Is The Gangster The Cop The Devil Based On True Story -

The 2019 South Korean action-thriller The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil is one of those movies where the plot feels so wild it has to be fiction. The idea of a powerful crime boss teaming up with a gritty detective to hunt down a serial killer sounds like a classic Hollywood high-concept pitch.

• The alliance never happened.
• The specific characters of Jang Dong-su and Jung Tae-seok are fictional composites.
• The final act car chase and courtroom handshake are dramatic inventions.

Some reviews and viewers note that the concept of criminals and police working together to catch a more dangerous threat is a "true tale", though most critics view the specific alliance in the film as an "inventive reworking" of tropes rather than a literal historical record. Useful Review Summary is the gangster the cop the devil based on true story

• Gangster: "You catch rapists and thieves. I catch traitors to my organization. But this guy attacked me. He’s nobody. He’s not criminal or civilian. He’s a ghost. Let’s share intel."
• Detective: "I don’t make deals with scum."
• Gangster: "Then you’ll never catch him. My men cover the streets your patrol cars can’t see."