The portrayal of the South Korean police force and the (organized crime) is rooted in historical reality. In the late 90s and early 2000s, the lines between the law and the underworld were often blurred.
The story’s "truth-adjacent" grit was so compelling that it caught the attention of American producers. Sylvester Stallone’s production company, Balboa Productions, actually signed on for a Hollywood remake before the original was even out of theaters—with Don Lee (Ma Dong-seok) set to reprise his role as the gangster. Final Verdict is the gangster the cop the devil based on true story
The film's "based on a true story" tagline requires a careful distinction: The portrayal of the South Korean police force
If you enjoyed the film for its realism, you’d likely appreciate like The Raincoat Killer or In the Name of God — both based on factual serial killer cases. While the specific plot points of the movie
Some reports suggest the film draws inspiration from the atmosphere surrounding the infamous "Rainy Thursday Killer" (Lee Choon-jae), who terrorized the Hwaseong area. While the specific plot points of the movie are largely fabricated, the fear of an elusive, seemingly unstoppable force is deeply rooted in the true stories of serial killers like Yoo Young-chul, who targeted multiple people in a short time, similar to the killer in the film. The Gangster and The Cop: Myth vs. Reality
While The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil deals with themes of justice, vengeance, and corruption that feel true to life, the story itself is entirely fictional. It is an original action-thiller narrative rather than a historical documentation of actual events.
Background and setting The city had grown fast: ports, factories, and sprawling housing projects made it fertile ground for organized crime. Economic inequality, lax oversight, and political compromise left law enforcement stretched thin and sometimes compromised. Into that gap stepped a gangster—born in poverty, schooled by the streets, and ambitious enough to see opportunity in chaos. He organized crews, controlled rackets from gambling to protection, and cultivated a reputation that mixed fear with a perverse kind of loyalty among neighbors who depended on the cash his operations circulated.