My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 683

‘Then that seals it. The police are treating this as something serious—either a series of sexual assaults or a murder.’

Cases that warrant profiler involvement are classified as high-profile, shocking violent crimes with national implications.

And they don’t just jump in right away.

Profilers are assigned to cases that become major social issues or remain unsolved for extended periods.

Moreover, Park Do-joon is part of the regional team.

Each police region has its own profiling unit. Suwon is home to the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency.

That means their profiling team would likely have been the first to get involved.

“Then it’s the latter—murder.”

If it were a case causing widespread public alarm, the local police would be fully engaged, meaning the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency would have already deployed their profiling team.

They wouldn’t deploy a profiling team twice. The fact that it reached them suggests the initial team couldn’t crack it.

“Then it’s even less likely to be connected to a sponsor site.”

If it involved a site like SponsorNet, there’d be no reason to involve them. It would simply be marked as unsolved and passed on.

“Human trafficking or murder… Probably murder.”

Human trafficking is serious, but profilers aren’t typically as involved in those cases.

Firstly, human trafficking has largely diminished in Korea, and the money trail makes it relatively easy to track.

‘In reality, the human trafficking that occurs even in Shinan [a region known for its insularity and potential for corruption] isn’t about an inability to catch them, but a lack of will to do so.’

From that perspective, the fact that the National Police Agency swallowed its pride and called in an external team points to one conclusion: murder.

“But Suwon doesn’t seem likely to be collude with criminals.”

Unlike Shinan, which lacks even a proper police station, Suwon has multiple stations, making a cover-up difficult.

Furthermore, Suwon is a typical large city. Structurally, the only industry that can easily develop by confining and exploiting people is prostitution.

“But it’s hard to run that kind of prostitution these days…”

There are so many women who voluntarily engage in prostitution that there’s no need to take such risks.

It’s an era where women not only work in prostitution businesses and have sponsors but also engage in prostitution as a side hustle.

Feminist groups argue that all people involved in prostitution are victims of kidnapping or threats, leaving them no choice, but practically speaking, that’s nonsense.

Currently, over 95% of prostitution is voluntary.

It’s simply a matter of whether it’s for luxury or livelihood.

“Hmm, so it’s murder after all?”

There must have been a reason this case was passed on to him, and that reason points to a different path than the one they were on.

Considering these different paths, the most likely scenario is murder, meaning a body was found.

If there was no body, the police wouldn’t involve a profiler, especially an external one.

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

Jo Sang-gyu approached with a worried expression as Park Do-joon sat there, lost in thought.

“About Suwon—it seems like it’s not Hong Woo-jong but someone else.”

“Looks that way to me too. The area is too different from Hong Woo-jong’s usual style. And the timing of Park Yu-ran’s disappearance doesn’t match either.”

“Yes.”

That time was when Wang Woo-hwan was supplying women to Hong Woo-jong.

And according to Wang Woo-hwan’s statement—or rather, his claim—those women were supplied through kidnapping, not by monetary enticement.

“Then that means there’s another organization…”

“Another organization? Not an individual, but an organization?”

“I think this is murder.”

Park Do-joon explained everything sufficiently, omitting only the fact that he had regressed [referring to his time travel experience].

The information about the missing woman at that point was indeed limited.

“Murder… It’s certainly highly likely.”

“And it looks like a group is involved.”

“A group?”

“I talked with Ji-soo, and that area is mainly a road used by the working class. Not a road frequented by the wealthy.”

“Does that prove it’s a group?”

“The woman was going to meet a sponsor, right? So she would have voluntarily gotten into the vehicle, but would she get into a truck or a van?”

It’s more likely to be a sedan or an SUV, and not just any domestic car but an imported one.

“Why?”

“Oh, well…”

Park Do-joon realized his mistake.

Indeed, few profilers have experience with sponsor-related cases. Realistically, it’s not a crime significant enough to warrant profiling.

But fortunately, Park Do-joon had memories of profiling related to another case.

“Sponsorship is a transaction where a woman’s sexuality and a man’s money are exchanged.”

“That’s right, prostitution.”

“No, it’s different from simple prostitution. You can’t ignore the ongoing relationship. The money demanded for sponsorship is ridiculously expensive compared to standard prostitution, right?”

General prostitution is known to cost around 200,000 to 300,000 won [approximately $150-$230 USD].

But sponsorship can cost around 4 million to 5 million won per week [approximately $3,000-$3,800 USD], depending on appearance.

Plus, they often receive luxury gifts or even a house.

“If you consider those costs, it takes at least 6 million to 10 million won per person to maintain.”

It sounds strange to call it maintenance, but that’s the reality.

“Is it more than just simple sexual desire?”

“Yes, it’s probably a strong area of emotional exchange or self-gratification.”

“Self-gratification…”

“It’s a trophy.”

A display of ‘Look, I’m successful enough to maintain this kind of sponsor.’ It’s about that appeal.

“Why do successful people change their cars and watches?”

“It’s objectifying women.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Since everyone has a cell phone, there’s no need for a wristwatch these days.

But incredibly expensive watches are still worn on the wrists of successful men.

“Display…”

“Yes, so the woman’s responsibility is to fulfill that desire for display as much as possible.”

“Was it an emotional transaction rather than a sexual one?”

Jo Sang-gyu looked thoughtful. He had never considered that.

Indeed, there hadn’t been a case to profile about sponsorship, at least not in the cases he had handled.

“Then the vehicle the man sponsoring, the buyer, is riding in will be expensive and impressive.”

A tendency to show off, and a human being who would even commit illegal acts.

Even if he’s going to meet a sponsored woman, he wouldn’t drive just any car.

“Many successful men treat women as trophies. Don’t you know? Even in America, some successful men will even hit on their best friend’s wife.”

“Well, that’s true.”

But why do they do that? Simply because they’re pretty?

That can’t be. Because they’re successful, they can find more pretty women around them if they try.

But still, they try to seduce and hit on their colleagues’ or friends’ wives.

“Superiority.”

I’m better than that guy. It’s to feel that emotion.

That’s why it’s not love, and that’s why even if it’s revealed and the relationship between the friend and his wife breaks down, they enjoy it and don’t feel sorry.

Of course, they don’t take responsibility for the wife who was divorced because of their actions.

“And even those who meet those guys will instinctively assess the target.”

If you went to meet a man who was going to sponsor you and he came out driving a small car? You’d run away immediately.

Because there are so many scammers among the sponsors.

“Because scammers can’t accuse each other?”

“Yes.”

For example, if they agreed to sponsor you and had a relationship, but it turned out they were a scammer? The woman has no way to report the other party.

Rape? If you present evidence of the sponsorship arrangement, it becomes evidence that you engaged in prostitution, setting aside the fraud.

And legally, financial relationships for illegal purposes are invalid.

Of course, even if they promised to give money on the condition of sponsorship, fraud is not established.

In fact, there are more guys who only touch women and run away without giving money than you think.

“So the first meeting is also a mutual screening.”

But the fact that they got into the other person’s car means that they passed each other’s initial screening.

“Then the culprit arrived in a good car and picked them up.”

“Yes, and they’re probably a criminal organization.”

“You said organization earlier; how do you know that?”

“The location where the signal was lost.”

Park Yu-ran definitely got into the car. And at that point, the phone was on, so phone tracking was done. But at some point, the phone turned off and could no longer be tracked.

“Look at the point where the signal disappeared.”

Park Do-joon said that and handed the location tracking information to Jo Sang-gyu.

“As you can see, it’s the path from Osan to Cheonan.”

“So?”

“What do you see around?”

“It’s a bit desolate. There are some stores here and there, but…”

There’s not much there.

No place to eat, no place for a secret meeting.

“The fact that the phone turned off means that Park Yu-ran was subdued at that point.”

“I guess so.”

“Then would she have been subdued alone?”

“Well… that’s ambiguous.”

Subduing Park Yu-ran while driving? That’s impossible. He has to drive too.

If not, stopping the car and subduing her? That’s possible.

But would Park Yu-ran just let it happen? Probably, at the point of trying to take her phone, she would have instinctively realized that something bad was going to happen and resisted desperately.

“But the police searched the scene and found no traces.”

Of course, they may have disappeared over time.

But the location is not ideal.

“There’s no reason to do that here.”

“Right?”

If it’s to harm or subdue the other person, you can just go to a place where there are no people or stores.

That’s not difficult. Because the sponsor can decide the meeting place.

For example, if they say, ‘Let’s go to my villa,’ they won’t be wary. It’s common for wealthy people to have villas.

Of course, such villas are in secluded places, and you can subdue, rape, or murder them while going to such places.

“But why here?”