To understand the realistic backdrop of the film, you have to look at South Korea’s history with organized crime. In 1990, President Roh Tae-woo declared a "War on Crime," launching massive crackdowns on violent street gangs ( jopok ). By the 2000s, these gangs had evolved from street brawlers into highly organized, corporate-style syndicates dealing in illegal gambling, loan sharking, and real estate—exactly like Ma Dong-seok's character in the film. Police-Gang Collusion
The 2019 South Korean action-thriller The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (directed by Lee Won-tae) hooks audiences with an outrageous premise: a powerful mafia boss and a rogue police detective team up to catch a sadistic serial killer. Because the movie begins with a standard "based on true events" disclaimer, viewers often wonder how much of this gripping thriller actually happened.
While the cinematic team-up between the mob and the police is highly dramatized, the serial killer's methods and the real-life terror he inflicted on South Korea are rooted in the terrifying history of the "Cheonan Serial Killer" case from the mid-2000s. The Real-Life Inspiration: The Cheonan Serial Killer
The 2019 South Korean film The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil is the gangster the cop the devil based on true story
: The movie takes place in the city of Cheonan, grounding the fictional narrative in a real geographical location that was active during the mid-2000s crime waves. Summary Table: Fact vs. Fiction Feature Movie Depiction Real-Life Basis The Killer "K" (Kang Kyung-ho), an indiscriminate stabber Primarily Yoo Young-chul; convicted of 20 murders The Alliance Active tactical partnership between a Don and a Detective Informal cooperation; a brothel owner helped catch Yoo The Incident Killer attacks a mob boss by mistake Fictionalized "hook" to drive the action-thriller plot Justice Mob boss testifies and then seeks personal revenge Yoo Young-chul remains on death row in South Korea
The ending of the film offers a highly stylized form of cinematic justice, but it mirrors a very real legal reality in South Korea.
| Plot Element in the Film | Real-Life Basis | | :--- | :--- | | | Largely Fictional. This specific alliance is a dramatic invention for the film. | | A serial killer attacks a powerful gangster, who survives the assault. | Largely Fictional. There is no known case of this happening. This event is the story's main fictional catalyst. | | A serial killer who murders strangers, including by staging a minor car crash. | Partially Inspired. This is inspired by the ruthless and random nature of killers like Yoo Young-chul . | | The story takes place in 2005. | True. The 2005 Cheonan serial murders provided the historical backdrop. | | A high-profile serial murder case grips a community. | True. This reflects the very real, widespread fear that gripped the nation during the crime sprees of the early 2000s. | To understand the realistic backdrop of the film,
Yoo Young-chul, the "Devil," was executed by hanging in Seoul Detention Centre in 2018. He remains one of the most reviled figures in modern Korean history.
"The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil" received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, with many praising its intense action sequences, strong performances, and gripping storyline. The film was a commercial success, grossing over $40 million worldwide.
In the real 2004 case, the police were already several steps ahead. When Kim Tae-chon was beating up Yoo Young-chul in the street, police were already investigating a series of murders that Yoo had committed. In fact, Yoo was already on their radar via a separate investigation into stolen golf clubs. The Real-Life Inspiration: The Cheonan Serial Killer The
While the protagonists are fictional, the antagonist, known only as "K," represents a specific type of criminal often seen in real life: the serial killer who targets the marginalized.
To help clarify, here is a direct comparison between the film’s plot and the historical reality:
Is The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil Based on a True Story? The Dark Reality Behind the Film