Special Crime Investigation - Murder in the Blue

Foreword
I always feel that Koreans are unable to make good detective dramas. Does this drama change my mind?

Story

A car accident happens right outside the blue house and all policemen suspect it to be drunken driving. The driver has delivered puffer fish to the blue house earlier. The traffic controller, Han Su suspects something amiss. President Jung is meeting the Russian president for the peace talks. Hui Yeong passed the exam 2 years ago to become the chief investigator. She is unhappy when Han Su is sent to help her.

The chief chef, Yi finds his assistant Seok Kyu hanging dead in the hostel. Seok Kyu is known to be an individualistic. His time of death is from midnight to 2am. His blood is sent to the lab. The two’s hearts nearly stop when President Jung walks past and Han Su nearly salutes to him. The president’s secretary, Choi has wanted them to check on the case secretly.

It is revealed that Seok Kyu dies of sleeping pills overdose and he has a girlfriend in the blue house. She is Ji Hae Yeon – the presidential guard. She is still sour over this ugly rumour – this ruins her chance to escort the first lady. She maintains that she doesn’t kill Seok Kyu to make it look like suicide. Hui Yeong feels strange as she has not mentioned that he is dead.

Hae Yeon claims to get the sleeping pills because of insomnia. Reporter Kim from A agency snaps the photo of t he corpse being taken away. Sangul group’s CEO was killed and Hui Yeong’s father, Park checks on the case. He is kidnapped and not found till now. His colleagues do not know how to proceed with the case. President Jung is getting old and Reporter Kim suspects that he is sick.

Seok Kyu has blackmailed her with her naked photos taken with him. So there is a motive for killing and Hui Yeong detains her. Han Su checks the telephone number and finds that it is from a missing person and not Seok Kyu. Did someone else do it? Dr Ju asks to meet Choi for the Sangul company balance sheet. Choi goes to Annex B to find Ju’s slashing of his wrist and dead. Choi leaves secretly.

No window is sealed and the two detectives see people protests on the way to the blue house. Dr Ju is the president’s personal doctor. There are differences in the blood stains in the bathtub he sits in. Han Su wonders why there are two kinds of blood stains on the ground and why is the tap left running. He takes the two blood samples and feels that Hae Yeon is innocent even though he finds a tape of her walking out at night the fateful day.

Choi claims to see another bodyguard, Jue Hyeon walking out of Annex B the other day. Jue Hyeon claims to play chess with Yi then. He isn’t so stupid to wander at night. He sees Choi too – he can’t ask him why he goes there so he asks him the time. Choi is also there at 11.55pm. Park’s chief refuses to check on the Sangul case because too many tragedies happen and they don’t gain access to the file.

Hui Yeong wonders why the blue room seals the case. Park has been after a mob boss, Ha Dugul and gets involved with his mistress. They have been to Trojan Country Club then. Dr Ju’s death time is between midnight and 1 am. Choi is closest to the President and he has no alibi. There is no fingerprint too. Han Su wonders why Hui Yeong pushes herself so hard. Han Su is going to resign in 3 months’ time. He doesn’t mind working under a woman.

Choi only admits that he is too shocked over the deaths. His smile fades when Han Su wants to check his handphone. The police chief forbids him from doing that and Hui Yeong gets mad. Han Su wants her to understand him – he still has younger school children and can’t afford to offend Choi.

Lady Jina is angry with President Jung to send their own son to prison. She wants a divorce when his term is over. They are at a function when he suddenly has a heart attack and has to be sent to hospital. The news later claims that he has recovered. The autopsy results on Dr Ju shows that he has an overdose of sleeping pills so there is no need for further autopsy since he dies of excessive bleeding.

The detectives find a will which sounds as angry as Seok Kyu. He can never forgive him. He wants to take him but he will leave him alone. The blue house forces the editor to take the corpse photo off the net. They can only publish it one week later or they will sue him for tax evasion and libel cases. General Jang replies that his subordinate has lost. The editor has guessed that it is a murder case and he admits it.

Hui Yeong insists that she can protect herself although Han Su gives her his number. Still, she promises to call him when she is in trouble. Park’s friend, Moon tries to check on the case but is caught by the gangsters. He calls Hui Yeong but she doesn’t answer. They confess to Moon that President Jung has played golf with the Sangul CEO and is nearly dead after a failed assassination.

It is widely heard that President Jung has stomach cancer. He rejects treatment till the peace talks are over. Jina is angry that he keeps from her to still want to go for jogging in the morning. It is found that Captain Oh dies in his sleep when he doesn’t turn up for the jog. Han Su goes to the hospital to visit a sick boy. All check Oh’s room. The note – he must have owed the person money to show anger in it. But why are the doors and windows locked? There is a wrapper of medication that he has used for suicide in the dustbin.

Han Su wonders if it is a powered medication. He then smells the toothpaste and toothbrush to demand the team to take them back for checking. Kwak sees Hui Yeong and snaps at her poor ability to solve cases. Hui Yeong thinks Choi is involved in the misused funds case so Oh blackmails him. Choi wants to be Seoul mayor and might commit a murder over this.

Han Su thinks the killer places the wrapper there on purpose. Oh doesn’t drink for days in his room as the flask is still full. The killer sees it but leaves it because he doesn’t know when he will drink the water. His closet is also clean so he chooses to put the poison on the toothbrush. Sure enough, the autopsy shows that the poison has penetrate through his gums. His guess is right. Hui Yeong regrets insulting him that he isn’t a good person for this case. He agrees since he is a traffic controller and this is not a good placement.

Hui Yeong misses Park and talks about him. He has an affair with Ha Dugil’s girlfriend and uses her to check a case. This hurts her as she prefers him to get killed. Han Su tells her to trust Park. He confesses that he has taken a bribe and that is why he must resign soon. Someone places President Jung’s medical record and Choi’s photo online. The police discovers Moon’s corpse and Hui Yeong is upset.

His last message is to tell her not to check on the case anymore. Suddenly a person points a knife at her back and forces her to drive to a sports complex. He is Ha Dugil and she demands to know Park’s whereabouts. He doesn’t tell so she secretly puts the handphone on the floor to dial Han Su’s number. It alerts him to rush there after hearing their conversation.

Ha Dugil confesses killing Park before he calls the police. The affair is a lie – he only did as told. Park finds out something he should not know. When Dugil is about to reveal it, he is killed by a hitman. Hui Yeong decides to review the suspects again. The public wants clarifications and the talks should suspend. Hui Yeong knows what the killer wants – the president.

The killer targets at the talks but Kwak forces them out, refuses to believe them. Han Su also finds this possible. The killer must be from the blue house as he shows exceptional skills. Both are helpless to do anything. The results of the blood samples show that animal blood is mixed. It is pig blood. He rushes to see the lab assistant. He finds another substance on Ji. When it is mixed with puffer fish poison, it delays the death hour. Han Su looks at a can of tuna that he is eating.

The assistant replies that he gets it from the blue house. Kwak takes out his gun given to him by someone in the blue house. Han Su recalls the car accident – the driver is from a food company – is there a link? The editor gets a fax that the news should be out the next day. Others make another guess – Ji’s parents are killed by North Koreans so he comes alone to South Korea.

Hui Yeong looks at the suspects through the screen. Hui Yeong thinks that the killer is Kwak. This doesn’t prove that he is a serial killer. All are under his influence to listen to his order. He can also block information from the public. Kwak admits to both killings although he doesn’t carry it out. 40 years is enough to hate President Jung but he will not kill him since he is from the military.

He only wants Choi to tell President Jung that he is sorry before hitting his head with a bullet from his gun.
Yi is now cooking in the kitchen. Han Su charges in to stop Yi from serving the soup to President Jung. He must be the killer. Han Su has found his testimony different. He has tied a wire from the outside window as a pulley. He also adds drugs to Seok Ryu’s drink, put the rope around his neck and walks out to cook. He kills him when it is about time. The only witness is the beetle near the window Han Su finds the last time.

As for Dr Ju’s murder, it is easily explained. When Choi sees him, he is only sleeping in the bathtub. Choi brushes off the suspicion. Moreover, all food must go through Yi. The blood from the wild boar is killed for the Russian President’s barbecue party. Yi wants to frame Choi for it but the running water will not clear all the blood. They have evidence and all pint at him but they have wasted their time.

Han Su has recalled chatting with a chef earlier on. He has mentioned that Yi is the only chef besides Seok Kyu who can prepare pufferfish. When the guards are out, Yi can sneak into his room to put the poison. There is something that he can’t figure out – who is his accomplice who gets in and out freely? Yi protests but Han Su snaps that this is the final murder scene. The weapon is the soup on the table.

He can drink it to prove his innocence. He is about to drink it when Ji tells him to stop. He is her uncle. President Jung sees her and calls her Mi Ju. – she is his illegitimate daughter whom he abandoned. Jina comes in – she drives her mother away to the US to forbid her from returning. President Jung doesn’t know about it but Ji asserts that he is the cause of her pain.

She fires a shot at President Jung but Han Su subdues her with handcuffs. The shot hurts Hui Yeong’s arm as she shields President Jung. The newspaper is going to publish the news but the distribution is stopped. On the way to the operating theatre, Hui Yeong murmurs that she almost ruins it. They play reverse roles. He uses the brain while she only uses her body. So is her choice good to save the president? Han Su waits anxiously for the operation to end.

Yi is brought to the station for questioning. He was his younger sister’s guardian and only sibling. He almost killed himself after she eloped with a married man. He waited for her return but she returned as a dead body after 20 years. He finds out who ruins her life and he only thinks of revenge daily. He grows Chinese monkhood to kill but the deliveryman from the food company knows it. So he kills it.

Oh sees the rope outside Seok Kyu’s room so he blackmails him. Yi kills Ju as all food gets to him before going to President Jung. Ju is ambitious to taste every food like a court lady. Ji claims that her mother is pretty but died ugly from suicide. She did not cry when she was cremated but she cried when knowing President Jung fathered her. The editor decides not to sell the news to keep the real truth as a secret.

The talks end smoothly. Jina doesn’t know what to say to President Jung. Can he forgive her? He hugs her – yes as this is all his fault. His health is failing so he decides to step down from his post and go to U.S. for treatment. Hui Yeong visits Park’s grave and meets Choi. She has recovered Park’s body to bury beside Moon. Han Su has resigned and Choi is driven out of office but he will start with a pure heart.

Han Su isn’t the one to take the bribe – his colleague did for his sick son. The family runs into trouble when he is killed. So he takes the blame so that they can receive annuity. Han Su opens a café. Hui Yeong asks him if he feels unfair for not being recognized. She has gotten a medal for the case. He replies no so she gives him a kiss as a reward. He is overjoyed and both have a nice chat for the afternoon.

Introduction on characters

1. Sergeant Kim Han Su – Yoon Tae Young
Han Su is a traffic controller. He ruins his chance of staying in the police force by taking a bribe. Thus he has to resign within 3 months. But the truth is he takes the rap for a dead colleague. Still, he is very dedicated to his job to try his best to break the case. Although Hui Yeong keeps criticizing his methods, he tolerates her and looks into the minor details that she has missed.

Tae Young acts very well as the wise cop but his certain fighting scenes in subduing Ji are too stiff. Maybe he is untrained in fighting skills so they turn out to be unconvincing.

2. Inspector Park Hui Yeong – So Yi Hyun
Hui Yeong is pretty and looks demure. But she climbs up the ladder fast as a high flyer to be an inspector within 2 years. She idolizes her father to follow his footsteps. Thus she is very impatient and often takes people by face value. She comes across as arrogant to most people. But Han Su doesn’t doubt her ability, calling her boss all the time and follows her instructions. She soon realises that Han Su is the capable one and admires his talents to work as partners.

Yi Hyun looks convincing as the cop. However, some scenes when she breaks down for example because of her father makes her look too weak. Especially when Dugil is killed and blood is splattered onto her face, she seems too shocked – even more surprised than knowing that her father, Park is dead.

3. Jung Heon Seok – Park Geun Hyung
He is an unhappy president. He might be ruling his country but he lost his health, mistress and daughter to be an unhappy man. Jina treats him badly after knowing his affair and when their son is sent to prison. Luckily their ties improve when she knows about his illness and Ji’s failed assassination.

4. Lady Yi Jina – Lee Hye Sook
She is the first lady. We can’t blame her for chasing the mistress away because there is the need to hide the truth for her own interest. Only when she realizes that President Jung is in danger, then she discovers her concern for him.

5. Secretary Choi Ran – Ahn Suk Huan
He is President Jung’s right-hand man. He is involved in the bribery case but certainly he has no guts to kill anyone. Being ambitious, he only cares for his future. When President Jung steps down, he also loses his job but he becomes a better person.

6. Yi Hae Min – Park Yong Ju
He is the blue house top chief but he has another identity. He is Ji’s uncle and also President Jung’s bitter enemy. He hates him for ruining his only younger sister’s life so he seeks to get jobs for himself and his niece. She becomes his best accomplice in crime. He plans the assassination for a long time but never expects another person to have the same interest as him to dispose President Jung.

7. Ji Hae Yeon
She is the blue house’s bodyguard. However, her concealed identity is also Yi’s niece and President’s Jung’s illegitimate daughter. Although Seok Kyu doesn’t die in her hands, she is still indirectly connected to his death. She goes through all hardship to wait for this day to kill her father but her plan backfires.

8. Oh Jue Hyeon
He is a bodyguard who looks righteous and observant. But he is also a jerk. He knows about Seok Kyu’s murder and blackmails Yi about it. He never expects that a killer strikes more than once when provoked. And worse when he dies without knowing why and how.

9. Detective Moon
He is Inspector Park’s colleague and also close to Hui Yeong to treat her like his daughter. Concerned about her safety, he risks his own life to check on Park’s missing case on her behalf. A pity that he dies in the midst of the investigation to upset all.

10. General Kwak
He is as ambitious as Choi but he doesn’t show it. He is just too proud to kill President Jung with his own hands. Knowing Yi’s plot, he allows it to happen repeatedly. He is involved in the bribery case so Park must die in the bodyguards’ hands when discovering his scheme. He thought that the blue house influence can stop this from making known to the public but he is so wrong. He pays with his own life in the end.

Conclusion

This drama solves 2 cases – the outcome is quite unexpected. But the plot can be similar to Wesley’s Snipes’ movie ‘Murder at 1600’. Still, it creates enough suspense and we see the links between the different characters when the murders are committed. There are not many characters so it is easy to follow the story. If you want something different from the soapy or romantic dramas, this drama offers you a choice.

Sukting’s ratings :

On acting : ***1/2 (Scale of 5)

On story : ***1/2 (Scale of 5)