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Unlike typical horror with a "pure" victim, both characters are deeply damaged. Bum's stalking behavior and Sangwoo's murderous tendencies are both rooted in severe past trauma and abuse.
Both protagonists present a façade that masks deeper, more malignant tendencies. Bum’s outward vulnerability hides an appetite for self‑destruction, while Sang‑Woo’s polished exterior conceals a predatory nature. The chapter forces readers to confront how appearances can be deceiving—a motif that recurs throughout the series.
Bum’s obsession isn't romantic in a traditional sense; it’s a desperate craving for validation, sparked after Sangwoo saved him from a rape attempt in the military.
is less of an introduction and more of a trap. It begins with a premise that feels uncomfortably familiar in the "Boys' Love" genre—an obsessive, socially isolated protagonist, Yoon Bum, pining over the "perfect" golden boy, Oh Sangwoo. But within just a few pages, Koogi expertly dismantles every trope she sets up. The Descent into the Basement killing stalking chapter 1 top
The chapter’s tension is architectural. Scenes are compressed into tight, domestic tableaux—corridors, apartments, a stolen moment of contact—that function like pressure vessels. The ordinary details leach terror: a bus ride, a cigarette passed between strangers, the click of a door. The narrative economy is such that nothing extraneous distracts; every action doubles as signifier. When Bum follows Sangwoo, the act is both banal and transgressive—the everyday becomes the staging ground for a stalking ritual. The reader is made complicit by perspective: seeing both the tenderness Bum feels and the ethical rot underlying his persistence.
Here is a detailed look at the chapter that changed everything. The Setup: Obsession and Infiltration
One of the most fascinating and disturbing aspects of Killing Stalking is how it immerses you in Yoon Bum's psychologically damaged mind. Unlike typical horror with a "pure" victim, both
When Koogi first released , the manhwa world wasn't quite prepared for the seismic shift it would cause. Far from your typical romance or "Boy’s Love" (BL) story, the opening chapter established a grim, suffocating atmosphere that redefined the psychological horror genre on platforms like Lezhin.
Chapter 1 wastes no time introducing us to the fragmented psyche of the protagonist, Yoon Bum. Bum is immediately coded as an outcast—scrawny, socially isolated, and visibly bearing the weight of severe trauma. Through his internal monologue, we learn of his intense, consuming fixation on Oh Sangwoo, a charismatic, handsome classmate from his university and military service days.
Panel borders widen, forcing the reader to linger on Bum's mounting dread. is less of an introduction and more of a trap
Through Sangwoo and Minwoo's characters, the author raises questions about the nature of relationships, the dangers of obsession, and the lasting impact of trauma. As the series progresses, these themes will continue to be explored, leading to a thrilling and thought-provoking ride.
Instead of a normal home, Bum discovers a dimly lit, blood-spattered basement holding a bound, gagged, and severely bruised woman crying for help. Before Bum can fully process the horrific scene or attempt an escape, a shadow looms behind him.
In sum, Chapter 1 of "Killing Stalking" is a masterclass in tonal control and psychological tension. By contrasting Bum’s wounded interiority with Sangwoo’s ambiguous sociability and by staging ordinary spaces as sites of creeping menace, the chapter accomplishes something rare: it makes the reader feel the gradual erasure of boundary between longing and harm.
Years after its conclusion, fans still return to Chapter 1 because it sets the stakes so high. It challenges the reader's morality: who do you root for when both the protagonist and the antagonist are deeply flawed or outright dangerous?
I'm a designer and art director living and working in Tokyo.