“Tunnel” is a 2017 Korean drama series, with 16 episodes, and can be categorized as Serial Killer Crime and Mystery, Police Procedural, Time Travel, Sci-Fi, Thriller and Suspense Drama.
SUMMARY: In “Tunnel”, a detective chases after a serial killer he sees in a tunnel who is in the act of committing a murder. He runs deep into the tunnel, but it was if the man disappeared. Suddenly, the criminal came up from behind and knocked the detective out cold. When the detective regained consciousness and walked out of the tunnel, it was 30 years later. Even though 30 years had passed, the serial killer had not been caught.
♦ Why Am I in 2016?
In “Tunnel”, the year is 1986 and then it’s 2016, and Detective Park Kwang Ho doesn’t know how he arrived in the future or how he can return to his past. He feels like a higher power is punishing him but he doesn’t know why. After all, he has always tried to be a good person and live a decent life. He’s a crime fighter and a happily married man. WHY? Why has he been separated from the woman he loves and close friends and thrust into the future? There must be a reason WHY.
The year is 1986 and a serial killer has managed to elude capture. The killer numbers and marks his victims with black dots. The last victim had six dots. If you follow the pattern it seems like Victim #5 is missing. Detective Park Kwang Ho not only wonders where the 5th victim is but also if he can catch the killer before there are any more victims. He finally sees the serial killer who is in the act of killing another woman. The detective races into the tunnel to chase after him and then loses him. The killer creeps up from behind and knocks him out. When he awakens and walks out of the tunnel, it’s 2016.
Since Kwang Ho can’t find the home he used to live in, he goes to the police station where he used to work. He finds out that there is a “Park Kwang Ho” born in 1988 who has been assigned to the station. Nobody knows who the new transfer is or what he looks like, so Detective Park Kwang Ho lets them think he’s the new rookie since, coincidentally, they have the same name. He couldn’t possibly offer another reason for being there such as … I came from the past and I don’t know why I’m here now. (O.o) It’s the strangest thing though. Where is Park Kwang Ho who was born in 1988?
Who Are You?
Chief Jeon Sung-Sik is stupefied and mystified. He can’t believe his eyes and surely doesn’t know how to explain that a person who disappeared 30 years ago, is now standing before him and hasn’t changed one bit. He looks just like he did in 1986. How is that possible? When Park Kwang Ho starts talking about crimes that took place years ago, Jeon Sung-Sik asks him “Who are you?” You see there was a fire and the records relating to those crimes had been destroyed. Jeon Sung-Sik knew about the victims because he was a rookie who was working on the case with Park Kwang Ho back in the 1980s. But how could this Park Kwang Ho, born in 1988, possibly know about those crimes?
We Have to Work Together?
Park Kwang Ho’s initial encounter with Lieutenant Kim Sun-Jae was an unpleasant misunderstanding. But since Sung-Sik was the chief, he made them work together as partners. They butted heads with each other constantly. Not only that but the chief also called in an external consultant, Shin Jae-Yi. She was a psychologist who studied serial killers. Kwang Ho and Sun-Jae had to work with her and they were not thrilled about coordinating and cooperating with an outsider.
- Kwang Ho didn’t understand why a person needed to study criminals when they should just catch them and bring them to justice; especially, if it’s a serial killer. He didn’t know anything about criminal profiling since he was from the year 1986 and the first criminal profiler in South Korea emerged in the year 2000. Shin Jae-Yi was quick to point out that she was a psychologist who studied murderers, not a profiler. Kwang Ho was like: ‘Whatever! Let’s just catch the bad guy!’
- Sun-Jae was a tad bit arrogant. At his young age, he was already a lieutenant. Sun-Jae could have been a cardiologist or a neurosurgeon but chose to work in law enforcement because he had a personal reason for wanting to catch a killer. Why did he need a psychologist when he already has the necessary tools for investigation (CCTV, DNA analyses, tracking devices, etc.) and the required intelligence to solve crimes on his own?
They were both wrong about Shin Jae-Yi. She applied her experience and offered advice that turned out to be a valuable contribution to their crime-solving efforts.
How Can I Go Back?
As time passed, all of the detectives in the unit – Chief Jeon Sung-Sik, Kwak Tae-Hee, Song Min-Ha, Kim Sun-Jae, and Park Gwang-Ho – began to form bonds of mutual respect and friendship. Meanwhile, the other Park Gwang-Ho, born in 1988, is still missing. It’s the strangest thing. Nobody seems to be looking for him. Why? Where is he? Park Gwang-Ho gathered some information, started putting pieces together, and concluded that – even if nobody else was searching for him – he needed to find the other Park Gwang-Ho, in order for him to return to the year 1986. Let’s hope!
Main Characters:
- Detective Park Gwang-Ho (played by Choi Jin-Hyuk, “Miss Night and Day”, “Numbers”, “Zombie Detective”, “Kangchi, the Beginning”, “Rugal”)
- Chief Jeon Sung-Sik (played by Jo Hee-Bong, “Hong Gil-Dong, The Hero”, “The Slave Hunters”)
- Lieutenant Kim Sun-Jae (played by Yoon Hyun-Min, “My Holo Love”)
- Psychologist Shin Jae-Yi (played by Lee Yoo-Young, “Dare to Love Me”)
- Kwak Tae-Hee (played by Kim Byung-Chul, “Sisyphus: The Myth”, “Doctor Prisoner”)
- Song Min-Ha (played by Kang Ki-Young, “Queen of Divorce”, “The Uncanny Counter S2”)
- The Other Park Gwang-Ho (played by Cha Hak-Yeon, “Joseon Attorney: A Morality”)
Viewership and Rating:
- IMDb: 8.3 out of 10 stars
- MyDramaList: 8.6 out of 10 stars
- Letterboxd: 3.7 out of 5 stars
- Google users shared a public rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars
My personal rating is the same as the Google users.
I used to watch this American TV series called “Time Tunnel” and this K-drama reminded me of that. In the American show, travelers could go into the past and the future. The main character in “Tunnel” ends up in the future but doesn’t know how to get back to his past. With each episode, you feel so sorry for the guy as you watch him struggle to figure out how he can return home. You begin to wonder if he will ever go back. It was agonizing!
Nevertheless, even though it’s 30 years later, the detective continues to try to work hard investigating and solving crimes. I was absorbed in this story, watching him use his old crime-solving methods and learn the value of new technology and modern techniques for examining crime scenes and gathering evidence. I loved the chemistry between Detective Park and his fellow detectives in 1986 and 2016. Also, I was proud that I understood his reference to the “Chief Inspector”.
The only negative about “Tunnel” is that it was very annoying to search for the Korean drama series because there is also a Korean movie with the same name and many other non-Korean movies and TV shows with the same name. Nevertheless, I finally found this 2017 K-drama series on the Roku Channel; stream free with ads. Patience and persistence pays. LOL.
LINKS OF INTEREST:
“Tunnel” – A Korean Series Review | Fiction | Vocal.Media
Review “Tunnel”: a thriller between the corridors of time… | just focus
[In Defense Of] Tunnel, and no, it wasn’t another Signal | Dramabeans Korean drama recaps
21 Must Watch Korean Crime Dramas For Those Who Can’t Stand Romantic K-Dramas | Middle Class
TRAILERS/TEASERS:
CJ ENM WATCH. “Tunnel (Scripted Trailer) CJ ENM.” YouTube Video. YouTube, August 4, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p82a5KZswCQ.
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