Is The Gangster The Cop The Devil Based On True Story

Director Lee Won-tae had a specific goal. He wasn't making a documentary about Yoo Young-chul; he was making a genre film about the blurry line between law and crime. The true story provided a fantastic hook —a gangster hunting a killer—but it lacked narrative symmetry.

The character "K" is widely believed to be inspired by Yoo Young-chul , known as the "Raincoat Killer." Yoo murdered at least 20 people between 2003 and 2004. According to discussions on Reddit , the killer's habit of staging car accidents to lure victims mirrors real criminal tactics from that era.

In the film, the partnership represents a moral grey area: the cop (Jung Tae-seok) is willing to break the rules to catch a monster, and the gangster wants revenge to maintain his reputation. In reality, while Korean police have historically used informants within the criminal underworld, a full-blown tactical alliance between a kingpin and a detective is a stylized narrative device used to heighten the stakes. Why the Movie Feels So Real is the gangster the cop the devil based on true story

In the movie, the antagonist Kang Kyung-ho (played by Kim Sung-kyu) is a cold, calculated serial killer who uses a distinct signature: he intentionally rear-ends victims' cars on dark roads and brutally stabs them when they step out to inspect the damage.

The parallels between K and Yoo Young-chul are undeniable: Director Lee Won-tae had a specific goal

Similar to true cases, the killer in the movie targets people in a similar, quiet manner, often using a vehicle to ambush victims, a technique used by murderers aiming to avoid suspicion.

He intentionally rear-ended his victims' cars to force them to step outside. The character "K" is widely believed to be

To create a high-stakes cinematic experience, the movie takes several creative liberties: