살인의 추억
"The worst of them will stay with you... forever."
Memories of Murder - Movie Quotes
Memorable Quotes
서류는 거짓말 안 해.
— Seo Tae-yoon
Context:
Seo says this repeatedly throughout the first half of the film, particularly when arguing with Park about his unscientific methods and his focus on baseless hunches over hard evidence.
Meaning:
"Documents never lie." This is Seo's mantra, encapsulating his faith in evidence-based, rational investigation. It stands in stark contrast to Park's reliance on intuition. The tragic irony is that the final document—the DNA result from America—fails to provide a conclusive answer, effectively lying by omission and shattering Seo's worldview.
Well... kind of plain.
— Schoolgirl
Context:
In 2003, Park Doo-man, now a civilian, revisits a crime scene. A little girl tells him another man was just there looking at the same spot. When Park asks what he looked like, she delivers this hauntingly simple line.
Meaning:
This description of the killer's face in the final scene is the devastating anti-climax of the entire investigation. After years of searching for a monster, the truth is that the killer is utterly ordinary and non-descript. This line crystallizes the film's core theme: evil doesn't always have a monstrous face; it can be horrifyingly mundane, hiding in plain sight.
Fuck, I don't know.
— Park Doo-man
Context:
After the DNA results fail to incriminate Park Hyeon-gyu, he is allowed to walk free. In a dark tunnel, Park stops him and stares intently into his eyes, trying to get a definitive read. When he finds nothing, he collapses in frustration and shouts this line.
Meaning:
This exclamation marks the complete breakdown of Park's self-assured worldview. After the inconclusive DNA results release the prime suspect, Park confronts him one last time, looks into his eyes as he always does, but for the first time, his "shaman's eyes" fail him. He can't see the truth. This moment signifies his ultimate defeat and the destruction of the only investigative tool he ever truly trusted.