THE CHARACTERS, PLACES, ORGANIZATIONS AND EVENTS IN THIS DRAMA ARE WORKS OF FICTION
THE WORST OF EVIL
2 YEARS AGO, 1994 SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
-Hey. -Hi.
Gosh.
Did you feel bad for the street vendor again?
It's not that. I bought it because it's tasty.
-It is tasty. -Yeah.
What's with the uniform?
I told you I'm transferring to the security division.
That was today?
Let's eat.
She's transferring to the security division,
marking the official beginning of her elite career path.
You know that, right?
Yes, of course.
It's something worth celebrating
with the whole family.
I mean, your wife was appointed to Seoul
upon her promotion as assistant inspector.
Have you been in touch with your father lately?
No, I'm not.
Well, he's getting old,
so he should pull himself together
and try to stay healthy.
Yes.
All right.
How's the prep for the promotion exam going?
I should be preparing, but I can't seem to find time for it.
Then make time for it, man.
Your wife's an elite officer.
And you're a mere low-ranking detective
in the boondocks.
-What? -Could you stop saying nonsense?
Nonsense?
Stop being so condescending as if you're much older.
Your new executive title doesn't mean you're mature.
As I always say,
if KNPU accepted women when I was applying for university,
I'd be an executive too by now.
Enough.
Enjoy your drink
and stay as long as you want.
I'm going to the hospital to visit your mom.
- I'll drive you. - It's fine.
Closing the case didn't gain you anything.
If you wanted to move to Seoul, you should've come to
the retirement ceremony,
socialize with others...
My brothers are such jerks, right?
We don't have to come again.
I'd rather visit my mom than come here.
How's your mother? Is she all right?
Yes, she's all right.
Just forget what my dad said about your father.
I've forgotten about it too.
It's from my church back in high school.
I should take that home.
GANGNAM, SOUTH KOREA
Come to our club!
Come to All Night Club! Free beer for the ladies.
Stop. Damn it.
You bitch!
Why are you guys not working? Come here.
-Hello. -This is so annoying.
Guys, it's "Please come to All Night Club."
Got it?
Seriously, what are you doing?
Do you wanna make Gicheul go nuts?
DJ CHEOLI
Hey, Superstar Lee!
Hey, what's up?
How's it going?
-Good? -Girls are super hot today.
I mean, look.
- Hey! - He's so cute!
-She was right under our noses! -Whoo!
He stepped on me first!
Hey.
If you want to flaunt your strength, do it at your hometown.
In Gangnam, just shut it and drink.
If you don't want to die.
Let's change the vibe with something mellow.
Okay. Let's take these gentlemen outside.
Next round.
Rumor has it that
you were born and raised here,
have lots of connections, and can fight.
So why are you working as a DJ?
Let's work together.
I want to work with legit Gangnam natives.
Why be a night club DJ
when you can own one?
And I can make that happen.
Is it for real?
When will you make me an owner?
-What? Are you in a rush? -I want to make money quickly.
Are you poor?
You think everyone in Gangnam is rich?
You son of a bitch.
Watch your language.
Jung Gicheul.
If you bring all your friends to work here,
I'll make you an owner.
Does that sound good?
Do I have your word?
My word?
Is this what you want?
Is it?
1 YEAR LATER, 1995 GANGNAM, SOUTH KOREA
-Hello, sir. -Hello.
-Enjoy that. -Yes, sir.
Hello, Boss.
Did you find her?
It's Professor Yoon.
I hear she's the best.
Did you meet her?
Yes, but I was told she's retired.
Hey, money can solve anything.
Stay in touch with her.
Yes, Boss.
Gicheul!
We need you downstairs.
What's up?
I'm sorry. Please come downstairs.
Stand up, you damn bitch.
-Hey. -Seriously, stop!
Wait...
You little...
Let go of me!
You annoying bitch.
I said pour the drink!
No, don't.
He's from a rich family.
Hit me.
Go on and hit me, you bastard.
This fucking moron can't even hit me.
Who are these losers?
How fucking dare you?
Hey.
Do you know who I am?
Just take this and get lost.
Get lost.
Bullshit, fucking moron.
Do you think our boss took you in so you could do this?
You good-for-nothing DJ.
Light my cigarette.
And what's with you?
Are you Gen X or what?
Huh? You and your stupid style.
Nobody here will take you seriously if you dress like that.
Gicheul.
You've got to do better, okay?
You see...
You motherfucker...
Looks like losers got tempers too.
It's been a year. Can you keep your promise now?
God damn it.
Have some patience, you broke-ass bitch.
If it's difficult, at least allow me to make money in my own way.
I know a way
to make a fortune for all of us.
And what is the way?
Go.
I've been in the nightlife business for a while, and I know
who distributes marijuana and meth.
If we wipe out the small fries
and take over the distribution,
we'll make good money.
If you fund this plan,
I'll do the groundwork.
Are you telling me
to become a junkie?
We're only selling it.
We just need to keep our boys from doing drugs.
Right.
I see.
You son of a bitch.
You are out of your mind.
I'm Korea's biggest boss Song Donghyuk's right-hand man.
And you're telling me to sell drugs?
You think I'm some two-bit thug?
I'm Sergeant Jang,
not a drug dealer.
I'm the president of Gangnam, Sergeant Jang, you moron.
Do you have a death wish or what?
Hey, you.
Watch that stupid mouth of yours.
I'm warning you.
What an annoying punk.
Jang, that bastard.
He promised us a Mercedes.
God damn it!
We're shitheads, so he can treat us like shit.
But he can't treat Gicheul like that.
We're all here because of Gicheul.
But those motherfuckers aren't giving him respect.
Is your face okay?
Are you guys okay?
Living like this, I mean.
We're okay, God damn it.
We would've happily joined you no matter what.
He's right.
We can even go to hell if that's where you want to go.
We can even dig out shit if that's what you want to do.
That's gross, you freak.
Come on and let's do it.
Do what?
God damn it!
- Hey. - I'll get it ready by tomorrow.
Let's do it tomorrow, okay?
Honey.
I'll make you feel good tomorrow.
So just get some rest today, okay?
Tomorrow, you better...
Fucking bitch!
Hey, what's up?
Your go-to hotel in Jeongseon for holidays.
Is it in the mountains?
Yeah, it's in the middle of a forest.
It has nothing but fresh air.
Hook me up with them.
He killed a man in middle school
and served five years already.
That's him.
I already told him about us,
so I'll leave you two alone to talk.
RECRUIT KNIFE WIELDER
I'm Jung Gicheul.
You've got something inside.
You've got something too.
What can you do for me?
Two clubs in Gangnam.
Deal.
Let's wipe out the those fucking pigs
and take over Gangnam.
NEW JEONGSEON HOTEL
Is this the place?
PRESIDENT JANG'S MUTUAL AID SOCIETY OUTING
- Eat up, guys. - Thank you, sir.
Mr. Jung Gicheul.
You suck at soccer!
It's okay. There's always next time.
Man, you really sucked.
Enjoy the food, guys.
Hey, Kwon Taeho.
Yes, sir!
Where is the owner?
He said he didn't want to interrupt and wanted us to enjoy ourselves.
He'll come tomorrow morning to say hi.
Is that so?
By the way,
why are there no other guests?
He said it's normal during the off-season.
So the owner here was your baseball team coach in middle school?
Yes, his family is very rich.
He said, if you like it here,
he'd like a little help next year
with the new hotel construction in Gangnam.
All right. Tell him I'll keep that in mind.
Yes, sir.
Next.
You punks!
Fucking bastard!
Fuck!
You little rats! I'm going to kill you all!
Argh!
You fuckers!
Fuck!
Fucking bastards.
You fuckers!
Move, you bastard!
What the hell is all this?
Do folks from Seoul never sleep at night?
Kill them all.
Wipe them out!
Kill them all!
Kill them!
Son of a bitch!
Boss!
Damn it.
Bastard...
Fuck!
Come on!
Fine.
Fuck.
Enough, all right?
You can have Gangnam.
Take it.
I've taken care of things outside.
Thanks. Now, wrap it up.
Okay.
What now?
Fine. Whatever.
Get your hands off me.
I said, get your hands off me.
Get off me, you bastard!
You little...
Hey, asshole.
Do you have a death wish? Huh?
Can't you see what's going on?
Taeho, no. Don't!
You fucker.
I told you to get your hands off me.
-Taeho! -You bastard.
Let go, you bastard!
Get off me, you asshole!
I'm going to kill you all.
You're all fucking dead now.
My men from Busan are going to come for you!
You motherfuckers.
Give me the damn watch
that dead bastard has!
That's my fucking watch, you...
I said...
What the...
You son of a...
You fucking...
You scumbag!
Die, you scumbag!
BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA
Pleased to meet you, sir.
My name is Jung Gicheul.
Sergeant Jang became blood brothers with Jaegeon Group's Sung Kisoo a month ago.
I overheard their conversation while drinking.
He's cutting ties with Busan
and now wants to start anew under Sung Kisoo in Seoul.
In case you wouldn't believe me,
I took a photo.
It wouldn't be so complicated if he were here.
But I can't seem to reach him.
What did you do to him?
Did you bury him on a mountain
or...
throw him into the sea?
While we were bringing him to Seoul,
he suddenly ran away.
We don't know where he is either.
He killed his own family.
And I just came from the funeral.
Whether he betrayed or killed someone,
he's still my guy.
If you wanted to get rid of him, you should've asked for permission.
You can't do it the other way around. That is just wrong.
And yet,
you came here of your own free will.
What was your name again?
It's Jung Gicheul.
Jung Gicheul.
Jung Gicheul is A, an idiot
or B, a nutjob.
What if there's a C?
If you take me in,
I promise
to take only Nonhyeon-dong and Yeoksam-dong.
And...
I'll send you 50 million won every month.
You have my word.
Do you even know what you're talking about?
If you send me 50 million every month,
how will you pay your guys?
You must be Professor Yoon.
Are you from the prosecution or the police?
I'm the one who sent you the China travel guide.
It came with some gold.
My name is Jung Gicheul.
SEOUL CENTRAL DISTRICT PROSECUTORS' OFFICE
Hey.
I'm Murayama Hideaki. Tokyo Metropolitan Police,
Narcotics Control Department.
Cho Changsik, Chief Prosecutor of Serious Crime Division.
- Pleased to meet you. - Likewise.
When I said the drug was too expensive,
the drug dealer said
he's getting the drugs
from the yakuzas in Yoshioka-gumi,
so he couldn't make it any cheaper.
Because that premium-quality product with 99% purity
is imported from Korea.
Don't worry though.
They say we're going to get
over 10 kg every month from Korea.
That will naturally
result in a price drop.
"It will naturally result in a price drop."
We freed this drug dealer
in return for these statements,
but he was murdered three days ago.
We suspect it was revenge from those in Yoshioka-gumi.
Drug trafficking with Japan.
There's a high chance that it's a Korean gang.
Having the Korean meth cook
and trafficker arrested won't be enough.
There are numerous Yoshioka-gumi members across Japan.
We must find which member of which branch in which region
is importing and distributing meth.
And to secure hard evidence,
we'll have to catch the trafficking at the scene too.
Captain.
Got anyone who suits this case?
EUMSEONG, SOUTH KOREA
Someone tenacious.
A guy that can blend in.
There's a guy I know.
He's a bit wild,
but...
he'll be perfect for this job.
You fucking bastard.
Get off me!
Don't butt in.
Oh.
So refreshing.
Don't you want to go to Seoul?
I visit home once or twice a month.
That's not what I meant.
What do you think of doing something new in Seoul?
Something you haven't done and a bit dangerous.
So this is why you're here.
You never come here.
You'll infiltrate their group,
and if you see, hear about, and take part in the meth moving,
I'm sure we can catch the Japanese too.
So you want me to be a bad guy to catch bad guys.
Exactly.
Have we ever done investigations like this before?
Come on.
If you want to catch thugs,
you track them down, not become one of them.
Come on, we're cops. That's just mortifying.
And once my wife's family finds out about this,
they'll say I'm doing something crazy
instead of studying for the promotion exam.
Billions worth of meth that's enough to get 330,000 people high
is about to spread across the country.
Think about your father.
When you hate something so much, you can't even look at it.
Forget it. I'm not doing this.
There are a lot of other cops who can do this.
How may I help you?
Is Officer Park Junmo here?
Junmo.
He's over there.
What is it?
I heard you and NCID's Captain Seok Dohyung are like brothers.
A troubled high schooler from Daejeon who was known for fist fights.
And a kind police officer who steered him towards the right path.
I asked Captain Seok
to recommend someone suitable for this investigation,
and he said your name instantly.
I already turned him down though.
Apparently, all the police higher-ups
know about the incident at your wedding.
Even I wouldn't give a promotion
to a drug addict's son.
If this case ends well,
you'll get a sizeable bonus and a special promotion.
You can't stay in the lower ranks forever.
Officer Park,
chances like this don't come every day.
You can rise through the ranks
with the help of the prosecution.
I mean, your wife was appointed to Seoul
upon her promotion as assistant inspector.
How great is that?
SOUTHERN SEOUL PLAZA
Please.
I'll do it on one condition.
A condition?
I don't need any bonus.
But I want to move up two ranks.
-Two ranks? -Yes.
Clearly, I'll be the only one busting my chops in this case.
I think I deserve that much.
If this ends well,
won't you rise through the ranks?
Why don't you...
rise through the ranks with the help of a police underling?
Has there been a precedent?
In 1989 for catching Im Jongseok,
the head of the National Council of Student Representatives.
All right.
Lately, premium-quality meth with over 95% purity
has been widespread in Gangnam much like Japan.
Namely, Gangnam Crystal.
We thought it might be linked to gangsters in Gangnam,
so we did some digging.
Before, Jang Kyungchul,
also known as "Sergeant Jang," was the boss of the area.
But Jung Gicheul took him down,
which Busan's Song Donghyuk turned a blind eye to.
Jung Gicheul is now the head of Gangnam Union,
and the main members of this new gang are Yeoksam High graduates.
They've been like brothers since they were young,
so they have a strong bond like a family.
So we thought our usual investigation methods wouldn't work,
which is why we planned this.
When Jung was trying to get rid of Jang,
one of their members was stabbed to death.
His name was Kwon Taeho.
He was Jung Gicheul's best friend from high school.
The Gangnam Union members said Sergeant Jang was the murderer,
but since he went missing, the case remains unsolved.
Gangnam Union...
Is there anything else special about them?
Gangnam Union seized power in Gangnam really quickly.
On the outside,
it almost looks like a social club for young entrepreneurs.
But during the past six months in Gangnam,
they have taken over almost every nightclub there.
Where did they get all that money?
KARAOKE, LUCKY DISCO, LUCKY DISCO
I'm sure it has something to do with Gangnam Crystal.
Junmo, you'll now become Kwon Taeho's fake cousin
of the same age named Kwon Seungho
and get close to the Gangnam Union.
This is the background we made up for Kwon Seungho.
He works in a fishing crew.
Kwon Seungho.
I'll take care of his backstory in advance.
Don't worry about that.
You know Sikgaek in Yeoksam-dong?
They recently took over that business.
Some of the members have dinner there multiple times a week,
and we suspect they're the higher-ups.
Security is key to the success of this operation.
There might be cops who are close with the gangsters,
so let's keep it discreet from the start.
Hey.
You're taking sick leave when you look so healthy?
Junmo.
Are you okay?
Hey.
-Take care, okay? -Okay.
Get well soon.
Asthma?
Gangnam Union's boss, Jung Gicheul.
According to his travel records,
in the past six months,
he's visited Japan and China twice.
China?
If they're cooking Gangnam Crystal themselves,
they might be buying the ingredient, ephedrine, from China.
Gangnam Union and Jung Gicheul.
The worst drug crime in Korean history.
Now, let's think about
how Kwon Seongho
should first approach Jung Gicheul.
Let me try my way.
GANGNAM UNION JUNG GICHEUL
SIKGAEK
Sir, you need to order.
I'm not here to eat.
Bring me the owner.
I'm the owner. I'm not sure what you mean.
I know Gangnam Union took over this place.
Isn't Jung Gicheul the owner?
Bring me Jung Gicheul.
Hurry.
He's over there.
Who are you?
We have customers, so stand up quietly and leave.
If I stand up, you'll be lying down, you rats.
Just bring Jung Gicheul to me already.
What?
Damn it. Fine.
You fucking...
Fuck.
Boss, why don't we eat somewhere other than Sikgaek today?
Why?
Bring Jung Gicheul to me.
Bring the owner here.
Do you hear me?
Go and get Jung Gicheul.
Apparently, some nut is causing a scene there.
I'll go take care of it after we have dinner.
Who is he?
SIKGAEK
No, stop!
Don't throw that.
He wants to speak to Gicheul.
Me?
Yes, Boss.
Why?
You know those guys never tell you why.
Just forget it.
Who the fuck is this?
Fucking idiots.
Hey, bring your boss.
Let's go and check.
Crazy people need some education on etiquette.
Bring Jung Gicheul here!
Let's go.
I heard you were looking for me.
Why is it so damn hard to meet you?
Hey.
Are you Jung Gicheul?
Get your hand off me, you fuck.
Who are you?