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.
The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil succeeds because it uses the skeleton of a true crime story to build a muscular action epic. The film asks us to imagine a world where a gangster is the lesser of two evils, and a cop must become a devil to catch a devil. While that specific scenario never happened in a Korean police station, the fact that it almost did—the fact that a real mob boss beat a real serial killer to a pulp—is exactly why the movie feels so terrifyingly plausible. is the gangster the cop the devil based on true story
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. While the protagonists are fictional, the antagonist, known
Even though it isn't a "biopic," The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil feels authentic because it nails the setting. The early 2000s in South Korea were a time of rapid transition, and the film accurately portrays the tension between the police force and the organized crime syndicates of that era. While that specific scenario never happened in a
A key part of the true story involves a pimp—not necessarily a "gang boss" in the traditional cinematic sense—who realized his employees were disappearing. This individual began his own investigation and eventually collaborated with the police to lure and capture Yoo in 2004. The Legal Paradox:
, known as the "Raincoat Killer," who committed a series of murders in Seoul between 2003 and 2004. Like the "Devil" in the movie, Yoo targeted victims randomly and sometimes used a rainy setting to mask his crimes. The "Gangster" Connection:
