The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea is a new Netflix documentary series. This documentary series follows an intensive investigation by the ginseng country’s police to apprehend the perpetrators of a heinous crime that is one of the first known serial murder cases in South Korea.
For those of you who have watched the thriller drama film The Chaser (read the review here) the presentation that is set out in the three episodes of this documentary series may be familiar to you. The reason is, it is no longer a secret that the film directed by Na Hong-jin, starring Kim Yoon-seok, Ha Jung-woo, Yeong-hie Seo, and Kim Yoo-jeong, is indeed inspired by this case.
Like most documentaries about other criminal cases, in The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea directed by John Choi, the detectives and criminal profilers of the country of ginseng, including Park Ki-ryun and Kwon Il-yong who handled the case reveal how they investigated the murder and finally brought Yoo to justice.
The documentary series also explains that at first, when this case began to receive serious attention from the local police, in South Korea the concept of “serial killer” was something relatively new. However, after several cases were found to have some similarities, the police could not help but admit that the same perpetrator was behind this crime. As police from several different police stations in Seoul investigate, the killer continues to kill. Sometimes only a few days apart.
It was later revealed that the perpetrator of this heinous series of murders was Yoo Young-chul, a man with violent tendencies. Using blunt weapons, Young-chul’s victims were originally elderly people. Only then did he start targeting women (often commercial sex workers). Serial killer Yoo Young-chul killed at least 20 people from 2003 to 2004 across the South Korean capital, specifically targeting female sex workers and the wealthy elderly.
In carrying out his actions, it can be said that Young-chul’s motives initially confused investigators. The reason is, his actions were not based on financial need or other ordinary criminal acts. From his victims, he never seems to take anything, be it money, jewelry, or other valuables. However, when he is finally apprehended, Young-chul claims that his motive was his hatred of women and the rich.
Also in the documentary, there are several sessions where the killer immediately becomes the narrator of his own story. Which in a way, this adds to the level of horror itself, because it’s clear that he shows complete disregard for other humans and of course, it also highlights his “motive” (if you can call it that) which is his love of killing. He goes from killing every month to every week as his need for “that feeling” increases! You’ll also learn how he got rid of the corpses in his brutal and disgusting method of killing and disposing of corpses.
The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea Like many real crime series on Netflix, The Raincoat Killer is a thorough and well-written documentation of the acclaimed Yoo Young-Chul. The three episodes work well to tell the bigger story, with some clever narrative about Korean history and culture at the time. Unlike some Netflix docs, The Raincoat Killer never goes beyond its acclaim. With each episode being around 45 minutes or so long, the three parts complement each other well and tell a much larger story that certainly resonates to this day.
Visually, The Raincoat Killer uses a combination of light recreated footage, crime scene photos and maps to help pinpoint general areas. Each crime is marked by an ever-increasing tinge of blood, which also reinforces the level of homicide this man committed – especially during May and June 2004. If you haven’t heard of the case, strap yourself in and prepare for a very gruesome journey. The Raincoat Killer is a terrible and terrible case that slips into Korean culture and refuses to stop until the end of the last episode.
The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea can be watched on Netflix
