In this episode, we dive into Bong Joon Ho’s Memories of Murder (2003), the haunting crime thriller based on South Korea’s first confirmed serial killings. We unpack how the film portrays the Hwaseong murders of the 1980s and early 1990s, what details were dramatized for the screen, and how the real investigation unfolded. From the frustrations of a police force unprepared for such crimes, to the decades-long mystery that finally, after the wrongful conviction of Yoon Sung-yeo, ended with the real killer’s confession in 2019. 

 Primary Sources:

• CNN (2020)
• CNN (2020)
• The Dankook Herald (2020)
• Catching a Killer: The Hwaseong Murders Part 1 (2021)
• Catching a Killer: The Hwaseong Murders Part 2 (2021)
• Channel News Asia (2021)
• Ranker (2022)
• The Korea Herald (2023)

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Theme: DARKNESS (feat. EdKara) by Ghost148