In the late 20th century, in a city where neon lit the rain and power passed through backroom deals as often as city council votes, three figures shaped a violent chapter of its history: a gangster who carved out a criminal empire, a cop who refused to look the other way, and a criminal mastermind known among whispers as "the Devil." Their collision changed lives, exposed corruption, and forced a public reckoning with how justice is pursued and purchased.
For those unfamiliar with the plot, The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil follows Jang Dong-su (Ma Dong-seok), a powerful crime lord who runs a modest loan-sharking operation. One rainy night, he is deliberately rammed by a car and then stabbed repeatedly by a mysterious, emotionless killer. Miraculously, Jang survives due to his immense physique and willpower.
Sadly, the real-life gangster, Kim Tae-chon, did not have a heroic arc. He was a violent criminal who, despite inadvertently helping the police by identifying a serial killer, remained a career gangster. He passed away in 2016.
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In the real 2005 case, the police caught Cho through traditional investigative work, forensic science, and public tips, rather than a collaborative underworld alliance. is the gangster the cop the devil based on true story
The core inciting event—the killer stabbing a gangster who subsequently survives—is the primary "true" element the filmmakers utilized to launch the plot.
The "Devil" in the movie is portrayed as a calculating, random killer who strikes without a clear motive or consistent victim profile, often staging scenes to look like traffic accidents. This randomness mimics the chilling tactics used by real-life South Korean serial killers who targeted vulnerable individuals in residential areas during that period. The Real-Life Connections
This is the most frequently cited influence on the film. Yoo Young-chul was a notorious serial killer active in Seoul from September 2003 to July 2004, a period overlapping with the film's setting.
. These "gangster" figures noticed their employees were disappearing and coordinated with the police to track and corner Yoo when he attempted to meet another girl. The Setting: The movie is set in In the late 20th century, in a city
Let’s dive deep into the true story that inspired the film, the real-life “cop-gangster” alliance, and how Hollywood and Korea adapted the same legend.
Just like in the movie, the real killer did not choose his victims based on gender, age, or financial status. He killed purely for the thrill of the act, making it incredibly difficult for local police to establish a motive or find a pattern. The Devil: Fiction vs. Reality
The film’s main antagonist, Kang Kyung-ho (referred to as "The Devil" and played by Kim Sung-kyu), does not represent one single historical figure. Instead, the director synthesized traits from South Korea's most notorious mid-2000s serial killers. 1. Yoo Young-chul (The Raincoat Killer)
The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil
While gangsters and police have been known to share information in real-world investigations, the cinematic, high-drama team-up where a mobster actively works alongside a detective is almost entirely a creation of the screenwriter and director, Lee Won-tae.
Furthermore, the "mob boss" Kim Tae-chon never entered into a formal alliance with the police. Kim was arrested shortly thereafter for his own crimes (including violence, blackmail, and running gambling dens). He only told the story about beating up the serial killer to the press after he was in prison, likely to boost his reputation.
The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil (2019) is a stylish South Korean crime-thriller that has captivated international audiences with its high-octane action and unique premise. The film, directed by Lee Won-tae, follows a ruthless crime boss, Jang Dong-soo (played by Don Lee/Ma Dong-seok), who survives a brutal attack by a serial killer. He then forms an unlikely alliance with a rebellious detective, Jung Tae-suk (Kim Mu-yeol), to track down the murderer.