Even if it kills me,
I'll drag you down to hell
to make sure no one has to hear your bullshit again.
Just you wait.
There's no escaping me.
The Manipulated
DO NOT USE ELEVATORS FOR DELIVERIES
Shit.
Ugh.
Delivery.
-Oh, hi. -That was fast.
Sorry for the wait.
-That's all right. -If you want,
I'll take these down for you, sir.
-Oh, sure, if you don't mind. -Enjoy your food.
Thanks.
Hello.
Yep. Have a good one.
All right.
Taejin, have you eaten yet?
Come on, man. You gotta eat something.
How's the studying?
Am I gonna be impressed this time?
Okay, keep it up.
-Ah! Seriously? -Sorry.
What the hell is his problem?
Are you okay?
No, I'm probably gonna bruise now.
Oh, hey, I wouldn't go that way right now.
The traffic's been pretty bad.
Thanks for the heads up.
Hey, when did this place get self-service machines?
Oh, I actually saw them getting installed yesterday.
Oh, hang on. Is this one--
Hey!
Are you kidding me?
Let's go!
The fuck does he want?
Are you crazy?
Get out of the way!
Forget something?
You have to pay for your order.
Here.
This asshole.
Just pay for the food.
I can't believe this.
Appreciate the tip.
Hey, man.
I caught up to that douchebag in the sports car,
and I got him to pay us back.
So, I'll send you the money in a bit.
Sounds good.
Oh, I got to go. Yeah.
Taejin, hey!
Oh, Hyung.
Sorry. I'll catch you later.
Later.
This looks great.
Come on, hurry up and eat before it gets cold.
Hmm.
Why are you here?
Are you still working right now?
I had some things to take care of.
Hmm.
Well, at least...
I'm easy to take care of.
No complaints, right?
I have so many, I can't even list them.
We'd be here all night long if I tried.
Whatever.
Oh, right.
So how's the shop turning out?
Dude, let me show you. Look at this.
We're almost ready for a grand opening.
Pretty nice, right?
I guess.
But why does it look like Mom decorated it?
Is that where you got your taste from?
You really think good taste is passed down?
Because I watched Mom a lot when I helped her out.
I picked up a lot of things while you were outside messing around.
Okay, fine. In that case,
I'll stop messing around and just head home.
Wait. At least make sure you finish your food.
I'll eat while watching my shows.
Come on, man. Stop wasting your time, okay?
-Oh, there you go. -You're gonna fail.
And will you ever stop nagging?
-I'll limit it to five hours. -Do you realize how late it is?
In five hours, the sun will be creeping through the window.
Whatever, dude.
It's not like it affects me if you fail.
It's your life.
I'll get an A. Stop worrying.
-Have some faith in me. -Have some faith?
You'll be lucky if you pass.
Maybe try opening up a textbook instead of the internet.
Right. I got it.
Hey, you should get some reflective lights.
-It's dangerous at night. -What?
Okay, I will.
Oh, by the way...
I'll be paying respects to Mom alone tomorrow.
What? Why can't I come?
Don't even think about it.
Your exam's coming up soon.
Go on. You better study.
See you Saturday.
See you later.
500,000 WON DEPOSITED PARK TAEJOONG
STUDY WITH ME GOAL FIVE HOURS
All right. Let's do this.
Here we go.
I'm too old for this shit.
These look good together.
Jeez.
-Wait hold on. -What?
You know you can't plant those in the same pot?
-Why not? -I got it.
-Leave it there. -Okay.
If you plant these guys so close together,
-it'll be a disaster. -Oh.
The big ones steal all the nutrients
from the smaller ones, and then they end up dying.
-Incoming. -Bring it a little closer.
-Okay, hold it steady. -Yeah, I will.
-You got it, right? -I got you.
-Don't let me fall. -Taejoong!
-Yeah. -Come on, dude, pay attention.
-Hurry up! -Is there a pot for this small one?
Yeah, go over to the storage room
-and there should be one in there. -Sorry, I'm a little late.
-It's all good. -I brought some food for all of us.
-Nice. -Hold on.
-Who's hungry? -I'm down. Let's eat.
-Come down and eat. -Here goes nothing!
Whoa.
-Oh, it's so pretty. -Really nice.
It really looks amazing.
Text me your bank info, I'll pay you for your time today.
You don't owe me anything. We're friends, dummy.
Hey, man, time is money, you know.
It doesn't matter we're friends.
So what's my pay then?
Hundred?
Only 100,000 won?
That's all I mean to you?
-You take checks? -Not even worth it at that point.
It's pretty, right?
Great job, Taejoong.
People love aesthetic cafes these days.
How long do you think you'll be doing deliveries?
I'm not sure.
I have to make sure this place gets off the ground first.
And I still have that loan.
It must be tough working two jobs.
Do you think I should have waited till after Taejin graduated?
I feel like I might have rushed things as usual.
But that's what makes you charming.
Waiting around for results has never really worked out for me.
Okay, we're out.
Thanks again for helping out.
-Good night. -Get home safe.
You know what I like about you?
You always jump in headfirst and figure the rest out later.
What if I said I like you more?
Okay, okay!
-Let's go. -Okay.
What?
Why?
Where are you going?
I don't want to leave.
Can I sleep here tonight?
PHOTO
The door is closing.
No, no, wait.
Ugh, shit.
THIS TREE NEEDS TO BE IN PARTIAL SUNLIGHT TO KEEP ITS LEAVES FROM DRYING OUT
Excuse me, young man.
Could you lend a hand?
-One moment, ma'am. -Thank you.
I'll be right back to help you.
So, what can I do for you?
Could you take this up there for me?
-Up the hill? -Yeah.
-If you don't mind. -Yeah, no problem.
I got it.
TUNA & MAYO
All right.
Hmm?
What?
Hell--
Hello?
Oh, thank God, you found my phone.
I lost it earlier.
Where was it?
Oh, well, you know, the...
The convenience store by the district office?
It was in the bushes.
I'm sorry to ask, but could you bring it to me?
Actually, I can't right now because I'm on the clock.
I'll just leave it with the clerk inside the convenience store.
Can't you just bring it to me yourself?
I'll pay you 300,000 won for your trouble.
300,000?
My mom injured her leg, so I can't leave her right now.
You'd be doing me a huge favor.
All right. Send me your address and I'll be on my way.
-Thank you so much. -Sure.
For 300,000 won, I'll take a plane if I have to.
What is this place?
Oh, shit.
Yes. Hello, ma'am.
Hey, are you there yet?
Yeah, I made it to the address, but... it just led me to the front of a tunnel.
Are you here?
I told you my mom isn't feeling well,
so I can't meet with you.
But if you head inside the tunnel, you'll see an emergency phone box.
I left the payment in there.
Well, I don't mind delivering it straight to your house.
Can you give me your address?
It's probably safer than leaving it here.
Well, I'm not comfortable giving my address to a stranger.
Just leave my phone inside the box.
Okay, sure. Yeah, I see the box in the tunnel.
I'll leave it in there.
Thank you, ma'am.
Weird.
Why inside here?
EMERGENCY PHONE SOS
Oh.
Okay.
Whoa!
Are you fucking serious?
There's a person here, you dickhead.
You scared the shit out of me.
Hey, Mom.
Taejin couldn't make it, so it'll just be the two of us today.
I told him to stay home because he needs to study.
So don't be too upset with him.
The thing is, no matter how much I nag him to work harder, he keeps failing.
I don't remember the exams being all that hard.
Anyway...
Okay. Bon appétit.
-You're so predictable. -Hey.
What are you doing here?
I knew you'd forget to bring Mom a gift.
What?
Forget it. Let's just eat.
You know you're supposed to be studying.
Come on. How can I when you're talking behind my back? Huh?
Mom, he was talking about me, wasn't he?
I wasn't saying anything negative about you.
I'm just worried.
I was telling her how you're losing more and more brain cells every day.
My brain cells are doing fine.
Thank you. Okay, what do we have here?
-Where's my bowl of rice? -There isn't one.
I only brought enough for the two of us.
But I haven't eaten all day.
I won't be able to study if I don't eat, all right?
Fine, be my guest.
Eat up.
What about you?
It's okay. I'm not hungry.
Do you at least want a bite?
Hurry up and eat before I change my mind and let you starve to death.
Where did all this rain come from?
Time to eat.
Say cheese.
SUJI
GIVING TREATS TO THE LITTLE ONES THAT LOOK LIKE YOU
Who is it?
What the hell? Wait. Who are you?
Ah!
-Hey, hold him. -What the fuck's going on?
Park Taejoong.
You are under arrest on suspicion
of rape and murder.
You have the right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used
-against you in a court of law. -Wait, no! I didn't do anything.
-Wait. -Take him in. Take him in!
That's him. Coming up.
Why did you dispose of the body in the Han River?
Why did you do it?
In recent news, a woman in her 20s was found dismembered
near a tunnel by the Han River.
A prime suspect has been identified and taken into custody.
Police have detained a man who was arrested
on charges of aggravated rape and murder.
He is currently under interrogation by authorities.
The body is expected to undergo examination...
-Hello. -Hi. Welcome in!
...results will likely take...
What are you feeling?
...mutilation of the body.
Here's your chicken salad, miss.
-...dismembered... -Enjoy your meal.
The police have issued a statement
that the crime was likely premeditated rather than a random act of violence.
You must be busy.
The arrested suspect in question, Park Taejoong.
What, can't look at her?
Detective, I swear on my life.
I've never seen her before, okay?
I have no idea who she is.
Why kill a woman you don't know?
I never said that I...
What reason would I possibly have to kill anyone?
This seriously has to be some sort of mistake.
I swear I didn't do it.
How many times do I have to tell you?
When are you gonna let me go?
Once you've answered all of our questions.
You dragged me here with no explanation
and asked me a bunch of questions I don't know the answers to.
There's no way this whole thing here is legal.
Pipe down, will you?
Given the situation, we didn't need a warrant.
Even so, don't people deserve basic human rights?
I mean, how can you do this?
There was no time for me to even close up my shop.
Can we just go and lock the doors at least?
Hey, fuckface! You don't get it, do you?
Is this a joke to you, huh?
I don't think you understand the amount of shit you're in.
Can I please have my phone call?
I have to ask a friend to take care of my shop.
If my plants don't get watered, they're gonna die.
Hmm.
Don't let this lying asshole near any phones
-until he tells the truth, okay? -Yes, sir.
Come in.
Hey.
FORENSIC INVESTIGATION
Please cooperate.
Uh...
Open your mouth.
And say, "Ah."
DISMEMBERMENT MURDER SUSPECT ARRESTED
MAN KILLS WOMAN IN HER 20S
SUSPECT ARRESTED IN GRUESOME DISMEMBERMENT MURDER
Taejoong.
You look rough.
Are those real?
I mean, why would they make--
I've been through a lot of shit
-but this is a first. -How are you holding up?
You need to be in handcuffs just to talk with us?
They haven't taken them off me since I got here.
So... how are you holding up?
You look like you haven't slept in days.
Yeah, I'm okay.
Actually, I'm not okay.
But seeing you guys is helping me feel better.
Hey, could you guys do me a favor?
Can you ask the flower shop owner to swing by my store
and check up on the plants for me?
A few days, max.
Tell her I'll make it up when I'm out.
Uh, Taejoong--
Man, the people here must be deaf or something.
I don't know how many times I have to tell them the truth.
-It's like they don't care. -Taejoong, listen.
You probably don't know what's going on since you're stuck in here.
But it's getting kind of crazy out there.
All your personal info has been leaked online.
It's a total shitstorm.
What are you guys saying?
Don't worry too much about it.
Don't stress about it.
Everything will work itself out, okay?
So stay strong.
Wait, hold on.
What kind of personal information has been leaked?
DIE, MURDERER
I'll get you released by tomorrow, so sit tight.
Okay? Are you sure?
What do you want now?
When are you gonna let me out?
You must either be a dumbass or delusional.
I said I didn't do it.
So why are you keeping me locked up like an animal?
Saying you didn't kill her doesn't mean shit.
We still have a dead victim.
What you need is proof.
Fucking liar.
Proof?
I've been telling you the truth.
What more do you want from me?
You fucking cops? Think you could do whatever you want?
Huh?
When I get out, I'm gonna sue the whole department!
Good luck.
Fucking nutcase!
The Chu case shines a light on the rise
of violent crimes happening in the country.
Can you offer any insight into the mind of this killer?
Of course.
Given his troubled upbringing, lack of higher education,
and inability to hold a stable job,
his crime was an expression of rage over being unable to integrate into--
TEMPORARILY CLOSED
CASE DELEGATION AGREEMENT SONG SUJI
Give me time to look over everything.
Once that's done, I'll contact you. Okay?
Thanks for meeting with us.
-I'll be in touch. -Thanks again.
What was that?
Who was that man you were just talking to?
He's our lawyer.
Suji hired him.
He mentioned the faster we move, the better.
And I couldn't sit around and do nothing.
Where should I put these?
You can leave it there.
I'll sort them later.
All of us are here already.
I'll just help you out.
Did you bring these plants from the shop?
Yeah, reporters keep swarming the place.
I was worried they would knock them over.
I figured I'd move them here to help Taejoong out.
Have you visited him yet?
I'll go see him today.
Hmm.
I think it's probably a good idea.
I'm sure that would comfort him.
Right.
It's all my fault that you're going through this.
I'm sorry.
I still don't understand why this is happening to me.
Is that all you have to say?
Anything you want to tell me.
You can be honest.
Suji, I...
I didn't do it. I swear I didn't.
I've been hoping to hear those words.
I know you're not the kind of person who would do that.
I promise I'll be fighting for you out there.
So you can't give up in here.
Suji.
So you're saying that all we need to do
is prove that Taejoong was busy doing something else
at the exact time of the victim's death?
That's correct.
He will need a solid alibi,
something that will hold up in court.
Look at this.
It seems the exact time of death hasn't been determined yet.
We'd have to account for his exact whereabouts during those two days.
That's nearly impossible.
Sir, please. Is there anything we can do?
Wait, I think it is possible.
When Taejoong works, he barely takes any breaks.
It's like he can't waste a single moment.
That's true.
Also, don't they save all the delivery records?
You're right.
-Let's see what we can find. -Yeah.
We'll look into it and let you know.
-Don't worry too much, okay? -See ya.
STATEMENT PARK TAEJOONG
HANGANG RIVER MURDER CASE
You keep denying the allegations in the police reports.
You positive you want to stick with that?
Why do you think I'm lying?
-What? -Please, sir.
I don't understand why I'm being forced to go to trial
for something I didn't do.
But I'll do everything I can to prove my innocence.
Post-its.
-And photos. Maps. -Right.
-Anything that'll help. -Yeah, sounds good.
-Okay, come on. And receipts. -Got it.
Okay.
From 8:00 a.m. on the 20th to 10:00 p.m. the following night.
That's right. Would it be possible to email me those records?
Everything, if that's all right.
Well, between noon and three o'clock, I was...
in Yeonmi-dong.
Dowon Food, Maria Pizza, Byeol Coffee.
Oh, and the receipts,
I store all of them in one of my kitchen drawers,
-just in case I need them. -I'll find them.
-Receipts? Put 'em here. -Yeah.
Good thing Taejoong saved these in his kitchen drawer.
Whoa, dude.
How should we sort them?
-Let's do it by time slots. -Okay.
I'll take ones at lunchtime.
Another one for dinner.
-Oh, wait. This one's lunch. -Set it here.
What about this?
Hello, sir. By any chance, do you know this guy?
Yeah, I do.
Do you have receipts from when Taejoong covered...
-Thank you so much. -Yeah, no worries.
-You get it? -Yeah.
-Nice. Good work. -Found one.
PETITION
I appreciate you taking the time to sign this.
I was so shocked when I first heard the news.
-It's the least I could do for him. -Thank you so much.
I couldn't find any.
What was the time slot?
-What about this? -Papa Bread.
-Put it here. -Okay.
TAEJOONG'S MOVEMENTS ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT
Here.
We don't have anything from 2:00 to 2:30.
Yeah.
Nothing in my pile.
-Strange. -30 minutes.
Try to remember, Hyung. Think.
Wait, let me think.
What was I doing... after the delivery?
I remember. Okay, so...
My bike suddenly had a problem.
So after lunch, I had Kyungho fix it.
Yeah, that should be it.
-Look, there he is. -Right.
-That's his bike. -Just like he said.
Would you mind if I take a picture of this?
A photo is not gonna be enough.
I'll make you a copy of the video, all right? Video is better.
-Thank you so much. -We appreciate it.
THE DAY BEFORE THE INCIDENT THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT
How on earth...
I can't believe it.
This is impressive.
Man, as we were doing this,
it made me realize how insanely hard he was working.
I don't understand how he never took a single break.
With this kind of alibi, we should be able to put up a good fight.
Actually, I think we can win this.
Would it be okay for me to take some of this for the case?
-Take whatever you need. -Yes, of course.
We can bring the rest to you later.
Yeah.
We got this.
Great job, everyone.
Yeah, you too.
Thanks for helping, guys.
-I mean it. -Yeah, we got you.
Why wouldn't you at least eat a proper meal?
COURT
All rise.
Please be seated.
We will now begin case number 2020-98374.
The defendant, Park Taejoong is being tried on the charges of murder,
mutilation of a corpse, and abandonment of a body.
As you can see, the defendant,
Park Taejoong, is an ordinary, functioning member of society.
I would say he lives a normal life.
Also, it's clear from the petitions alone
that he is held in high regard by those around him.
Finally, it is obvious when reviewing the timeline of the defendant,
that contrary to the prosecution's claim,
it would be impossible for my client to have committed the crime,
dismember the victim and dispose of the body.
This is irrefutable proof that he is innocent.
I rest my case.
Prosecution, you have the floor.
Will the defendant please take a seat at the witness stand?
WITNESS STAND
Right. So, similar to the defense, we also followed the defendant's actions
and movements on the day of the incident.
This is the GPS tracking data of the defendant's whereabouts
down to the second.
And, as you can see,
they match the timeline presented by the defense.
So I have no objection to the fact that the defendant
is a hardworking and sincere person.
In Article 27 of our Constitution,
in paragraph four,
it states that the accused is innocent until proven guilty,
and when in doubt, judgment favors the defendant.
Personally, I sincerely hope that Park Taejoong is innocent.
I truly want to believe that.
However, there are issues that trouble me.
And if the defendant could clear a few things up,
I'm sure we would all appreciate it.
Is that all right with you?
Yes.
Now, here's my first point of concern.
The records show
that the defendant made a delivery to the victim's residence.
Of course, delivering to the victim's home could be completely random,
especially since she lived in the same district.
But it's the timeline of it that confuses me.
From the time he arrived, to the time he departed her home,
the duration of the delivery was approximately seven minutes in total.
If you look here,
it was marked as a contactless delivery to the third floor.
But isn't seven minutes a little long for that?
Well, that's because...
I had to take care of a tree.
Could you be more specific?
Uh, yes.
it was a China doll tree.
It's considered a partial shade plant,
meaning they shouldn't get too much sunlight.
As I was leaving, I saw that it was placed in front of the window.
I couldn't help myself, so I moved it into the shade
and left some tips for the owner.
That might be why it took me so long. I left after that.
Hmm, I see.
Understood.
Moving on to the next question.
While tracking the defendant's movements,
we found this security footage.
Could you explain this for us?
EXHIBIT VIDEO 1) DEFENDANT'S MOVEMENTS
Excuse me, young man. Could you lend a hand?
I was just...
I finished delivering jokbal to a customer.
When I came back, I helped an old woman with her suitcase.
So I did what anyone would do
and helped her move her things up the hill.
By any chance... was it this suitcase?
Yes, looks like it.
That's strange.
Because this suitcase...
was found near the location of where the body was discovered.
Forensic analysis confirmed that this suitcase
was used to transport the dismembered body.
Objection.
Right, I agree.
Just because the suitcase appears to be the same model,
it doesn't prove that it was the exact one used in the crime.
Also... we checked all the footage
and we only found a single video clip of the defendant with the suitcase.
He doesn't appear in any other location besides that.
It's possible, you, unintentionally, moved through the blind spots.
The thing is...
how can someone know the location of every camera,
unless they've gone through these streets hundreds of times?
That would be impossible.
So I actually support the objection, Your Honor.
Now, why were you in possession of the victim's phone?
No, I was...
The elderly lady asked me to help carry her things, so I...
Mr. Park Taejoong?
Why was the victim's phone in your possession?
The phone? Uh...
I couldn't have had the victim's phone, sir.
Is that right?
EXHIBIT VIDEO 2) DEFENDANT SEEN HOLDING THE VICTIM'S PHONE
So that was...
I was... just...
I was eating... and I heard the phone ring behind me, so...
I answered it, and then I headed out to return it right away.
Where'd you return it?
Was it here?
Yes, that's right.
And actually, they offered a reward for it.
CONVENIENCE STORE CCTV
So who did you return the phone to if it wasn't the victim?
And why was her body less than 40 meters away?
I don't know, because I never...
I didn't actually meet her.
She said she didn't want a stranger to know where--
Defendant...
-Why do you keep lying to me? -I'm not.
No, I swear I'm telling you the truth.
Now what you see on the screen are the coordinates
from the GPS data of the victim's phone.
They almost match the movements of the defendant perfectly.
Do you have some explanation for this, too?
Because you just said...
that you returned it,
and yet it's obvious that you had it with you all day.
I really don't know how to explain any of that.
You don't know?
Maybe this will jog your memory.
During our investigation,
we conducted a forensic examination at the site of the murder.
But due to the complex nature of the crimes,
we did not receive the results until earlier today.
Objection!
This evidence was not disclosed during discovery.
Please strike it.
Overruled.
-You may proceed. -Right.
Mr. Park.
I still want to be on your side.
But all the evidence keeps pointing to you.
LIKELY LOCATION OF THE MURDER
The victim was discovered in the bathroom of a vacant unit on another floor
somewhere else in the building.
Brutally murdered, then dismembered by the culprit
with no remorse.
The prosecution believes that the perpetrator
placed her lifeless body in warm water
in order to manipulate the time of death.
Furthermore, bodily fluids presumed to belong to the culprit
were found inside the victim's body.
If you would be so kind as to read aloud
whose semen was identified in the report?
This can't...
PARK TAEJOONG, VICTIM'S EVIDENCE SAMPLE
You said you spent seven minutes caring for a plant.
Sure you weren't filling the bathtub with warm water?
It seems like that would have taken seven minutes.
I...
It... It wasn't me.
I didn't do it.
I swear I didn't do it!
Mr. Park...
If you feel even the slightest bit of guilt toward the victim,
you could at least tell us why you did it.
What did she do to deserve such a horrific death?
No, Suji. I didn't.
Sir, please listen to me. I'm innocent.
It wasn't me, I swear!
-I didn't kill her! -Maintain order.
-Your Honor, you have to believe me. -Sit down, defendant.
It's not me. I didn't do it!
I... Wait, wait! Let go of me!
Your Honor, I'm begging you.
Please, believe me.
Oh, also...
That tree that you mentioned...
We asked the tenants about it,
and not a single one of them had ever seen it.
Perhaps this was just your imagination.
Your Honor. No, wait.
I swear I'm telling the truth!
Let go! Wait!
It's not me!
I didn't do it.
Order! Order in the court!
-Your Honor, it wasn't me! -This court will recess.
I have bad news.
Your lawyer quit.
Taejin is doing his best to look for a new one,
but no luck so far.
He said we had a real chance of winning.
The sentencing hearing is around the corner.
Suji.
I'm so sorry.
I'm sorry for everything.
Show me your right wrist, please.
What?
Where's the bracelet?
The one I gave you.
Oh...
Last I remember, I was wearing it.
-But-- -Where is it?
Where'd it go?
I'm sorry. I was so out of it, and...
Why are you bringing that up?
Why?
Why don't you have the bracelet I gave you?
Trust me.
I know in my heart that you didn't do it,
and that you could never do such a thing.
But if I find out...
-that there's a side of you I don't know-- -Hey, Su...
Suji, what are you...
What are you trying to say?
The lawyer told us...
that you have to show true remorse
in order to receive a lighter sentence.
Please, just tell me.
Tell me not to wait for you.
You know I'm not good at waiting.
Suji.
It wasn't me, okay? I...
I didn't do it.
Please don't give up on me.
The Manipulated