see if any of those could leave a triangular mark,

but none of those.

Do you think he made the weapon himself?

The m*rder weapon?

I mean, we can't seem to find it.

His choice of a blunt weapon rather than a sharp one shows...

the anger built within this culprit.

On what has he become this furious...

to brutally k*ll complete strangers?

Let's check.

May I borrow a notebook?

- Thank you. - First off, the front.

One, two, three, four.

On the head, one...

He isn't after money.

It wasn't done by an acquaintance who holds a grudge.

In that case,

where did his anger that ultimately made him...

attack these helpless wealthy victims stem from?

Are you sure?

Yesterday night, he wanted to put that jacket on,

but he changed into something else,

then left it on the sofa before he left.

But come the morning,

the jacket was gone.

Maybe the victim moved it somewhere.

So I asked the chief of Forensics to find his jacket first.

He looked for it twice, but he never found it.

He left the money and valuables,

and all he took was a black jacket?

It suddenly got chilly this morning.

This is such a shame.

If we had cameras in the alleys, we would've found him by now.

We put up many more at the beginning of this year.

When we never had these, I never even thought about it,

but I guess I began to feel this way ever since we began to put them up.

They're making the control center or something next year,

so that's something to look forward to.

Over there.

[Mini Mart]

They're all wearing black.

But it's just a day's worth.

- Find someone in hiking boots. - Okay.

He carried a big weapon around,

so I'll find someone with a backpack too.

Once you screen them,

ask the husband if it's the jacket he lost.

Yes.

Goodness, Reporter Im Moo Sik.

I always gave you the information.

If we find anything, I'll let you know first.

Hey, wait.

Why? Did you find something?

[Gungok-dong, Hwanghwa-dong]

Man, look at this guy.

[Suseong-dong, Jinjung-dong]

- I'll call you back. - One second.

Gil Pyo!

- This jerk. - What? Did you find anything?

Listen up.

Suseong.

Gungok.

Jinjung. Hwanghwa.

What about them?

They have the same consonants.

Darn it. Explain it so that I can understand.

Suseong. S and S.

Gungok. G and G.

- Jinjung. - J and J.

- Hwanghwa. - H and H!

Look, they are all located in places with good access.

Not only are there luxurious residential districts,

it's accessible by public transit, and all these towns have...

a concentrated area of adult entertainment businesses.

So what?

The investigation team says he must've gone around in a car...

because he was never seen...

even though he committed the crimes in a large area.

But it might be quite the opposite.

Oh, he uses public transit?

In Tak said there's a jacket missing, right?

Yes, if that's true,

it's another proof for our second theory.

The temperature dropped even lower this morning,

so if he didn't have a car,

he would've needed a jacket or something.

- We can make another assumption. - What is it?

He could've needed to hide his bloodstained clothes.

If that's the case,

then shouldn't we have many more witnesses?

I mean, he used public transit.

Even if he went around with bloodstained clothes,

most people wouldn't have noticed...

unless they saw him near the crime scene.

Right, you're right.

He wouldn't go around telling people he's a m*rder*r.

Also, surprisingly,

people aren't too interested in others.

Due to their inattentiveness,

they wouldn't get suspicious...

nor perceive it as strange even if they saw his bloody clothes,

just as Hwang Dae Sun said.

Yes.

[Gungok-dong, Hwanghwa-dong, Suseong-dong, Jinjung-dong]

[Restricted Area, Authorized personnel only]

That man. Is that the jacket?

Hello?

Yes, Chief.

[Chief of Forensics, Oh In Tak]

To sum up,

the culprit probably doesn't have a car,

and he's a guy with a foot size between 260mm to 265mm?

One second.

Hello, Captain Kook Young Soo of Behavioral Analysis Team...

Hey, In Tak.

All right.

Fax it over right away. Thanks.

We can stop looking for the shoes.

They found it?

- Which brand is it? - He'll fax it to me.

Wait, how does this make any sense?

Why doesn't it? It fits perfectly.

Have you found any evidence more trustworthy than this?

You should dispatch some men in Bangbae-dong.

You need to stop the fifth m*rder!

You're all here. Take a look at this.

- You found it? - You found something?

The hiking shoes...

Why do you have this?

If you want to get cranky, you should do your job first.

I don't want any inconvenience either.

What is it?

Darn it, the chief of Forensics is doing his job weirdly.

Not as weirdly as the chief of the Special Crime Squad.

- What? - You're with the superintendent.

- Okay. - Over here. This one.

We found him.

Yes, but you're a step too late.

I mean the CCTV footage.

We got a shot of the back of the culprit.

What are we supposed to do with that?

We're still in a tight spot with or without leads.

We won't be able to find anything with that.

Come to the conference room now.

We caught the back of the culprit on the security camera.

[Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency]

Did you forget something?

- Should I go and fetch it now? - No. Wait.

It's not his face. It's his back.

Right. Yes.

Let's dispatch some people in Bangbae-dong.

And why don't we interrogate people...

with the same hiking shoes in the area?

There will be countless people who own the same hiking shoes...

of the same size just in Seoul.

We won't be able to track people who bought the shoes with cash.

We should start with the neighborhoods...

like we're taking a census.

I think doing the legwork will give us accurate information.

It's not just one neighborhood.

As you know, these murders took place all over Seoul.

Sir, why are we going to Bangbae-dong?

What? Oh, that?

All right. Listen up.

Suseong. Gungok.

Jinjung. Hwanghwa.

Anything?

You idiots.

S and S. G and G.

The syllables start with the same consonants.

Let's put out an APB.

What nonsense is that?

We must put out an APB.

How could we put out an APB with just that?

Come on in. You're here. So join us.

Come on in. And take us step by step.

We must broadcast it on the nine o'clock national news.

He's driving me crazy. Come on.

But we know nothing about the guy or even have a composite sketch.

You want us to do that with just the footage that shows his back?

Having the footage of his back won't make any difference.

About 99 percent of the tips we receive won't be useful.

Then it will only complicate our investigation.

But when he keeps a low profile,

we can buy time.

I think it's a good idea.

The cooling-off period was long between the 3rd and 4th cases...

Wait. What's a cooling-off period?

It's a hiatus for serial K*llers.

Hey, he didn't ask you.

Come on.

It took a month for him to commit the fourth m*rder...

because of the press.

What about the press?

Up to the third case, his cooling-off period was short...

because he was confident.

- What's going on? - But the press...

raised suspicions of serial m*rder.

And they started to pay attention to each case individually.

The moment he became confident,

he hesitated for a bit in case he might get caught.

Who on earth did that?

But he k*lled again.

It means that the pleasure from k*lling and his confidence...

overweighed his fear of getting caught.

You're saying that there could be another victim?

Yes. He only hesitated. He didn't stop there.

Even if he kills again, it won't be easy to catch him.

That arrogant jerk.

Subsection Chief Kim Bong Sik.

Do I have to teach you how to respect your colleagues?

He's aware of his crimes and our investigation progress.

He's smart.

Don't tell me that you're buying this nonsense.

The culprit will watch the broadcast somewhere...

because he pays attention to the press.

So...

are you suggesting that we give him a warning...

that he could get caught?

That's correct.

He already committed four murders.

He won't stop here.

The only way to stop him from striking again...

is this.

Stop him from striking again...

He'll continue?

But we should consider this as making progress, right?

We found the hiking shoes.

And we got his back on camera. I'm sure we'll find him soon.

Everyone is working together. He can't get away from this.

You're right.

Chu Chu, we'll give you a ride.

No. It's okay. The bus is still running.

- We have room. Let me drop you. - Yes.

No. It's in the different direction.

Taking the bus is more comfortable.

Okay. I get it. You want to get away from us as soon as possible.

See you tomorrow.

- Okay. Goodnight. - Okay.

- Get home safely. - Goodnight.

- Bye. - Bye.

[m*rder cases in Suseong-dong, Gungok-dong, and Jinjung-dong]

[A high-end residential housing unit in Suseong-dong]

[m*rder case in Hwanghwa-dong]

Do you seriously believe putting out an APB will work?

Why not?

With just that?

You really should...

take another class on how to listen to your colleagues.

What?

He wants to use this as a warning...

to stop the next m*rder.

I thought everyone understood that. But I guess you didn't.

A warning? As if.

Do you think our duty is to scare people?

If you can't understand this,

following the majority is also a way.

Hey.

I've been too nice to you. How dare you talk to me like that?

I really hope you will stop being nice to me.

Your personality hasn't changed one bit.

I bet you'll live a long life. Right?

- What did you say? - I'm your fellow detective.

But you still treat me like a woman. Narrow-minded, shallow,

biased, and even immature. That's how your perception is.

Gosh. You are also trying to ruffle up my feathers today.

And are you cool with ruffling up other people's feathers?

You little...

Did you see that?

If you weren't a woman, I would have slapped you right away.

I'm not slapping you because you are...

This is my answer...

to what you did to me before.

I thought I was over it.

I guess I wasn't.

Hey, Yoon Tae Gu!

If you don't want me to treat you like a woman,

cut your hair!

Don't give me that excuse you're growing out for the victim!

Come on!

[VIU Ver] SBS E06 'Through the Darkness'
"The Man With the Hiking Boots"
-♥ Ruo Xi ♥-

So I pushed for it.

Do you think putting out an APB will work?

If he hides, it will be harder to find him.

Right.

But stopping the next m*rder is our top priority right now.

Right. That's true.

Yes.

Drop me off there.

- There? - Yes.

- Good work. - Thanks. Bye.

- See you tomorrow. - Okay.

All right.

Gosh.

- Captain Kook. - Yes?

- Hold on. - What?

Wait. I have something.

My mother gave it to me this morning.

But I forgot about it all day. I'm sorry.

What is this? Why are you apologizing?

It's a present from me.

Happy birthday.

For me? Today is...

Goodness.

Hey, I'm an old man. I don't need presents.

People in our line of work only memorize the crime dates.

We always forget birthdays.

Anyway, thank you.

And please thank your mother for me too.

- Sure. - You're making me blush.

- Gosh. Thanks. I mean it. - Sure.

Okay.

Song Ha Young is a nice gifter.

Happy birthday to me.

Gosh. What is it?

Gosh. Right.

Sorry, honey.

- I... - Happy birthday, honey.

- Happy birthday, Dad. - Happy birthday, Dad.

- Happy birthday to you - Happy birthday to you

- Happy birthday to you, dear honey - Happy birthday to you, dear Dad

- Happy birthday to you - Happy birthday to you

- Goodness. Thank you. - Make a wish now.

Dad, you need to make a wish.

Okay, hold on.

- Did you do it? - What did you wish for?

It's a secret.

- Come on. - Come on.

I'm so glad we got to wish you a happy birthday before midnight.

I know. Thank you.

- I love you. - I love you, Dad.

- I love you! And I miss you. - Me too. I love you too.

My wish is...

We have nothing on the suspect. Not even a composite sketch.

You want us to do that with just the footage that shows his back?

Having the footage of his back won't make any difference.

About 99 percent of the tips we receive won't be useful.

Then it will only complicate our investigation.

Do you think putting out an APB will work?

If he hides, it will be harder to find him.

Did we make the right decision?

[Profiling Report, Suseong, Gungok,]

[Jinjung, and Hwanghwa Cases]

[m*rder Suspected Wanted]

[Reward 50,000 Dollars]

[Dochang Printing]

[m*rder Suspect Wanted]

[Police Station]

[m*rder Suspect Wanted, Reward 50,000 Dollars]

[m*rder Suspect Wanted]

What if this just ends up complicating our investigation?

Send it right away.

- I'm telling you. That's why. - Nothing yet.

Attention, please.

Hold on a moment.

The phones will keep ringing off the hook.

I know this will make it harder for all of us,

but don't dismiss or ignore any info you obtain through these calls.

If you hear of anything suspicious, let us know.

Please remember that we must prioritize...

the calls from our tippers over the ones from the reporters.

Now, back to your calls. I don't need your answer.

Hello?

- Yes. - That's right.

- Yes, from now on... - Is that right?

- As for the Hwanghwa-dong case... - I'll take care of that.

The footage shows a man walking. He's wearing a black jacket.

He takes a look around, looking relaxed.

The police have identified this man in the footage...

as the prime suspect in the case.

The jacket he is wearing matches the one...

that is missing from the scene.

And he was caught on this camera...

immediately after the incident took place.

According to the police, the size of this man's shoe print...

matches that of the shoe print...

found at the scene of the senior citizen's m*rder.

The MO seems similar as well,

so the possibility that the k*ller is the same person...

How are you feeling? Better?

Gosh, the commissioner was so mean to me.

- Gosh. - Last night,

when I went to his office to get his approval on the search,

he kept hitting me in the back of the head,

asking how we'd manage to catch the k*ller with this alone.

But you see, I'm almost 50 now.

Goodness. He just can't quit that habit of his, can he?

I stayed up all night and managed to persuade the commissioner,

but what will happen to us if this doesn't work?

Well, it can't be undone now.

Don't be scared.

Let's wait and see what happens.

The reporters are getting a thrill out of this.

They're watching us with their eyes peeled...

to see if we'd manage to catch him...

with this photo that shows nothing but his back.

Come on, Chief Heo. Why are you being like this?

Are you suddenly regretting your decision?

No, it's not that. I'm just frustrated. That's all.

It'd be amazing if we could catch that scumbag with this,

but it's also true that it's more important...

to prevent additional cases.

You're right.

I already let him hit me in the head as if it's his punching bag.

I don't care if I'm on the chopping block.

Let's go.

Okay, let's go.

I came to the right place.

Go this way and then...

Aren't you from Gangnam Police Station?

Was it Jongno Police Station?

You are a police detective, right? Oh, you must be from the Seoul HQ.

Hello, I'm Reporter Choi Yoon Ji from Fact Today.

I have your business card.

I knew it. We've met before, right?

Yes, Director.

I'm finally getting an exclusive report.

You're interfering with the investigation.

- What's your problem? - Stop this person from getting in.

There's no exclusive here.

What nonsense are you saying?

What the...

You're the cop who took my phone in front of the motel.

You are that cop, right? My gosh.

Goodness. Detective, could you spare me a moment?

I have many questions about this case.

The main road is over there.

And this is the only security footage of him.

I just think it's odd.

You put out an APB on a faceless suspect.

I don't get it.

I can't tell you anything...

as we're still investigating the case.

Wait, Detective!

Can you at least tell me your name if I can't have your number?

He's leaving like that? What a petty jerk.

That car is...

[Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency]

["Serial m*rder Game? Warning to Society or to Police?"]

Kim Bong Sik, this jerk!

- That's it. - Nice shot.

[m*rder Suspect Wanted, Reward 50,000 Dollars]

Darn it, this punk...

[Faceless m*rder suspect...]

What's the map for?

I want a map that I can carry around with me...

when I visit the scenes and use for profiling purposes.

If I mark all the major bus and subway routes...

and note the time of each incident and even the weather that day,

it'll be helpful.

Then I'll help you.

Thank you.

Hey, that's a lot of work.

I'm stating the obvious,

but the answers are always found at the scene.

Shall I make you one too?

No, it's okay. We'll share it.

[13 days after the open search began]

[November 13, 2003]

[Gungok-dong, Hwanghwa-dong]

From here...

It means he frequents this area via public transportation.

All four cases...

happened between 10am to 2pm. A timeframe where it's likely...

to find only women or elderly people at home.

[Medical Books]

Are you looking for a particular book?

I'm looking for a book on anatomy.

I see. Follow me this way, please.

You can look for it here.

If you have a particular title you're looking for...

I can look it up for you.

[Human Anatomy]

[Human Anatomy, Anatomy]

It's already been over a month since you put out an APB.

You still don't have any information we can use?

At least tell us what your lead is.

Well, thankfully there hasn't been another victim yet.

We are doing everything we can.

You have to share information on the investigation with us.

We need that to write an article.

Even after you let out the APB...

At least share the information with me!

- Come on! - Give me something to write about!

- Give us information. - Tell us!

Why won't you tell us?

Please raise your hand and talk one at a time.

[Profiling Report, Suseong, Gungok, Jinjung, and Hwanghwa Cases]

I don't think now is the right time to hand this over.

I know that too.

I just think that they really need a lead.

I felt like there is a need...

to examine and analyze the culprit's behavior...

as much as we can. Now more than ever.

It says here...

"Effort in trying to steal valuables is very little."

- What does this mean? - In the case of Hwanghwa-dong...

there was an attempt to try to open the safe.

If stealing the valuables was his purpose...

it only makes sense to k*ll the victim...

after he's made them open the safe.

But he did the opposite instead.

Above that, it says, "Character disorder severe enough..."

"to commit a crime. Highly likely he had issues with family members."

Even if we can look into his medical history...

how can we know if he has issues at home?

For a person with this much rage,

I'm sure that it showed in his daily life too.

We can't take a survey of every single household though.

It's not like we can ask...

if they have a family member who has a lot of anger.

By the way, where is Subsection Chief Kim Bong Sik?

He said he was going to the sauna.

My goodness.

Just how much dirt does he need to wash off?

But here, it says, "The culprit's crimes..."

"planning and choice of location and time..."

"are too systematic. It's unlikely that..."

"he has an intellectual disability or schizophrenia."

"Therefore, there is a need to focus the investigation..."

"on people who have an aggressive character disorder."

I'm having trouble understanding this part.

What's the reason we have to differentiate schizophrenia,

intellectual disabilities, and character disorders?

Character disorder is an illness...

when one shows extreme or deformed forms of obsessive...

dependent, avoidant, or antisocial characteristics.

But the truth is, everyone makes little of this illness...

so they don't take active measures to treat it.

You're saying there may not be medical records of it then.

Yes, that's right.

Even if he did get treatment, it probably didn't last long.

The possibility of being admitted to a closed ward...

is extremely low too.

Meaning character disorders don't leave many clues.

Are you sure the culprit isn't someone...

with an intellectual disorder or schizophrenia?

All right, let me explain this to you easily.

Patients with either schizophrenia, intellectual disorder, delusion...

It's hard for them to commit premeditated crimes.

I'm sure you know from looking at the crime scene from this case.

It's clean and there's no witness.

You're right.

Cho Hyun Gil wasn't mentally ill either.

What we're trying to tell you is...

We shouldn't look for mentally ill patients...

who have been receiving continued treatment.

Instead, we should look for a suspect who has a record.

Although the chances are low. That's what we mean.

That means it will be harder to narrow down a suspect.

I thought you said you'd make it easier. I'm more confused now.

That's too broad.

We don't have enough people as is.

Based on what you're saying...

every single citizen is a suspect then.

To be blunt, who doesn't have a temper?

Besides our benevolent Superintendent Baek.

In conclusion, these are more or less just guesswork.

Right?

It's not like you gave us a specific lead that we can investigate on.

We can't mobilize the entire squad just based on this.

It's been over three months...

and the police still don't have a single lead on the culprit.

He's a m*rder*r who k*lled seven people.

You're talking as if the police are incompetent.

But they are doing their very best.

That goes for the Hwanghwa-dong case from last time too.

They found an image of the culprit from the CCTV footage.

Also, they are actively receiving tip-offs...

so they will find a lead on the culprit soon.

It's already been over two months since they released an APB.

If they were relying on the APB for a lead...

they should've gotten one a long time ago.

Time is passing, including this moment here.

The people are growing more anxious by the day.

What do they plan on doing about this?

In order to strengthen public security...

on top of increasing the number of patrolling officers,

they have offered many solutions like installing security cameras...

in crime-ridden districts.

They are currently executing those solutions.

[PC Game and Internet]

[December 31, 2003]

[January 1, 2004, January 2, 2004]

- Yes! - Yes!

[Suseong-dong, Jinjung-dong]

Hello!

Seriously!

- It's already been months! - What is this?

He's a m*rder*r.

They only got a picture of his back.

How do they plan to catch him with only a picture of his back?

- Seriously. - That's what I'm saying!

- How can they catch him? - Seriously.

Gosh, he's an evil one, isn't he?

- Yes. - You're right.

Why can't they catch him?

Gosh, what's the police doing?

They still haven't been able to catch a punk like this.

- I know right? - Yes.

Next up.

It's been over three months...

since the police released an APB with a picture...

of the suspect's back. This serial m*rder case...

of rich, elderly citizens shocked the nation last October.

They still have not been able to catch the suspect yet.

Inspector Song or whoever he is, is nowhere to be found.

I can't find anything.

It's been reported to us.

Simultaneously, the police continue to look for the suspect...

I don't even know anymore.

They stated they will increase their numbers to look for him.

- I'll write one up quickly. - No, it's fine.

Captain.

Take a look at this.

["The Culprit Stops the Elderly Killings"]

The decision for an open search.

Is this the police's lifeline? Or is this the beginning of doom?

[Fact Today, Reporter Choi Yoon Ji]

If the culprit does not stop...

and continues to commit the crimes in hiding,

it might turn into a bad move that'll lead to difficulty...

in finding leads to the culprit.

The murders broke out four times, not just once.

How can they not catch the culprit?

The pathetic reality of the Korean police.

Just as I expected of the police.

When will they catch the culprit? I'm too scared.

The culprit will definitely k*ll someone again.

It was too rash to start an open search.

The culprit would only hide more. Why would he come out?

I'd trust my dog before I trust the police.

You wanted to make the Behavioral Analysis Team,

so I let you have your way, but what have you done right?

You began an open search just by using a photo of his back,

but you have no evidence?

This only made the police look ridiculous!

How will you patch this up?

Commissioner.

Our detectives are out there running around and doing their best.

And so are the men in the Behavioral Analysis Team.

I don't want your best!

Bring me the result!

Bring that jerk...

who k*lled seven people immediately!

Put him before those wordy reporters!

While you were out on the field,

you taught us a few ways, and we tried everything.

We asked around the crime scene,

we talked to every delivery man who goes around the area.

We searched around the internet cafes in the vicinity,

then got a warrant to search the base station,

so we even searched every person who used their phones in the area.

But we still haven't found a strand of the culprit's hair.

The Behavioral Analysis Team or whoever, we need to ask...

and find a new method of investigating this case.

Yes, so just as the Analysis Team reported on the profiling report,

we plan on searching for people with mental illnesses...

who have visited the doctors along with the investigation.

Darn it.

You didn't know that I've been getting reports...

that the Behavioral Analysis Team is out on the field now, did you?

- Sorry? - They keep asking me...

who those guys are and complaining about them.

I can only turn a blind eye to those complaints for so long.

We can't force them to stop when they want to take part...

in the investigation.

Enough.

I do not want to hear your excuses anymore.

Make sure you take a firm measure.

- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.

Why are you acting so serious? What are you about to say?

Hey.

Let's put an end to our obsession.

The Special Crime Squad has too many cases to resolve...

other than looking for some guy who can't even be detected.

You talk as if we're a huge burden to the Special Crime Squad.

You never even bother to hear us out.

Young Soo, that's not what happened.

We began an open search for him just with a photo of his back.

The commissioner taught me a big lesson when I went in...

to have some documents approved.

Oh, so you called us to nitpick over that?

Nitpick? I'm your superior. Why would I do that with you two?

If anything, I'd give you an order.

All I'm saying is that we've all done enough.

What do you mean by enough?

Are you telling us to give up?

Hey, there is no giving up when it comes to our cases.

I'm saying there are many cases we could resolve with that time.

Come on.

We never just sat on our hands.

The Behavioral Analysis Team has done our duties by ourselves.

What is it? Stop beating around the bush and tell me.

Goodness.

I'll be frank.

Those up above aren't happy...

with the Behavioral Analysis Team.

They were never happy with us. Good grief.

We're a workplace. An organization. What can we do?

Those men out there...

also are complaining about how your team is...

coming in and out of the crime scenes.

The only thing we can do is investigate the crime scene.

If you stop us from doing that...

I mean, I just want to stop by the crime scene...

after the forensics are done, so why do they complain about that?

There are many other things you can work on.

You know, those documents you took from the cabinets.

You all study that and create data too.

That's our job, so we'll manage, okay?

Please don't stop us from going to the crime scenes.

There's nothing he can do to stop us.

We can go whenever we want to.

Forget it. I'm done with this.

Goodbye.

We need to put an end to this. Inspector Song.

I know you visit the crime scene every day.

I'm not trying to stop you.

Please use your effort in something else too.

Let's go.

I'm talking to him right now.

It's my first time having a serious talk with him.

You don't have to listen. There's nothing serious about it.

Come on out.

That little...

Please excuse me.

You understand what I mean, right?

- What now? - What do you mean?

I would've never started if I was going to stop.

Do you know something we have in common?

- Nothing. - Exactly.

Who do you think we are?

Let's not lose your spirits. We have lots to do.

Mr. Gu Young Chun, please come on in.

[X-ray Room]

Sir, we're about to take an X-ray of your entire body.

[64 days after the open search began]

[January 3, 2004]

Did he give up on committing another crime to hide?

Or...

is he still planning another crime?

You never miss a day.

We never know when the crimes will start again.

Do not believe...

that you decided to begin the open search all by yourself.

The Special Crime Squad isn't incompetent...

to a point we'll blindly follow a rash decision.

From the outside,

it may seem like the investigation is standing still.

Until the moment we catch the culprit,

even we sometimes feel that way.

However,

we came to this choice altogether.

What doesn't change is how we came to the same decision,

that all we want is to catch the culprit.

What's more important than wanting to catch the culprit is...

actually catching the culprit.

We will catch him. Certainly.

He will not stop.

We'll catch him before he goes on.

I thought it would work once we stopped him.

No matter how many times I look through the daily reports,

I do not see a report of a crime in that same pattern.

What if...

What if the culprit changed the MO?

What do we do then?

[Daily Case Report]

[January 30, 2004, Victim: Kim Yang Hee]

[The victim was stabbed with a knife used for leisure activities.]

- Go home. - See you later.

- Call me. - Bye.

- Text me. - Hurry. It's getting cold.

- Call me. - Okay. Bye.

[February 12, 2004]

[Sinheung 2-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu]

[Are you home?]

Are you home?

I'm almost home.

[To Su Min]

[Sinheung 2-dong]

[Through the Darkness]

The devil went off the grid again.

Time is ticking.

If this becomes a cold case...

Murderers like this usually...

k*ll for their own pleasure and enjoyment.

It means they are happy when they k*ll.

An outdoor knife?

Do you think it was done by the same guy?

It's similar to the guy we're looking for.

The m*rder weapon, MO, and the time periods are different.

But what if it's what we speculated?

Because he failed to get what he wants out of this?

Then Korea has two serial K*llers now.

[Part 2 of Through the Darkness will be back on February 25 at 10pm.]