The Chaser (2008 Film)
The Chaser (Korean: 추격자; RR: Chugyeogja) is a 2008 South Korean thriller film directed by Na Hong-jin. The film stars Kim Yun-seok and Ha Jung-woo and follows the story of a former police officer turned pimp who attempts to track down a serial killer after his employees begin disappearing.
Plot
Jung-ho, a former detective turned pimp, becomes increasingly frustrated as his employees continue to go missing without settling their debts. He eventually realizes that the disappearances are linked to a specific client who has been requesting his girls. After sending one of his employees, Mi-jin, to meet this client, Jung-ho discovers that the client's phone number matches the last number called by the missing women. He sets out to find her and eventually encounters a man named Young-min. After a violent confrontation, Jung-ho captures Young-min, who confesses to the murders. Despite the confession, the police struggle to locate the victims, and Jung-ho must race against time to save Mi-jin before it is too late.
Production and Real-Life Inspiration
The film is based on the real-life serial killer Yoo Young-chul, who was convicted in 2005 of murdering 20 people. The screenplay incorporates several elements from the actual case, including the killer's method of targeting victims and the eventual discovery of his crimes through the suspicion of those involved in the sex trade. In the real-life case, pimps became suspicious of an anonymous client whose phone number was linked to missing women, leading them to notify a police acquaintance, which ultimately resulted in the killer's arrest.
Cast
- Kim Yun-seok as Jung-ho
- Ha Jung-woo as Ji Young-min
- Seo Young-hee as Mi-jin
- Kim You-jung as Mi-jin's daughter
