CASE
1
ONLINE
TRANSACTION
THE
LITTLE RED CAR
(THE PARK
IN HYE CASE)
 When Park In Hye was kidnapped, her phone was thrown away by the unsub (unknown subject). 
Her mobile phone had been retrieved by the police.
Kim Hyun Jun went to the place where her last mobile phone
signal had been detected. Being a capable police homicide detective, he wanted
to investigate Park In Hye case without the unnecessary interference particularly
from the NCI, against whom he harboured a grudge. He still blamed them for
the deaths of the EOD members.
 He made a mental note that there were no CCTVs nearby. 
His instincts told him that the abduction took place around
the area.
 
Perhaps Kim Hyun Jun was blessed with extraordinary intuitive
abilities or psychic perception.
In his mind’s eye, he could see Park Ing Hye when she boarded
the unsub’s car.
He looked around for further clues. He seemed to be guided by
his intuition.
Referring to the reports, he knew he had to check out the last
place that she used her credit card, Café Soo.
 
He scouted around the café to get a feel of her presence and
to retrace her steps.
 
Park In Hye must have contacted the unsub with her tablet.
It was raining the day she disappeared. If the driving rain
did not let up, most passers-by would not be aware of her presence.
 
He imagined following her as she rushed to meet the unsub.
He looked around watching for clues that might draw his
attention to what she might have done on that fateful day.
 
He did a-360-degree turn both ways, making observations and
gathering first-hand information on her last few moments before she was
kidnapped.
 
He hoped that his observant eyes would not miss anything vital
in his search for the missing girl.
Nothing escaped his notice. The CCTV outside a shop should
have recordings of the activities that had happened on the sidewalk that very
day.
He requested to examine the video evidence in the recorded
footage of the surveillance camera. In the playback, he saw her walking past the
shop lot. Was he doing some forensic video analysis?
He retraced her steps and restudied the CCTV records of the
scene of the incident.
When he arrived at the crossroads, he studied the fixed focal
length of the CCTV.
   
Stopping at a red bin, he studied it. His awareness was jolted.
That place was a blind spot.
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KIM HYUN JUN
READ LIKE A BOOK
THE HOMICIDE DETECTIVE
AND
THE NCI PROFILER 
Whilst in the midst of analysing the event, Ha Sun Woo
suddenly loomed large in Kim Hyun Jun’s presence. She too was there to gather
some information concerning Pak In Hye.
The two officers from opposing teams looked at each other in
distrust.
 
When he saw his report on the Park In Hye case in her hands, he
was amused. His eyes narrowed as he observed her.
Kim Hyun Jun was not new to strong women but Ha Sun Woo looked
like a serious woman driven by purpose and determination. She was familiar
with her stuff and was very aware, observant and thorough, traits needed in
profiling work. But, he was not lacking in those areas. In fact, he had large
doses of those traits.
He admired her persistence and tenacity. He looked quizzically
at her side profile. His gaze lingered on her face. Could she sense that he
was committing her beautiful features to memory?
Was it due to his inflated ego or sense of humour when he
asked in his flippant tongue-in-cheek manner,’ Were you following me?’
 She did not think it was of any import to respond or retort to such trite and annoying remarks. It would lower her self-respect and he would think that she was flirting with him. 
She kept reading the report. Surprisingly, when she was almost
done, she did not look up but queried, ‘This is your case report, right?’ His
eyebrows must have lifted.
He was curious. ‘Why do you have my case report?’ She ignored
him and looked around the area.
They were standing at the traffic lights. She looked around
and guessed that the missing girl must have turned off her handphone around
that spot.
They shared their opinions on the case. The spot was where
Park in Hye must have been overpowered by the unsub.
He speculated that the victim must have boarded the unsub’s
car in that area. Since it was at the roadside, she would not have felt
uneasy about it.
Although surveillance cameras are no strangers to most people,
those who are not observant may not have noticed that certain places are
blind spots. And, the place where they were standing was a blind spot.
The mastermind, was of course, intelligent enough to know all
that.
Ha Sun Woo dominated the conversation by expounding her
theories. She was not just a pretty face. But, was he threatened by her
intelligence?
  
His observation of her, with his eyes moving all over her face,
was an expression of quiet disbelief that brains and beauty could fit into
the body of the lady profiler. But, what a woman!
He was exasperated when she continued telling him about her
investigation of Pak In Hye’s handphone and not letting him butt into her
one-person conversation.
He was maddened by the way she was so caught up with her
opinions as if he did not exist. She gave him the impression that he was her
sounding board albeit a mute one. She probably did not see it fit that he
should be given a chance to voice his important insights into the case.
When, at last, she relented to hear his views, he made sure
she knew his name.
She soon learnt that he had an over-sized ego. He launched
into an arrogant boast that he knew whatever she had mentioned, meaning she
should have something different to tell him.
  
He even had important advice to offer her. There was no
denying that his tone was condescending when he suggested that she finds out
why the unsub and the victim came back to the place.
  
Kim Hyun Jun already knew the reason and provided it himself.
He had correctly deduced that Park In Hye had gone for a test drive. Having
graduated as the top profiling trainee in the police academy, it must have
been easy for him to arrive at the reason.
 The detective must have thought that he had impressed Ha Sun Woo because the very next moment, she even offered him a ride in her car. 
Ha Sun Woo had already made a quick observation, one that he
was oblivious of.
He would soon be sorry for his repugnant retort “Why should I
ride in your car?’
As she walked off, he was clearly smirking at her. Was she
interested in him? His question was immediately answered.
The next thing he knew, he was running after his car which was
being towed away for illegal parking.
KIM
HYUN JOON
THE
POLICE DETECTIVE
PROFILED
Vulnerability. If he could, Kim Hyun Jun would have slunk off
in shame but what else could he do but abashedly accept her offer of a ride. By
then, his cocky smirk had fled and his swelling pride suddenly deserted him.
He eased himself gingerly into her car. As he slid down into his seat in Ha
Sun Woo’s car, he unconsciously slumped against his seat with one hand
propped against the window.
Unlike the confident NCI profiler who was sitting ramrod
straight in her driver’s seat, the homicide detective, feeling small,
miserable and thoroughly embarrassed, sank lower in his passenger seat. There
were no signs of the straight and macho posture or the confidence of a police
officer.
The humiliation of Kim Hyun Joon was complete when the lady NCI
Behavioural Analyst positioned herself as the omniscient profiler.
‘When did you start thinking Park In Hye’s case as more than a
missing case?’
This time round, he did not want to talk as he might choke in
humiliation.
Kim Hyun Joon felt even smaller and less confident as the
kilometres went by. Complacent that she had his complete attention, the
self-possessed profiler began pointing out his traits one by one based on her
keen observation of him.
He sat there resenting the fact that she was putting him under
her profiler’s microscope. Trapped in the confines of her car, he didn’t
stand a chance against her as she started listing his peculiar habits.
His nightmare had begun. She was literally and figuratively in
the driver’s seat and asked casually, “Were you in the Special Forces? She was
toying with his emotions as she already knew the answer.
She just wanted him to know who was in charge. His eyes had
chilled.
 
‘You look around whenever we turn a corner because it’s an old
habit from special training.’
  
‘The unique tie knot of your shoes must be a symbol of your
troop.’ Is there a special knot for the
combat boots for each of the seven brigades of the Special Forces?
How did she know that the different units of the Special
Forces Brigade have special symbols? Ha Sun Woo must have also known that Kim
Hyun Jun, as an operator of the Special Forces had
undergone training in high-skilled weapon handling and parachuting.
He would also have achieved a black belt in Taekwondo and / or
other martial arts.
Kim Hyun Jun was beginning to feel dejected and insecure. His
feelings must have yo-yoed crazily but his controlled emotions but tense
expression showed that he was displeased with her accurate profiling.
Having been provoked, he reacted brusquely and told her to
stop her useless profiling. He didn’t believe an ounce of it.
A glint lit up her eyes as she continued to humour herself. She bulldozed her way with her analysis of his character.
‘Your way of talking and your mannerisms make you like a
strong man on the surface.’
 
Her words conjured up an image of a strong man on the outside
but he was actually very vulnerable. He cringed. Was it her speciality to
erode his self-confidence?
By now, the normally serious NCI profiler was smiling. Kim
Hyun Jun was already infuriated by her determined efforts to reveal all his
secrets. But, when she went into a detailed analysis of his handwriting, he
was quite incensed.
 ‘However, your neat handwriting, the consistent angles, and the detailed numbering of your report shows your meticulous character.’  
How dare she trespass into his privacy! It was hard to defuse
his rising anger as more of her comments fuelled it.
Her eyes shone brightly like two luminous pools. She seemed to
be happily gloating in the fact that she understood all his psychological
traits and insecurities.
Sparks of anger flared in his eyes. He pursed his lips in
exasperation. It was a rare moment of vulnerability. His throat must have
hurt as he swallowed hard. She was driving him crazy.
What the heck’s the matter with her? He stared ahead in
wounded silence.
The triumphant Ha Sun Woo’s profiler brain was churning out even
more juicy details.
She practically crowed when she blurted out, ‘There’s a high
possibility that you’re trying to hide that personality.
 
Driven by his total silence which she assumed was a sign of
submission, she became bolder and doled out even more surprising stuff about
him. Had they been in a public area, he would have tried to zip her mouth shut.
Or yanked her pony tail.
 
‘You act tough because you didn’t have male siblings or a
father when you were young.’ She must have touched some raw nerve there. He
swallowed. His facial muscles twitched.
Acting tough? Did she imply it was all a pretence? No man
wants to be accused of pretending to be tough.
One could sense he was internally trembling with rage.
Kim Hyun Jun was read like a book by the lady profiler. Her persistence in exposing him showed that she had no mercy
towards him. She failed to grasp the fact that she shouldn’t poke her nose
into his business. Has she no respect for his privacy?
 
His response was forthright. ‘You don’t care about others’
feelings!’
He was provoked into action. Fire suddenly burned in his eyes.
His subdued demeanour had changed.
Kim Hyun Jun failed to understand why she was determined to
speak everything in her mind.
He ascribed it to arrogance on her part. Miss High-and Mighty!
Her tone had needled him. Though he had been bowled over by the accuracy of
her profiling, her conceited tone had goaded him beyond measure.
Surprisingly, he did not give her the evil eye.
But, not to be outdone, he also could not ignore the natural
profiler in him. If it was her intention to make him join in the sport of
profiling in the very first place, he was game for it.
Being egoistical, Kim Hyun Joon could not allow a mere woman
to walk all over him with her analysis of his personality. He now rose to the
challenge of profiling her despite being opposed to profiling.
It soon proved not to be funny at all as Ha Sun Woo’s opponent
had graduated at the top of his profiling class at the Police Academy.
KIM
HYUN JUN
GUESSING
OR
PROFILING
The profiler was being profiled by the homicide detective. Kim Hyun Joon was surprised by her prying interest in him.
Much as he admired the accuracy of her analysis, he would not
allow his ego to be bruised. She did not expect his retaliation.
 
Kim Hyun Joon’s sneering look would have shrivelled her had
she glanced at him. His reason had shut down.
Kim Hyun Joon was magnificent in his vengefulness. His tone
was dripping acid when he practically sneered at her, ‘You are probably an
only child’.
It was a good dressing down. The meaning was clear. He had pointed out that she had the tendency to touch things that did not belong to her, Furthermore, her tone of voice indicated that she was a pampered
brat and used to having her own way. But, it was just a guess. He might have
hit bullseye but where was the actual evidence?
 
‘Your car has no accessories at all, not even an air
freshener. It makes you seem like a neat person on the outside but a
complicated person on the inside.’ It might probably be true but did his
profiling sound convincing?
 
Was Mr Smarty-pants saying that he had sniffed her out? Was
she all pretence? Neat on the outside, a real mess on the inside? Really? Was he saying she was all messed up inside
her head? He could practically hear her internal gasp.
One could now detect the dancing lights in his eyes; he was
secretly enjoying her discomfiture. One could imagine a victorious beast
preening and prancing in his head. Ha Sun Woo should have stopped her car by
the roadside and given him a tight slap and some tongue-lashing!
A dangerous glint had appeared in her eyes. She wasn’t amused.
Did she want to throttle him?
Then, turning to rake her face, he goaded her with the
question, ‘Do you have any family problems?’ She must have recoiled from his
sardonic query as her expression had changed instantly. Her cheerful feelings
had ebbed away. But he couldn’t have seen her trying hard to banish her
tears.
Kim Hyun Jun had discovered her weakness, her Achille’s Heel.
If she had turned, she would probably had given him a smack right across his
pouty lips.
Did he realise that he was arrogant? How could he
shame the NCI lady even though she had been in the wrong? He was certain that
when he took a swipe at her family problems, he had hit bullseye. The smile
from her face was completely wiped out.
He did not realise that he had crossed the line because he was
unaware of the choking sensation that had probably gripped her. She was hurt
at the mention of her family. Far too many secrets.
Was Kim Hyun Jun a profiling genius or, was it just an
educated guess?
But one thing was certain, he swept away any chance of her
hiding her problems under his scrutiny. He wouldn’t know of the problems in
her family life, would he?
By the nonchalant look of his face, he was oblivious of the
fact that he had hurt the poor lady! What an insensitive brute!
Fortunately for them, she received a call requesting her to
return to the office as there was an order from the powers that be that the serial
killer investigation had been transferred from the Police HQ to the NCI
(National Criminal Investigation). Probably, they trusted the judgement of
the profilers.
A minute more of his talk, the cool profiler would have lost
her cool and he would have gotten an earful of her venom.
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ARROGANCE AND VULNERABILITY
KIM HYUN JUN
In his scenes with Moon Chae Won, Lee Joon Gi, as Kim Hyun Jun, showcases both
emotions, arrogance and vulnerability with wit and humour. In fact, their
interaction is hilarious.
You might recall the scene in the car which draws the most
attention in this episode. The KNP (Korean National Police) homicide detective and the NCI (National Criminal Investigation) profiler
have been profiling each other. It was evident to the viewers that it was ‘A
Battle of Great Profiling Minds’. Think of them expertly unlocking each
other’s well-guarded secrets. Therein lies their vulnerability.
Kim Hyun Jun’s vulnerability wobbled as his hidden insecurities were dragged out into the open. His confidence faltered. His uneasy countenance
showed that his insides must have gone mushy with emotion. Why couldn’t Ha Sun
Woo hold her tongue? She was too rude and direct. She thought she had him all
figured out. One sympathises with him.
But, she had underestimated him. And, for her erosion of manners,
she’d got as good as she had given. Her character gave ‘smoke and mirror’
vibes, but he could see through her and let it be known. He was as arrogant as her. One gets irritated
with Kim Hyun Jun and wishes that he was kinder to her.
Ha Sun Woo held her fury in restraint but one day she might lose
control and take him to task for his imprudence that day. When the day comes,
who would the audience side with?
The two actors do not disappoint: they have proven that they
could make their dialogue exciting with their brilliant performance. Tom and
Jerry? No, no. They have been behaving like The Cat and The Dog. It is not
surprising to see the dog with the sharp wit and tongue having his last word.
Imagine him after winning the profiling match: He was wagging his tail
excitedly after humbling the resentful cat whose tail had drooped between her
legs.
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CRIMINAL MINDS KOREA
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