‘Narco-Saints’ is a South Korean crime thriller series that was created by Yoon Jong-bin and Kwon Sung-Hui and is currently streaming on Netflix. The show is also known as ‘Suriname’ and ‘The Accidental Narco.’ The story follows the life of Kang In-Gu, a regular businessman from South Korea who relocates to the country of Suriname in South America in order to make a living from fishing. On the other hand, he finds himself embroiled in a risky plan to apprehend the dangerous leader of a drug cartel. The riveting series takes viewers behind the scenes of a drug cartel and shows them how it operates. Consequently, viewers are likely to be curious about whether or not the series is based on actual events. We, too, were curious about the same thing, so we looked into it and discovered the truth. Here is everything that we have discovered concerning the origin of the idea behind ‘Narco-Saints.’
Table of Contents
Is There Any Truth to the Narco-Saints Movie?
The film ‘Narco-Saints’ is, in fact, based on real events. The life of the actual drug lord Jo Bong-Haeing served as the inspiration for this television series, which was adapted for the small screen by Yoon Jong-bin and Kwon Sung-Hui. The drug lord’s operations were based in the country of Suriname in South America. He used people of Korean descent as carriers to smuggle drugs from South American countries into European nations. It is not known very much about the early years of Jo’s life; however, in 1994, he was required to leave South Korea because he was wanted on charges of fraud.
In the 1990s, it is believed that Jo established a pathway for the trafficking and supply of illegal drugs. Jo was responsible for smuggling approximately 48.5 kilograms of cocaine into various countries in Europe between the years 2004 and 2005. At a minimum, the value of the package is estimated to be 160 billion won, which is equivalent to $140 million. Jo hired a number of Koreans to act as carriers for the purpose of smuggling drugs and paid them between 4-5 million won for each journey that they made. In 2009, Jo was taken into custody by the Brazilian authorities responsible for maintaining law and order. In 2011, he was indicted on charges of smuggling cocaine from South America into Europe by using people from Korea as carriers. He was deported to South Korea after being accused of the crime.
Yoon Jong-bin, one of the co-creators of the series, discussed its origins in greater detail during an interview. Yoon disclosed that he had contacted the real-life drug lord in Suriname with the intention of making a film about him. However, once he realized that it would be difficult to tell the story in a two-hour movie, he made the decision to make a television story that was based on the true story and consisted of six parts. “When I first heard about the story, I thought it was really interesting. I was curious to find out more about it. But when I received the script for the movie, there was a lot that was missing, such as the things that initially piqued my interest in the story. “It seemed like it would be difficult to capture the whole story in a running time of only two hours,” Yoon stated during a press conference.
Despite the fact that the first chapter of the series states that the story is based on actual events, On the other hand, a word of caution is forthcoming. It says that the story, although it was inspired by real events, has been heavily dramatized, and the names and details of certain characters have been fictionalized. However, it also says that the story was inspired by real events. For instance, the character Jeon Yo-hwan serves as the show’s interpretation of Jo Bong-Haeing.
In addition, it is not known whether the real-life drug lord pretended to be a pastor in order to cover up his drug trafficking and smuggling activities behind the guise of a religious organization. In a similar vein, there are no reports of a South Korean businessman working covertly with the NICS in order to apprehend the drug lord. As a result, it is highly likely that the character Kang In-gu plays in the series is an invention of the writers. In addition, the show’s careful attention to cultural representation places it in a category with other crime dramas on Netflix about drug cartels, such as “Narcos” and “Narcos: Mexico.”
As stated in the opening credits and by the co-creators of the show, “Narco-Saints” is, in the end, based on real-life occurrences. However, in order to make the story more interesting and entertaining for the audience, the creators have most likely interjected a number of fictional elements. In spite of this, the story’s premise of a South Korean businessman infiltrating a dangerous international cartel in order to bring the organization’s leader down is grounded in reality through the use of emotive storytelling and dramatic moments. As a result, audience members are going to be startled and entertained by the skillfully blended elements of fiction and reality.
Casting
In addition to the lead roles of Ha Jung-woo and Hwang Jung-min, it was announced on March 23, 2021 that the cast would also include Jo Woo-jin, Yoo Yeon-seok, Park Hae-soo, and Choo Ja-hyun. The roles of Ha Jung-woo and Hwang Jung-min had already been confirmed. On March 22, 2021, a location in Seoul played host to the first script reading that the cast participated in.
Filming
Due to the widespread COVID-19 pandemic, the production that had been scheduled to begin filming in the Dominican Republic in April of the previous year had to be postponed indefinitely. Later on, the production began shooting on a set in South Korea beginning in April of last year, and they ultimately decided to shoot in the Dominican Republic rather than in Suriname for approximately two months beginning in November.
It was reported on November 9th, 2021 that the cast and crew of Narco-Saints had traveled to the Dominican Republic beginning at the end of October, with the intention of returning to Korea around the middle of December. Yoo Yeon-seok just recently arrived back in Korea at the end of October, while Hwang Jung-min and Ha Jung-woo left for the Dominican Republic at the end of October and the beginning of November respectively. It is anticipated that Jo Woo-jin will depart the country in the near future. There won’t be any similarities between the setting of this story and the country of Suriname.
It is estimated that 35 billion yen was spent on the production of the series.
Is Narco-Saints based on real events?
Yes, “Narco-Saints” is based on a true story. The show is based on the life of Jo Bong-Haeing, a real-life drug lord. Yoon Jong-bin and Kwon Sung-Hui created it for television. The drug lord operated in Suriname, a South American country. He smuggled drugs from South America to Europe by passing them off as Koreans. We don’t know much about Jo’s childhood, but he had to flee South Korea in 1994 because he was wanted for fraud.
Jo is said to have established a network for drug trafficking and supply in the 1990s. Jo smuggled approximately 48.5 kilograms of cocaine into Europe between 2004 and 2005 without being apprehended. The package is estimated to be worth at least 160 billion won ($140 million). Jo hired a few Koreans to assist him in drug smuggling, paying them between 4.5 and 5 million won per trip. Jo was arrested by the police in Brazil in 2009. He was returned to South Korea in 2011 and charged with smuggling cocaine from South America into Europe via Koreans.
Yoon Jong-bin, the show’s co-creator, discussed how the idea for the show came about in an interview. Yoon stated that the real-life drug lord in Suriname was the inspiration for him to make the film. When he realized that telling the story in two hours would be difficult, he decided to turn it into a six-part TV series instead. “When I first heard the story, I thought it was really interesting. But when I got the script for the movie, there were a lot of things missing, including the things that initially piqued my interest. “It seemed difficult to fit the entire story into a two-hour running time,” Yoon said at a press conference.
The story is said to be based on true events at the start of the series. But first, a word of caution. The story is said to be based on true events, but it has been heavily dramatized, and the names and details of some characters are made up. On the show, for example, Jo Bong-Haeing is referred to as Jeon Yo-hwan.
Furthermore, no one knows if the true drug lord pretended to be a pastor and ran his drug cartel and smuggling operations under the guise of religion. Similarly, there are no reports of a South Korean businessman working undercover to assist the NICS in apprehending the drug lord. As a result, Kang’s in-character gu’s in the show are most likely made up. Furthermore, the show is similar to other Netflix crime dramas about drug cartels, such as “Narcos” and “Narcos: Mexico,” in that it depicts different cultures.
According to the show’s co-creators and the opening credits, “Narco-Saints” is based on true events. However, the story most likely contains some made-up elements that were added to make it more interesting. Still, the idea of a South Korean businessman infiltrating a dangerous international cartel to assassinate its leader is plausible. This is demonstrated by emotional stories and dramatic scenes. As a result, the careful blend of fiction and reality will both surprise and entertain the audience.
Narco-Saints expands on what Narcos began. The crime thriller that reintroduced Pablo Escobar into the consciousness of young people.
The first season of Narcos lasted three seasons, and both Pedro Pascal and Wagner Moura became well-known as a result. There is also Narcos: Mexico, a separate show. This spin-off follows the Mexican drug cartel and concludes in 2021. Narco-Saints, unlike the other serials, will be mostly in Korean rather than Spanish. Let’s see if it does well enough to warrant a Seasons trilogy.
Jo Bong-haeng, whose name was changed on the show to Jeon Yo-hwan, was the leader of one of Suriname’s many drug cartels. These gangs were led by Jo Bong-haeng. This man wields considerable power in Suriname as a result of his influence. Some of the names in the story have been changed.
He is given the opportunity to level a false accusation against a member of the National Intelligence Service.
It was shot during the Covid 19 Pandemic, when filming in Suriname was impossible. It was instead shot in the Dominican Republic.
One of the characters will be familiar to Squid Game fans. Park Hae-soo, who played Cho Sang-woo, has been cast as Choi Chang-ho, a major character in the story.
Kang In-gu (Ha Jung-woo) is a Korean civilian businessman. He will have to work against his will with the National Intelligence Service in order to catch the mastermind. He will have to take a risk in order to complete the task assigned to him. The mission’s goal is to apprehend the South Korean who runs the drug cartels in South America. Narco-Saints will be available on Netflix on September 9, 2022.
“Narco-Saints,” which will be available on Netflix soon, will be a fast-paced crime drama with a new setting and a phony religious leader.
“I thought the series’ story was excellent. A Korean becoming a drug lord in a South American country on the Atlantic’s northeastern coast? At a press conference Wednesday at Josun Palace in southern Seoul, Ha Jung-woo, who is back in a drama series after 15 years, said that this would be a great location for a movie.
“When I first heard about the story, I hoped it would be made into a crime film or a television drama series.” “I was able to give out ideas for “Narco-Saints” while I waited for six to seven years because the story was so interesting,” Ha said.
The six-episode series is based on a true story about a South Korean man in Suriname who used Koreans to smuggle cocaine from South America to Europe. It follows a hardworking man named Kang In-gu (Ha) who does not want his children to live in poverty.
Kang establishes a new business with a friend in Suriname, a country he has never visited before, in order to change his life.
Kang becomes a pawn in the international drug trade after meeting a drug king, Korean pastor Jeon (Hwang Jung-min). A new mind game begins when Kang is apprehended by South Korean government agent Choi Chang-ho (Park Hae-soo).
Yoon Jong-bin, the director of the hit crime films “Nameless Gangster: Rules of Time,” “A Violent Prosecutor,” and “The Spy Gone North,” said he chose “Narco-Saints” as his first drama because two hours would be insufficient.
“When I read the script for a 120-minute film, I noticed that many interesting things were left out.” “I thought it would be difficult to make a crime film, so I started with a drama instead,” Yoon explained.
Pastor Jeon, according to the director, was created to help people understand Kang’s situation and sympathize with the character.
“When I found out what really happened, Kang was just a person who desperately wanted to help the drug king.” I didn’t think this was a strong case. “I came up with a job that would make it easy for people to trust me,” Yoon explained. “A priest was the answer.”
Aside from the thrilling stories, the director stated that having the best actors act in the same scene was a dream come true.
“These actors, particularly Taiwanese actor Chang Chen, brought a lot of energy to the scenes,” the director said, adding that he was confident the cast’s outstanding performances would pique audiences’ interest.
Another hit Netflix Korean original series, “Narco-Saints,” is set to premiere this Friday, just in time for the Chuseok holiday long weekend.
The thriller crime series is based on a true story about an entrepreneur named Kang In-gu (Ha Jung-woo) who traveled to Suriname, a small South American country, to start a fish trading business in order to support his family back in Korea. He meets Jeon Yo-hwan, a Korean priest played by Hwang Jung-min, who assists him when he is fighting the Chinese mafia.
When In-gu is accused of drug smuggling, he discovers that Yo-hwan is the country’s Korean drug lord. He exports drugs through his fish business. Then he joins a secret government mission to kill him with agent Choi Chang-ho (Park Hae-soo).
Yoon Jong-first bin’s time directing a series is “Narco-Saints.” He has directed films such as “The Spy Gone North” (2018) and “Kundo: Age of the Rampant” (2014), but this is his first series. “Narco-Saints” was written by Kwon Sung-hui, whose previous work includes the horror film “The Closet,” which will be released in 2020.
According to the director, the drama, which was supposed to be a film, was turned into a six-part series in order to tell the story of a real-life Korean drug lord who was apprehended in Suriname in 2009.
“When I first heard the story, I thought it was fascinating. But when I got the script for the film, a lot was missing, including the things that initially piqued my interest. “It seemed difficult to tell the entire story in two hours,” he said on Wednesday at a press conference for the series at Josun Palace in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.
With this show, actor Ha returns to television for the first time since he was fined last year for using propofol for non-medical purposes, which is illegal.
Ha, who has been involved with the project since its inception, believes the story is compelling enough to be turned into a series.
