The Devil Judge (2021)

February 5, 2023

Our Take: A thought-provoking, vigilante-style series on justice and fairness in a society plagued by greed and chaos.

The Premise

Inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, The Devil Judge is a thought experiment set in a dystopian version of South Korea two years after the onset of a mysterious epidemic. Since then, the economy has rapidly deteriorated, unemployment is at all-time highs, and people openly voice their wariness and resentment of the country's leaders while living in utter chaos.

With the country in shambles, Head Trial Judge Kang Yo Han (Ji Sung) (aka "Devil Judge") partners with the highly influential Social Responsibility Foundation to create a Supreme Court that judges cases on live television. Alongside his associates, rookie Judge Kim Ga On (Park Jin Young) and Judge Oh Jin Joo (Kim Jae Kyung), Judge Kang ruthlessly and publicly punish the guilty while attempting to usher his idea of justice and peace back into society. 

A divisive figure, the "Devil Judge" goes head-to-head with Jung Sun Ah (Kim Min Jung), a highly ambitious and calculative woman who rose from poverty to become the director of the Social Responsibility Foundation. Alongside Judge Kim Ga On is his childhood best friend, Yoon Soo Hyun (Park Gyu Young), a police officer who acts as a source of justice and moral righteousness. 

Democracy in its Purest Form...Or Is It?

The contrast between the power-hungry, corrupt elites in Seoul and the dystopian reality for everyday folks draws parallels to Batman and Gotham City. Judge Kang Yohan resembles a dark knight equipped with his judiciary robes and the power of the public via a live courtroom. But whether he represents good or evil is murky. 

In theory, the concept of a live court that allows the public to vote on whether or not the accused is guilty is democracy in its purest form. From the #MeToo allegations to corporate greed to political corruption, Judge Kang's court does not shy away from bringing thorny topics to the forefront. Each case uses the dystopian backdrop as an excuse to criticize modern politics and law. 

But, at the same time, Yohan's handling of different court cases raises questions about cancel culture, the role of the media and government, and freedom of choice. Is a verdict just if the judge knowingly tampers with evidence and manipulates witnesses to sway voters? Is it still democratic if a judge leverages mass hysteria and public opinion to their advantage? In the face of evil and corruption, is it necessary to use any means possible to punish the bad guys? 

One Man's Devil is Another Man's Angel

With each episode, clue, and new piece of information, Kang Yo Han simultaneously plays the role of a devil executioner and an angel who gradually reveals the darkness of reality. As someone with a tragic past and underlying trauma and grief, he represents people's struggles when faced with evil. He is the result of what happens to a perfectly normal person when pushed past their breaking point. 

Through Yo Han's eyes, we see that humanity is a luxury not everyone can afford. It's easy to say you will take the high road and be the bigger person no matter what obstacles life throws your way. But, when you go through suffering, hate, anger, and pain, that can drastically impact your decisions and alter the paths you take. 

While this take on human nature is very pessimistic, from Yo Han's perspective, his vengeance was the only right way to change the world for the better. In a society where fairness and justice are nonexistent, you must create your own rules to fight against more powerful forces. To defeat monsters, you inevitably need to turn into a justice-seeking monster too. In other words, the means justify the end. 

Opposing Judge Kang is Jung Sun Ah, who some may argue is not much different from Yo Han. Like Yo Han, Sun Ah is a complex and compelling character who justifies her questionable actions as the only right way to do things. As a child, she worked as a maid for rich and powerful families. But, from a young age, she was highly ambitious, greedy, and power-hungry, someone keen to claw her way out of poverty to join the affluent elite. 

In some ways, she gets exactly what she wants. She uses manipulative and coercive tactics to control high society behind the scenes and leverages the country's corrupt system to attain her goals. But, in her ascension, Sun Ah becomes a prisoner of her greed. No matter how much she accomplishes, it's never enough to satiate her unquenchable hunger for power and influence. Even while she stands up against the sexism of her male colleagues and harassment of women and orphan girls like her, she simultaneously kills innocent souls without hesitation to clear her path to the top. 

Thus, Yo Han and Sun Ah are very different monsters. Sun Ah's quest for revenge was always centered around herself and what she felt she deserved. Convinced that her sense of moral perfection and righteousness was the only way, she frequently abuses her power for selfish reasons, making her highly dangerous and sadistic. Although Yo Han's actions had elements of revenge, his focus was on empowering the powerless and fighting against oppression and cruelty. He never lost sight of justice and did not stand silent in the face of evil. 

The Pitfalls of Sincere Ignorance

Kim Ga On is a man of conviction, a young and impressionable rookie judge obsessed with righteousness and doing good. But, in an immoral world, his single-minded focus on following his moral compass ends up doing more harm than good. Due to his lack of experience, he gets frequently thrown into situations where he casts judgment without understanding the full situation and, as a result, gets easily swayed by other people's opinions. 

Whereas Yo Han is aware of the extreme choices he's making and the responsibilities that come with them, Ga On comes off as a noble but ignorant judge. Because he frequently second-guesses the intent of those around him, he gets manipulated on all sides and leaves a mess everywhere he goes. His character shows the dangers of what happens when one blindly follows his conviction without holding himself accountable for his decisions.  

The Mistreatment of Women

While the show takes a progressive approach to economic inequality, corruption, and media manipulation and disinformation, its treatment of women leaves a lot to be desired. The show creates intriguing female characters only to blunder their character development or kill them off when they start commanding our attention. 

Sun Ah is undeniably one of the most riveting characters on the show. She's powerful, cunning, and extremely capable. But, the other women meant to rival her on the good side are sadly underdeveloped and no match to her. 

Despite being billed as a main character, Soo Hyun felt very one-dimensional and seemingly only shows up when Ga On needs her. She dedicates her whole life to taking care of Ga On and being there for him, from choosing a career as a police officer to support him to stop him from killing the con man who destroyed his family to even taking a bullet for him. Because of her one-sided obsession with Ga On and lack of character development, it's almost as if Soo Hyun's presence added little value to the drama aside from being a sacrificial love interest.

Likewise, Judge Oh Jin Joo leaves a strong initial impression but quickly gets sidelined and manipulated by power and wealth. Even though she's one of only two associate judges on Kang Yo Han's court, she has little to do other than to look pretty and help grab the public's attention for Yo Han. 

Final Thoughts

The Devil Judge is a provocative and surreal drama that attempts to push the boundaries of storytelling. Although The Devil Judge has shortcomings, it's an innovative show worth watching for the thought-provoking questions it brings up, the chaos of a dystopian society, and the strong performance of the cast.