“Ghost” (aka “Phantom”) (유령)

By Jae-Ha Kim
Substack
January 18, 2016

Kim Woo Hyun / Park Ki Young (played by So Ji-Sub)
Yoo Kang Mi (played by Lee Yeon-Hee)
Kwon Hyuk Joo (played by Kwak Do-Won)

↑Note: Korean names denote the surname followed by the given name.

“My motto is, ‘Don’t believe anything with a mouth.'”

That’s sound advice, coming from Kwon Hyuk Joo (aka Crazy Cow), the head of the cyber unit. And that’s also good advice when trying to figure out who’s telling the truth in this 2012 police procedural.

The series starts with the apparent suicide of a starlet, online hacking and police corruption. And at the end of its 20-episode run, it ends with another suicide. Most of the mysteries have been resolved and there appears to be a happily ever after finale for the main characters.

At the police academy, Woo Hyun and Ki Young were best friends and at the top of their class. A computer whiz, Ki Young stumbled upon coded files that revealed corruption within the police force, including Woo Hyun’s father. Kicked out of the academy, Ki Young disappears.

When they meet again, they are both in their early 30s and neither is who he appears to be. They are both painted as good, then bad and then … fate intervenes.

Spoiler alert: Although I hate to do a spoiler alert this early in the review, it’s necessary since it’s an essential plot throughout the series. Also, the showrunners reveal this pretty early on in the series, so I don’t feel too badly about it.

Anyhow, both become victims of the starlet’s murderer in a fiery “accident” that leaves Woo Hyun dead and Ki Young severely injured. Thanks to a mixup in the nametags, the rescuers believe that Ki Young is actually Woo Hyun. Doctors perform cosmetic surgery to restore him to his (Woo Hyun’s) original looks. And Ki Young vows to avenge Woo Hyun’s death.

Would this happen in real life? No. Daniel Choi (the actor playing Ki Young) is handsome, as is So Ji-Sub (who plays Woo Hyun, and then Ki Young pretending to be Woo Hyun). But not even the most talented plastic surgeon could make a disfigured man look exactly like So Ji Sub — er, I mean — Woo Hyun.

Speaking of So’s looks, his features weren’t always considered handsome. According to a 2008 article in the Chosun Ilbo, So’s manager tried to get him (early in his career) to undergo plastic surgery to enlarge his eyes. He didn’t. And he’s a huge international star (not necessarily in the U.S., but there are countries besides ours, so…).

I remember my father used to show me portraits of people who were considered beautiful during his childhood. Back then, having smaller, less round eyes was the standard of beauty.

I’m not against cosmetic surgery if that’s something people really want to do. But there’s also value in seeing beauty in what’s already there.

And, frankly, look at him. His eyes are just fine. They also set him apart from some of his younger colleagues, who tend to have the same, cutesy look onscreen.

Back to the series. Faster than you can say Ctrl Alt Del, Ki Young and his cyber team are on it to try to get the powerful killer behind bars.

There were some really great moments in this series. I particularly enjoyed the backstory of Ki Young and Woo Hyun’s friendship and wish that both could have survived. I think of how the duo could’ve teamed up to bring down the bad guys. They also did a great job of hiding which members of the police were truly trustworthy.

But as with many police shows, whether it’s “CSI” or “Law & Order,” the director dragged out the main story at the expense of the more interesting subplots. The one that stands out in particular involves a string of apparent suicides at a cut-throat high school. The twists and turns in that episode were far more interesting than the big reveal that ended “Ghost.”

Spoiler alert Part 2: 

The killer commits suicide at the end. He had killed his starlet girlfriend, thinking that she was going to turn him into the police for killing — well — a whole ton of other people. Ki Young shows him evidence that she was pregnant with his baby. That sends him over the edge (literally).

I didn’t buy it. This man is a sociopath who was incapable of loving anyone (other than his deceased father). Perhaps he mourned the loss of the baby that could have been. But, he’s also the type of man who would’ve replaced that child with another by any means necessary. He valued his own survival too much to throw it away.

Um Ki-Joon played this character at his smarmy best. (He played a much more sympathetic role in 2011’s “Dream High.”)

The guest stars:

There were a slew of recognizable actors and actresses in this series.

G.O (Jung Byung-Hee) of the K-Pop band MBLAQ is part of the police cyber squad.

Choi Jung-Woo, who played Joong-Won’s right hand man in “The Master’s Sun“, portrays a corrupt cop here.

Choi Jin-Ho, who played Young Ho’s right hand man in “Oh My Venus,” played an evil cyber guy here.

Ji Kyeong, who played Young Ho’s meek stepmom in “Oh My Venus,” plays the ruthless head teacher at Korea’s top high school.

Jae-Yoon Peter Lee, who you may recognize from the swimming and judo portions of “Cool Kiz on the Block,” plays an heir framed for murder.

Airdates:

This 20-episode SBS series aired from May 30 to August 9, 2012.

© 2016 JAE-HA KIM | All Rights Reserved