Park Chan-wook draws on a disaster that took place in South Korea to ironically criticize the greed of rampant capitalism . In 1995 , in Seoul , a huge shopping centre , the Sampung department Store collapsed , killing about 500 people and injuring many others . This tragedy was caused by human negligence . Half a million dollars were offered in indemnity to the victims ' relatives , and this triggered a merciless looting made by unscrupulous people . In a morgue where the lifeless body of a girl lies , waiting to be identified , a man and a woman , who introduce themselves as the parents of the victim , are distraught over the loss of the young girl . However , after a moment 's hesitation , a morgue employee claims the body of the girl . The grotesque controversy about who is the real " owner " of the corpse and the legitimate beneficiary of the money starts here . Between turn of events and paradoxical punishments of fate , the ending leads to a tragic and ironic conclusion . In black and white , the whole story is set in the cold morgue , where the characters ' absurd and pathetic dialogues take place , like a journalist and a police detective who keep on squabbling .
Sampung department Store collapsed
Sampoong Department Store collapse
Judgement (1999 film)