Signal (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 10 - Episode #1.10 - full transcript
Lee Hye Young
who went missing in September 2009.
[EPISODE 10]
She was 27 when she went missing.
A housewife, Seo Young Jin
went missing in May 2005.
She was 35 years old.
Park Ah Young went missing in March 2004.
She was 25 years old.
Noh Hyun Mi went missing in October 2005.
She was 43 years old.
Park Se Jung, estimated to
have gone missing in April 2006.
She was 28 years old.
Kim Yoon Min, missing in January 2008.
She was 39 years old.
Nam Goong Sun, missing in April 2010.
She was 31 years old.
Lee Mi Jung, missing in June 2011.
She was 23 years old.
And there's one more victim
whose identity we don't know yet.
That is nine in total that we've found
buried out in Dongeui Mountain.
Using a rice sack or straw mat, a box,
and a plastic wrap to wrap the body.
The head was wrapped with a black
plastic bag before they were buried.
You're saying it's one culprit
and it's a serial murder?
Yes, that's how it looks.
That's not all of it.
These are victims from a 1997 cold case
from Hongwon-dong.
As for the killer's M.O. and the way
the bodies were wrapped...
they are almost exactly like
the murders we found now.
What are you saying then?
Nine more people died because the police
couldn't catch the killer years ago?
What were you all doing back then?
If this truth is revealed,
the media is going to have a field day.
How are we going to stop that
from happening?
We can't stop it.
And we shouldn't stop it either.
What?
This is a serial murder case
with nine dead victims.
It won't be possible
to control the media.
So we should willingly admit that
we're incompetent?
Why don't we assign this case
to the Cold Case Squad?
They're been solving cases
since Gyeonggi Nambu.
People have a lot of trust in them.
Police in the past did wrong,
and this case is left unsolved.
This current team can
take over and solve it.
This will be enough
to keep the media quiet.
What do you all think?
I think his idea will be for the best.
Good.
Section Chief, you're here, right?
Yes.
I want you and the Seoul
Metropolitan Team to support them.
Report back to me with everything
that happens with the investigation.
Yes, sir.
Did you do that on purpose?
You want them to fail, don't you?
You want them to take
the responsibility
so you can get rid of them.
- Isn't that right?
- Why?
Are you worried because
they're working below you?
Is that why...
you didn't report it to me when
Park Hae Young looked into Kim Sung Bum?
If they fail with this case...
it won't only be the Cold Case Squad
that suffers.
Tell us about it.
What happened when you got taken?
Why weren't you able
to catch the killer?
Will you be okay?
Shouldn't you be admitted
into a hospital?
Tell us.
I don't really know.
I couldn't see anything.
Cha Soo Hyun, you're no ordinary victim.
You're a detective.
The guy who took you has
already killed two people.
I need your memories
in order to catch him.
Hey, you don't even know for sure.
Why are you doing this?
Even the Chief said to just investigate
it as just a kidnapping case.
Talk to us.
If you didn't see anything,
I'm sure you heard something.
A sound.
Water.
There was a sound of water dripping.
Living is really tough, right?
You can't take it off.
His voice was...
He sounded like a young man.
And his hand...
It was thin and cold.
And then...
He told me to wait a bit.
Then he left.
The door opened.
Cold air came in.
I thought that if I didn't leave then,
I would die.
So...
I stood up.
And I started to feel for the door.
But then...
I can't do it.
Keep going.
Let's rest for a bit before continuing.
Cha Soo Hyun, look at me.
Look at me!
It's okay now.
So talk to us.
Okay.
I found...
the door.
Was there really a dead body inside?
I'm not sure.
But that hand...
It was so cold.
So how did you get out?
And after that?
I just kept running.
Then my body hit something very hard.
I think I passed out.
When I opened my eyes...
you were there, Senior.
Which way did you run?
Just...
forward.
I just ran forward.
But I couldn't see anything.
How long did you run for?
How many minutes did it take?
I don't know.
Think about it.
Ten minutes.
I think it was 15 minutes.
Anything else?
The smell...
What kind of smell?
When I got out of that house...
I could smell a sewer drain.
There's a stream in Hongwon-dong.
Sound of flowing water?
I don't know. I don't know.
Think harder.
I think I heard it,
the sound of water flowing.
I heard it.
Let's stop it now.
Somewhere near Hongwon-dong stream.
A one-story house with a bathroom.
A man with no family who lives alone.
I think that's enough for us
to find him quickly.
You should go home and rest now.
Or go to the hospital.
Hey, take her to the hospital.
Okay.
Hey, did you have to do that to
someone who went through that?
Where are you going?
To the armory.
I'm going to kill this son of a bitch.
Okay, so it's 10 to 15 minutes
from the spot you found her.
If you draw a straight line,
that's these three areas here.
This is the area where Cha Soo Hyun
was forcefully held.
Look for a one-story place
with a bathroom in these areas.
And a guy living alone
in his early to mid-20s.
If you look at these here,
this is a record of people who moved in.
You'll be able to see
who lives alone or not.
Okay.
Good.
Gosh, this dog crap.
Hey, wait up!
Can you hear water flowing over there?
Did you hear a woman screaming,
by any chance?
I didn't hear anything.
Did you get anything over there?
Hurry up and get in.
- Let's go over there.
- Over this way.
There are men who live alone over there.
Get in quickly.
We felt like we'd be able
to find him quickly.
But in the end,
we didn't find anything.
Time passed by.
Kim Bum Joo was Section Chief at the time
and he closed the case.
Closed the case?
Even though two people died
and a cop nearly did too?
If they had caught him back then,
nine people could have lived.
It was the same then as it is now.
No one likes a serial murder case.
There is no motive.
They kill out of nowhere
because of the desire to kill.
There are not enough leads or clues.
The serial killers that have been caught
were due to informants or coincidences.
Gosh, you work so hard and get no leads.
People point at you
and say you're incompetent.
And when that happens,
someone is unlucky and gets fired.
It's the same this time too.
If we can't catch him this time,
we could take all the blame.
To put it simply, we've stepped in crap.
[HONGWON-DONG SERIAL MURDER CASE REPORT]
Besides the one unidentified victim,
we spoke to the family of eight victims.
We found out some important facts.
Three of the victims
lived in Hongwon-dong.
The remaining five victims
had to visit Hongwon-dong often
for reasons such as work and so on.
It was the same for
the 1997 victims as well.
All the victims had some sort of
connection to Hongwon-dong.
Dongeui Mountain is in an optimal
location to reach for Hongwon-dong.
Since 1997 to present day
it's very likely that the killer either
lives or works in Hongwon-dong.
Any other leads?
A serial murder...
especially one that occurred
in the past like this one
depends heavily on profiling.
Now, we will present to you
our profile on the culprit.
He's so annoying.
I'm sure you all know this already.
I only know about theory and I'm
inexperienced with investigating.
So what I'm about to tell you
is purely theoretical.
When you catch the culprit
it could end up being the wrong person.
It could end up being
groundless speculation.
I merely ask that you refer to this
while you investigate.
By looking at the burials
and the wrapping of the bodies
at Dongeui Mountain
I predict that the culprit is detailed
and careful in his personality.
His hair and clothing are clean and
well put together, almost compulsively.
Be it his home or work,
his surroundings will be organized.
It would have taken him a very
long time to wrap the bodies.
He probably has a work place
where he wouldn't be interrupted.
It's very likely that he lives alone
in a home without a yard.
If he had his own yard,
he would have buried them there.
He wouldn't have made the effort
to take it to Dongeui Mountain.
Also, there is one thing that you must
take note of about the victims.
They were all different in age,
appearances, and height.
The only thing they had in common
was that they suffered from depression
were near getting depressed
or appeared to look depressed.
In a case like this, it's possible that
he has a similar tendency or illness.
I'm saying that it's probable
that the culprit has depression.
It's 1,100 won.
Also, he would have needed a long time
to observe these traits about the victim.
He would be in a place where
he could observe the victims.
Whether it was a psychology clinic
they attended
or a store they frequented...
It's important to find the one place
that the victims all went to...
the route the victims took while
going to work and their home...
or any place they went to often.
The investigation must focus on
any places they all could have visited.
Cha Soo Hyun, what are your thoughts?
I agree, of course.
All right.
I want Team 1
to make a list of all of the victims'
coworkers and acquaintances.
- Yes, sir.
- And Team 2...
Find out the movements of the victims.
Cold Case Squad, find out the identity
of the unidentified victim.
- Yes, sir.
- That's all.
There's one more thing.
There's one witness
who's encountered the killer.
Ow!
Are you really going
to go under hypnosis?
Is it your hobby to be told
the same thing twice?
Even though you're a detective,
going through something like that...
It will leave psychological aftereffects.
Do you still think you'll be okay?
I should have done it a long ago.
It's my fault.
Those victims died because
I couldn't catch him.
But you didn't even see his face.
I don't know his face, but...
I may be able to find his house.
Somewhere in my memory...
I'm sure I can find a clue.
[FORENSICS HYPNOSIS INVESTIGATIONS]
Close your eyes now
and exhale deeply.
Your breathing will now relax
every part of your body.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Also, focus on your breathing.
It is now the night of October 20, 1997.
You have just been kidnapped by someone.
It's okay if you don't
remember anything else.
We're going to go back to that time
when you came out of that house.
Do you feel the cold air?
What happened after that?
I fell.
Smells...
What kind of smell?
A rotten smell.
The smell of a sewer.
Then what happened?
What happened next?
I ran.
But...
I can't see... in front me.
I can't see in front of me.
Are you still running?
Yes, yes.
I still am... still.
I'm running forward... straight.
I ran.
But then...
I ran into something.
Look at what it is you ran into.
I feel suffocated.
You're relaxed and you're safe.
Breathe slowly. Breathe slowly.
Breathe slowly and relax.
You are okay. Relax.
Take a deep breath.
That's good. Relax.
Relax more. Take a deep breath.
Okay, keep breathing.
All right.
Are you all right?
What was that?
Even though you went through hypnosis,
you got no new leads out of it.
I'll try it one more time.
I might have missed something.
No, I think I did miss something.
No.
Using Detective Cha's memories
to investigate failed in the past.
We got nine more victims after that.
We should focus our investigation
on those victims now.
Park Hae Young is right.
We don't need to go back to a method
that failed in the past.
Focus on that unidentified last victim.
Did you just hear Chi Soo say
that Park Hae Young was right?
I wasn't hearing things, right?
Wow, you know what they say about
love and hate being pretty similar.
Lieutenant Park, it's me.
Yes, I'm listening.
1997, Hongwon-dong...
The black plastic bag, am I right?
Yes, that's right.
That's the case.
Are we unable to catch
this crazy guy too?
Yes, he's still not caught today.
We're investigating him right now.
All the victims are connected
to Hongwon-dong.
We have no other leads except that
they had a tendency to be depressed.
Were you able to find any other things
the victims had in common?
The victims were all
introverts who didn't even
like to go to the grocery store.
The routes they took
were all different too.
He killed two people.
He nearly killed our rookie too.
We have to catch this son of a bitch.
The rookie you speak of is
Detective Cha Soo Hyun, right?
Do you know Cha Soo Hyun?
How do you know her, Lieutenant?
Detective Cha Soo Hyun
is my team's leader.
The Cold Case Squad.
A team... team leader?
Cha Soo Hyun? 0.5?
Wow!
That's the most shocking thing
I've heard all year.
So, is the team functioning well?
Why?
Was Detective Cha Soo Hyun that bad?
She isn't just bad.
She can't even drive the police van.
A team leader? Oh my!
I think she went through
a tough time back then.
Is she okay?
Even if she is a police officer,
she still got kidnapped by a murderer.
I'm sure she's traumatized.
She will overcome it.
Though her driving is awful,
she is very determined.
You should tell her that yourself.
What?
If you only think that to yourself,
the other person will never know.
If you tell her yourself,
it will be a source of great strength.
I think it would be more so if it came
from you, Detective Lee Jae Han.
From me? Why?
Just because I think it would.
By the way, Detective...
Aren't you curious about that?
Right now...
What you are doing in 2015, Detective.
I'm a person who's tired of my father
going to see fortune-tellers.
What good would it do me to know
whether I live well or not?
It's my life and I'll live it.
If you do happen to meet me there
and I don't have my act together...
you can punch me once.
Tell me to get it together.
Detective.
Honestly, you...
What about the coworkers
and acquaintances of all the victims?
We looked into all the victims
that were identified.
They all had very few relationships.
Besides their family,
they had no friends.
Coworkers only said hello to them.
There wasn't anyone who would have
been able to observe any of the victims.
It was the same for the routes
used going to their workplaces
or the places they often visited.
All the victims mostly
stayed in their homes.
They all lived in the vicinity
of Hongwon-dong
but the only things
they used in common
were the subway and buses.
However, their schedules
and the bus routes didn't overlap.
Basically, you're telling me
there are no leads?
What about the unidentified victim?
Yes.
These are the clothes that the victim
was wearing when she went missing.
Seeing that it's a winter parka,
she went missing in winter.
I checked with the clothing manufacturer
and it was first sold in 2014.
So, it's likely that she went missing
after the year 2014.
I checked once more in
the missing person's database.
There was no match.
There were no signs of a dental surgery
or any other surgery.
I also examined the bones, and there
was a large amount of mercury.
It wasn't enough to be a fatal dose,
but she was exposed for a long time.
Is that everything?
There was one more strange thing.
The other bodies were tied up in plastic
and the knots were on the front.
That means the killer was looking
at the victims when he tied them.
But this body was different.
The knot was on the back of the neck.
That means he put the plastic
on from behind her.
Also, the shape of the neck bone
fracture is different too.
What does that mean?
The other victims were killed
from the front and strangled.
But if you look at this victim's
fracture...
it looks like he strangled her
from the back.
Like this.
When the culprit dealt with this victim,
he always did it from behind her?
Yes.
This body was wrapped in a blanket.
A blanket.
It's soft and warm.
And he didn't want to look at her.
He changed his method of killing.
There was a change in his mental state.
What are you getting at?
If he changed his methods,
there has to be a reason why.
This victim was able
to move him emotionally.
If we can find out her identity,
we'll be able to find a lead.
Hey, you're buying today, okay?
All right, it's on me.
Are you cold, son?
Your mom will make it warm.
No, I don't like it, Mom. It's scary.
Let me out of here.
Mom, Mom!
Mom, Mom...
Mom.
Mom, I don't want to eat that.
I'm making you comfortable.
We're going somewhere good together.
Let's make the dog comfortable together.
I'm scared. Take me out.
Mom, I'm scared.
Let me out, please!
Mom, Mom!
Mom.
Life is tough, right?
I will...
help you.
She would be in her late 20s,
and at the most, her early 30s.
She is about 162 centimeters tall.
She went missing after 2014.
She has to have a connection
to Hongwon-dong.
Since no one reported her missing,
she probably has no family.
Why don't we start with
real estate offices
and see if a renter suddenly disappeared?
Something should turn up.
There are hundreds of real estate
offices in Hongwon-dong.
We have to track her down.
If we find out who she is,
we can find a lead.
If the culprit is still alive,
he could kill another person.
We have to find him before that happens.
Let's split into groups of two.
Yeah, like that.
Excuse me.
Take this umbrella.
I have another one.
My place is this way.
It's cold, and you'll get sick
if you get rained on.
Is this where you live?
Then... I'll just...
Yoo Seung Yeon...
How did you know my name?
Was there a woman who lived alone
who suddenly disappeared after 2014?
If you don't know, Detective,
how would I know?
That's true.
I mean like one bedrooms, or...
Hello? Okay, you're coming at 5:00 p.m.?
Let's split up here. I'll check area one.
You check area three.
Let's stick together.
Do I look like a child to you?
I'm really fine, so let's split up.
I saw you before.
If you go through hypnosis, past
memories can become more pronounced.
And these streets we're on...
They are near the place
where you were kidnapped.
It's good to stick together.
You said so yourself that
we have to find her quickly.
Split up, and if something happens,
call me right away.
We looked all around that stream.
We couldn't even find an ant.
Okay, then why don't we widen the search
grid a little bit and look once more?
Hey, we're running out
of time and manpower.
We've stopped all the other cases
we've been working on.
You know what will happen with
this case and all the other cases.
If we can't get a lead within two weeks,
they're going to become cold cases.
Didn't you hear what Cha Soo Hyun said?
There's another body in that house!
She wasn't even certain.
It could have been a mannequin.
- What?
- She didn't make a lot of sense.
10 of 15 minutes?
She's not even sure about time.
Seriously, we could be digging
in the wrong place.
What about Cha Soo Hyun?
Is she still in the hospital?
Took you long enough to ask.
Something's not right with her.
She's been absent for three days.
I think she went through
a tough time back then.
Is she okay?
Even if she is a police officer,
she still got kidnapped by a murderer.
I'm sure she's traumatized.
Well, are you all right?
You're not, are you?
I talked to the Section Chief for you.
I said you were sick,
so don't worry about it.
You didn't have to do that.
What?
You were right, Senior.
I'm...
not suited to be a cop.
Hey now... that was just...
I don't think I can do it now.
I...
get so scared every time I hear
the sound of a plastic bag.
I feel like my heart is going to burst.
I keep remembering
what happened that day.
I'm even scared of neighborhood streets.
I'm scared of corpses.
Also...
I'm scared of criminals.
I can't be like this.
I have no right to be a cop like this.
I don't think I can be a cop any longer.
This is your present.
[SANGJU PERSIMMONS]
You know that mugger you caught?
[THANK YOU, DETECTIVE CHA SOO HYUN]
A victim sent it to say thanks.
I'm scared of criminals too.
Who isn't afraid of criminals?
I've come across all sorts of people
while doing this job.
People who come at me knives.
Gangsters who come at me with weapons.
Someone even came at me
with an ax once.
I had to put a steel plate in my shoulder
because of that guy.
Because you fought with
someone who had an ax?
I was scared, so I ran away.
Then I ran into an motorcycle.
It was really painful.
But what can I do?
Someone has to catch them...
Someone has to.
You can quit.
No one would speak ill of you for it.
Think about it carefully
and make your choice.
But you know, it's not bad being a cop.
You never know.
You might become a team leader someday.
Is team leader too much?
Team leader...
That was eaten by all the other animals
at work, insisting they wanted a taste.
I didn't eat it, okay?
I didn't eat it.
Out of that pack of animals,
I saved one for you.
It was dried carefully,
so apparently it's really sweet.
Is it good?
That's right.
This is why we do the job.
Someone has to catch them...
Someone has to.
Someone...
has to catch them.
I'm looking for someone who might have
disappeared suddenly last winter.
She would have been
living around here alone.
She would be in her late 20s.
I don't know. I haven't heard anything.
If you happen to remember anything,
call me at this number.
Thank you for your time.
Oh, thanks.
Excuse me, why is the map
empty over there?
There are no houses there.
It's all factories.
All factories?
There was a large amount of
mercury in her bones.
It wasn't enough to be a fatal dose,
but she was exposed for a long time.
There is only one factory that deals
with mercury in Hongwon-dong.
It's called Sekang and it's
an electric bulb company.
Because of illegal disposal
of mercury last year
there was a lot noise about it.
A female employee that
went missing last year?
It would have been in winter.
I don't know. I'm not too sure.
We have many employees
who quit without notice.
This won't have a negative effect
on the company.
It's very important.
You could just let me speak
with the female employees.
I'll ask them myself.
Well, there was someone last winter.
Are you asking about that person
who disappeared without a word?
She never spoke much.
She wasn't close to anyone at work.
She lived in a dorm at work.
Around the time we got sued last winter,
she didn't call or come back.
Everyone at work was so busy.
No one could do much for her.
I did organize her belongings in a box.
I looked into Yoo Seung Yeon's family,
and her parents passed away.
She has no siblings.
She has a grandmother.
Please use that person's DNA and
compare it with the DNA of the remains.
There's a high chance
that it is this woman.
Yes, okay.
I don't know why, but tears
came out of my eyes today.
The skies were blue
and the weather was nice.
I won't spend my birthday
alone next year.
Seung Yeon, happy birthday.
My heart races when I go to that place.
So I keep ending up at that place.
Is this feeling what they call happiness?
I wish tomorrow would come quickly.
Hoping that I could
see him there again...
He is following me.
He was watching me.
At first I thought it was coincidence.
Does he really like me?
He is always standing behind me.
It would have been better if they spoke.
Shampoo 7000 won, socks 3000 won,
kimbap 700 won.
Water 700 won.
A convenience store.
The victims were all...
introverts who didn't even like
to go to the grocery store.
[CHA SOO HYUN]
It's me. Did you find something?
It's convenience stores.
Convenience stores?
The victims were all introverts
who didn't even like to go
to the grocery store.
Where would they buy their daily needs?
A convenience store is
different than a grocery store.
Whatever you buy and when,
no one cares or bothers you.
It's a space with no communication.
You can eat there with no friends
and it's not weird.
The lights are on 24 hours a day,
so you can go whenever.
The last victim did the same thing.
I looked through her stuff and she
shopped only at a convenience store.
Are you sure that she is the victim?
We are testing the DNA now.
We'll be sure of it
once we get the results.
Before that
I'll take a look at the convenience
stores around the factory.
Okay, I'll head over there.
The street lights are on my left.
The street lights are on my right.
It's the opposite.
The street lights...
It was the opposite way.
- Hello.
- Hi, welcome.
I'm here from Seoul Police.
How long have you been open here?
Since two years ago.
I'd like some information on the people
who've worked here since then.
Besides me, there have been
two other people working here.
One is a high school student
and the other is in college.
If he has been killing since 1997...
he would have to be in his mid-30s,
no matter how young he claimed to be.
His hair and clothing are clean and
well put together, almost compulsively.
Be it his home or work,
his surroundings will be organized.
Hey, Cha Soo Hyun.
Hey.
Wake up, hey!
Hey, Cha Soo Hyun. Look at me!
Hey, Cha Soo Hyun.
Hey!
Cha Soo Hyun, Cha Soo Hyun.
Cha Soo... Cha Soo Hyun!
It's okay now... it's okay.
It's okay... hey.
Everything's all right now.
My seniors back then thought I started
at the stream and ran straight here.
That was why they searched
around the stream.
The starting point was wrong.
This is where I fell.
That's when I lost my sense of direction.
So I went back to that place
I was running from...
I started to go back.
That's why the street lights
were on the opposite side.
And that memory I had repressed...
That memory...
I never wanted to remember again.
I told you that I'd help you.
Cha Soo Hyun!
That's where it happened.
Here...
It's around here.
This is Park Hae Young.
The DNA results are out.
She is the last victim.
Yoo Seung Yeon is the last victim.
Yoo Seung Yeon.
How did you know my name?
It's that same smell.
What are you doing?
Did you organize all of this?
No, the guy who worked before me did.
Where is he?
He's done working,
so he's probably at home.
Let go of me. It really hurts.
These are tools you use
when you dispose a body.
Were you going to kill someone again?
This time, I will help you.
The Cold Case Squad is off this case.
I can hardly believe this,
so how can you, Detective Cha?
- Did you get dumped?
- Shut up.
There you go, opening your
big pretty eyes again.
Did you finally confess
your feelings after two years?
I was looking for you anyway.
I thought you'd want to meet.
I have a favor to ask of you, Detective.
Hello. Sit down, Detective.
Tell me the truth about that case.
You should be transparent
about the investigation.
Why not just disinfect it clean
while you can?
I need to find out what happened then.
I will find out, even if it kills me.
who went missing in September 2009.
[EPISODE 10]
She was 27 when she went missing.
A housewife, Seo Young Jin
went missing in May 2005.
She was 35 years old.
Park Ah Young went missing in March 2004.
She was 25 years old.
Noh Hyun Mi went missing in October 2005.
She was 43 years old.
Park Se Jung, estimated to
have gone missing in April 2006.
She was 28 years old.
Kim Yoon Min, missing in January 2008.
She was 39 years old.
Nam Goong Sun, missing in April 2010.
She was 31 years old.
Lee Mi Jung, missing in June 2011.
She was 23 years old.
And there's one more victim
whose identity we don't know yet.
That is nine in total that we've found
buried out in Dongeui Mountain.
Using a rice sack or straw mat, a box,
and a plastic wrap to wrap the body.
The head was wrapped with a black
plastic bag before they were buried.
You're saying it's one culprit
and it's a serial murder?
Yes, that's how it looks.
That's not all of it.
These are victims from a 1997 cold case
from Hongwon-dong.
As for the killer's M.O. and the way
the bodies were wrapped...
they are almost exactly like
the murders we found now.
What are you saying then?
Nine more people died because the police
couldn't catch the killer years ago?
What were you all doing back then?
If this truth is revealed,
the media is going to have a field day.
How are we going to stop that
from happening?
We can't stop it.
And we shouldn't stop it either.
What?
This is a serial murder case
with nine dead victims.
It won't be possible
to control the media.
So we should willingly admit that
we're incompetent?
Why don't we assign this case
to the Cold Case Squad?
They're been solving cases
since Gyeonggi Nambu.
People have a lot of trust in them.
Police in the past did wrong,
and this case is left unsolved.
This current team can
take over and solve it.
This will be enough
to keep the media quiet.
What do you all think?
I think his idea will be for the best.
Good.
Section Chief, you're here, right?
Yes.
I want you and the Seoul
Metropolitan Team to support them.
Report back to me with everything
that happens with the investigation.
Yes, sir.
Did you do that on purpose?
You want them to fail, don't you?
You want them to take
the responsibility
so you can get rid of them.
- Isn't that right?
- Why?
Are you worried because
they're working below you?
Is that why...
you didn't report it to me when
Park Hae Young looked into Kim Sung Bum?
If they fail with this case...
it won't only be the Cold Case Squad
that suffers.
Tell us about it.
What happened when you got taken?
Why weren't you able
to catch the killer?
Will you be okay?
Shouldn't you be admitted
into a hospital?
Tell us.
I don't really know.
I couldn't see anything.
Cha Soo Hyun, you're no ordinary victim.
You're a detective.
The guy who took you has
already killed two people.
I need your memories
in order to catch him.
Hey, you don't even know for sure.
Why are you doing this?
Even the Chief said to just investigate
it as just a kidnapping case.
Talk to us.
If you didn't see anything,
I'm sure you heard something.
A sound.
Water.
There was a sound of water dripping.
Living is really tough, right?
You can't take it off.
His voice was...
He sounded like a young man.
And his hand...
It was thin and cold.
And then...
He told me to wait a bit.
Then he left.
The door opened.
Cold air came in.
I thought that if I didn't leave then,
I would die.
So...
I stood up.
And I started to feel for the door.
But then...
I can't do it.
Keep going.
Let's rest for a bit before continuing.
Cha Soo Hyun, look at me.
Look at me!
It's okay now.
So talk to us.
Okay.
I found...
the door.
Was there really a dead body inside?
I'm not sure.
But that hand...
It was so cold.
So how did you get out?
And after that?
I just kept running.
Then my body hit something very hard.
I think I passed out.
When I opened my eyes...
you were there, Senior.
Which way did you run?
Just...
forward.
I just ran forward.
But I couldn't see anything.
How long did you run for?
How many minutes did it take?
I don't know.
Think about it.
Ten minutes.
I think it was 15 minutes.
Anything else?
The smell...
What kind of smell?
When I got out of that house...
I could smell a sewer drain.
There's a stream in Hongwon-dong.
Sound of flowing water?
I don't know. I don't know.
Think harder.
I think I heard it,
the sound of water flowing.
I heard it.
Let's stop it now.
Somewhere near Hongwon-dong stream.
A one-story house with a bathroom.
A man with no family who lives alone.
I think that's enough for us
to find him quickly.
You should go home and rest now.
Or go to the hospital.
Hey, take her to the hospital.
Okay.
Hey, did you have to do that to
someone who went through that?
Where are you going?
To the armory.
I'm going to kill this son of a bitch.
Okay, so it's 10 to 15 minutes
from the spot you found her.
If you draw a straight line,
that's these three areas here.
This is the area where Cha Soo Hyun
was forcefully held.
Look for a one-story place
with a bathroom in these areas.
And a guy living alone
in his early to mid-20s.
If you look at these here,
this is a record of people who moved in.
You'll be able to see
who lives alone or not.
Okay.
Good.
Gosh, this dog crap.
Hey, wait up!
Can you hear water flowing over there?
Did you hear a woman screaming,
by any chance?
I didn't hear anything.
Did you get anything over there?
Hurry up and get in.
- Let's go over there.
- Over this way.
There are men who live alone over there.
Get in quickly.
We felt like we'd be able
to find him quickly.
But in the end,
we didn't find anything.
Time passed by.
Kim Bum Joo was Section Chief at the time
and he closed the case.
Closed the case?
Even though two people died
and a cop nearly did too?
If they had caught him back then,
nine people could have lived.
It was the same then as it is now.
No one likes a serial murder case.
There is no motive.
They kill out of nowhere
because of the desire to kill.
There are not enough leads or clues.
The serial killers that have been caught
were due to informants or coincidences.
Gosh, you work so hard and get no leads.
People point at you
and say you're incompetent.
And when that happens,
someone is unlucky and gets fired.
It's the same this time too.
If we can't catch him this time,
we could take all the blame.
To put it simply, we've stepped in crap.
[HONGWON-DONG SERIAL MURDER CASE REPORT]
Besides the one unidentified victim,
we spoke to the family of eight victims.
We found out some important facts.
Three of the victims
lived in Hongwon-dong.
The remaining five victims
had to visit Hongwon-dong often
for reasons such as work and so on.
It was the same for
the 1997 victims as well.
All the victims had some sort of
connection to Hongwon-dong.
Dongeui Mountain is in an optimal
location to reach for Hongwon-dong.
Since 1997 to present day
it's very likely that the killer either
lives or works in Hongwon-dong.
Any other leads?
A serial murder...
especially one that occurred
in the past like this one
depends heavily on profiling.
Now, we will present to you
our profile on the culprit.
He's so annoying.
I'm sure you all know this already.
I only know about theory and I'm
inexperienced with investigating.
So what I'm about to tell you
is purely theoretical.
When you catch the culprit
it could end up being the wrong person.
It could end up being
groundless speculation.
I merely ask that you refer to this
while you investigate.
By looking at the burials
and the wrapping of the bodies
at Dongeui Mountain
I predict that the culprit is detailed
and careful in his personality.
His hair and clothing are clean and
well put together, almost compulsively.
Be it his home or work,
his surroundings will be organized.
It would have taken him a very
long time to wrap the bodies.
He probably has a work place
where he wouldn't be interrupted.
It's very likely that he lives alone
in a home without a yard.
If he had his own yard,
he would have buried them there.
He wouldn't have made the effort
to take it to Dongeui Mountain.
Also, there is one thing that you must
take note of about the victims.
They were all different in age,
appearances, and height.
The only thing they had in common
was that they suffered from depression
were near getting depressed
or appeared to look depressed.
In a case like this, it's possible that
he has a similar tendency or illness.
I'm saying that it's probable
that the culprit has depression.
It's 1,100 won.
Also, he would have needed a long time
to observe these traits about the victim.
He would be in a place where
he could observe the victims.
Whether it was a psychology clinic
they attended
or a store they frequented...
It's important to find the one place
that the victims all went to...
the route the victims took while
going to work and their home...
or any place they went to often.
The investigation must focus on
any places they all could have visited.
Cha Soo Hyun, what are your thoughts?
I agree, of course.
All right.
I want Team 1
to make a list of all of the victims'
coworkers and acquaintances.
- Yes, sir.
- And Team 2...
Find out the movements of the victims.
Cold Case Squad, find out the identity
of the unidentified victim.
- Yes, sir.
- That's all.
There's one more thing.
There's one witness
who's encountered the killer.
Ow!
Are you really going
to go under hypnosis?
Is it your hobby to be told
the same thing twice?
Even though you're a detective,
going through something like that...
It will leave psychological aftereffects.
Do you still think you'll be okay?
I should have done it a long ago.
It's my fault.
Those victims died because
I couldn't catch him.
But you didn't even see his face.
I don't know his face, but...
I may be able to find his house.
Somewhere in my memory...
I'm sure I can find a clue.
[FORENSICS HYPNOSIS INVESTIGATIONS]
Close your eyes now
and exhale deeply.
Your breathing will now relax
every part of your body.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Also, focus on your breathing.
It is now the night of October 20, 1997.
You have just been kidnapped by someone.
It's okay if you don't
remember anything else.
We're going to go back to that time
when you came out of that house.
Do you feel the cold air?
What happened after that?
I fell.
Smells...
What kind of smell?
A rotten smell.
The smell of a sewer.
Then what happened?
What happened next?
I ran.
But...
I can't see... in front me.
I can't see in front of me.
Are you still running?
Yes, yes.
I still am... still.
I'm running forward... straight.
I ran.
But then...
I ran into something.
Look at what it is you ran into.
I feel suffocated.
You're relaxed and you're safe.
Breathe slowly. Breathe slowly.
Breathe slowly and relax.
You are okay. Relax.
Take a deep breath.
That's good. Relax.
Relax more. Take a deep breath.
Okay, keep breathing.
All right.
Are you all right?
What was that?
Even though you went through hypnosis,
you got no new leads out of it.
I'll try it one more time.
I might have missed something.
No, I think I did miss something.
No.
Using Detective Cha's memories
to investigate failed in the past.
We got nine more victims after that.
We should focus our investigation
on those victims now.
Park Hae Young is right.
We don't need to go back to a method
that failed in the past.
Focus on that unidentified last victim.
Did you just hear Chi Soo say
that Park Hae Young was right?
I wasn't hearing things, right?
Wow, you know what they say about
love and hate being pretty similar.
Lieutenant Park, it's me.
Yes, I'm listening.
1997, Hongwon-dong...
The black plastic bag, am I right?
Yes, that's right.
That's the case.
Are we unable to catch
this crazy guy too?
Yes, he's still not caught today.
We're investigating him right now.
All the victims are connected
to Hongwon-dong.
We have no other leads except that
they had a tendency to be depressed.
Were you able to find any other things
the victims had in common?
The victims were all
introverts who didn't even
like to go to the grocery store.
The routes they took
were all different too.
He killed two people.
He nearly killed our rookie too.
We have to catch this son of a bitch.
The rookie you speak of is
Detective Cha Soo Hyun, right?
Do you know Cha Soo Hyun?
How do you know her, Lieutenant?
Detective Cha Soo Hyun
is my team's leader.
The Cold Case Squad.
A team... team leader?
Cha Soo Hyun? 0.5?
Wow!
That's the most shocking thing
I've heard all year.
So, is the team functioning well?
Why?
Was Detective Cha Soo Hyun that bad?
She isn't just bad.
She can't even drive the police van.
A team leader? Oh my!
I think she went through
a tough time back then.
Is she okay?
Even if she is a police officer,
she still got kidnapped by a murderer.
I'm sure she's traumatized.
She will overcome it.
Though her driving is awful,
she is very determined.
You should tell her that yourself.
What?
If you only think that to yourself,
the other person will never know.
If you tell her yourself,
it will be a source of great strength.
I think it would be more so if it came
from you, Detective Lee Jae Han.
From me? Why?
Just because I think it would.
By the way, Detective...
Aren't you curious about that?
Right now...
What you are doing in 2015, Detective.
I'm a person who's tired of my father
going to see fortune-tellers.
What good would it do me to know
whether I live well or not?
It's my life and I'll live it.
If you do happen to meet me there
and I don't have my act together...
you can punch me once.
Tell me to get it together.
Detective.
Honestly, you...
What about the coworkers
and acquaintances of all the victims?
We looked into all the victims
that were identified.
They all had very few relationships.
Besides their family,
they had no friends.
Coworkers only said hello to them.
There wasn't anyone who would have
been able to observe any of the victims.
It was the same for the routes
used going to their workplaces
or the places they often visited.
All the victims mostly
stayed in their homes.
They all lived in the vicinity
of Hongwon-dong
but the only things
they used in common
were the subway and buses.
However, their schedules
and the bus routes didn't overlap.
Basically, you're telling me
there are no leads?
What about the unidentified victim?
Yes.
These are the clothes that the victim
was wearing when she went missing.
Seeing that it's a winter parka,
she went missing in winter.
I checked with the clothing manufacturer
and it was first sold in 2014.
So, it's likely that she went missing
after the year 2014.
I checked once more in
the missing person's database.
There was no match.
There were no signs of a dental surgery
or any other surgery.
I also examined the bones, and there
was a large amount of mercury.
It wasn't enough to be a fatal dose,
but she was exposed for a long time.
Is that everything?
There was one more strange thing.
The other bodies were tied up in plastic
and the knots were on the front.
That means the killer was looking
at the victims when he tied them.
But this body was different.
The knot was on the back of the neck.
That means he put the plastic
on from behind her.
Also, the shape of the neck bone
fracture is different too.
What does that mean?
The other victims were killed
from the front and strangled.
But if you look at this victim's
fracture...
it looks like he strangled her
from the back.
Like this.
When the culprit dealt with this victim,
he always did it from behind her?
Yes.
This body was wrapped in a blanket.
A blanket.
It's soft and warm.
And he didn't want to look at her.
He changed his method of killing.
There was a change in his mental state.
What are you getting at?
If he changed his methods,
there has to be a reason why.
This victim was able
to move him emotionally.
If we can find out her identity,
we'll be able to find a lead.
Hey, you're buying today, okay?
All right, it's on me.
Are you cold, son?
Your mom will make it warm.
No, I don't like it, Mom. It's scary.
Let me out of here.
Mom, Mom!
Mom, Mom...
Mom.
Mom, I don't want to eat that.
I'm making you comfortable.
We're going somewhere good together.
Let's make the dog comfortable together.
I'm scared. Take me out.
Mom, I'm scared.
Let me out, please!
Mom, Mom!
Mom.
Life is tough, right?
I will...
help you.
She would be in her late 20s,
and at the most, her early 30s.
She is about 162 centimeters tall.
She went missing after 2014.
She has to have a connection
to Hongwon-dong.
Since no one reported her missing,
she probably has no family.
Why don't we start with
real estate offices
and see if a renter suddenly disappeared?
Something should turn up.
There are hundreds of real estate
offices in Hongwon-dong.
We have to track her down.
If we find out who she is,
we can find a lead.
If the culprit is still alive,
he could kill another person.
We have to find him before that happens.
Let's split into groups of two.
Yeah, like that.
Excuse me.
Take this umbrella.
I have another one.
My place is this way.
It's cold, and you'll get sick
if you get rained on.
Is this where you live?
Then... I'll just...
Yoo Seung Yeon...
How did you know my name?
Was there a woman who lived alone
who suddenly disappeared after 2014?
If you don't know, Detective,
how would I know?
That's true.
I mean like one bedrooms, or...
Hello? Okay, you're coming at 5:00 p.m.?
Let's split up here. I'll check area one.
You check area three.
Let's stick together.
Do I look like a child to you?
I'm really fine, so let's split up.
I saw you before.
If you go through hypnosis, past
memories can become more pronounced.
And these streets we're on...
They are near the place
where you were kidnapped.
It's good to stick together.
You said so yourself that
we have to find her quickly.
Split up, and if something happens,
call me right away.
We looked all around that stream.
We couldn't even find an ant.
Okay, then why don't we widen the search
grid a little bit and look once more?
Hey, we're running out
of time and manpower.
We've stopped all the other cases
we've been working on.
You know what will happen with
this case and all the other cases.
If we can't get a lead within two weeks,
they're going to become cold cases.
Didn't you hear what Cha Soo Hyun said?
There's another body in that house!
She wasn't even certain.
It could have been a mannequin.
- What?
- She didn't make a lot of sense.
10 of 15 minutes?
She's not even sure about time.
Seriously, we could be digging
in the wrong place.
What about Cha Soo Hyun?
Is she still in the hospital?
Took you long enough to ask.
Something's not right with her.
She's been absent for three days.
I think she went through
a tough time back then.
Is she okay?
Even if she is a police officer,
she still got kidnapped by a murderer.
I'm sure she's traumatized.
Well, are you all right?
You're not, are you?
I talked to the Section Chief for you.
I said you were sick,
so don't worry about it.
You didn't have to do that.
What?
You were right, Senior.
I'm...
not suited to be a cop.
Hey now... that was just...
I don't think I can do it now.
I...
get so scared every time I hear
the sound of a plastic bag.
I feel like my heart is going to burst.
I keep remembering
what happened that day.
I'm even scared of neighborhood streets.
I'm scared of corpses.
Also...
I'm scared of criminals.
I can't be like this.
I have no right to be a cop like this.
I don't think I can be a cop any longer.
This is your present.
[SANGJU PERSIMMONS]
You know that mugger you caught?
[THANK YOU, DETECTIVE CHA SOO HYUN]
A victim sent it to say thanks.
I'm scared of criminals too.
Who isn't afraid of criminals?
I've come across all sorts of people
while doing this job.
People who come at me knives.
Gangsters who come at me with weapons.
Someone even came at me
with an ax once.
I had to put a steel plate in my shoulder
because of that guy.
Because you fought with
someone who had an ax?
I was scared, so I ran away.
Then I ran into an motorcycle.
It was really painful.
But what can I do?
Someone has to catch them...
Someone has to.
You can quit.
No one would speak ill of you for it.
Think about it carefully
and make your choice.
But you know, it's not bad being a cop.
You never know.
You might become a team leader someday.
Is team leader too much?
Team leader...
That was eaten by all the other animals
at work, insisting they wanted a taste.
I didn't eat it, okay?
I didn't eat it.
Out of that pack of animals,
I saved one for you.
It was dried carefully,
so apparently it's really sweet.
Is it good?
That's right.
This is why we do the job.
Someone has to catch them...
Someone has to.
Someone...
has to catch them.
I'm looking for someone who might have
disappeared suddenly last winter.
She would have been
living around here alone.
She would be in her late 20s.
I don't know. I haven't heard anything.
If you happen to remember anything,
call me at this number.
Thank you for your time.
Oh, thanks.
Excuse me, why is the map
empty over there?
There are no houses there.
It's all factories.
All factories?
There was a large amount of
mercury in her bones.
It wasn't enough to be a fatal dose,
but she was exposed for a long time.
There is only one factory that deals
with mercury in Hongwon-dong.
It's called Sekang and it's
an electric bulb company.
Because of illegal disposal
of mercury last year
there was a lot noise about it.
A female employee that
went missing last year?
It would have been in winter.
I don't know. I'm not too sure.
We have many employees
who quit without notice.
This won't have a negative effect
on the company.
It's very important.
You could just let me speak
with the female employees.
I'll ask them myself.
Well, there was someone last winter.
Are you asking about that person
who disappeared without a word?
She never spoke much.
She wasn't close to anyone at work.
She lived in a dorm at work.
Around the time we got sued last winter,
she didn't call or come back.
Everyone at work was so busy.
No one could do much for her.
I did organize her belongings in a box.
I looked into Yoo Seung Yeon's family,
and her parents passed away.
She has no siblings.
She has a grandmother.
Please use that person's DNA and
compare it with the DNA of the remains.
There's a high chance
that it is this woman.
Yes, okay.
I don't know why, but tears
came out of my eyes today.
The skies were blue
and the weather was nice.
I won't spend my birthday
alone next year.
Seung Yeon, happy birthday.
My heart races when I go to that place.
So I keep ending up at that place.
Is this feeling what they call happiness?
I wish tomorrow would come quickly.
Hoping that I could
see him there again...
He is following me.
He was watching me.
At first I thought it was coincidence.
Does he really like me?
He is always standing behind me.
It would have been better if they spoke.
Shampoo 7000 won, socks 3000 won,
kimbap 700 won.
Water 700 won.
A convenience store.
The victims were all...
introverts who didn't even like
to go to the grocery store.
[CHA SOO HYUN]
It's me. Did you find something?
It's convenience stores.
Convenience stores?
The victims were all introverts
who didn't even like to go
to the grocery store.
Where would they buy their daily needs?
A convenience store is
different than a grocery store.
Whatever you buy and when,
no one cares or bothers you.
It's a space with no communication.
You can eat there with no friends
and it's not weird.
The lights are on 24 hours a day,
so you can go whenever.
The last victim did the same thing.
I looked through her stuff and she
shopped only at a convenience store.
Are you sure that she is the victim?
We are testing the DNA now.
We'll be sure of it
once we get the results.
Before that
I'll take a look at the convenience
stores around the factory.
Okay, I'll head over there.
The street lights are on my left.
The street lights are on my right.
It's the opposite.
The street lights...
It was the opposite way.
- Hello.
- Hi, welcome.
I'm here from Seoul Police.
How long have you been open here?
Since two years ago.
I'd like some information on the people
who've worked here since then.
Besides me, there have been
two other people working here.
One is a high school student
and the other is in college.
If he has been killing since 1997...
he would have to be in his mid-30s,
no matter how young he claimed to be.
His hair and clothing are clean and
well put together, almost compulsively.
Be it his home or work,
his surroundings will be organized.
Hey, Cha Soo Hyun.
Hey.
Wake up, hey!
Hey, Cha Soo Hyun. Look at me!
Hey, Cha Soo Hyun.
Hey!
Cha Soo Hyun, Cha Soo Hyun.
Cha Soo... Cha Soo Hyun!
It's okay now... it's okay.
It's okay... hey.
Everything's all right now.
My seniors back then thought I started
at the stream and ran straight here.
That was why they searched
around the stream.
The starting point was wrong.
This is where I fell.
That's when I lost my sense of direction.
So I went back to that place
I was running from...
I started to go back.
That's why the street lights
were on the opposite side.
And that memory I had repressed...
That memory...
I never wanted to remember again.
I told you that I'd help you.
Cha Soo Hyun!
That's where it happened.
Here...
It's around here.
This is Park Hae Young.
The DNA results are out.
She is the last victim.
Yoo Seung Yeon is the last victim.
Yoo Seung Yeon.
How did you know my name?
It's that same smell.
What are you doing?
Did you organize all of this?
No, the guy who worked before me did.
Where is he?
He's done working,
so he's probably at home.
Let go of me. It really hurts.
These are tools you use
when you dispose a body.
Were you going to kill someone again?
This time, I will help you.
The Cold Case Squad is off this case.
I can hardly believe this,
so how can you, Detective Cha?
- Did you get dumped?
- Shut up.
There you go, opening your
big pretty eyes again.
Did you finally confess
your feelings after two years?
I was looking for you anyway.
I thought you'd want to meet.
I have a favor to ask of you, Detective.
Hello. Sit down, Detective.
Tell me the truth about that case.
You should be transparent
about the investigation.
Why not just disinfect it clean
while you can?
I need to find out what happened then.
I will find out, even if it kills me.