While the movie is a stylized action-thriller, many viewers and critics note its parallels to real-life figures and cases:
The real-world history that inspired this story follows a parallel, terrifying path. 1. The Real "Devil": Yoo Young-chul
The central premise of the film hinges on the "devil" (the killer) attacking the "gangster" (Jang Dong-su), making it personal for the underworld boss. In the film:
: The core hook—a mob boss surviving an attack and teaming up with a detective—is inspired by the reality of how some Korean criminals and law enforcement have historically intersected during high-profile manhunts. is the gangster the cop the devil based on true story
There is no public record of a high-ranking Korean mob boss surviving a random hit by Cho Kyoung-ho and launching a mafia-wide manhunt.
The film's ending offers a more theatrical form of "justice" that differs from the legal reality of the life sentence/death row status of real-life killers like Yoo Young-chul. real-life investigation
Ultimately, The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil is a masterful blend of true crime history and high-octane Korean noir fiction. It takes the very real terror of a mid-2000s serial killer and elevates it into a thrilling game of cat-and-mouse that keeps audiences guessing until the final frame. While the movie is a stylized action-thriller, many
The 2019 South Korean action thriller The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil presents a visceral and ingenious premise: a vicious crime boss, after being stabbed by a serial killer, reluctantly teams up with a hot-headed detective to hunt down their shared, monstrous prey. The film’s gritty realism, brutal fight choreography, and emotional rawness compel viewers to ask a common question: is this based on a true story? The answer is nuanced. While the film’s central narrative of a criminal-policeman alliance against a serial killer is a work of fiction, its core—the character of the "Devil"—is terrifyingly rooted in the reality of South Korea’s first known serial killer.
The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil is indeed in South Korea, though the narrative takes significant creative liberties, adapting the "real" elements into a stylized action drama rather than a direct documentary.
In the film, the killer makes a critical mistake by targeting Jang Dong-soo (played by Don Lee, also known as Ma Dong-seok), a powerful organized crime syndicate boss. The gangster fights back, survives the stabbing, and becomes the only living witness to the killer's face. In the film: : The core hook—a mob
If you’re a fan of gritty Korean cinema, you’ve likely heard the buzz around Lee Won-tae’s 2019 action-packed thriller, The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil (Korean title: Amafokabeng ). Starring the legendary Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee) as a crime boss and Kim Moo-yul as a hot-headed detective, the film delivers a brutal, cat-and-mouse game with a twist: the gangster and the cop must team up to catch a serial killer.
The 2019 South Korean action-thriller The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil (directed by Lee Won-tae) gripped global audiences with its high-octane, unique premise. The film follows an unlikely alliance between a powerful mob boss and a rogue police detective determined to catch a sadistic serial killer. Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee) shines as the brutal gangster Jang Dong-soo, alongside Kim Mu-yeol as the relentless cop Jung Tae-suk, and Kim Sung-kyu as the chilling killer Kang Kyung-ho.
: While there have been real cases where criminals provided information to catch serial killers (such as a brothel owner helping identify Yoo Young-chul), the specific "buddy cop" dynamic between a high-ranking gang leader and a detective was crafted for cinematic effect.
The film is visceral, brutal, and strangely elegant in its violence. It tells the story of three men: Jang Dong-su (Don Lee), a mob boss who gets stabbed by a serial killer and survives; Jung Tae-seok (Kim Moo-yul), a hot-headed detective obsessed with catching the killer; and "K" (Kim Sung-kyu), the ghost-like murderer who connects them. The plot hinges on an unbelievable truce—a gangster and a cop shaking hands to hunt a monster.
Cho targeted random drivers on dark, isolated roads.