The best thriller in the history of South Korea is inspired by some terrifying real events that you have never heard of

The Hwaseong murders, a atrocity that marked South Korea, served as inspiration for Memories of Murder, a masterpiece by filmmaker Bong Joon Ho. Between 1986 and 1991, nine women were raped and murdered in Gyeonggi Province, and the perpetrator of these horrendous crimes was never captured at the time, becoming one of the most infamous cases in the country’s history. The film, released in 2003, not only recounts the crimes but also criticizes the ineffectiveness of the police system, which resorted to violent and excessive methods in its desperation to solve the case.

Some terrifying events for an exceptional movie

Bong’s narrative is especially critical of a powerless society that watches as the police act clumsily in the face of horror. Desperation becomes palpable in the interactions of the agents, who seem to lose their way in the frustration of the situation. The film’s ending, where the agent played by Song Kang-ho addresses the audience, offers an accusatory look not only at the killer but also at the public, hinting at their complicity in a grim narrative.

The mystery deepens even further with the revelation that, in 2019, Lee Choon-jae confessed to being responsible for the crimes, confirming Bong’s vision of the connection between the killer and the movie. However, Lee was sentenced to life imprisonment for a later crime, as the statute of limitations on the original offenses prevented his trial for the Hwaseong murders. This situation highlights the weaknesses of the judicial system, which failed to deliver justice to the victims of the past.

The legacy of Memories of Murder has only grown since Lee’s confession, and the unsettling coincidence of his physical appearance with that of the killer in the movie adds a premonitory veil to the story. The film, more than a thriller, reveals itself as a critical study of society, following the line of Bong Joon Ho’s work.

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