Through the Darkness

If you’re fascinated by the intricacies of criminal psychology, ‘Those Who Read the Minds of Evil’ offers an unfiltered and authentic glimpse into the birth of criminal profiling in South Korea. The authors, with firsthand experience, provide a depth and nuance often lost in dramatized adaptations. Through compelling true-crime cases and personal anecdotes, the book lays bare the painstaking efforts and emotional cost behind solving heinous crimes. Reading this book gives you direct access to the experts’ insights, their methods, and the true history that inspired the series. Rather than filtered through fictionalized storytelling, each case is presented with raw honesty. This unembellished reality helps readers appreciate the complexities and ethical dilemmas of psychological profiling, moving beyond the dramatic flair of television. By engaging with the source material, you'll also come to grasp the evolution of forensic science in Korea and the unsung sacrifices of real-life profilers. It is a deeply moving and intellectually stimulating journey that a screen adaptation alone cannot capture.

One of the key differences between ‘Through the Darkness’ and its source material is the dramatization of events and characters. While the book offers a documentary-style recounting of real cases and methodical profiling, the series creates composite characters and condenses timelines for dramatic effect. This results in more interpersonal drama and emotional storytelling, which, while engaging for viewers, diverges from the factual and analytical nature of the original text. The TV adaptation also adds fictional subplots and relationships to heighten suspense. Another major difference is the portrayal of the protagonist. In the book, Kwon Il-yong’s accounts are introspective and discussed in-depth, showing his professional growth alongside the evolution of criminal profiling. The series, however, often externalizes inner struggles through dialogue and added narrative devices, sometimes simplifying complex psychological battles for broader appeal. This shift makes the main character more of an archetypal hero, as opposed to the nuanced professional presented in the book. Furthermore, the book’s structure presents multiple cases in detail, focusing on the procedural and psychological aspects of profiling, often leaving moral and emotional interpretations up to the reader. The adaptation selectively chooses which cases to feature, amalgamates several crimes, and emphasizes action over reflection. This changes the pacing and sometimes the narrative focus, prioritizing entertainment over accuracy. Lastly, the tone of the original text is markedly more somber and contemplative, with real-life implications and unresolved cases leaving a lingering impact on readers. The series, in contrast, resolves more plotlines and offers a clearer sense of closure, aligning with typical TV storytelling conventions but moving away from the book’s commitment to real-world ambiguity.