When it comes to the genre of crime, Korea are seemingly capable of churning out content until they are blue in the face. Tackling topics such as class divides, political corruption and power structures, the broadcasts mostly steer clear of unnecessary brawls and maladroit violence, instead favouring lengthy scenes of slowly disseminating dialogue. Additionally, whilst these shows habitually fall foul of cliché given their commonness on TV schedules, when executed correctly, they can be more than satisfying to consume.
With that in mind, given Korean crime shows are certainly not challenging to discover, it can be overwhelming finding the correct starting spot. Thankfully, with Netflix now owning the rights to a wealth of programming pertaining to the theme of criminality, we can offer some insight into the launching point for your journey into the genre's rabbit hole.
Signal (Kim Won-seok, 2016)
Upon the discovery of a mysterious walkie-talkie, criminal profiler Park Hae-young manages to solve a mysterious kidnapping case. From here, he becomes part of a new cold-cases team, along with Kim Hye-soo, who leads them. Using his discovery to not only solve cases but, as it turns out, prevent them from ever happening, the decade-spanning communications between the police officers manage to uncover the dark secrets behind the police force in Korea.
Inspired by famous real cold cases in the country, “Signal” is a sublimely acted, truly gripping piece of television.
Stranger (Ahn Gil-ho, Yoo Je-won, 2017)
Due to corrective surgery to fix his hypersensitivity, Hwang Si-mok loses his ability to feel empathy, and to socialise naturally. For this reason, he is resolute, but does not bend on his personal sense of justice. Hence, when the prosecutor encounters police lieutenant Han Yeo-jin, it is no surprise he does not want her getting involved in his own inquiries.
However, when the two do eventually pair up to tackle a serial murder-case, they are gifted more than they bargained for. Discovering widespread corruption across both the Prosecutor's office and the government itself, the pair secretly attempt to bring both to their knees.
Extracurricular (Kim Jin-min, 2020)
On the surface, Oh Ji-soo is the archetypal model student. Inherently shy, awkward, somewhat lonely but nevertheless a high achiever, his vapid personality even manages to grate on his homeroom teacher, who believes he should at least try and do some wrong whilst he is young.
Yet, little does he know that Ji-soo is already heading his advice, but to a copious degree. Away from his time studying, the loner runs a risky side-hustle as a glorified pimp, syndicating the prostitution of minors to wealthy beneficiaries. It has been a venture which has yielded mountains of cash, but the arrival of classmate Bae Gyu-ri into his life threatens to scupper his financial well-being. Now with more to worry about than his clientele and pay-checks, the young man faces a decision: just how far is he willing to go?
Bad Guys (Kim Jung-min, 2014)
Reinstated after a suspension for using excessive force to catch a criminal, Detective Oh Gu-Tak plans a bold mission. Using three convicts, all still with plenty of time left to serve, they must eradicate the toughest crimes in the city. Despite their complimentary skill sets, the improbable partners do not find it simple to carry out their missions. Gritty, layered, and somehow poignant, the appeal here is in the underlying intentions, not just the sharply executed, plentiful portions of bouts and brawls.
Defendant (Jo Young-kwang, Jung Dong-yoon, 2017)
Park Jung-woo is a loving family man. He cares for his wife and daughter in the same way most decent Fathers do. Moreover, he is a respected, no nonsense prosecutor. Thus, when it turns out he is in fact a convict on death row, accused of murdering his partner and child, one cannot help but to suspect something. Throw into the mix the fact Jung-woo now has temporary amnesia, failing to recall anything about the night of the crime, and you have cracked the set-up.
Jung-woo now strives to recover his memories and clear his name. Pinpointing the rich Cha Min-ho as his target, who has problems of his own, the protagonist enlists the assistance of unlikely comrades to achieve his goal. The question is, will he be able to execute his plan in time?
