“Inspector Koo” is a 2021 Korean drama series with 12 episodes, categorized as Action, Crime, Thriller, Serial Killer, and Light Comedy; streaming exclusively on Netflix.
SUMMARY: A former cop turned insurance fraud investigator/private detective discovered a string of deaths disguised to look like accidents or suicides. The police closed the cases but a mysterious director of a foundation for children wants to work with her to disclose the truth about the murders.
♦ Murder For Revenge or For Fun?
In “Inspector Koo”, Koo Kyung-Yi is a wreck! Emotionally she suffers from guilt. Her husband was accused of murder and she was never sure if he was guilty or innocent. Even worse, he died before she ever found out the truth. She quit her job as a policewoman and to relieve stress she plays video games all day, all night … to the point that she doesn’t even bathe! You don’t want to know what she smells like. If you enter her apartment you should wear a hazmat suit. Yeah. She’s a wreck!
Before Koo Kyung-Yi became a wreck she was incredibly smart. She had an uncanny ability to solve the most difficult cases (not including the case regarding his husband). Koo Kyung-Yi has a friend who leads an insurance investigation team. There is a difficult case for the insurance company that involves a widow who is trying to claim an insurance payout. Supposedly her husband is dead. He’s missing and they can’t find a body. The insurance team leader just wants Koo Kyung-Yi to go to the town, investigate, and confirm that it’s a suicide.
Koo Kyung-Yi’s investigation uncovers information pointing to several deaths that the police wrote up as an accident or a suicide. There is a common thread that links all of the victims. However, she is not sure if these were murder for revenge or murder for fun. Someone out there enjoys killing people and outsmarting law enforcement by making the deaths look like accidents or suicides. The scary thing is that the killer, Song Yi-Kyung, also called “K” knows Koo Kyung-Yi. They have history.
One night Koo Kyung-Yi hailed a cab only she didn’t tell the driver her destination. No matter because the cab driver intended to take her to a specific destination because someone wanted to talk to her. Before she could object she was already there, so she went inside. She met Yong Sook, the director of Pureun Children’s Foundation. Yong Sook wanted to work together with Koo Kyung-Yi to solve these murders because there were probably more victims. Koo Kyung-Yi agreed but Yong Sook warned her that if “K” found out she might kill both of them. Koo Kyung-Yi didn’t know who “K” was, but she was smart enough not to ignore Yong Sook’s warning.
Main Characters:
- Koo Kyung-Yi (played by Lee Young-Ae, “A Jewel in the Palace”, “Joint Security Area”)
- K (Song Yi-Kyung) (played by Kim Hye-Jun, “A Shop for Killers”, “Connect”, “Kingdom 1 and 2”)
- Yong Sook (played by Kim Hae-Sook, “Mr. Plankton”, “Gyeongseong Creature 1 and 2”, “My Demon”, “Strong Girl Nam-Soon”, “Under The Queen’s Umbrella”, “Tomorrow”, “Hotel King”, “RV: Resurrected Victims”, “The Thieves”, “Who Is She?”)
Where to Watch
Viewership and Rating:
- IMDb: 7.1 out of 10 stars
- My Drama List: 8.1 out of 10 stars
- Amazon customers rated the series: 3.6 out of 5 stars
My personal rating is the same as My Drama List.
It’s rare to find a Korean drama series with three (3) strong female leads.
- Lee Young-Ae, “Inspector Koo”, has a reputation for being one of Korea’s sweetest actresses. No surprise since she was the star of “A Jewel in the Palace”, the K-drama that started the Korean Wave. If you didn’t love her after watching that series then you have a cold heart. LOL. She has been winning awards since the 1990s.
- Kim Hye-Jun is also an award-winning actress. However, the role I will always remember her for, that she didn’t get an award for, but she should have (in my opinion) is … remember that crazy/psychotic queen in the historical zombie horror “Kingdom”? That was her!
- Kim Hae-Sook, is another award-winning South Korean actress who has also been around since the 1990s. You recognize her immediately. She could be the Queen Dowager, a chaebol matriarch, or the Jade Emperor. No matter. As soon as you see her you know that whatever her role is, you’ll be impressed.
LINKS OF INTEREST:
Inspector Koo (Review) | Red watches TV
K-Drama Report: Inspector Koo | With Eyes East
Inspector Koo review: Fast pace, deft humour, smart writing make this Korean drama gem of a crime show| Firstpost
TRAILER/TEASER:
Netflix Asia. “Inspector Koo.” YouTube, Video, 19 Oct. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJV6DLQPShs.
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