Narco-Saints (2022)

April 23, 2023

Our Take: A thrilling and visually stunning portrayal of the drug trade and criminal underworld.

The Premise

Based on the real-life story of Korean drug lord Jo Bong Haeing, Narco-Saints is a thriller series that follows the life of Kang In Gu (Ha Jung Woo), an ordinary entrepreneur who travels to Suriname to start a lucrative skatefish business with a friend. When he arrives in Suriname, he uses bribes to jumpstart his business. But unfortunately, he gets entangled with Chinese drug lord Chen Zhen (Chang Chen), who claims he owns the waters and demands money from him. As a result, he seeks help from Jeon Yo Hwan (Hwang Jung Min), a Korean "drug godfather" moonlighting as a pastor. 

After getting manipulated into being a drug mule for Yo Hwan, In Gu gets recruited by Choi Chang Ho (Park Hae Soo), the team leader of the National Intelligence Service (NIS) U.S. branch. In exchange for his freedom, In Gu must work with Chang Ho's team on a life-threatening secret government mission to capture Yo Hwan and dismantle his drug operations.

Together, they devise a risky plan to gain Pastor Jeon's trust and infiltrate his international drug trade. Flanking Yo Hwan's side is his right-hand man, Byun Ki Tae (Jo Woo Jin), a Chinese-Korean gangster with a complicated past, and David Park (Yoo Yeon Seok), an American-raised consultant lawyer who provides legal advice to him. 

The True Story of Jo Bong Haeing

Little is known about Jo Bong Haeing's early life, but he was charged with fraud in 1994 and forced to flee South Korea. After running away to Suriname, Jo established and operated a large-scale trafficking network in Latin America in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He hired cash-strapped Koreans as mules to smuggle drugs into European countries, paying them 4-5 million won per trip. From 2004 to 2005, drug kingpin Jo smuggled 48.5 kilograms of cocaine, worth at least 160 billion won ($140 million), into Europe. 

In July 2009, Jo got captured by law enforcement at the Sao Paulo International Airport in Brazil and deported back to South Korea in 2011. He was indicted on charges of smuggling cocaine from South America into Europe and was eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 100 million won. 

While the Netflix series was inspired by real events, it's uncertain if Jo posed as a pastor to use religion as a front for his drug cartel and smuggling operations. The involvement of a South Korean entrepreneur working undercover to capture him is also shrouded in mystery. 

The Temptations 

As we watch Kang In Gu infiltrate Yo Hwan's drug operations, much of the suspense revolves around whether he will get caught. But, there's an added layer of complexity to In Gu's character as he doubts which side to choose between the NIS and the pastor. 

The longer the mission takes, the more he gets exploited by both the government and Pastor Jeon. Yo Hwan takes advantage of the loyal zealots who cling to his every word under the guise of following god's will. Meanwhile, the NIS uses the pretense of nationalism to do whatever it takes to catch Yo Hwan, even risking In Gu's life and the pastor's unsuspecting followers. 

Having struggled his whole life, Kang In Gu wants to do right by his family. But he is also driven by a strong desire for money. He survives in Suriname for so long by appealing to Yo Hwan and Chen Zhen's greed, a trait he shares with them. When the pastor offers In Gu a partnership as an equal in his drug empire, he gets tempted to switch sides. Profit-wise, working undercover for the government is nowhere near as lucrative as operating a massive drug cartel, heightening his risk of betraying the NIS. 

However, Kang In Gu also realizes that Yo Hwan's days are numbered, and their core values are not aligned. While the pastor flaunts his wealth and influence, nothing he has in Suriname is real, including his faith in god, devout followers, and even his identity. The only item he has that is real is his autographed baseball. 

Unlike Yo Hwan, who only cares about himself and money, In Gu has a loving family back home that he loves. The deeper he gets into the drug cartel, the more his survival instincts and desire to protect his family kick in. 

Who are the Saints?

Faith and religion are integral parts of the show. Pastor Jeon uses Biblical language to gain followers and justify his lucrative drug-trafficking business. He routinely compares meth to "Satan's phlegm" while calling cocaine "a natural blessing from god." Meanwhile, In Gu has a chance encounter with Pastor Jeon because his wife forces him to attend church even when he's away from home. 

As we learn more about Yo Hwan's church and his followers, the line between religious devotion and drug addiction gets blurred. It becomes harder to differentiate whether Pastor Jeon's followers are true believers of god or just hardcore addicts. 

The Men of Narco-Saints

Unfortunately, the women in the cast end up in the background of the drama. But the men, on the other hand, get plenty of opportunities to showcase their talents and give a fresh take on the criminal underworld by pitting them against each other. 

In Gu is portrayed as an everyday man. But he's also highly capable and intelligent. While he is prone to making bad decisions, he's also a Judo expert, a mechanic, a persuasive negotiator, a small-time businessman, and a husband and father. Even when he gets thrown into unexpected situations out of his control, he quickly adapts to any situation and weaponizes his skills and personality to navigate his way out. 

In Gu's unpredictable personality makes NIS agent Choi Chang Ho extremely anxious about his commitment to the mission. At the same time, Jeon Yo Hwan is full of doubts about In Gu, his associates, and those around him. He brings depth and complexity to his complex role as a drug lord and pastor. Meanwhile, the intentions of the other men in Pastor Jeon's inner circle, as well as Chen Zhen, add to the intensity of the situation.

In some ways, In Gu and Pastor Jeon's situations draw a lot of parallels. Ultimately, they are two Korean men far from home, seeking ways to make a fortune in a foreign place. At times, it seems both men desperately want a true equal and partner in their business ventures. 

Final Thoughts

With an estimated budget of 35 billion Korean won, Narco-Saints delivers a cinematic spectacle, following in the footsteps of iconic drug lord dramas like Narcos. But, although the series features an interesting concept with the use of fabricated cult-like religion in the background and dramatic flair, it quickly devolves into your typical crime story tropes. While Narco-Saints may not break new ground in terms of storytelling, it still manages to entertain with its high-stakes drama and intense action sequences.