Dark Figure of Crime (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Kang contacts Kim months after his initial arrest, claiming he has murdered six more people. He refuses to talk to the detectives who handled his case because he believes they fabricated evidence to wrongfully convict him. Kang uses this information as leverage to negotiate better prison conditions and a reduced sentence in exchange for details about the other victims.

Foreshadowing: The film hints early on that Kang is manipulative and uses information strategically to control outcomes.

• kang
• prison
• negotiation
• murders
• kim

Kim agrees because he hopes to uncover real evidence that could either prove Kang's innocence in the original murder or expose corruption among the homicide detectives who handled the case. When Kim discovers proof that the detectives indeed fabricated key evidence, it validates his decision and leads to charges against them.

Foreshadowing: Kim's initial meeting with Kang establishes his willingness to bend rules for truth.

• kim
• kang
• investigation
• evidence
• corruption

Although Kang leads Kim to partial remains and confesses to killing Oh Ji-hee, DNA testing reveals the remains do not belong to her. Additionally, Kang claims during interrogation that Kim used coercion and bribes to extract false statements. Without matching DNA and with questions about the investigation's integrity, the prosecutor has insufficient evidence to indict him.

Foreshadowing: Locals warning Kim that Kang cannot be trusted foreshadows this legal failure.

• oh ji-hee
• dna
• remains
• conviction
• kang

Park Mi-yeong had moved to the city with her young son and attempted to break up with Kang. This act of trying to leave him precipitated her murder. Kang's pattern involves controlling and violence against women who attempt to exit his life, which aligns with his psychological profile as a serial killer.

Foreshadowing: The IUD clue in the crime scene photo eventually leads Kim to connect Park's disappearance to Kang.

• park mi-yeong
• girlfriend
• murder
• leaving
• kang

Kim and Jo link Kang to Hwang's murder by pushing her down a flight of stairs, but the trial relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Without direct witnesses or physical proof connecting Kang to the crime, he escapes conviction. The failure results in Kim's demotion and Jo's transfer to narcotics.

Foreshadowing: The case file discovery builds hope, making the ultimate failure more impactful.

• hwang
• circumstantial evidence
• trial
• conviction
• kang

Kim is demoted following the failed Hwang trial, where circumstantial evidence was insufficient to convict Kang. His relentless pursuit of the truth despite obstacles takes a professional toll, reflecting the film's theme about the cost of seeking justice in a flawed system.

Foreshadowing: Earlier warnings from his mentor Song about the case's risks foreshadow this outcome.

• kim
• demotion
• career
• Hwang case
• justice

While clearing his desk, Kim notices an IUD birth control implant in an old crime-scene photo. This detail prompts him to compile a list of women who had IUD implants around the time of the murders. The search leads him to Park Mi-yeong, Kang's former girlfriend, who has gone missing after attempting to leave him.

Foreshadowing: The seemingly minor detail of the IUD becomes the breakthrough that cracks the case open.

• iud
• birth control
• park mi-yeong
• clue
• evidence

Kim learns from Kang's older sister that Kang killed their father when he was a boy, and she helped cover up the murder. This revelation explains Kang's trajectory into serial killing as an adult. However, the statute of limitations has expired, so this crime cannot be prosecuted, highlighting the limits of justice.

Foreshadowing: The mentor Song's warning that Kang is crafting an innocent persona gains depth from this darker truth.

• kang
• sister
• father
• murder
• childhood
• statute of limitations

Kang refuses to cooperate with the detectives who handled his original case because he believes they manipulated evidence to wrongfully convict him of his girlfriend's murder. He only agrees to speak with Kim, whom he видит as potentially impartial or someone he can manipulate more effectively.

Foreshadowing: This distrust sets up the cat-and-mouse dynamic that defines the investigation.

• kang
• detectives
• distrust
• manipulation
• confession

Kim tracks down Park Mi-yeong's teenage son, who had witnessed his mother's murder, and brings him to testify in court. This testimony, combined with the accumulated evidence of Kang's pattern of coercion and violence against women, results in Kang being sentenced to life imprisonment for Park's murder.

Foreshadowing: The IUD clue that led to Park's discovery ultimately becomes the key to his conviction.

• kang
• life sentence
• son testimony
• park mi-yeong
• conviction

Oh Ji-hee is a former swimmer who is forced to work at a nightclub in the village to support her grandmother. This detail establishes her vulnerability and the desperation that makes her a target for Kang, who works as a cab driver transporting her away from the city.

Foreshadowing: Her vulnerable situation makes her an accessible victim for Kang.

• oh ji-hee
• nightclub
• grandmother
• swimmer
• vulnerable

The exact motivation isn't fully explained, but Kim discovers evidence proving the detectives fabricated key elements of Kang's original case. This corruption leads to formal charges against the detectives and a reduction in Kang's sentence, though it also complicates the investigation into his other alleged crimes.

Foreshadowing: Kim's initial skepticism about the case's integrity proves justified.

• detectives
• fabrication
• evidence
• corruption
• charges