In this blog post, we’ll examine how the screenplay for ‘Memories of Murder’, directed by Korean master Bong Joon-ho, weaves together a real-life case, the social contradictions of the 1980s, and the desires of two detectives to create tension and horror.
Introduction
The first thing I said as I walked out of the theater with my friends after watching this movie was, “That was so scary.” Even though I was going through a phase where I viewed films solely as texts for study—a time when I couldn’t empathize with any movie and only watched them analytically—this film was one of the works that evoked the strongest emotional response in me.
I remember that we were mostly silent for a while after the movie, and on the way home, we parted ways after telling each other to be careful. I also vividly recall trembling with fear and constantly looking over my shoulder all the way home. While the sense of fear rarely lingered long after watching any other horror movie, ‘Memories of Murder’—even though it isn’t a horror film—remains the scariest movie I’ve ever seen.
That’s not to say my experience with this film was unpleasant. I’ve watched ‘Memories of Murder’ many more times since then, on DVD or TV, and each time I’ve felt a fresh sense of enjoyment and thrills. The screenplay was just as gripping as I’d hoped, and through it, I could sense the energy inherent in the film even more strongly.
Director Bong Joon-ho’s screenplays are imbued with power. I’d say that the power of the screenplay is the greatest appeal of ‘Memories of Murder’ as well. That power is sustained consistently from the very beginning to the very end of the film, without losing a single ounce of momentum. Ever since ‘Barking Dogs Never Bite’, I’ve been in awe of the director’s wit in transforming small, everyday elements into mysteries and his ability to maintain tension; in this film, I could feel an even greater energy coursing through it from start to finish.
The fact that it is based on a true story also plays a significant role in adding to the film’s appeal, but the way it reconstructs the real-life events into the most cinematic and gripping narrative once again demonstrates Bong Joon-ho’s exceptional talent.
A Case Lost in the Maze – On the “Source Material”
This film is based on the Hwaseong Serial Murders, a series of ten murders that occurred between 1986 and 1991. Despite the deployment of countless soldiers and police officers, not a single decisive clue was found, and the case remained unsolved. Serial murder cases are among the most suitable subjects for crime films, mysteries, and thrillers.
To adapt this subject matter for the screen, the director undertook an extensive process of gathering materials and, through thorough preliminary research, produced a solid film. Director Bong Joon-ho once mentioned in a lecture that while working on the screenplay, he even fell into the illusion that he could catch the killer himself. This demonstrates just how closely the film’s screenplay is structured around the actual investigation records of the case.
When writing a screenplay based on a real-life event, deciding what to omit and what to add is of the utmost importance. If one clings too tightly to the actual events and ignores the cinematic flow, the film cannot sustain its momentum. The reason this screenplay is even more engaging to read than the film itself is that the tension remains unwavering throughout the entire narrative, fully immersing the reader.
Another key theme of the film is the social contradictions of the 1980s. A situation where all military and police forces were deployed to suppress demonstrations and for presidential welcoming ceremonies, making it impossible to station riot police even though it was obvious that crimes would occur. In a rural town like Hwaseong, blind spots in public safety emerge, and the murderer continues to kill even as the investigation proceeds, as if mocking the authorities.
This illustrates how state authority at the time was ruthlessly trampled by a single serial killer. The bleak social and political circumstances of the 1980s are revealed through bitter imagery within the confined space of Hwaseong.
On the “Concept”
To bring the subject of the Hwaseong Serial Murders to life, this screenplay centers on the desire of two detectives to catch the killer. This desire is soon transferred from the detectives to the readers.
To portray this more effectively, the killer must be powerful and utterly ruthless. In most thrillers, the killer is eventually caught and the case is resolved by the end. This is because it allows readers to experience catharsis and enjoyment. However, this screenplay takes a different approach. It is premised on the idea that the culprit will never be caught, and it depicts the meticulousness of this elusive culprit and the two detectives who gradually become more deeply entangled in the case in their pursuit to catch him.
Feeling a tension that is almost within reach yet just out of grasp, readers become actively involved in solving the case. This is likely the strategy behind the horror and thrills in this scenario.
The Clash of Intuition and Reason – On “Characters”
This film focuses on two detectives: Park Doo-man and Seo Tae-yoon. In most police procedurals, the two lead detectives—who typically form a “dual-lead” dynamic—usually have completely different personalities and investigative styles. Many stories follow a structure where they bicker and clash at first but eventually come to understand or accept one another.
This film is no exception. Park Doo-man is a detective in his 30s from the countryside; he is uneducated, reckless, and hot-tempered. He prioritizes intuition in his investigative methods and regards his own experience and career as his greatest assets. Park Doo-man’s defining trait is precisely “intuition.”
His words and actions reveal his strong reliance on intuition. He stares intently into a suspect’s eyes, focusing on determining whether they are the culprit or not. While his approach is far removed from scientific investigative methods or meticulous mind games, his passion for catching the culprit is second to none. The more elusive the culprit becomes, the more fiercely Doo-man’s passion burns, and readers become immersed in this escalating intensity.
However, his straightforward investigative style is portrayed comically, and he is sometimes depicted as foolish and childish. His retort—that “you only need to use your head in a vast country like the U.S., but in a small country like South Korea, you investigate on foot”—clearly illustrates his personality and investigative approach.
Park Doo-man’s core personality is first revealed in the title sequence. The scene where Doo-man seats various suspects he’s picked out based on his gut feeling, scrutinizes them one by one, and asks brief questions suggests that he is an irrational yet confident character who relies solely on intuition to identify the culprit.
His tone and demeanor are brimming with confidence, though at times he comes across as arrogant and cocky. These traits paint the image of a worn-out detective. While he appears stubborn, he also shows a lack of backbone, easily swayed by others’ words at critical moments.
The character who highlights Doo-man’s personality is Seol-young. As Doo-man’s girlfriend, she relays neighborhood rumors to him when he’s lost his bearings and being manipulated by the culprit. Doo-man reacts seriously to such information. Although he tries hard to project the image of a tough detective on the surface, he reveals himself to be a small-town man who isn’t actually very reliable.
Park Doo-man, who is somewhat incompetent and very uneducated, drives the plot by clashing with Seo Tae-yoon, a detective newly assigned from Seoul. Seo Tae-yoon is an elite detective with a four-year college degree; unlike his rural counterparts, he is meticulous and intelligent. He volunteered to come down to Hwaseong to try to solve this serial murder case.
Seo Tae-yoon is an intellectual and a cool-headed stickler for the rules. At the same time, he has a sensitive, fussy, and even hysterical side.
The following are some lines from the show that reveal Doo-man’s intuitive approach:
Chief Koo: Why are you sitting there staring at that thing? It’s ruining my appetite….
Do-man: When I look at these guys’ faces… at some point, I just get a feeling…. I may not know much else, but I’ve got a knack for reading people’s faces, don’t I?
Chief Koo: (smirking) Why don’t you just lay out a mat right here?
Do-man: Oh, really, Chief? I can tell right away just by looking at a person’s face whether this bastard is guilty or not. You can’t fool my eyes… (holding his spoon) That’s why I’m eating this police officer’s meal, isn’t it?
Like this, he stares intently into a suspect’s eyes, focusing on determining whether they’re the culprit or not. While this is a far cry from scientific investigation, his desire to catch the culprit is stronger than anyone else’s.
Meanwhile, in another scene, just as the atmosphere is about to turn tense in an instant, an auntie approaches and slams the food down on the table. The detectives are engulfed in an awkward silence, avoiding each other’s gaze, and amid this, Seo Tae-yoon’s blunt and sensitive personality comes to the fore.
Taeyoon: (To the woman) What is this? I told you earlier to serve the jajang sauce and noodles separately!
Characters and Personalities
Duman and Yong-gu look utterly exasperated as they watch Tae-yoon’s stern, irritated face.
Unlike Duman, Tae-yoon emphasizes his cold, unemotional side rather than his human side. Unlike Duman, he adheres strictly to the principle of investigating based on documents. To him, forensic investigation means uncovering what the documents prove.
S#24
Tae-yoon: (Cutting him off) This isn’t a simple missing person case. Chief. You can tell just by carefully reviewing the documents. Documents never lie…
Chief: … (He reads through the documents carefully.)
Taeyoon: At the time of her disappearance, Dokgo Hyun-soon was wearing a red parka. It’s right there in the documents.
While this may seem very scientific, even he has his limitations. As the case becomes increasingly baffling and the body of the final victim, middle school student Park So-hyun, is discovered, he, too, becomes increasingly emotional. In particular, when the most likely suspect, Park Hyun-kyu, is cleared by DNA testing, his emotions erupt, and he even points a gun at him. This shows that neither Do-man’s intuition-driven investigation nor Tae-yoon’s document-based investigation was ultimately sufficient to apprehend the culprit.
Let’s take a closer look at the relationship between these two characters.
The opening features many scenes designed to introduce the two characters’ personalities. In Doo-man’s case, scenes such as the interrogation of suspects in the title sequence, his intimate scene with Seol-young, and the interrogation of Baek Gwang-ho reveal him to be a seasoned local detective who has been active in Hwaseong for a long time. As for Tae-yoon, scenes where he meticulously examines the current state of the investigation by touring crime scenes immediately upon arriving in Hwaseong highlight his cool-headed and intellectual image. Furthermore, the incident where he is mistaken for a molester by Doo-man and beaten up right from his first appearance hints that the relationship between the two will be anything but ordinary going forward.
As the story moves into the development phase, the two characters begin to clash in earnest during the investigation. After his attempt to frame Baek Gwang-ho fails, Doo-man takes the case in increasingly bizarre directions—such as searching for a hairless man at a public bathhouse or asking a shaman for the culprit’s identity. In contrast, Tae-yoon conducts a more scientific investigation by tracking down witnesses and suspects in his own way.
In this development phase, the narrative places greater emphasis on Tae-yoon’s investigation than on Doo-man’s. Readers come to expect that Tae-yoon, the smarter detective, will catch the culprit. As Doo-man’s fortunes take a downward turn and Tae-yoon’s rise, readers find themselves emotionally rooting for Tae-yoon. Meanwhile, the tension between the two reaches its peak, and their conflict eventually erupts.
The relationship between these two enters a new phase in the rising action when a strong suspect named Park Hyun-kyu appears. A common enemy has now emerged. From this point on, the conflict gradually shifts from the psychological battle between Doo-man and Tae-yoon to a confrontation between the two detectives and Park Hyun-kyu.
The two detectives also begin to reveal aspects of their personalities that, until now, had been highlighted as contrasting but are now gradually converging. Tae-yoon, driven by anxiety that Park Hyun-kyu might slip through their fingers, gradually reveals his emotional side rather than his rational one, while Doo-man, conversely, shifts from appearing somewhat incompetent and clumsy to demonstrating a rational demeanor that maturely restrains Tae-yoon’s emotional outbursts. The tension between the two is resolved, and instead, they become true partners in the face of Park Hyun-kyu, devoting all their energy to catching the culprit.
At the climax, the two are defeated by Park Hyun-kyu and become disheartened, and the film concludes with them closing the case. Their ultimate goal has failed.
The most captivating character in this film is Park Hyun-kyu (played by Park Hae-il). He is the primary antagonist who creates the central conflict with the two detectives, having been identified as the prime suspect in the case. With a kind and gentle appearance—and a calm voice—that seem completely at odds with such a heinous crime… his image plays such a significant role that the director revealed he had Park Hae-il in mind from the very beginning of writing the film.
Honestly, the image of Park Hyun-kyu that we might imagine based solely on the script—without having seen the film—is somewhat weaker than the impact Park Hae-il delivers on screen. However, as we read the screenplay—and even more so as we watch the film—we find ourselves desperately hoping that he is the culprit. Park Hyun-kyu, the owner of the “white, delicate hands” described in the testimony of the sole survivor among the victims, evokes a desire to expose the evil hidden behind his kind appearance and bright, innocent eyes. This is also the desperate desire of detectives Park Doo-man and Seo Tae-yoon.
The characters readers most clearly empathize with are the detectives. The hope that his eyes are lying is utterly shattered by the DNA test results. However, whether he is the culprit or not remains unclear until the very end. This is where the director put the most effort into the screenplay: keeping readers emotionally convinced that Park Hyun-kyu is the culprit until the very end, yet never providing a satisfying resolution and leaving them in a state of uncertainty until the very end. The director has stated that maintaining that tension was the film’s greatest challenge.
It’s said that actor Park Hae-il became so deeply immersed in the role of Park Hyun-kyu while filming that he once drank heavily and called the director at dawn, repeatedly asking, “I’m not the culprit, am I?”
Another key supporting character is Detective Jo Yong-gu, who works alongside Doo-man. He is an extremely violent detective whose specialty is torture. His primary role is to brutally crush innocent suspects under the sole of his boot to extract confessions. He reflects the image of South Korean police officers during the military dictatorship of the 1980s. Ultimately, his leg is severed in an accident caused by Baek Gwang-ho, an autistic man who had previously been tortured by him. The reason we feel even a modicum of sympathy for him is that he is a character who embodies the pain of that era.
Baek Gwang-ho, a boy with autism, is identified as the first suspect. He is the most comical yet most pitiable character in the play. He serves as a symbol of just how many innocent people were tormented by the events of that time. Accused of being the culprit simply because he is mentally challenged and has a disfigured appearance, he is tortured and eventually dies in a train accident.
The reason Gwang-ho’s role is so important in this drama is that he is the sole eyewitness to the crime scene. The scene where he looks at a photo of Park Hyun-kyu for the last time and testifies as to whether he is the culprit or not is also the most nail-biting moment. As readers follow this part of the story, they find themselves desperately hoping he will bring the case to a close. Although he ultimately fails to solve the case and dies in an accident, he plays a key role in maintaining a proper balance of tension and relief throughout the drama.
In addition, there is Jo Byeong-soon, who appears midway through the story as a sexual deviant and is identified as a suspect. He is considered a strong suspect before Park Hyun-kyu and has a decisive influence on the process by which the two detectives gradually begin to cooperate. He serves to lighten the mood of a drama that otherwise proceeds rather heavily.
Then there’s Gwi-ok, the female police officer who consistently provides crucial clues. To be honest, her role in the drama is quite minor. However, at times she unravels the case with even greater composure than Doo-man and Tae-yoon. In some ways, she seems to be a step above the detectives. A single remark from her acts as a catalyst, propelling the drama forward to the next development.
In addition, various supporting characters appear, including Seol-young, Doo-man’s girlfriend who offers him various pieces of advice on his investigation; the “Woman on the Hill,” the victim and sole survivor of the crime; Chief Shin, who mediates the tension between Doo-man and Tae-yoon while overseeing the case; and the previous Chief Koo, who was incompetent and focused solely on results. Together with the protagonists, these characters add vitality to the work and help regulate the pacing of the drama.
Case Investigation and Plot
This screenplay features two main plotlines. The main plot centers on the confrontation with the perpetrator of the Hwaseong serial murders, while the subplot focuses on the rivalry between the two detectives—a common trope in buddy cop stories.
In the early stages, the subplot takes center stage over the main plot. In particular, until Chief Shin arrives, the investigation is a shambles, with crime scenes not even properly preserved. Consequently, the early stages contain a fair amount of comedic elements. However, as the story progresses, the tension between the two detectives subsides, and Park Hyun-kyu—a public enemy whom everyone is eager to pin the crime on, yet who is entirely different from the previous suspects—makes his appearance. Their confrontation with him blurs the lines between the two detectives.
The opening scene begins in a rice paddy so sun-drenched and warm that it’s hard to imagine it’s the site of such horrific crimes. It is here that the body of the first victim is discovered. A subtitle casually appears at the bottom of the screen, displaying the date and time of the incident. This opening also serves as an ironic foreshadowing that the story to follow will consist of brutal murders taking place on dark, drizzly nights.
Plot and Scene Composition
The title sequence is placed at S#2. We see the chaotic interior of the Major Crimes Unit office, followed by a rapid-fire sequence of Doo-man interrogating suspects. He sticks photos of the various suspects’ faces into his notebook. Do-man embodies the archetype of a typical small-town detective: not particularly meticulous, seeming somewhat empty-headed, and at once both unsophisticated and arrogant. The opening devotes a significant portion to establishing Do-man’s character.
The narrative unfolds primarily through descriptions of Hwaseong—the setting of the drama—the scenery of the Major Crimes Unit interrogation room, and the state of crime scene investigations, which were not yet well-established at the time. Amidst all this, more bodies continue to be discovered, and the detectives, desperate to catch the culprit, begin to frame Baek Gwang-ho—an unlikely suspect—as the perpetrator. Then, Detective Seo Tae-yoon, who has come from Seoul, makes his appearance. From the moment he arrives, he is mistaken for a molester and gets beaten up by Doo-man. This hints that the relationship between the two men will be anything but ordinary.
The opening devotes a significant portion to introducing the characters and setting the scene. Furthermore, the discovery of the first and second bodies in quick succession from the very beginning sets the stage for a provocative series of events. The occurrence of a serial murder that shakes up the quiet rural town of Hwaseong naturally leads into a story about restoring the town’s lost balance.
The development section begins with the arrival of the new squad leader, Shin Dong-cheol. The appointment of the new squad leader is inserted as a device to move beyond the introduction, which revealed that the investigation process up to that point had been a shambles. This scene raises expectations that the investigation will gain momentum in a different way and foreshadows that the investigative processes of Do-man and Tae-yoon will unfold differently, each in their own way.
The development section features the full-scale investigation. The story centers on the two detectives conducting their investigations in different ways: the episode involving the first suspect, Baek Gwang-ho, and the ensuing psychological battle between Doo-man and Tae-yoon; the rediscovery of Dokgo Hyun-soon’s body and the ongoing Park Myeong-ja case; and the episode involving the second suspect, Jo Byeong-soon. The development section focuses on the subplot where Doo-man and Tae-yoon conduct their investigations separately.
The turning point that marks the moment these two begin to work together in earnest—and the transition into the rising action—is the appearance of Park Hyun-kyu. This new suspect revitalizes the flow of the story with an aura entirely different from that of the previous suspects. While the earlier suspects served as comic relief that added to the story’s entertainment value, Park Hyun-kyu embodies both good and evil, creating an ironic sense of anticipation for the reader. Readers now develop a strange anticipation that the culprit will be revealed, and this anticipation is maximized through Park Hyun-kyu.
The final hidden card is the DNA analysis results arriving from the United States. From here, the story naturally builds toward its climax.
The climax begins with the scene where So-hyun, a middle school girl with whom Tae-yoon had a connection, falls victim to the killer. This is also the scene where the serial killer reveals himself for the first time, and it is the scene that instills the greatest fear in readers. The killer’s gaze, shifting back and forth between Kwak Seol-young and Kim So-hyun, conveys a chilling sense of terror while simultaneously sparking curiosity about the whereabouts of Hyun-kyu—the suspect Tae-yoon had overlooked.
So-hyun is found brutally murdered, and Tae-yoon is left unable to think rationally. The climactic brawl on the train tracks—the story’s climax—completely shatters the reader’s expectation that the two detectives will catch the killer, yet it is also the scene that best captures the emotional explosion between the two detectives and the suspect, Hyun-kyu.
The conclusion begins with a scene of Doo-man packing his bags—a scene that was actually cut from the film. Time passes, and in the fall of 2002, Doo-man is having a conversation with his family over dinner. Now a businessman, Doo-man happens to pass by the area where the incident occurred one day and takes another look at the canal in question. The story ends when a young girl passing by tells him about a man she saw watching someone at that very spot not long ago.
While the first and second halves of the film flow seamlessly, the first half primarily takes the form of a police procedural, whereas the second half takes on the characteristics of a typical thriller. Tension and fear gradually escalate in the second half as the culprit’s true identity is revealed, and the detectives’ emotional states also become increasingly intense as the case unfolds. It contains mystery elements in its pursuit of an elusive culprit, thriller elements in its depiction of the crime and the investigation, and the nature of a police procedural in the conflict between the two detectives. By skillfully incorporating plot devices from these genres, the film delivers an engaging experience to the audience.
Theme and Interpretation
The central theme of this work is a baffling serial murder case and the desire to find the culprit. In other words, the story does not end with the arrest of the culprit; rather, it aims to provide the interest and tension arising from the process of uncovering the culprit itself, as well as an experience that draws the reader emotionally into the investigation.
A major difference between this work and other thrillers is that the culprit is never clearly identified until the very end. Readers are constantly drawn back to the question, “Who is the culprit, after all?” The director’s focus lies not so much on the culprit’s identity itself, but rather on how to manipulate and control the reader’s emotions throughout the process of uncovering that identity. Consequently, the ending—which concludes without definitive proof that Park Hyun-kyu is the culprit—is bound to feel like a betrayal to many, yet at the same time, this is precisely what gives the work its unique charm.
The scarecrow’s message, which appears at the beginning and end of the screenplay—“If you don’t turn yourself in, your limbs will rot and you’ll die”—is a prime example that succinctly illustrates the theme. The ending, in which the case remains unsolved, and the scene where the scarecrow is casually pulled down, reflect the sense of futility toward an era and a police force that failed to catch the culprit. The gloomy atmosphere of the 1980s evokes the society’s helplessness—a society toyed with by a deranged killer—and its response, which feels like empty threats.
For the record, I do not definitively assert that “the impotence of the era” is the film’s primary theme. As mentioned earlier, I believe the theme is closer to the desire to catch the killer. However, elements such as the manpower shortage caused by the suppression of demonstrations and the helpless sacrifices made during blackout curfews—which appear in the film—reflect the social conditions of the time and create a dark and gloomy atmosphere throughout the work. This can be interpreted as the director’s cynical perspective.
In Conclusion
The paradoxical title ‘Memories of Murder’ seems like a bitter self-portrait of our attempt to preserve the horrors of an era we wish to forget under the guise of “memories.” The era has now moved beyond the 2000s, and I can’t help but wonder if we are living today as if walking on thin ice, while reflecting on the forgotten fears of that anxious time.
Past events, whatever their nature, are bound together under the name “memories,” and we silently carry on with our lives in the present. Time flows on as if nothing had ever happened.
