Is The Gangster The Cop The Devil Based On True Story -
The film is praised for its realistic portrayal of South Korean organized crime (the Kkangpae).
The film’s screenwriters have confirmed in multiple interviews that the inspiration came from a real event that occurred in Yongsan, Seoul, around 2005.
Don’t go into The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil expecting a documentary. Go into it expecting a hyper-stylized, brutally efficient action thriller that uses a grain of historical truth (Yoo Young-chul’s crimes and the era’s police incompetence) as rocket fuel for a wild fictional story.
Final Take: It’s inspired by the true story of Korea’s serial killer panic, but the iconic image of a gangster handcuffed to a cop chasing a devil is pure cinematic genius. is the gangster the cop the devil based on true story
Have you seen The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil? Do you think a real-life alliance between criminals and cops could ever work? Let us know in the comments below!
Here’s a concise guide to understanding whether The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil is based on a true story.
In the early 2000s, Seoul’s underground was ruled by organized crime factions. One particular mob boss, whose identity has been protected in official records (though local journalists nicknamed him "Mr. Kim"), was driving home late one night. Like in the film, he was rear-ended by another vehicle at a traffic stop. The film is praised for its realistic portrayal
Thinking it was a minor fender bender, the gangster got out of his luxury sedan to inspect the damage—and to intimidate the other driver. This was a fatal miscalculation. The driver of the other car was not a terrified citizen; he was a serial killer named Kang Ho-sung.
| Element in Film | Based on Real Events? | |----------------|------------------------| | Serial killer stabbing random victims | Yes — patterned on Yoo Young-chul’s crimes | | Gangster survives attack | No confirmed real case | | Police-gangster alliance | No — pure fiction | | Specific killer’s methods (stabbing, calm demeanor) | Partially inspired by real killer profiles | | Final arrest via cooperation | Loosely inspired, but dramatized |
The film opens with a title card claiming it is “inspired by true events.” This is a classic cinematic device, but here’s the breakdown of what is real and what is Hollywood (or Chungmuro) magic. Have you seen The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil
The true story of the gangster-cop alliance became legendary in Korean law enforcement circles long before the 2019 film. In fact, when the script for The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil was first pitched in 2017, it immediately attracted international attention.
Sylvester Stallone’s Balboa Productions purchased the remake rights to the film in 2019. The planned Hollywood remake, titled The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, is set to star Ma Dong-seok reprising his role (unusual for a remake) alongside possibly Bruce Willis or another major American star.
Stallone has explicitly stated that he was drawn to the "bizarre truth" of the premise. "It’s one of those things you think could never happen," Stallone said in an interview. "But in the streets, survival makes strange bedfellows. And that’s real."