MovieChat Forums > Salinui chueok (2003) Discussion > No one here ever suspected the kililer w...

No one here ever suspected the kililer was...

posted 11 years ago by dss111
4 replies | jump to latest

Detective Cho Yong-koo (the original partner; not the one from Seoul)? I felt like this was alluded to throughout the film; I know that you're not supposed to 'know' the killer, but there were so many things throughout the movie that made me suspect him in particular, and was surprised that no one mentioned them.

1. Generally abrasive and objectifying of women throughout movie.

2. In the first interrogation scene with Kwang-Ho, he is literally mouthing words to Kwang-Ho while Park asks him to look into his eyes, and asks why he isn't doing so.

3. He was the one who filed the paperwork on the first girl that was murdered, but who was never connected to the killer, and supports all statements made that she went to Seoul (granted, this could just be him protecting his incompetence).

4. He keeps his hands in his pockets in nearly every scene, especially when interrogating suspects; always kicks them for some reason (really, it's always a kick).

5. Hangs out at Kwang-Ho's restaurant; i.e. the scene where Park shows up and asks why he's there, and he flips out.

6. Gets stabbed by Kwang-Ho; I heard somewhere that he was the one who burned Kwang-Ho, but i can't seem to remember anything related to this in the movie so moot point. Anyway, his treatment fits with what Kwang-Ho said before he died.

7. What Kwang-Ho said/did before he died. He wasn't looking at the picture, because he knows any picture they show won't be the person; it's their partner.

8. There are two scenes where an individual is asked by Park who the killer is, and his shadow is over Park's shoulder in the distance. He's also randomly not around for large portions of the investigation, and never pursues or develops any of his own leads.

9. The former victim who survived was particularly scared when she heard Park was a police officer.

I know it isn't supposed to be him, but I thought the suspicion complemented the ending nicely, and expected to see a post on here about him but didn't.

[–] hanasakemilk 11 years ago

1. Generally abrasive and objectifying of women throughout movie.

Yeah I thought it was weird too. There's that fight scene near the end where he's drunk-crazy (because of the valid abuse case against him) and starts attacking the college students in the restaurant. He grabs one chick's ponytail and says something like, "you're probably screwing your professor aren't you?" and is about to hit her. That was surprising.

Other than that scene, he doesn't seem to treat women poorly prior to that. I think he commented on how nice the female co-worker's appearance is (when they tried to bait the murderer on a rainy day).

5. Hangs out at Kwang-Ho's restaurant; i.e. the scene where Park shows up and asks why he's there, and he flips out.

I always thought it was strange from the get-go for ALL of the detectives to come chill out at that restaurant when in just one scene earlier, the father was screaming for his son's innocence. Why would the father be okay with these guys when they had just tortured and arrested his son earlier that day even? He's being pretty nice/friendly/familiar to them too. I figured that since it's a small town, they have friendly rapport with each other.

I remember when Park's wife/girlfriend mentions to him about that "Baek family meat restaurant" and then she tell him about the mentally-challenged son. This implies familiarity. So, I didn't think it was strange for Yong-Koo to go back there and have a few beers if it was some locals place. I believe he flips out because of the report on the TV about his police brutality and the fact that the students were saying how all detective's dicks should be cut off. This sets him off coupled by his drinking.

6. Gets stabbed by Kwang-Ho; I heard somewhere that he was the one who burned Kwang-Ho, but i can't seem to remember anything related to this in the movie so moot point. Anyway, his treatment fits with what Kwang-Ho said before he died.

In the fight scene, there's a lot of confusion there and it seems like he was trying to stop it, not realizing that he stabbed Yong-koo with a rusty nail at the end of that plank. He runs away for fear of getting in trouble at hurting someone.

7. What Kwang-Ho said/did before he died. He wasn't looking at the picture, because he knows any picture they show won't be the person; it's their partner.

That scene that confused me at first. But, upon a few viewings, Kwang-Ho is talking about the killer and how "that man" burned his face when they were young. He seemed traumatized by the event that he neither confirms or denies the killer to be Hyeon-gyu when they show him the picture. Of course, we'll never know who the killer is. If Yong-koo was the killer, why isn't Kwang-ho terrified of him from the beginning interrogation scene? Especially if the killer is the one that burned him? Based on the way Kwang-ho acts around Yong-koo throughout the movie, he's scared of him for beating him during the investigation, but that's about it.

8. I felt that he had quite a bit of screentime and he looked quite distraught trying to figure out the murderer. He snaps at the accused Hyeon-kyu during that scene from the mounting stress. He doesn't come up with any leads, but neither does Park I believe (useful leads really). The case causes his violence to escalate with the whole "guilty until proven innocent" mentality.

9. The former victim who survived was particularly scared when she heard Park was a police officer.

I'd be scared too if some strange man shows up at my door randomly after I was brutally raped, tied up, and left to die somewhere. Any man after that would be considered scary. That's why they have the female detective come in and talk to her instead.

At some points of the movie, I started suspecting him a tiny bit too. You brought up some interesting points. I was suspecting the guy that randomly walks in to fix the pipes(?) in the interrogation room. The movie isn't about finding the killer of course. But, it's quite frustrating not knowing who it is!

[–] franzkabuki 11 years ago

I suspect everyone. And I suspect no one.

Well, in this case, the latter`s actually true.

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] Flabrezu 10 years ago

You see his hands plenty throughout the movie, and before the last murder, he'd just gotten his leg amputated...

[–] joshavanhoudt 10 years ago

His leg was amputated before the last murder, or at least he couldn't walk properly. So no, it wasn't him.