"As your aim is academic documentation, rather than to raise a social issue," "I'll share a very objective perspective." "After the '88 Olympics, we were at the height of capitalism, a crucial watershed moment." "Population in rural areas decreased drastically," "And rural youths felt conflicted and deprived with the surge of consumerism." "It sounds odd but they were angry at an undefined enemy." "After growing up in the closed rural society, they were exposed to a new and strange world seen on color TV." "I dug deeper into their minds." "Some were descendants of Kang Hang, the faithful royal officer who committed suicide, during the 1592 Japanese invasion." ""Weird", I thought." "Descendants of a loyal subject committing such a heinous crime after 300 years." "Yeong Gwanghas always been a renowned Confucian town." "Home to many great Confucian scholars and officials." "The hopeful new year 1994 has begun." "After the 1st year of the new Civilian Administration, the era of change and reforms, the new year will turn the challenges of globalization into an opportunity" "for the nation's great leap forward." "Good evening." "Today is Thanksgiving Day when we make our wish to the full moon." "but our top news is about a shuddering shocking crime," "that'll make you wish for a safer society without violence." "The Jíjon Clan case happened from July 1993 to September 1994," "when leader Kim Gi-hwan and 5followers killed 5 people." ""Jíjon" means "most revered" in Korean." "After their arrest, they claimed they committed their crimes due to rage towards the wealthy, but all _their victims were ordinary civilians, none _whom were wealthy." "This film highlights Jíjon Clan as in humane killers and the fact that they claimed" "contradictions _ capitalism as the motile of their brutal crimes." "The press says you coined the term "Jijon Clan."" "Right." "Tell me about the background of the case." "At the time," "Go Byeong-cheon former Chief Detective Violent Crimes Unit, Seocho Police Stn." "Go Byeong-cheon former Chief Detective Violent Crimes Unit, Seocho Police Stn." "they under went tough training before committing a crime." "they under went tough training before committing a crime." "They wore headbands that read "Jijon" during the training." "The group's name was initially "Maskan."" "They even had a self-titled code of conduct booklet." ""Maskan" means "ambition" in Greek." "Do you remember their code of conduct?" ""Maskan" means "ambition" in Greek." ""The rich shall be loathed,"" ""Traitors shall be killed at all cost,"" ""We'll continue to kill until we each make $1 million,"" "and "no woman shall be trusted, not even your mother."" "Kim Hyeon-yang, murder suspect My only regret is I couldn't kill more." " Why?" " l didn't get to fulfill my dream." "A 21-year old victim alerting the police led to solving the case." "She was kidnapped with her 31-year-old boyfriend near Seoul." "She was gang raped by the suspects, and forced to help killing her boyfriend, as well as shoot another abductee with an air rifle." "Thinking she was now on their side, the criminals had let their guards down." "she used the chance to escape and alert the police." "The victim, Ms. Yi, was a waitress at a small pub I frequented at the time." "I also knew everyone who came to the station with her." "She came at midnight, I was returning to the station after a stakeout when my beeper rang, so I sent an officer to go see." "O Hu-geun former Detective Violent Crimes Unit, Seocho Police Stn." "He told me to check up on the girl and I did." "O Hu-geun former Detective Violent Crimes Unit, Seocho Police Stn." "I thought she was stoned, saying bizarre things." "I thought she was stoned, saying bizarre things." "Like something out of a comic or novel." "I listened to her but it was beyond ridiculous." "Stuff like burning people," "Cutting their throats, dismembering bodies with knives." "Sounded like she was talking gibberish." "I said, "Are you high on drugs?"" "Such a case was unthinkable at that time." "Even a film director like you couldn't have imagined it." "I asked her for one undeniable fact to prove her story." "Then," "She said she was involved in killing a man, but was forced into it and only did it to survive." "Her story became more credible then." "I knew then she was telling the truth." "That's when we began taking her statement." "It was just before the Thanksgiving holiday." "That's right." "We were not like cops now a days." "We were dying for a big case to solve." "We were desperate for a huge case." "I knew it was an opportunity and I had to do my best." "We needed support, so I asked my fellow detectives." ""We got a big one, a chance for a promotion."" "But everyone said no, because of the holiday." "So it was just our team." "The traffic was terrible, 2 days before Thanksgiving." "So we only drove on the shoulder lane." "Our team had I men." "We were in 3 cars." "Their hideout was painted in pink, quite prem." "Why?" "We were told later, they wanted their place to seem ordinary, not like a criminal hideout." "That's why they made it prem." "The door was wide open." "In the basement of the 10O_ house, there was a reinforced steel cage, and 1 _ incinerator for burning bodies." "Police found out later in the basement the abductees were killed," "and their bodies were dismembered and burned." "On the ground floor, were a storage unit and a room which the group shared." "The victim's car was found dismantled in the storage unit." "We arrived at 1 or 2 a.m." "We drove by the house 2 or 3 times to scan the vicinity." "We had field walkies, ones that dance club waiters used." "Waiters?" "You know, club waiters use them to communicate." "It has a range of 2km." "We bought and used them." "Did you really buy them?" "Of course." "Really?" "They weren't confiscated?" "Well..." "Let's say we paid the right price." "We began our stakeout in 3 cars, about 500m apart." "At around 6:30 a.m.?" "All the dogs in the quiet village began barking" "due to our presence." "We were strangers there." "We decided to pull out." "We turned around and passed by an oncoming car." "Our eyes met theirs, and we felt something immediately." "'They figured us out,' l thought." "So we chased after them and crashed into them." "into Kang Dong-eun's car?" "Yes, we chased on foot, and caught them." "They confessed to evening right there." "Those who despise the poor, the rich kids of Gangnam I regret getting caught before killing them." "Stand in a row!" "Stand in a row!" "Front row, sit!" "Stop pushing!" "How do you feel?" "I killed the wrong people instead of those I should've killed." "I deeply regret not killing those I set out to kill." "Where did you get the money to build this house?" "Roughnecking." "Working as a laborer?" "Yes." "Was it for your mother?" "No." "For this." "How do you feel about your mother?" "I deeply regret not killing her myself." "Get back!" "Get back!" "What more is there to say?" "I'm worried that all this will bother my neighbors." "Get the fuck out if you got the shot!" "Move, if you got the shot!" "We all need the shots." "What the hell!" "Get back!" "Stop!" "Sit!" "Sit!" "What the fuck!" "I'm not human!" "I ate the flesh alone." "Why did you eat it?" "To give up my humanity." "Who did you want to kill?" "Rich snobs." "Anything to say to them?" " Can I really?" " Of course." "The boys got agitated in front of the press, saying reckless things like," ""l gave up my humanity," "I'm sorry I couldn't kill them all."" "So the brass ordered to restrain the media." "How fiercely did the media compete to cover the story?" "I had never seen the like." "There was no space to interrogate, reporters were swarming and clinging to the windows, listening in using a wiretap." "We didn't give the media any of the new case details." "Then one day during an interrogation, we heard a window smash." "They broke the window and barged in." "They couldn't be controlled at all, so we had no choice, but to take them into jail and interrogate them there." "We stayed there with the suspects." "And we became quite close." "They called us "big brother."" "I asked them what they wanted for lunch," "They said "black bean noodles,"" "But I offered to buy them something better and ordered sea food rice." "They didn't know what it was." "I ordered extra dishes, and they gobbled them up." ""I've never had this before," they said." "I asked why they didn't buy good food wit hall the money they had." "They said they had never dreamed of spending the money." "They kept it untouched for their jailed leader." "This clan was so loyal." "Why did you commit these crimes?" "I killed so I could treat my parents well." "Tell me how you feel now." "I have no excuse for my crimes." "It was my fate." "What did you do before committing the crimes?" "When I was alone, I listened to music and sang along." "What did you listen to?" "for tomorrow by Shín Sung-woo." "The horrifying crime shocked the nation during the holidays." "Not only shocked, but we are now scared of others." "We ask ourselves, 'how did our society get here?" "'" "Some are born with the seed of evil." "Others are evil by nurture or due to their environment." "In this case, it was both." "Those born evil and raised in a bad environment will inevitably do evil things." "This case is an example of that." "In today's society, humans are measured by money." "People are viewed as a means of labor, valued accordingly." "Such a shameful case occurring in Korea should be blamed on the decline of traditional values, ethics and morality." "We must revamp moral education, so our children can have a strong sense of patriotism and obey their parents." "We'll debate this." "The rich and authorities have lost public confidence." "I question whether our leaders in the media, education, legal, and religious circles" "are doing their duties." "The thing about violence is," "we fail to take it seriously, unaware of its danger." "instead, we justify violence." "We see student protests and idolize violence." "Students inspired by North Korea strip police officers of their uniforms and drag them around like cattle." "It makes me doubt our nation's resolve to protect democracy." "In other countries, police uniforms are fashionable." "incredible to see." "But our riot police are in rags." "Without proper uniforms, they can't stand tall and maintain authority." "The police are the symbol of authority, law and order." "Kids now have no respect for that at all." "They sneer at it." "We shouldn't hesitate to assert justice against them." "The state must maintain its authority against those who challenge it, using force, if necessary." "Without authority, we can't keep the order of democracy." "Order can't be kept with all doors open." "Americans shoot at protesters if necessary." "In the past, there were excuses for such behavior due to political situations." "but it still persists under this civilian government, and the police response is too weak." "Religious, educational, academic, and industry leaders are launching initiatives to restore morality and human dignity in society." "The recent horrible incidents like the Jijon Clan murders reveal the stark reality of the moral crisis in our society." "We should begin a new from filial duties, which are the basis of all moral conducts." "The Center for Filial Piety Globalization is established to restore humanity and morality." " the Hankyoreh, October 16, 1994" "the Center is to co-operate with the government to improve rules and laws." "The government decides to grant tax credits to organizations taking part in the movement." "School is a place where teachers nurture students, it is our responsibility to make our schools and homes better." ""New Korea cannot be built overnight."" " President Kim Young-sam November 23, 1994" "The inauguration of the Kim administration marked the end of military rule." "It was called the"Civilian Administration"." "Formal democracy began to thrive." "Kim Hyeong-tae Human Rights Lawyer Formal democracy began to thrive." "Kim Hyeong-tae Human Rights Lawyer" "Kim Hyeong-tae Human Rights Lawyer And industrialization of Korea entered a new stage." "And industrialization of Korea entered a new stage." "Neo-liberalism and globalization prevailed worldwide," "and the administration emphasized globalization." "Korea became a mature, advanced, capitalist county." "At the final stage of national drive for modernization, rural modernization campaigns evolved into industrial ones." "Youths in all other rural areas worked at factories and companies, but not those in Jeolla Province." "So they had an inner anger, and distrust of society," "Jeong Hyeong-bok Former Warden, Seoul Detention Center which could be triggered to explode at any critical moment," "which could be triggered to explode at any critical moment," "be it violence, rape, or arson, the results were horrifying." "Our economy grew imbalanced," "which led to the collapse of Sampoong Department Store." "Some could not feel the economic growth," "while others enjoyed the success." "Even those who were quite well-off felt they were relatively poor." "That's the characteristic of the 90's." "In the 80's, we had alternative ideologies like socialism, for which some even gave their lives." "But in the 90's, there was nothing like that." "We were in an ideological chaos with no alternatives." "What set apart criminals from rural areas?" "They were different from urban ones in their motives." "They had very simple motives, and no clearly defined objectives." "They were angry at those they saw as privileged, wealthy, like pam-goers in Gangnam." "But they didn't go to Gangnam to find their victims." "They were just angry at society, not at individuals." "But at that time, "society" was rather specific." "It wasn't a wealthier area like "Gangnam"" "but more a specific place like "Tehran Rd."" "Apgujung in Gangnam was just across the river over Seongsu Bridge." "Youngsters from other areas went to Apgujung to pam." "It became the focus for young consumers." "But that bridge collapsed." "indeed." "The Collapse _the Seongsu Bridge October 21, 1994" "At 12:20 a.m. last night I went to the Seongsu Bridge," "and saw large metal plates temporarily covering parts of the bridge" "that eventually cracked." "It was around 2:30, I found irregularities in the connecting structure of the 4th truss." "The spacing of the structures was covered with metal plates." "I just saw my girl off to school and now I'm here." "This will happen again, no one can guarantee it won't." "It could've been prevented with proper inspection." "Sampoong Department Store in Seocho, Seoul has collapsed." "At 5:50 p.m., the northern half of the 5-storied department store collapsed flat into the underground parking lot." "the Collapse of Sampoong Department Store 5:57 p.m., June 29, 1995 collapsed flat into the underground parking lot." "the Collapse of Sampoong Department Store 5:57 p.m., June 29, 1995" "5O2 deaths, 937 injured, 6 missing" "My favorite cafe was on the 5th floor of Sampoong, I had a meeting with someone at a cafe next to the mall." "I told him to meet me at my fave cafe in Sampoong." "But he insisted we meet at this other cafe." "After our meeting, we walked out, and heard a sharp "swish."" "Something was wrong with the scene, it was like in a sci-fi movie." "J I entered the mall and saw the sky." "Everything had collapsed except _o outer walls." "It was hell on earth." "People were screaming from under the debris." "Hell on earth, the hell which we only imagine." "We got a call from HQ, reporting a leg they discovered." ""We got a body without a leg, send your leg to the hospital,"" "so they could put the body and leg together." "But it turned out both were right legs, you see?" "The body had its right leg and the one they found was a right leg." "It was ridiculous." "We said, "2 right legs," they had to take the leg back." "I said I heard a swishing sound." "It was the collapsing structure abruptly forcing the air forward." "The gust of air produced that swish." "A survivor saw a kitchen knife propelled by the sudden air flow." "It pierced the neck of a panicking person." "It was nothing short of terrifying." "There was a gas station opposite the mall," "Called "Sampoong Gas Station"." "A young guy who worked there rushed to rescue the wounded." "He said he carried someone on his back, but when he put her down, he noticed the head was missing." "Unbelievable but quite probable." "Judging by what I saw, these anecdotes are all possible." "I'd have been frightened had I been in that situation." "The thing about fear is you need to be able to make sense of the situation to feel it, but it was beyond terror." "I'd seen countless crime scenes, but I'd never seen anything like it." "We investigated why the mall caved in and it was ridiculous." "A sprinkler system was on the rooftop, 3 water tanks, weighing 90 tons each." "The water cloud coming from the sprinklers prevented the laundry" "of nearby apartments from dying." "The residents complained, they demanded the sprinklers face the other side, and the water tanks were supposed to be taken apart before they were moved." "But they just shoved the heavy tanks around with a crane." " Without safety measures?" " None." "2 or 3 day before the collapse, the building began to shake." "Certain parts of the building at first, then the windows began to tremble." "The merchants felt the tremor and contacted the managers." "So they brought in an inspector to check, I can't remember his name, and briefed the mall executives." ""The wires between utility poles are saggy but that's fine," he said," ""there is a sag in the ceiling, but this building is perfectly fine, it's permanently safe."" "Footage taken with a robot under the debris." "Another clip just arrived from the rescuers." "The camera is entering the abyss." "We see one of the rescuers, a military personnel." "Another rescuer is crawling into a narrow opening." "A_er the collapse, the debris was moved to a landfill," "where the search for missing victims ended." "After a month's excavation with shovels, remains of142 victims and 2,422 lost items were recovered from the Nanjído landfill." "We see someone trapped in the debris." "He is completely immobile, he can only cling to the iron bar." "He can't do anything but wait for rescue." "Truly heart-wrenching." "So," "when it comes to intentions, of Jijon Clan and Sampoong executives," "they were the same." "Jijon Clan wanted to make $1 million each, while the owner of Sampoong had his own target, maybe $1 billion, because the annual income was $1 10 million." "Stabbing people with a knife to death, or stoning someone, that's traditionally called a murder, and we are readily enraged by it, as it's in plain sight." "But whether it be Sampoong, or Seongsu Bridge, negligence in safety management or construction that claims countless lives is a far more serious crime." "Take the political failure during the economic crisis," "Sampoong Accident Memorial Tower it destroyed countless families and led to countless deaths." "Sampoong Accident Memorial Tower" "Such failures that shook the foundation of our society did far greater harm than the murders by Jijon Clan." "One pam took people's lives by the a crime called "murder"" "_Officials and managers responsible for the collapsed bridge were fined and put on probation." "under the criminal code," "President Sampoong Department Store was sentenced to 7.5 years for manslaughter." "while the other killed in a fashion called "negligent manslaughter"." "while the other killed in a fashion called "negligent manslaughter"." "Both sides deprived people of their lives" "My child calls out for "Dad" to achieve the same goal," "to achieve the same goal, but there is no substantial difference between killing with a direct physical action and willful negligence." "The Jijon Clan code of conduct demanded the abandonment of humanity." "The Jijon Clan case had its 1st day in court." "President Kim told senior prosecutors that violent criminals must be removed" "from the society through the heaviest penalty." "The advancement of capitalism should be accompanied by self-control and self-restrain." "It's terrifying at how cruel human beings can be." "I only regret I couldn't kill more." "I couldn't fulfill my dream." "I wanted to kill all those rich kids driving in $50,000 cars." "What they did is dreadful, they are not human." "They have to be dealt with." "Had they not been caught, they'd have killed more." "I still get the chills." "Prosecutors requested the death penalty for the Jijon Clan." "They have grown to have a criminal mind." "They blamed the tyranny of the wealthy for their crimes, but their victims were all hard-working citizens." "I have no excuse for them." "We killed luxury sedan drivers, but they were decent, small business owners." "Before asking for the death penalty, the prosecutors defined the crime" "as committed by devil's surrogates." "Yeonggwang is a region," ", full of snow, rice and salt so it's known as 'The County of Three Whites#" "Main crimes in rural villages are simple physical altercations and theirs." "How about the village the Jijon Clan comes from?" "A typical rural village," "A Crime-free village consisting of rice and pepper farms." "During the Korean War, a Communist partisan, Park operated near Mt." "Bulgap." "How was the village after the Jijon case?" "I ruined the atmosphere in the village." "People grew very cautious, afraid of outsiders." "We went through the criminals' journals to find links to other possible crimes." ""My dream is to get a red convertible,"" ""your dream will come true if you remain firm."" "Before their murders came to light, Kim Gi-hwan, the clan boss, had raped his 1 1-year-old cousin." "He was jailed in Gwangju, and Kang Dong-eun visited to him every day." "When I went to Seocho Station, they asked me for a cigarette." "So I gave them one in the interrogation room." "Kim Hyeon-yang and Kang Dong-eun shared it." "There was not much to say but I told them," ""l don't understand why you did such a thing, but it's very pitiful."" ""Spend your time repenting for your crimes," and I left." "The name _Yeonggwang means "splendid light."" "What happened in Mt." "Bulgap during the Korean War?" "The war broke out on June 25, 1950, but the North Korean army arrived here at 5:40 p.m. on July 14." "This area had many tenant farmers, and severe discrimination between families." "Here, more than 30,000 civilians were killed during the war." "30,000 more." "You mean 30,000 more, compared to other areas with partisan activities?" "Yes." "It was an ideological conflict." "They used bamboo spears, because the partisans didn't give guns to their sympathizers." "The Mt." "Bulgap Civilian Slaughter Site" "The Mt." "Bulgap Civilian Slaughter Site In 2009, we excavated some 20 remains here, they were mostly children." "A pregnant woman was killed with spears because her husband cooperated with the police." "He went mad." "The villagers killed each other due to ideological differences?" "Yes." "O Yeong-rok Former Violent Crimes Unit Detective, Yeonggwang Police Yeonggwang has 2 Catholic martyrdom sites." "Yeonggwang has 2 Catholic martyrdom sites." "During the Joseon Dynasty, Catholics were persecuted from the 18th to 19th Century." "Over a hundred Christians jumped into the sea and drowned." "People hunted down Catholics." "They drowned themselves rather than get caught." " Before the Korean War?" " Yes, in the 18th and 19th Centuries." "So it's a complicated area with much conflict." "During the war, at night when authorities weren't around, people looted." "People here have been through a lot in history." "Kim Gi-hwan" "Kang Dong-eun" "Kim Hyeon-yang" "Kang Mun-seop" "Moon Sang-rok" "Baek Byeong-ok" "These 6 members of Jijon Clan were sentenced to death at the 3rd hearing." "The judge ruled their crime was in human, both in its motive and intent, and must be punished by the maximum penalty." "It was the second quickest trial in the history of Korea." "In late 1993, the government decided" "Han Wan-Sang Deputy PM Unification (under President Kim Young-sam) In late 1993, the government decided" "Han Wan-Sang Deputy PM Unification (under President Kim Young-sam) to resume the 'Team Spirit' military exercise with the US." "This was right before President Kim took office." "It was a disaster for the new administration, as this joint military exercise was known as" "practicing a preemptive nuclear strike on N. Korea by the US." "N. Korea declared a state of emergency in response." "In the South, the right wing, threatened by the new reformist government, saw it as a chance to revive Cold War-style politics" "and take advantage of security issues in domestic politics." "They suppressed and even drove out reformist officials from the government, and President Kim stuck to the old Cold War way of thinking." "Until the 80's, most of the executed were North Korean spies." "After the South-North Talks in the 10's the North virtually stopped sending spies." "But before the talks, spies accounted for most of the executed." "When Chun Doo-hwan came into power in 1980, there weren't any North Korean spies." "He needed something else to scare the public," "so the regime framed Korean_Japanese as spies." "The 80's saw many of them arrested, and some were even put on death row." "After democratization, people expressed their desire for" "political freedom through labor unions and student movements." "The '90s saw clashes between capitalism and aspirations for democracy." "The government mobilized strong military police to protest sites" "Traditionally, the state needed to scare the public, and the death penalty was an effective means for it." "The Kim administration was no different." "It carried out executions to scare and suppress the opposition." "I felt no compassion for the Jijon Clan boys." ""They had to be killed now," l thought." "Though I'm a Christian, my mind has _o sides." "Desire for justice trumped compassion." ""They don't deserve a trial," l thought." "The trial and appeal process happened quickly, although there were 6." "Park Sang-gu former Chaplain, Seoul Detention Center" "Park Sang-gu former Chaplain, Seoul Detention Center The sentencing was as if evening was scripted before." "The sentencing was as if evening was scripted before." "It was "death, death, death, death..."" "When the sentences were handed down," "Kang Dong-eun burst out in a rage," ""Who do you think you are to judge us?"" ""Did you give us food and shelter when we needed them?"" ""Did you give us work when we had no jobs?"" "It was unthinkable to say such a thing to a judge." "I contacted the high officials at the prison." "Jo Seong-ae former Nun-chaplain, Seoul Detention Center" "Jo Seong-ae former Nun-chaplain, Seoul Detention Center "Everyone in society knows Jijon Clan, and now that they're here, let us see them without religious intention."" "It was a sensitive issue among various religious groups." "We Catholics do not urge inmates to become Catholics." "We just let them be and they'll choose on their own." "Death row inmates aren't eager to seek counseling." "Once sentenced, they shut themselves up and hardly eat." "Then curiously my junior officers who saw them came and said the boys were surprisingly sincere and responsive." "I said, "They must be scheming something, perhaps to disarm you." "Don't fall for it."" "But one day, I approached them." "They were totally different from when they first came." ""Can people really change so quickly?" l thought." "When exactly was that?" "About a month after they came." "They were prem quick, finding their true selves." "Very quick." "It's time to respond." "With a sincere heart, in front of God and many witnesses you will be baptized." "JESUS" "UNTIL NOW I RELIED" "ON THE MUNDANE I RELIED" "After the death sentence was delivered, religious groups became keenly interested in which religion the convicts would choose." "ON THE MUNDANE" "After the death sentence was delivered, religious groups became keenly interested in which religion the convicts would choose." "I BELIEVED IN" "After the death sentence was delivered, religious groups became keenly interested in which religion the convicts would choose." "THE MUNDANE" "After the death sentence was delivered, religious groups became keenly interested in which religion the convicts would choose." "NOW" "After the death sentence was delivered, religious groups became keenly interested in which religion the convicts would choose." "I BELIEVE IN" "After the death sentence was delivered, religious groups became keenly interested in which religion the convicts would choose." "YOUR" "GOSPEL" "POWER" "AND" "THE HOLY CROSS" "FROM" "NOW ON" "2 Jíjon Clan members became Catholics, the rest Protestant." "No religious counselor was willing to explain how they made their choices." "SmAN" "2 Jíjon Clan members became Catholics, the rest Protestant." "No religious counselor was willing to explain how they made their choices." "SmAN" "2 Jíjon Clan members became Catholics, the rest Protestant." "No religious counselor was willing to explain how they made their choices." "IN THE NAME OF JESUS" "2 Jíjon Clan members became Catholics, the rest Protestant." "No religious counselor was willing to explain how they made their choices." "I ORDER" "2 Jíjon Clan members became Catholics, the rest Protestant." "No religious counselor was willing to explain how they made their choices." "YOU" "2 Jíjon Clan members became Catholics, the rest Protestant." "No religious counselor was willing to explain how they made their choices." "I'M" "2 Jíjon Clan members became Catholics, the rest Protestant." "No religious counselor was willing to explain how they made their choices." "DOUBTLESSLY" "A CHILD" "OF GOD" "HIS SON" "THE YOUNGEST" "IN HEAVEN" "BEGONE" "FROM ME" "BEGONE I" "DARE YOU" "HALLELUJAH" "AMEN" "Jíjon Clan Evangelization Squad" "I suggested evangelizing Jijon Clan at a church meeting," "and was told "Are you mad?"" ""Evangelists should be modest, it's impossible amid the current public sentiment."" "I was harshly criticized." "They said Jijon Clan didn't deserve trials, they should be hung on stakes in front of the Seoul City Hall" "and be stoned to death." "Deacon Lee Jae-myeong formed" ""Jíjon Clan Evangelization Squad" with lay believers." ""After their arrest, the public safety is improving," they said." "Apgujeong used to be the center of sinful madness," "but now at night streets are empty." "They rightfully said the exemplary killings of Jijon Clan" "would eradicate crime in Korea." "So I went under the radar." "as I couldn't give up." "I asked the prosecutors to let us meet them." "They said it was difficult." "Because the Buddhists requested in the name of 2,000 followers" "to let them try to convert and reform them." "Catholics did the same thing." "Kim Hyeon-yang embraced Jesus and evangelized 33 inmates." "He worked so hard to spread the gospel." "Evey time he evangelized someone he presented the new believer" "with this Annotated Bible, which costs $35." "So I reimbursed him." "I gave $1 ,500 to Kim, and $8,000 to the entire Jijon Clan." "Why?" "Because evangelism requires investment." "Evangelism is the way." "It's the only way to survive." "We must evangelize for our family, for our church" "and for our nation." "We'll die if we don't evangelize." "A church with 3,000 worshipers now has only 1 ,100." "Jíjon Killers Embraced by Jesus, with Love from Christians." " The Kukmín Ilbo, November 3, 1995" "We all liked Kim Hyeon-yang." "Usually prison officers tend to be closer to inmates of the same faith." "But Kim was like by everyone regardless of religion." "Everyone said he changed." "We officers liked him very much." "Baek Byeong-ok was the youngest of the clan." "He turned out to have a very sore heart." "All those boys did." "Kim Hyeon-yang and others, they certainly had a sore side." "Very sore." "He said he had 5 mothers." "His father's women kept coming and going." "He had such a volatile family environment." "He said, "l have no mother."" "isn't it enough to understand his up bringing?" "One of the boys was not ordinary." " Kim Gi-hwan, the boss?" " Yes." "Two military coup leaders are innocent, but I am guilty?" "Fucking ridiculous!" "While committing the crimes," "he carried the remains of his parents in his car, to relocate their graves to somewhere else." "One day, he casually asked his boy, "How many people are in this car?"" ""Just us _o" "No, 4." "Mom and dad are in the back."" "Can you understand that?" "Kim Gi-hwan smiled often, though he didn't talk much." "He once said when he was young, he couldn't afford supplies for his art class." "His teacher told him off for not being prepared." "For the next class, he stole other kid's stuff, and the teacher praised him for being prepared." ""So this is how you live life," he thought." "Such experiences added up to make him think," ""Let's steal from the rich and give to the poor,"" "It all began with such a simple intent." "But the result was disastrous, as we all know." "Describe how you feel now." "I'm prepared to die, I have no regrets." "What do you say about ordering your followers to commit murder?" "Even in hell, we'll be together, so don't be afraid." "Do you have any evidence in your favor?" "I don't want to have anything favorable." "Anything else to say?" "People every where should live with no fear." "Back to nature" "Roast and eat men and women" "for the executed including:" "Kim Hyeon-yang" "Kang Dong-eun" "Kang Mun-seop" "Baek Byeong-ok" "Bae Jín-sun" "Kim Cheol-wu" "Yí Ho-seong" "On Bo-hyeon" "Song Jeong-ho" "Ten in total" "November 2, 1995 The Execution _ the Jíjon Clan killers" "Don't you think they were executed too quickly, just a year after the trial?" "It's a mystery, even now." "And it still makes me angry." "Did they really have to do that to those boys?" "The government must've targeted Jijon Clan when they decided" "who to execute that day." "President Kim was very sensitive to the public opinion." "Too sensitive, in fact." "So before he became president when he was the opposition leader," "I told him several times using the example of the trial of Jesus." "Why did Pilate sentence Jesus to death, knowing he was innocent?" "He was too sensitive to the public opinion, which demanded Jesus be killed." "How many convicts were executed that day?" "Eight, as far as I know." "We started at 8 a.m. and finished at 4 p.m." "It's hard to imagine executing people every 30 minutes." "We had to take breaks and reset the equipment." "It was exhausting." "One of them was a big former gangster." "The rope must've been damaged from repeated hangings." "Maybe we didn't notice during the preparation." "We never imagined it could snap, but it did." "God, I'd never seen anyone like him." "When we looked around in panic, he stood cool, tying the rope around his neck himself." "Others would try to put it off, but he calmly faced the execution." "A crosspiece gave way and he fell off and got his head cracked, terrified Father Kim looked down to find the inmate smiling at him with a blood-soaked head." "The priest said it haunted him all his life." "What is your view on death penalty?" "You talked about the ambivalence." "You can argue both sides." "When I'm asked about it, I'm confused." "Once they stepped into the life crime, they can't stop or go back." "It is unimaginable." "But understanding them is also impossible." "If they stabbed someone on the street, then it's plausible." "But they locked victims up, tortured them, dismembered them while they were still alive" "while other victims watched it in horror knowing soon it would be their turn." "There's no compassion, no pity, no understanding for them." "You can't imagine the trauma of those directly involved." "As for the death penalty, only God ordains life and death." "We're not supposed to take people's lives, so I opposed." "However, when I faced the victim's family, I was troubled as a minister." "I didn't execute them directly." "It's different from axe-wielding of ancient executioners." "Let me put it this way." "Even if you aren't traumatized by the act of pushing the button, you might've been traumatized by experiencing the execution." " Of course." " In what way?" "Since you put it that way," "Speaking personally and not on behalf of other officers, I was trembling all over when I attended an execution for the first time." "It was an inmate I was very close to." "My heart was thumping loudly." "But at the second execution, I had less tremors." "Much less." "He..." "Baek Byeong-ok said he committed the crime for his parents." "So ridiculous." "But did Baek say so to appeal for leniency of law?" "No." "He really did it, thinking it was for his parents." "But it was murder." "It's our calling to arrest criminals, and bring them to justice, so we did our duty." "But what about the victims?" "They weren't even rich and they were killed." "Had the boys managed to make $1 million, would they've lived a good life?" "Would they have stopped at $1 million?" "You'd crave for another million, that's human desire." "I want to ask our sociey's leaders or the boys' families." "What did they do to prevent this?" "Some locals of Yeonggwang were saying they're ashamed of the place." "It was ridiculous." "So when you ask whether I'm for or against the death penalty, I can only be ambivalent." "But, if I must choose one over the other," "I'd say we should maintain the death penalty." "As I can't choose both, I say it must stay." "The court ruled that the killing of citizens during the forcible suppression" "of the Gwangju Democratization Movement was murder aimed at insurrection." "July 18, 1995 "A successful coup cannot be punished" of the Gwangju Democratization Movement was murder aimed at insurrection." "July 18, 1995 "A successful coup cannot be punished"" "The cases against those involved in the 1979 coup and the 198O Gwangju massacre were dropped." "The court delivered a historic judgment, to the leading figures of the so-called successful coup." "August 26, 1996" ""To achieve true harmony and unity in the nation, issues in history must be solved."" "After President Kim Young-sam's speech, Special Action" "May 18 Democratization Movement was enacted." "Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to death." "Roh Tae-woo received 22 years and 6 months for the same crimes." ""Can't kill a commander who has surrendered." the Supreme Court has reduced" "Chun Doo-hwan's sentence from death penalty to Life imprisonment." ""Let's overcome the national crisis by achieving Unity for Korean People."" "President Kim Young-sam, on agreeing with President-elect Kim Dae-jung, to grant a special pardon to Chun Doo-hwan" "The 2 pardoned former presidents were released from prison today." "They apologized for having caused trouble to the public," "and expressed concerns about the worsened economy." "When asked about his time in prison, Chun replied with a joke." "I wouldn't recommend it to anyone." "That's all I can say." "Next, 23 criminals including murderers were executed today." "4 of them donated their organs." "A bad law turned good jobs into contract jobs, and led to 22 deaths at Ssangyong Motors." "Or the absence of a law that deals properly with industrial disasters," "caused many to die of cancer at Samsung Semiconductor." "In both cases, someone made money out of it." "It's all about money." "I witnessed the Sampoong incident so unexpectedly, and looking at the utterly outlandish scene, I felt it was the revelation ofwhere I am fated to go someday." "Sinning is terrible." "We hate sins and so we should." "But the old saying is right, that we must not hate the sinner." "Habits make sins and engrave them in our soul." "From my view, we shouldn't hate Chun Doo-hwan as a person." "But we must take steps to prevent the crimes against humanity from happening again, so events like the Gwangju Massacre never occur in our history again." "We should set firm legal devices against those crimes" "even though we may forgive Chun as an individual." "After all law is about values, what is considered right and just in society, and about gains and losses." "Politics is to distribute those values, gains and losses, properly, and law is a means to achieve it." "As for the legitimacy of law, there are basic principles such as human rights and the prohibition of retroactive punishment," "which are unique characteristics of law." "But in the end, when a law is enacted, what matters is whose interest the new law serves," "and that fundamentally depends on politics and dynamics of power." "As a detective, I had no power." "But I was confident." "Why?" "I could save lives, enable a victim to receive the compensation they deserve, and capture and bring criminals to justice." "What traumatized me was" "the screams of a person trapped in a squashed elevator." "I can't forget that, even now." "A person was dying before me, but I was utterly helpless, couldn't even pray." "I should've prayed for the dying." "But praying is not something you can do in such a situation." "He was the last among the Jijon killers to be executed, I don't want to name him." "I told him, "It won't be painful, it'll be over soon."" "He replied, "No, it's the thing after that," "I'm afraid of what's after that."" "He was talking about the after life, how he'd be judged for all the crimes he committed." "I cried in my heart when I heard that, it was heart-wrenching." "Now looking back on how he faced death, and what he was like when he committed the crimes, I know there's no absolute good or evil." "We have both an angel and the devil inside us." "Depending on the circumstances and the background and how he reacts," "one can become a hero or a villain." "No one is born purely good or evil." "A_er the pardons were granted to ex-presidents, Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan requested" "President Kim reconsider the scheduled executions." "I had never expected the lame-duck president" "would execute so many at once." "It's only a wild guess, but it probably has something to do with" "President Kim's peculiar personality." "He must've perceived Kim Dae-jung's election as President as a threat to his own influence since they had long been political rivals." "It's ironic that all President Kim did during the 2 weeks" "The very next day after Cardinal Kim's visit, before the transition committee took over the Ministry _ Justice carried out the execution of23 convicts was the pardon of Chun and the execution of the Jijon Clan." "citing "congestion on the death row." Who was in charge of carrying out the executions?" "Was it the state or the justice minister?" "Under the Korean law, it's the justice minister." "In practice, however, the president has to be willing, since it is closely connected to his administration's policies." "Formally speaking, the justice ministry staff" "make proposals for the executions." "But it's the president, who ultimately has the responsibility to make that call." "So, it is up to the nation's most powerful official." "The executions that day was recorded as the biggest number _ executions on a single day" "since the Emergency Measures _ the Park Chung-hee regime." "The Kim Young-sam administration executed 57 individuals on 3 occasions." "Most of the executed were violent criminals." "Since President Kim Dae-jung, the Korean government has not carried out any executions to date." "In 2010, the Constitutional Court ruled" ""the death penalty does not violate the dignity and values _ humanity and therefore is constitutional."" "Host _ "Late Night Debate",Yoo Jay-kun, became a National Assemblyman." "He proposed Korea's first death penalty abolition Bill." "A_er his special pardon, Chun Doo-hwan regained his title _ "former President"." "In a 2003 interview, he referred to the" "Gwangju Democratization Movement as "an armed insurrection."" "Prosecutor Kim Hong-íl, who vigorously called for strict Justice on the Jíjon Clan killers," "cleared presidential candidate Lee Myung-bak _ stock Price manipulation charges." "Lee was elected president in 2007." "Prosecutor Kim has had a successful career ever since, becoming head _ the Busan Prosecution." "In the memory _ 5O2Victims at the Sampoong Department Store collapse" "Jín-seon, I love you and miss you" "Where the Sampoong Department Store collapsed stands a luxury apartment block." "After serving his prison term, Sampoong President, Lee Han-sang" "moved to Mongolia, where he has been doing missionary work." "The former hideout or Jíjon Clan was purchased" "by a large church in Seoul but remains unused to date." "The land surrounding the crime scene was bought" "by the County of Yeonggwang and became a tourist park." "The hopeful New Year 1994 has begun" "It's the first New Year's Day since the inauguration." "In this new year, we must build on changes and reforms we have achieved so far." "I hope all of us will be born anew this year, getting rid of selfishness, falsehood, complacency, indolence, vanity and extravagance." "All Koreans should focus our wisdom and intelligence on making our nation a truly advanced economy." "We should achieve political reforms so that a new, advanced parliamentary democracy can take hold." "Judicature is a process of resolving conflicts by the discovery of factual truth," "and the clarification of what the law dictates." "Therefore, an efficient judiciary requires not just efforts within the legal profession but also" "cooperation and trust of the people." "It can be strengthened when the judiciary can take pride in what they do and the court is respected." "Finally, we have a fax from a college student in Busan." "I'm a 25-year-old student." "I'd like to give my 2 cents." "Over the past year, Korean youths have been defamed" "as extravagant pam-goers in Gangnam." "Now we are defamed again by Jijon Clan who vented out" "their anger upon the society." "But not all of us are like them." "I've lived a tough life with a single mother," "but I haven't committed any crime." "Nor have my friends." "We, the Korean youths, are neither pam-goers, squanderers nor brutal killers." "We respect our teachers and parents." "They are the minority, we're the majority." "Please don't worry and be optimistic about Korea's future." "The words from 4th year college student, Choi Gang-min." "Let's give him a big round of applause." "Thank you for your truly reassuring message." "Directed, Edited and Produced by Jung Yoon-suk"