A GLOBAL MASTERPIECE
FLOWER OF EVIL
GOES
AGAINST
THE GRAIN
A PSYCHOPATH
WHO IS NOT
A PSYCHOPATH
Global masterpiece Flower of Evil is not your usual drama on mental health and societal issues. It is about Do Hyun Soo, the eponymous psychopath portrayed amazingly by global actor Lee Joon Gi, who is accused of many violent crimes. He shockingly turns out not to be a psychopath. Directed by international award-winning director, Kim Cheol Kyu and written by the amazing Yoo Jung Hee, Flower of Evil is a unique, inventive, clever and gripping suspense-melodrama that goes against the grain of the usual mental health dramas. It turns out to be a step in the right direction; it is a turning point in genre history.
The intelligent,
mind-blowing drama is a metaphorical puzzle with not only many unpredictable plot
twists and diverse characters but also lots of contradictions, amazing symbolisms
and fascinating imagery.
 Lee Joon Gi, The Global Actor with a Thousand Faces, portrays Flower of Evil, a unique character
with two identities – the fugitive Do Hyun Soo and the fake Baek Hee Sung
while the remarkable Moon Chae Won portrays Cha Ji Won, his homicide detective
wife.
It has to be
emphasized that the storytelling is intricately plotted with plenty of
thrills and suspense; each surprise leads to another more startling surprise
in the fast-paced drama. The director and scriptwriter take a wicked delight
in misleading the audience. The viewers, who are forced to think and
question, are shocked by the eventual explanation. Inevitably, the viewers’
imaginative brain must be allowed to work; the viewers have to think and
interpret the tale for themselves. Some viewers take everything they see to be the gospel truth;
they have to be fully awake in order to enjoy and understand the full story.
In the end, they wonder at their
naivete and pinch themselves for having missed all those surprising details.
The young Do Hyun
Soo, played effectively by Park Hyun Joon, was tarred and feathered for the sins of his father. The young
boy was a timebomb waiting to explode.
Episode 4
Episode
13
There is scant information about Do Min Seok’s serial murders. In fact, there is none to tie the young Do Hyun Soo to any of his father’s crimes.
Do Hyun Soo fell under suspicion of being his father’s
accomplice at the instigation and machinations of Kwon Seong Bok, the evil
village headman and Yang Jin Tae, his equally immoral nephew. The villagers,
thus provoked, were eager not only to literally stone and curse the 18-year
old youth but also strip him of his humanity in the many exorcism rituals being
forced upon him. Perhaps, for those villagers whose relatives had been
murdered, the exorcism rituals which were carried out against Do Hyun Soo’s
will, were some form of closure; they could at least vent their rage on him.
 The local police might have been negligent in their duty in the murder investigations. It was likely that in that backward and laidback rural setting, they have neither the experience nor knowledge to deal with a serial murder case of such magnitude. They were outmatched by the complexity of the homicide investigation so the Yeonju serial murder case was conveniently closed after the supposed suicide of Do Min Seok, the psychopath father of Do Hyun Soo.
When it came to the psychiatrist reports, the psychiatrist who assessed Do Hyun Soo must also be chastised as his psychiatric assessment had been error-ridden. She, who was supposed to provide expert opinion on his mental health, could be accused of dereliction of duty. Was she lackadaisical or just inexperienced?
As the tale unfolds, one feels that the press, the Internet community, the local police, the psychiatrist and the village headman had all been caught in the intricate web of lies, untruths and rumours. It is disheartening and chilling to think that many were indifferent to the truth or perhaps ignorant of the truth. But, they were all guilty of being complicit in the crimes of the village chief.
The Yeonju serial killing case was full of tragedy so was the life of Do Hyun Soo, who also stood accused of the murder of the village headman. The life of the young man, was forever scarred by what happened to him. His life was almost ruined by the suspicion of guilt directed at him. And, his sister’s life was forever overshadowed by the village headman’s murder; the crimes should have been solved long ago. Suffice to say, unlike the local police, Team 3 of the Gangsu Police Station showed an exemplary attitude towards their investigations. Through their dedication, passion, professionalism and experience, they were able to solve the cases and Do Hyun Soo was exonerated of all the evil crimes.
The scriptwriter and the
director walk us through ‘Responsibility and Accountability’, ‘Truths and
Lies’, ‘Fact and Fiction’, Rumours, Opinions, Hearsay and the whole works to
help us understand the tale. The audience learn that one should be
responsible and accountable or else their deed or misdeed would return to
haunt them.
REPORTS
In Episode 7, though Cha Ji Won telephoned the psychiatrist late at night to discuss Do Hyun Soo’s psychiatric assessment, the civil servant was still working at her office. She must have been overworked. The case was from 18 years before. The psychiatrist must have
lacked experience then or perhaps, it was just a perfunctory assessment to
her. Civil servants who are guilty of dereliction of duty cause enormous
misery and suffering to others.
PSYCHIATRIST REPORT
There were some discrepancies in the psychiatrist’s reports. In the psychiatrist’s video-taped interview with Do Hyun Soo, the 13-year old boy admitted to throwing his neighbour’s puppy into a ‘well’ but the psychiatrist had erroneously reported that the puppy was thrown into a ‘river’. Was she sleeping on her job? This sets the tone on how the
audience should view all the reports on Do Hyun Soo.
How could the psychiatrist make such an obvious mistake? Can she not differentiate between a well and a river? There is a big difference between the two. The psychiatrist needs some Geography and General Knowledge lessons. The psychiatrist made a sweeping generalisation about the young
boy.
‘Do Hyun Soo shows a severe violence towards mammals.’
Cha Ji Won would reject this prejudiced statement. His only misdemeanour involving animals was throwing the neighbour’s dog into the well. The reason was the neighbour was nasty and mean to him. The psychiatrist was wrong in making such a condemnation based
on one incident.
 According to Episode 7, when Nam Soon Kil’s wife made wild accusations against Do Hyun Soo, her husband, Cha Ji Won explained, ‘Do Hyun Soo had a dog for about 10 years, and he even took care of its puppy.’ This showed that Do Hyun Soo had a love for dogs (mammals). It was totally unfair of the psychiatrist to plaster the label ‘Cruelty towards mammals’ on him because of one isolated incident. Do Hyun Soo was not a psychopath. ‘Psychopaths’, Cha Ji Won elaborated, ‘aren’t capable of taking care of lives that are weaker than them.’
In another general statement, the psychiatrist noted that Do
Hyun Soo was insensible and expressionless.
INSENSIBLE: Unable to feel something or react to it EXPRESSIONLESS: Not showing feelings, thoughts etc.
The psychiatrist was wrong again. He could show anger. Why did he feel angry whenever someone snatch his cassette recorder? He felt and reacted strongly to certain things. The voice in the recorder was the voice of his dead mother. Perhaps, Do Hyun Soo chose his battles. He only reacted to
those situations that were really important to him. The psychiatrist herself commented that Do Hyun Soo was usually quiet and kept to himself but becomes manic whenever that cassette player was involved. When she was asked by Cha Ji Won why he was attached to the cassette recorder, the psychiatrist told her that she did not know. She did not ask and did not bother to know. As a government servant who received a monthly salary, she lacked responsibility and accountability.
 The psychiatrist remarked that Do Hyun Soo was indifferent, lacked empathy and guilt. INDIFFERENT: having or showing no interest in something EMPATHY: ability to understand another person’s feelings, experience, etc. GUILT: the unhappy feelings caused by knowing or thinking that you have done something wrong Do Hyun Soo did not look defiant when he confessed to throwing
the dog into the well; he bowed his head in shame at his wicked act (throwing
the dog into the well) and thoughts, unlike the manipulative and wicked Baek
Hee Sung, who had thrown a brick at a dog. When Gong Mija, the mother of
Baek, admitted that it was her fault, Baek Hee Sung smirked. Moreover, when his sister, Do Hae Soo, killed the village headman, Do Hyun Soo was not indifferent; he aware of the implications and empathized with his sister’s predicament. He was anxious about his sister’s future, so he took the blame for her.
 
Do Hyun Soo was not indifferent to what had happened to him and what the village chief did to him. He was humiliated and felt ashamed. In order to face such horrible circumstance, he resorted to coldness as a defence mechanism. When he went back to the village with Kim Moo Jin, he was affected by the horrible memories. The question is, ‘Other than the dog incident, why should he feel guilt when he didn’t do anything wrong? He did not commit any wicked deeds after that or when he was older. In the serial murders, he was not his father’s accomplice. So, the psychiatrist’s assessment was wrong.
  When Nam Soon Kil’s wife called him a ‘heinous criminal’, Cha Ji Won told her that there were no eyewitnesses. She checked the criminal investigation report and ‘no one actually witnessed Do Hyun Soo doing the unthinkable’. Nam Soon Kil was a criminal; he cheated Do Hyun Soo of his
salary and tried to murder him. But, he lay his wrongdoings on Do Hyun Soo.
He spread monstrous rumours to his naïve wife
and Kim Moo Jin.
In a most astounding statement, the psychiatrist stated that Do
Hyun So showed signs of ‘Schizoid
Personality Disorder’.
The writer takes mischievous delight in misleading the viewers. The audience had wrongly assumed that Do Hyun Soo had ASPD (Antisocial Personality Disorder). Now it was finally revealed that the psychiatrist was convinced that Do Hyun Soo had SPD or Schizoid Personality Disorder. Even today, Schizoid Personality Disorder is one of the most underresearched and poorly understood disorders. 'Personality disorders describe long-standing and enduring patterns of behaviour. If it is diagnosed in a child or teen, the features must have been present for at least 1 year. A child or teen is undergoing constant development, personality changes, and maturation.' Do Hyun Soo was assessed by the professionally negligent psychiatrist. Whether it was ASPD or SPD, it was a totally wrong fit. A serious misdiagnosis. The audience should assess Do Hyun Soo for themselves.
The conclusion of the psychiatrist was Do Hyun Soo required psychiatric drug treatment. This recommendation was obviously wrong. He was misdiagnosed. And, such drugs can have terrible side effects.
THE POLICE REPORTS FROM WITNESSES
The prejudiced and narrow-minded villagers also made many statements which were deleterious to Do Hyun Soo’s future. Some of the witness statements were premeditated and deliberate
to sway the emotions and feelings of the villagers and colour the perceptions
of the police.
Byun Seok Ki stated, ‘I
was a neighbour for almost 10 years. But, I never once saw him cry or laugh.’
OMNISCIENCE. Could Byun Seok Ki consider himself to be omniscient. Or perhaps, omnipresent, another characteristic of God. His eyes and ears are everywhere. Probably, he had stationed himself at the windows or doors of
Do Min Seok’s house to watch the goings-on in the Do family home. It wouldn’t be surprising if Byun Seok Ki pointed his telescope or binoculars at their windows, front and back doors 24/7 for 10 years.
Another neighbour declared that he was always in his dad’s workshop. ‘Who knows what his dad might’ve taught him?’ That was another case of omniscience. How does this neighbour know that he was always with his dad? What the ‘witness’ meant was, like the previous witness, he was
also omniscient. If one were to study the Do home, there were lots of trees
and bushes and the Nosy Parker neighbour might be hiding there to observe him
24/7. But what was most significant about his comment it was full of sly innuendo.
‘Who knows What his dad might’ve taught him?’ This neighbour implied that the ‘Serial Killer dad had probably taught the son how to kill.’ One positive effect Do Min Seok had on his son was Do Hyun Soo had honed his marvellous metalcraft skills while with his father.
 
Yet another neighbour observed that Do Hyun Soo didn’t seem to care when he heard that they found his mother’s body. Perhaps Hyun Soo already knew what was going on in the house. His father had talked negatively to him about his mother who had fled from him. Was Do Hyun Soo’s numbness to the situation a form of defence mechanism? One supposes that the bereaved son had to make loud mournful noises and ear-splitting wails in front of the neighbours in order to appear truly sad. Did the villager expect the relatives of the dead to cry loudly and make a din to show that they cared about the deceased? How did the neighbour know that his mother’s death had not affected
him? During the telling of Do Hyun Soo’s story, the viewers were told that he
was obsessed with the voice (his mother’s) in the cassette recorder.
 In 1997, right before his mother went missing, she gave him the cassette recorder. When his father reported her missing, the police confiscated her belongings. He did not reveal that he had the recorder for fear that they might take it from him.
   But of all the misleading and sweeping statements, the most preposterous was the one about the village chief. ‘After Do Min Seok died, the village chief was kind enough to take care of the kids.’
 The village headman was erroneously overrated. The villager’s opinion was proven to be grossly and horribly wrong. The village headman was not kind; in fact, he was downright immoral and overly greedy. It was all hogwash. Do Hyun Soo and Cha Ji Won found out that Yang Jin Tae, the nephew of Kwon Seong Bok, the village chief, knew what was going on in the village. He disclosed that his uncle paid for the innumerable exorcisms taken from Do Min Seok’s estate, that is, the inheritance of the Do siblings. But, the payment to the shaman did not correspond with the amount which was withdrawn from the dead man’s account. The village chief had withdrawn 3-5 times the amount from Do Min Seok’s account. The exorcism rites were held so that he could channel the money
into his own pockets. In addition, the evil headman influenced Yang Jin Tae, his nephew to spread false rumours about Do Hyun Soo. Yang Jin Tae would kill a chicken, cut it open and placed it in a public place and then, spread the rumours that Do Hyun Soo was the culprit. Rumours that he was possessed by Do Min Soo’s spirit were spread. So, the exorcism rituals began in earnest and the village headman fattened his own pockets.
 All those exorcisms led to Do Hyun Soo being mentally, emotionally and
psychologically tortured. What was Do Hae Soo’s opinion on the matter? All of the people involved were demons except for Do Hyun Soo who was the only human being. The evil village head took Do Hyun Soo to exorcism rituals every day. He told people that Hyun Soo was possessed by Do Min Seok’s spirit. Assembling all the incensed and furious and resentful villagers, he got them all worked up against the young man. They were all foaming at the mouth and they blew up, raged at him and stoned him. Hae Soo cried, ‘No one in
that town that the demon Do Min Seok swept through is blameless when it comes
to Hyun Soo. When everyone else was becoming a demon, only Hyun Soo remained
a human being.’
In the end, the poor boy almost went unhinged. He started to believe that he was possessed due to the words of the village headman. The Big Lie. It seems that Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Propaganda Minister believed that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it. It then becomes the truth. Many are not sure whether Goebbels actually said that or not but the gist of it applied to Do Hyun Soo. After being gaslighted by the village headman and the villagers, Do Hyun Soo began to believe the lies, especially about being possessed by his father’s spirit and that he resembled his father who was a psychopath. Do Hyun Soo declared to his sister, ‘I can see Dad. He keeps talking to me from over there.’
Luckily, he didn’t have any conversations with the spectre.
So, what was wrong with society? The gossipy uneducated or lowly-educated villagers didn’t get anything right. They could not differentiate between fact and fiction. They were scandalmongers. Gossip and rumours become the truth. The corrupt and greedy village chief was the chief source of evil. Many people lack responsibility and accountability. Some, particularly the scandal monger nephew of the village chief, were deliberate in their machinations to spread lies. The local police’s lackadaisical attitude towards criminal
investigations was partly to blamed. Don’t forget the negligent psychiatrist with her reports that were error-ridden. Added to the list were sensation-seeking Nosy Parkers, like Kim Moo Jin, the Hanjoongan Weekly reporter who produced articles which were full of exaggeration to increase his popularity and get more ‘likes’. With the innuendos and the slurs, the rumour mill spun wildly like a tornado and it almost destroyed Do Hyun Soo’s life. One is surprised that many evil people, nasty people and people with mental issues seemed to gather in ‘Flower of Evil’. Like they say, ‘Birds of a feather flock together'. Could everyone have some evil in them? Perhaps, there is another message when the viewers watch the shamanic rituals in which the young Do Hyun Soo was forcibly made a public spectacle. Everyone is connected. People are connected to others but they are not aware of it. Do Hyun Soo was not guilty and yet, he was stoned and cursed. It must be repeated that the villagers, the local police, the psychiatrist etc who were indifferent to the truth or ignorant of the truth were guilty of being complicit in the crimes of the village headman. They had tarred and
feathered Do Hyun Soo. Should they be tarred and defeathered?
But, it is apparent that Do Hyun Soo was unlike many ordinary people. His traumatic experiences, painful memories or perhaps certain genes contribute to the development of his personality. Do Hyun Soo’s earliest memory was when he was 10 years old.
Before that, ‘It was as if I was lost
in a maze.’ Perhaps, the majority of people could remember at least, the
time they started primary school or remember their life from 4-6 years old.
 Society can be judgmental, full of prejudice and unforgiving.
Although some consider him to be a ‘hero’ for catching the serial killer,
others call him a ‘psychopath’ for deceiving and marrying an innocent woman.
 Do Hyun Soo is not your usual drama character and every viewer is left to interpret and analyse who Do Hyun Soo really is. Though the drama delves on serious issues, it has many humorous, witty and light moments. The director and cinematographer have a hilarious sense of
humour.
One example involves Do Hyun Soo and Park Kyung Choon, ably played
by Yoon Byung Hee. The latter
has been given some funny lines.
In Episode 5, he persuades Do Hyun Soo to meet him for ‘a date’
so that he could kidnap him. Their rendezvous would be at the fish pond.
‘There’s a nice inn by the fishing spot. I’ll pick you up in my
car tonight. I’ve been waiting for this first date. We both need time to doll
up.’
 But, what the viewers are also inordinately impressed with is the wealth of imagery and symbolisms in the drama. Some are self-explanatory and most are open to interpretation. Every viewer has different interpretations as their experience
is different.
THE FORKED ROAD ‘The forked road’ appeared twice in the drama, in Do Hyun Soo’s life as well as Baek Hee Sung’s life.
DO HYUN SOO EPISODE 2 The forked road first appeared in Episode 2. Do Hyun Soo chose the right road, the road that had made all the difference. If he had chosen the other path, his life would not have ended in the same way.
  BAEK HEE SUNG EPISODE 7 Baek Hee Sung also encountered his forked road in Episode 7.
 His car was turned away, with its back facing that forked road. He didn’t get to choose, did he? Was he denied a choice? Did fate dictate his life? He went back to his origins, the genes in his body.
BRICK WALLS
Brick walls, particularly the red ones, pop out everywhere in
the drama.
 The brick walls, according to Randy Pausch, are there to stop people who don’t want something badly enough. If they want something, they would surmount the problems, as represented by the wall. Everyone has a brick wall to
surmount in his life.
EPISODE 1 DO HYUN SOO-CHA JI WON’S HOME
 
EPISODE 2
WALLS THAT FLANK THE STAIRS
 
EPISODE 2
THE WALLS THAT FLANK THE CHEONGGYECHEON STREAM
Do Hyun Soo impersonated Kim Moo Jin who was supposed to meet
Nam Soon Kil to obtain some vital information. Do Hyun Soo stared at the picturesque scene from where he was standing. Two brick walls flanked the Cheonggyecheon Stream. Do Hyun Soo had another challenge in his life that he had to surmount.
EPISODE 4 SITE OF FIRST DATE
 EPISODE 5 HOMI VILLAGE GAKYEONGRI
  
EPISODE 6 THE DO FAMILY HOME
EPISODE 7
DO HYUN SOO-CHA JI WON HOME (BALCONY)
  EPISODE 7 DO HYUN SOO-CHA JI WON BEDROOM
EPISODE 7 THE DO FAMILY HOME
 
EPISODE 7 THE BASEMENT OF THE DO FAMILY HOME
 
EPISODE 10
DO HYUN SOO’S FIRST HOME-CUM-WORKSHOP
 DO HYUN SOO-CHA JI WON BEDROOM 
EPISODE 11 THE BAEK FAMILY MANSION
EPISODE 11 YEOM SANG CHEOL’S OFFICE
EPISODE 11 DO HYUN SOO & CHA JI WON
EPISODE 13 DO HYUN SOO’S CHILDHOOD HOME
EPISODE 16 A RESTAURANT     EPISODE 16 DO HYUN SOO-CHA JI WON’S HOME
 THE UNFINISHED BRICKWALLS What do the unfinished brick walls mean? Do Hyun Soo is an unfinished product of God and is still under construction.
EPISODE 2
THE CROSS
The cross is a Christian symbol of Christ’s death on the cross to save sinners. Director Kim Cheol Kyu probably refers to the Christian concept of man’s original sin when he says, ‘Everyone has a seed of evil in them. The way that seed shows itself is what determines whether that person is good or bad.’ The Do siblings finally met each other after 18 years. The
reunion would be another turning point of Do Hyun Soo’s life.
EPISODE 8
Episode 6
EPISODE 16
THE STAIRS
The ascent and the descent of the stairs, in Flower of Evil, could symbolise one’s journey, progress, growth and challenges in life. The director uses the stairs to
build tension and strong emotions.
EPISODE 2 Cha Ji Won in Episode 2 received a nasty phone call from Gong Mija, her fake mother-in-law, telling her that she wanted to cut off their relationship. The flight of stairs shows the challenges she had to
face in her marriage.
  EPISODE 2 THE STAIRS TO THE OLD LADY’S HOUSE If one ascends the stairs that journey is probably positive or purposeful. If one descends the stairs that journey might be negative, confusing, or depressing. But, it might be the other way round. In Episode 2, the viewer is told that Park Seo Young, the social worker, was forced to climb the many flights of stairs every day to the house of Jung Moon Ok, the rich, old lady. Her resentment and rage led to the murder of the old lady. The top of the flights of stairs symbolised ‘Hell’ and the bottom of the stairs was probably ‘Heaven’ to the social worker.
 EPISODE 1 In Episode 1, the one who was at the top of the stairs was considered to be powerful, while the one at the bottom was powerless. The father of Kim In Seo, a 12-year old obese boy, was suspected of pushing him down the stairs. The image of his father, who was at the top of the stairs, symbolised that he was all-powerful.
 
EPISODE 2 THE STAIRS TO THE BASEMENT OF DO HYUN SOO’S HOME When Do Hyun Soo overpowered Kim Moo Jin and kept him captive in the basement, his descent into the basement is looked upon as a descent into evil. He was in power and Kim Moo Jin was powerless.
EPISODE 7
THE STAIRS TO THE BASEMENT OF DO HYUN SOO’S CHILDHOOD HOME
In Episode 7, when Cha Ji Won invited her husband to return to his childhood home, the descent into the basement was hell for Do Hyun Soo. He was immediately anxious and confused. The top of the stairs was
‘Heaven’ and the bottom of the stairs and the basement represented ‘Hell’.
EPISODE 15
The descent into the basement of Do Hyun Soo’s childhood home was also hellish for the teenaged Kim Moo Jin. He saw a sack which he thought contained the moving body of a human being. He was immediately fearful, anxious and confused. When Do Min Seok explained that it was an elk, he was
unconvinced. The top of the stairs was ‘Heaven’ and the bottom of the stairs
and the basement represented ‘Hell’.
 FIRE
Fire symbolizes many things -
passion, anger, desire, resurrection, destruction and hell. The flicking of a flame evokes thoughts of passion and desire. It can also symbolize both death and life.
EPISODE 1 The burning fire in Episode 1 symbolises Do Hyun Soo’s work as a metal craftsman.
EPISODE 1
Fire has the ability to destroy and thus fire is often used as the symbol of destructiveness. In Episode 1, the fire in the
kitchen of a restaurant represents destruction because Nam Soon Kil intended
to spread false rumours about Do Hyun Soo to Kim Moo Jin in the hopes of
destroying him.
 
EPISODE 4
In Episode 4, the fire in the exorcism rituals leap and dance with reckless abandon. The unwilling participant, the young Do Hyun Soo, was dragged to innumerable shamanic ceremonies where he was cursed and stoned. Fire here symbolises anger, violence and
destruction.
  EPISODE 5
In Episode 5, Do Hyun Soo and Kim Moo Jin returned to their hometown in the hope of preventing the police from getting hold of Hyun Soo’s most recent photo, a 5-year old photo in the possession of a villager named Oh Bok Ja. Although Park Kyung Choon managed to obtain the photograph, Do Hyun Soo was able to wrest it from him and dump it into an outdoor fire-burning drum. The fire symbolises destruction.
 EPISODE 8 In Episode 8, Cha Ji Won overheard Do Hyun Soo’s conversation with his sister. He admitted that he didn’t love her. As a result, Cha Ji Won decided to let him continue living as Baek Hee Sung. She burned his past belongings which included his bag. The things were burnt to ashes. The fire symbolises the destruction of Do Hyun Soo's past.
  THE EYES
The 'eyes' (eye) in the drama probably symbolise the eyes of God. They represent the omnipresent spirit of God who watch over his people. Whatever people do, God has the all-seeing eye which watches man's actions. Nothing escapes Him. But to some people, they are the watchful eyes of a powerful being or more powerful beings. Eyes, whether God's eyes or electronic eyes, are everywhere in Flower of Evil because the audience are told that they are constantly being watched. There are even ‘electronic ears’ to eavesdrop on conversations. People commit crimes or misdemeanours when they know that they are not being watched. They forget that God watches. Criminals, like Baek Hee Sung, would choose a place without a CCTV to commit their crimes. But, Baek who was comatose for 15 years didn’t realise that the dashcam of a car would also record his wrong doings. It is not difficult to pinpoint 'the eye' or 'the eyes' in the drama. What they mean is open to interpretation.
EPISODE 1
 EPISODE 1
EPISODE 4
EPISODE 7
EPISODE 7
 EPISODE 7
 EPISODE 7   EPISODE 7
EPISODE 10
 
EPISODE 10  
EPISODE 10
 EPISODE 10
EPISODE 12   
EPISODE 12
EPISODE 13
  
EPISODE 15
 REFLECTIONS MIRRORS & REFLECTIVE SURFACES
One is constantly reminded of reflections in Flower of Evil. The use of the mirror imagery and symbolism is striking. Mirrors, glass, glass windows, glass panes and other reflective surfaces are powerful reflection tools used to assess the attitude and behaviour of the characters. Mirrors are used by the characters to reflect their own physical images but some, like the social worker, love to preen themselves in front of the mirror. Do Hyun Soo sees himself grow, develop and feel through his reflections in the mirror. When Do Hyun Soo watches himself in the mirror, the mirror watches him. Is what he sees reality and the truth about himself? The message is a reminder to the audience to constantly reflect on their lives and evaluate themselves spiritually.
EPISODE 1
   EPISODE 1
    EPISODE 1
EPISODE 1
 
EPISODE 2
 EPISODE 2
  EPISODE 2
In Episode 2, Do Hyun Soo had to use the mirror to train himself to smile.
 
EPISODE 2
 EPISODE 2   EPISODE 2
    
EPISODE 3
    EPISODE 5
  
EPISODE 6
EPISODE 6
 
EPISODE 6
 
EPISODE 6
 
EPISODE 7
EPISODE 7
EPISODE 7
 
EPISODE 10
 
EPISODE 10
 
EPISODE 10
 
EPISODE 10
    EPISODE 10
 EPISODE 10
  EPISODE 16
 
THE SKI ALPS RESORT
In Episode 8, the Ski Alps
Resort on Goseong near the DMZ symbolises reunions, that is, the reunion of
the Do siblings after 18 years.
Episode
8
Episode
6
Episode
6
CIRCULAR GRAVE
THE CIRCLE OF LIFE
In Episode 12, the real Baek Hee
Sung had no qualms about burying Do Hyun Soo after his car crashed into him. The injured man was dragged into the circular grave dug out in the lawn of the family mansion by the psychopath. Do Hyun Soo lay immobile almost in a foetal position.
But, Gong Mija, shocked by the real character of her son, knifed him. Baek Hee Sung lay prone on the soil. The circle is an unbroken line; it has no beginning and no end. It is the symbol of God, the cycle of time and life, a process of transformation from death to birth, ending, and beginning. Do Hyun Soo woke up and assumed the identity of Baek Hee Sung. The real Baek Hee Sung fell into a coma which lasted 15 years.
   
WATER
Do Hyun Soo seemed to have undergone a water baptism and his
life changed.
EPISODE 1 & 5   THE HOUND DOG BRAND LEASH
THE DOG LEASH
The Hound Dog brand leash, the MO for Do Min Seok’s murders, symbolises death. It is his method for subduing and killing his victims. In the end, Do Hyun Soo trapped his nemesis with a similar leash and nearly killed him. It can also symbolise mind control. Do Hyun Soo seemed to be
controled by his father’s spectre who always held that type of leash that he is
identified with.
EPISODE 2
 EPISODE 4
EPISODE 5
 EPISODE 16
 DUALISM
The
drama emphasises dualism. Dualism is
about duality or two opposed or contrasted aspects of something. Dualism also
refers to the religious doctrine that the universe contains the opposed
powers of Good and Evil or God and the Devil. In the Flower of Evil, it is clear that the characters are imbued with dual characteristics, good and evil. The character posters clearly depict this aspect of duality. Dualism is symbolised by 2 similar objects.
EPISODE 5
In Episode 5, there is the reflection of two lights from the
police car in the fish pond.
EPISODE 5
In the same episode, the viewers are shown two roads, two
parallel roads which then meet and then cross each other.
  EPISODE 5
There is another image of duality with two taps and two
water pipes with water flowing out.
 EPISODES 5 & 10
In Episodes 5 and 10, there is an image within an image. Two
doors. Dual images.
EPISODE 5   EPISODE 10 
THE MASK EPISODE 5 In Episode 5, the ‘mask’ that Do Hyun Soo had been wearing, fell off in the near drowning incident. It foreshadows the unmasking of the metal craftsman. People tend to wear a mask that hides their real identity; they choose to let it down only around a very small number of people who have earned their trust. Do Hyun Soo has something to hide because he had assumed another person’s identity. He did not show his authentic self to Cha Ji Won, his wife, as it made him vulnerable. When she knew about his real
identity and accepted him, he let his guard down.
 BARRIERS & WEBS
There are many instances that the characters of the tale are
shown behind barriers, wire netting, wire grids or webs; it is as if they are
being trapped by their personal difficulties.
EPISODE 1
   EPISODE 2
 
EPISODE 5  
EPISODE 10
  In Episode 13, Do Hyun Soo was lured into a trap. A spider is used to illustrate this point - the spider's web.
  SKELETON IN THE CLOSET
The drama emphasizes that people have skeletons in their closets. Embarrassing or shameful secrets. The Baek family has a skeleton in their closet, their murderous
son, Baek Hee Sung who had fallen into a coma because his mother knifed him for his cruelty.
EPISODE 13
  EPISODE 2
Do Hyun Soo also had one such closet. He lived under an assumed
name. In Episode 2, he tried to hide his secret, his real identity. He had imprisoned Kim Moo Jin, the reporter, in the basement of his home. But, he hid Kim Moo Jin’s bag in his secret closet.
 THE 2 BASEMENTS Two different basements are featured in Flower of Evil. One appeared in Episode 1 of the drama. Do Hyun Soo kept Kim Moo Jin captive in the basement of his house.  The other basement lies beneath Do Min Seok, his father's house. Do Min Seok kept his victims in a cage in the basement.     THE MARRIAGE VOW THE WEDDING RING
The wedding ring is emphasized again and again in the drama. The wedding vows, as symbolised
by the wedding ring, express the couple’s love and commitment to each other. By wearing their weddding rings, Do Hyun Soo and Cha Ji Won are handcuffed together for life.
ROMAN CATHOLIC According to
the Rite of Marriage, the customary text in English is: I, ____, take you, ____, to be
my (husband / wife). I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in
sickness and in health. I will love you and honour you all the days of my
life.
ANGLICAN I, ____, take you, ____, to be my (husband / wife), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy law, in the presence of God I make this vow. The drama continuously emphasizes the marriage vow so the marriage of Do Hyun Soo and Cha Ji Won emerge miraculously intact after each cliff-hanging episode. Marriage is a dance.
EPISODE 1
EPISODE 10
EPISODE 16
 
 ARTISTIC DETAILS
A lot of colours, artistic and creative details, like
interesting paintings, swathes of designs, lines, amorphous shapes, geometric shapes and
metal work flood the tale. There are there for viewing pleasure and
speculation. Many are self-explanatory.
COLOURS RED EPISODE 7 Blood is red. In the story, red spells danger and violence.
In Episode 7, the spilled red drink spread like blood on the floor.   EPISODE 2 In this scene in Episode 2 which shows a beautifully decorated Chinese restaurant, red denotes happiness as it is a celebratory colour for the Chinese. The exciting scene, which is filled with violence and danger, shows Park Kyung Choon killing Nam Soon Kil with a red and black Hound Dog brand leash.
EPISODE 7 EPISODE 6 In this scene, the swimming pool is a filming site. The red in the background denotes violence. An actor lies heavily injured on the floor of the swimming pool.
BLUE EPISODE 2 Blue is used to paint a sad picture of the drowning scene. Water is associated with blue. The tiles in the pool are blue. Do Hyun Soo seems to be clothed in blue - blue shirt and pants. The bluish-white colour of the mannequins in the shop has a surreal or eerie feel.   
EPISODE 15 Green is used to speak of greenhorns. The young Kim Moo Jin was innocent, naive or inexperienced and had to agree with Do Min Seok that the body in the bag was that of an elk. Perhaps, he was in fear of Do Min Seok.
EPISODE 2 This scene shows the naivete of the detectives who believe everything that was told to them by the social worker, a female psychopath. YELLOW Yellow is used to paint pictures of the past. Memories. EPISODE 5 EPISODE 5   EPISODE 9
  EPISODE 10   EPISODE 10   
White represents coldness in the following series of pictures. Some images seem to be 'covered in a thin blanket of snow'. Park Seo Young, the social worker, killed the old lady in a cold-blooded manner. Cha Ji Won, the detective, confronted her coldly and gave her a frosty dressing down. EPISODE 2
    A CLASH OF COLOURS EPISODE 6
There is a clash of colours in this scene. A tragic scene which expresses many emotions. Green and red are complementary colours and they create a great contrast. Red is for danger and violence. Green refers to those who are inexperienced, young and wet behind the ears. Green behind the ears. In this scene, Baek Hee Sung had committed a traffic offence. He was using his phone while driving. His car ploughed into Do Hyun Soo while he was on the phone. He wanted to send Do Hyun Soo to the hospital but he was prevented from doing so by the victim himself. He was confused; he had mixed, conflicting emotions. He called his father but his calls were unanswered, so he decided to bury Do Hyun Soo in the lawn of their house. The scene depicts Baek Hee Sung as someone who is young, dangerous and inexperienced. The message is: Never use your phone while driving.
  LINES EPISODE 2
  EPISODE 11
EPISODE 16
GEOMETRIC SHAPES
EPISODE 7
EPISODE 7
EPISODE 11
BREATHTAKING CINEMATOGRAPHY
EPISODE 2 In Episode 2 the reporters who harrassed Do Hae Soo are shown to be horrible ghouls on the glass pane of the door.
  EPISODE 5
Episode 5 shows two stunning images: the distorted
image of Do Hyun Soo and an image of Park Kyung Choon resembling a blind ghoul.
   
EPISODE 11
In Episode 11, Kim Moo Jin, portrayed with great humour by Seo Hyun Woo, and gangster Sung, played by Park Kwang Jae were in an exciting confrontation outside Yeom Sang Cheol’s employment office. The very tall and beefy sidekick of the gangster boss seemed to have transformed into a giant. The awesome image of the two can be compared to that of David
and Goliath or perhaps Aladdin and the Genie.
 
EPISODE 12
In Episode 12, Baek Hee Sung, played remarkably by Kim Ji Hoon, suddenly morphed into a giant. The startling image strikes fear into the hearts of the audience.
 
EPISODE 15
In Episode 15, Do Hyun Soo is portrayed as a dark spectre, a silhouette which shows that humanity had leached out of the man and he had metamorphosed into a monster. It is horrifying to think that the metal craftsman not only wanted to butcher and carve Baek Hee Sung but also to dismember him for murdering Cha Ji Won, his beloved wife. The audience must have been gripped by fear at the sight of the gruesome spectre. Do Hyun Soo's dreadful silhouette makes one's hair stand on end.
 EPISODE 11
There is magic and fantasy in
this image. At first, the lamp post seemed like a monument or some kind of
structure but on closer inspection, it is a mere lamp post. Is it or isn’t
it?
PARRALEL STORIES STUNNINGLY NARRATED EPISODE 2
In Episode 2, two stories, one about Detective Jaesup played by Choi Young Joon, and the other about Park Seo Young, the psychopathic woman, played by Lee Ju Yeon, are being told simultaneously. The plot is fiendishly
inventive; the parallel stories merge and the audience are breathless and
surprised at the unpredictable but entertaining twist. Night and Day, and Good and Evil are strikingly contrasted. The exciting cinematography makes the telling of the stories unpredictably exciting.
 LIFE IS A JOURNEY
THE STREAM & THE RIVER SYMBOLISE LIFE
In Episode 2, Do Hyun Soo was at the Cheonggyecheon Stream supposedly to meet Nam Soon Pil. He impersonated Kim Moo Jin, the reporter, and spoke to Nam Soon Pil, his former co-worker who had, in the past, tried to murder him for a few pennies. The stories he disclosed about Do Hyun Soo could be lies that could not be verified. The guilty Nam feared that Do Hyun Soo would kill him. His
fears about Do Hyun Soo were the ghosts which returned to haunt him. The real threat was from the unhinged Park Kyung Choon, a taxi driver, who finally killed him. Perhaps it was just desserts that restaurateur met his end in this way. He was one of the reasons why Do Hyun Soo’s future was changed. Do Hyun Soo, who fled from the would-be murderer, ran headlong into Baek Hee Sung’s car. He later assumed the identity of the comatose Baek Hee Sung.
 
Do Hyun Soo stared at the picturesque scene from where he was standing. Two brick walls flanked the Cheonggyecheon Stream. Do Hyun Soo has another challenge in his life that he had to surmount. As Do Hyun Soo stood there, one wonders whether he was facing upstream or downstream. One assumes he is looking upstream, to the source of the river, a stream. He was looking back at the beginnings of his life, the source of his story in the past. The viewers are reminded that
his sister had given him a keychain with a gold fish, a lucky symbol. It had more than brought him luck. It had indeed given him a new identity, a
beautiful and loving wife, and a cute daughter.
 
That ‘gold fish’ is actually the
golden carp to the Chinese and the Koreans. To the Japanese, it is called
Koi.
The golden carp is an important motif in Chinese culture. The carp can be distinguished by having a pair of barbels (whiskers) at each corner of its mouth. Carps can sometimes change into dragons. Stories tell of a brave carp who swam upstream against the powerful force of the Yellow River. He fought his way over waterfalls and rocks all the way to the source and leapt over the Longmen Falls at Dragon Gate. He was rewarded by being transformed into a dragon who flew into the sky. Do Hyun So was staring at the Cheonggyecheon Stream. He was looking back to his past. Would he, like the carp, be resilient and be able to fight his way to overcome insurmountable challenges and difficulties and be transformed into a ‘dragon’? The river, is a metaphor. It is the symbol of the great flow of life itself. Small mountain streams, which are the sources of the river, depict the beginnings of life. The Cheonggyecheon Stream, perhaps reminded him of the beginnings of his unfortunate life, which had been caused by Baek Hee Sung and Do Min Seok, his father.
When the river meets with the ocean, it symbolises the end of life. When Do Hyun Soo fought with Baek Hee Sung at the edge of the cliff, his life could have ended.
But it was the other man who died; he was shot to death.
The cliff scene is stupendous and full of meaning. The drama shows us the meeting of the river with the sea. The river, a symbol of inevitability, swirl and surge and push forward to its final destination.
 The spectacular climactic scene of the tale in Episode 15 ends with the drama’s most beautiful song, ‘Feel You’ by Shin Yong Jae.
FEEL YOU SHIN YONG JAE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO-IDgofK70
THE HOUSE THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING
Do Hyun Soo and Cha Ji Won’s house is fully filmed at the end
of Episode 1 and Episode 16. The two-storey house has 3 levels: the basement, the ground floor (Am: 1st floor) and the first floor (Am: 2nd floor). The basement is used to store tools, old things like Eun Ha’s baby things. It is the secret place where Kim Moo Jin is locked up. Violence and aggression can happen here. The ground floor is Do Hyun Soo’s metalcraft workshop. This is a public place where customers can visit, a space where Do Hyun Soo shows his amiable public side. The first floor is the living quarters of the family. This private place is filled with warmth, peace, happiness and love. The house reflects Do Hyun Soo’s multi-layered character. The cinematography is spectacular. Watch how the camera weaves its way around the house in both scenes.
THE BEGINNING
 THE ENDING
HEPHAETUS GREEK GOD OF FIRE AND METALWORKING  LEE JOON GI THE ASIAN 'GREEK GOD'  DO HYUN SOO METAL CRAFTSMAN
 LEE JOON GI THE GLOBAL ACTOR WITH A THOUSAND FACES
The superb portrayal of Do Hyun Soo by the globally popular and famous Lee Joon Gi has won many hearts. His versatility, awesome acting talents, his stunning athleticism and his gorgeous looks are envied by many stars. Other actors pale in comparison to him. Lee has portrayed many landmark roles in his career and with his latest achievement, Flower of Evil, he has further cemented his status as a world actor, ‘The Global Actor with A Thousand Faces.’
It must be stressed that without the rest of the team, the
drama would not have such a far-reaching impact.
Flower of Evil, a perfect package of mystery, action, humour, tragedy and terrific performances, is a unique thought-provoking drama. The drama is a remarkable achievement; it possesses a tightly integrated plot and arresting artistic images. What is significant is the unique way Flower of Evil explores mental health and the duality in human nature. Director Kim Cheol Kyu has also created some of the small screen’s most lasting and haunting imagery which includes a striking but chilling dark silhouette of Do Hyun Soo who is ready to strike Baek Hee Sung dead, Do Hyun Soo being buried in a circular grave, the image of a rhinoceros in the glass panel of the Alps Ski Resort in Goseon near the DMZ, a stunning reference to the Greek god, Hephaetus, whom Do Hyun Soo identifies with, and other astounding images. Flower of Evil, the drama of the year, is a global masterpiece.
Everyone has a seed of evil in them. The way that seed shows itself is what determines whether that person is good or bad.
- Director Kim Cheol Kyu -
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