Kim Nam-gil becomes criminal profiler in ‘Through the Darkness’

Actors Jin Seon-kyu, from left, Kim So-jin, and Kim Nam-gil pose for pictures during the online press conference for the SBS new crime series “Through the Darkness,” Tuesday. Courtesy of SBS

By Lee Gyu-lee

Actor Kim Nam-gill is set to return to the small screen in the role of Korea’s first criminal profiler in SBS’ new crime series “Through the Darkness,” scheduled to premiere this Friday.

“Working on this series has given me an opportunity to look into the work of a criminal profiler as a profession,” the actor said during the online press conference for the series, Tuesday. “I’ve been playing characters that are similar to me. And as I often took part in comedies and action genre flicks, I’ve actually been longing for roles that require a more delicate portrayal.”

Based on the nonfiction novel of the same name by former profiler Kwon Il-yong and former journalist Ko Na-mu, the series revolves around Korea’s first profiler Song Ha-young (Kim) who get inside the minds of criminals to solve cases.

It is directed by newcomer, Park Bo-ram, and scripted by writer Seol Yi-Na.

The series’ executive producer Park Young-soo noted that the series intends to deliver how profiling became one of the crucial techniques used in the criminal investigation process.

“When I came across the book three years ago, I was drawn to the effort the law enforcement officials put in to try and stop heinous crimes. I wanted to portray in the series how behavioral analysis became an investigation technique and how it’s used,” he said. “Also, we tried to capture the difficulties the earlier profilers faced that were discussed in the book, and how they overcame those obstacles.”

The series will cover criminal cases, based on the actual crimes that happened in the past.

“There’s always a dilemma in making series that covers crimes. Because there are victims who still suffer the pain from those crimes. So when producing this series, we took a very serious and careful approach in depicting the crime scenes and the victims,” Park said.

A scene from the series / Courtesy of SBS

Kim said he got a lot of help from profiler Kwon, who his character is based on, to create his role.

“Kwon came out to the set many times and helped us to understand what he was going through while working on the cases, what made him upset, and what it was like at the time,” he said. “There were a lot of questions from the actors about why that crime happened. And it’s hard for profilers to bring up those horrible memories again but he explained them to us and helped us a lot.”

The actor expressed that he hopes the series will provide viewers a chance to think about the core questions and issues surrounding horrific crimes.

“As I was playing the character, I constantly questioned whether people are inherently good or evil. And there was no answer to that,” he said. “I hope people also ask themselves if this is the issue of the individual or if the society also shares the responsibility (of such crimes) while watching the series.”

Actor Jin Seon-kyu plays the leader of the Criminal Behavior Analysis team, Gook Young-soo, who played an important role in the development of profiling.

The actor expressed his excitement about taking his first lead role in a TV series. “It was almost the first time that my face is on a poster for a series, so I’m really satisfied,” he said. “It would be a lie if I said I don’t feel any pressure (in taking a lead role). But more importantly, I hope the viewers can enjoy this well-made series.”

Kim Nam-gil becomes criminal profiler in ‘Through the Darkness’
Source: Buhay Kapa PH