살인의 추억 (Memories of Murder). 2003. South Korea. Directed by Bong Joon-ho. Screenplay by Bong, Shim Sung-bo, based on the play by Kim Kwang-rim. With Song Kang-ho, Kim Sang-kyung, Kim Roe-ha, Song Jae-ho. In Korean; English subtitles. 132 min.
Bong Joon-ho’s breakthrough second feature is based on the real Hwaseong murders, South Korea’s first confirmed serial killings, which occurred between 1986 and 1991. Local detective Park Doo-man relies on folk superstition and coerced confessions, while Seoul detective Seo Tae-yoon brings modern investigative methods to a police force lacking basic forensic capabilities. Bong structures the investigation as both procedural thriller and savage political satire, set during the authoritarian Chun Doo-hwan regime when civil defense sirens routinely plunged neighborhoods into darkness. The director draws remarkable tonal range from his material, moving from broad physical comedy—Park literally kicks suspects during interrogations—to devastating existential despair as the case remains unsolved after years of work. Cinematographer Kim Hyung-ku’s compositions emphasize vast rural landscapes where evidence disappears beneath tractors and rain, while Bong stages pursuit sequences with Hitchcockian precision. The film attracted more than five million viewers, becoming the most-watched Korean film of 2003. In 2019, DNA evidence finally identified the killer as Lee Choon-jae, adding eerie resonance to the film’s haunting final scene, in which Park stares directly into the camera, acknowledging that the murderer might be watching.