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The many KSIS articles presented over the months have undoubtedly taught you something crucial about the Korean police force: it has sometimes, if not often, shown weaknesses, turning a blind eye to overwhelming evidence in favor of solving cases more quickly, leading to the imprisonment of innocent people or resulting in cold cases that drag on for years.
Profiling is an investigative method that sought to address these weaknesses by highlighting the failures of a system established for decades, so that justice could be served more effectively and with better resources. This month’s KSIS therefore dives into this very particular profession by focusing on the profile of KWON ILYONG, considered the very first official profiler in South Korea.
Many crime series such as “NCIS” and “Criminal Minds” tend to portray profilers as heroic police officers who, with a single glance, can interpret the behavior and reasoning of sociopaths and psychopaths in order to explain the path that leads them to commit horrifying crimes. In reality, however, it is a far more complex profession, and in Korea’s case, a very recent one. So what exactly does it mean to be a profiler?
« Profilers can be defined as people who analyze human behavior.” — KWON ILYONG
A profiler (프로파일러 in Korean) is a police officer specialized in criminal behavioral analysis, assisting investigations both analytically and psychologically in order to identify repetitive or characteristic elements in a criminal’s actions or behavior. They represent essential support in major criminal cases, particularly those involving serial killers. It is a very rare profession that first took root in the United States during the 1970s within the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Indeed, criminal profiling techniques were adopted in the United States in 1972 to investigate serial killers when the FBI created its Behavioral Science Unit (BSU).
At the time, the United States was experiencing a high rate of serial killers, sexual crimes, and unsolved homicides with no obvious modus operandi. Yet the idea emerged that criminal behavior necessarily followed repetitive patterns, making it possible to determine characteristic traits in individuals. Within the FBI, the most prominent profilers included JOHN E.DOUGLAS, ROBERT RESSLER and ROY HAZELWOODG, who greatly developed and popularized the field.
On the other side of the globe, crime rates exploded in South Korea during the late 1980s, with a sharp rise in assaults, homicides, and serial killings. Other countries were affected by this phenomenon as well, notably Japan, which since 2004 has designated profiling specialists in central police stations. However, rather than being considered full-fledged police officers, profilers there are primarily trained in psychology or medicine. Furthermore, profiling relies more on statistics and hypotheses than on strictly scientific data, which is why the discipline is sometimes questioned.
South Korea followed the same path as Japan, and in 2005 the country recruited its very first profiler, KWON ILYONG. Six years later, in 2011, there were around forty profilers across the entire country. Over the years, he built an unprecedented reputation and was often described as “someone who played a crucial role in solving crimes by profiling more than a thousand criminals,” notably when he appeared on the program “SHOCKING LIAR”, where, thanks to his experience, he had to identify the liar among a group of fifty people.
However, becoming a profiler was not originally the path he intended to follow. Initially working as a police officer, he demonstrated a remarkable talent for fingerprint collection, which led him toward forensic science rather than criminal investigations. Naturally, he then began investigating similarities between crime scenes and between different criminals, emphasizing the concept of repetitive behavioral patterns. Later, he taught his methods to younger colleagues and eventually trained them as profilers.
KWON ILYONG was not the only profiler to appear on television programs throughout his career. Indeed, KIM YUNHEE, the very first publicly recruited female profiler, chose to change careers and become an actress, while continuing to give lectures about her former work in the police force. In an interview with “Donga Science” , she explained that it is necessary to obtain a university degree in sociology or psychology, as well as pass physical tests similar to those used in military camps. Mastering a martial art is considered a plus, but she admitted that:
“It is also crucial to find your own ways to relieve stress and to learn how to stay focused on cases despite chaotic situations.” — KIM YUNHEE.
Other profilers chose more unusual paths. Taking the example of PYO CHANGWON, this famous profiler entered politics by joining the New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD) in 2015. Upon resigning from the police force, he stated that he wanted “through politics, to establish justice, guarantee safety, and restore happiness to children and teenagers.” He is also the director of a criminal science research institute.
As for KWON ILYONG, he worked in the police force from 1989 to 2017, but his influence was so significant that he helped create Korea’s first official profiling units. In South Korea, crimes traditionally became time-barred after fifteen years, but thanks to the impact of profilers who proved their usefulness, this limitation was abolished for sexual crimes and crimes against minors. Profilers also helped establish several recurring characteristics among serial killers: economic powerlessness, feelings of inequality and social injustice, the belief that their suffering is caused by their social conditions, a sense of victimization, and conflicted family relationships.
Since retiring from the police force, KWON ILYONG has worked as a professor at Dongguk University in the fields of police studies and justice, while continuing to contribute regularly to Korean criminology. He is the author of several books, but he is especially known for appearing on television programs to provide critical insight into major criminal cases, including « UNANSWERED QUESTIONS » , on which he has been a regular member for years, « BRAVE DETECTIVES » (2022–2026), and « FULL PROFILER » (2022–2023). He also made appearances in films and dramas such as « EMERGENCY DECLARATION » (2022), and « THROUGH THE DARKNESS » (2022).
« THROUGH THE DARKNESS » is a particularly noteworthy series because it is based on a book written by WON ILYONG and journalist KO NAMU, drawing directly from KWON’s career experiences. The series highlights how he became South Korea’s very first profiler and was very well received by Korean audiences, averaging 7.1% viewership ratings during its broadcast from January to March 2022, while also winning several awards, particularly at the SBS Drama Awards held that same year, where it received four awards.
Throughout his career, he contributed to solving four famous criminal cases:
- YOO YOUNGCHUL ; KWON ILYONG assisted in his behavioral analysis, conducted psychological interviews, and identified his victim selection patterns.
- JEONG NAMGYU ; He obtained confessions from him after identifying repetitive behavioral patterns and a unique behavioral structure.
- KANG HOSOON ; He refined psychological interrogation techniques as well as behavioral analyses of organized killers.
- LEE CHUNJAE ; He participated in the retrospective analysis and behavioral reexamination of the case.
KWON ILYONG became well known in the profession particularly because of his interrogation techniques, which were far removed from the aggression sometimes encountered in investigations or dramatized in films and television series. He was known for attempting to create emotional connections while flattering criminals’ egos so they would become more inclined to confess to their crimes. Profilers often use techniques involving simulated empathy, since many killers enjoy talking about themselves and consider themselves exceptional individuals.
“Criminals follow certain patterns. It is based on the principle that people who commit similar crimes also share similar personality traits.” – KWON ILYONG.
South Korea’s first profiler therefore had a profound influence on Korean justice, but also on an entire system, bringing attention to a profession that had previously been virtually unknown on the peninsula. His influence remains very present today in police dramas, investigative programs, and true crime documentaries, where his expertise helps shed light on major criminal cases and investigations. It was also during the late 1990s that the police began developing DNA databases, which, had they existed earlier, could have solved more cases or exonerated innocent civilians, as demonstrated by the case of LEE CHUNJAE.
But according to the expert on killers himself, who does KWON ILYONG consider to be the worst criminal South Korea has ever known? You will have to wait until next month to discover the story of serial killer… JEONG NAMGYU.
Journalist: Anaïs Pillet
Translator: Anaïs Pillet
Sources: KSTATION TV, hyperlinked below the pics
