Director Bong's 2003 film drawn back into spotlight after police mention suspected real-life killer

By Lim Chang-won Posted : September 19, 2019, 15:01 Updated : September 20, 2019, 09:21

[Courtesy of CJ Entertainment]


SEOUL -- "Memories of Murder", a 2003 film directed by Bong Joon-ho, was drawn back into the spotlight after police secured crucial evidence that matched DNA of a real-life killer who has not been identified for three decades since the first victim was found raped and murdered in a secluded rural town in 1986.

Bong's film was based on the true story of South Korea's most notorious serial murders in history that took place between 1986 and 1991 in Hwaseong, 38 kilometers (24 miles) south of Seoul, leaving 10 women brutally murdered. The killer has not been caught despite a massive investigation.

Helped by advanced forensic technology, police finally discovered a critical clue through the DNA testing of a convicted criminal in his 50s, 13 years after his crimes reached the statute of limitations on April 2, 2006.

The man, identified by his family name Lee, is in prison for committing a similar crime. Police found that his DNA has matched DNA from evidence taken in three murder scenes in Hwaseong. Still, police were cautious, refusing to have Lee pegged as the actual serial killer until they get further DNA analysis from the National Forensic Service and complete a cross-check on a vast amount of previous investigation records.

"What DNA matches is just a clue," Ban Ki-soo, head of an investigation team in charge of serial murders, told reporters. "We were in the process of conducting a basic investigation after receiving DNA test results. Therefore, there is not much to say yet."

"DNA doesn't mean that we're going to designate him as a real culprit," Ban said, adding three murder cases singled out by his team showed a similarity in the method of killing women by using the underwear of victims to bind their hands and feet.

In one case, an 18-year-old woman was found murdered on the rice paddies of Hwaseong, with her hands tied with a blouse and gagged with socks, after she was raped and strangled with a scarf to death, Ban said.

The previous investigation has set several unbroken records. Police had mobilized a record number of officers for investigations, with more than 20,000 people questioned. From crime scenes, investigators had collected semen, blood and hair, but no conclusive evidence has been found due to underdeveloped forensic technology at that time.

The first victim was a 71-year-old woman who was found raped and murdered in a pasture on September 15, 1986. A month later, a 25-year-old woman was found naked and murdered in a ditch near a rice field, followed by similar crimes for four years and seven months until April, 1991. The final victim was a 69-year-old woman who was found in a hill with her trouser taken off.

Once, a trace of semen was discovered from the body of a victim, but investigators did not have access to equipment for DNA testing. After the ninth murder, DNA evidence was sent to Japan for analysis, but the results did not correspond with any suspects.

Bong, who now gets a lot of attention this year with its award-winning film "Parasite", was known as a promising director after filming Memories of Murder, which was well-received by both critics and audiences. The film won the South Korean film industry's 2003 Grand Bell Awards for best film.
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