Drug Overlords and Legal Underworlds in “YADANG: THE SNITCH”
Content Warning: Drug Use, Addiction, Violence, and Explicit Content. Spoilers ahead!
Fourteen years after his last directed film S.I.U (2011), director Hwang Byeong-gug is back with another action crime story that handles what might possibly be the world’s worst drug bust. Settling right inside the heart of Korea’s illegal drug trade, YADANG: THE SNITCH (2025) shows the way to making money fast in the most morally ambiguous and conclusively, detrimental of ways. As hands are shaken and millions of Korean won are exchanged, covert operations are in order.
Director Hwang leads viewers into the world of a “yadang,” a snitch who sells information about drug offenders to law enforcement. As legalities start to blur, corruption runs rampant as people are swayed in the face of previously-unreachable money and power. Status is negligible as Korea’s drug scene neatly splits into three: drug offenders, law enforcement, and the snitching middlemen in between. Now in North American theaters from April 25, 2025, YADANG: THE SNITCH spins the typical rags-to-riches tale and injects it with an action-packed, plot-twisting take. Chatting with EnVi over email, director Hwang unlocks the behind-the-scenes stories of how he made it all happen.
Legal Loopholes and Backdoor Bargains
Starting off with narration that describes Korea’s rampant yet illegal drug scene, the film reveals the easily exploitable criminal justice system that enables the technically legal snitching. Taking a legal loophole in the shape of plea bargains, drug offenders are promised lighter sentences in exchange for cooperating with yadang and law enforcement.
Mixing in real-life cases from news articles and broadcasts, audiences quickly begin to realize that “the film isn’t just fiction but rooted in truth,” director Hwang states. “Some of the action scenes like the drug bust that appears early in the film or the one set on the subway were directly inspired by real cases.”
Working with yadang — largely unbeknownst to the public — to settle drug cases, the police are then extolled by the media for handling said criminals and busting down drug circles. Supporting the bold claim of “all major drug busts [being] neatly greased wheels in the system,” the legal environment is a breeding ground for yadang, who lick off the monetary trimmings of a good deal struck.
Protagonist Lee Kang-su (Kang Ha-neul) drives into a problem when he unknowingly gets his drink spiked, landing him in prison as a drug offender. Thrown into a cell with actual hardened criminals, Lee is clearly out of his element as he gets slammed into the bottom rung of inmate hierarchy. Finally granted the chance to plead his case, he meets prosecutor Ku Gwan-hee (Yoo Hae-jin), who realizes Lee was framed. Hashing out a deal to lower his sentence in exchange for information privy to inmates only, Lee unknowingly starts his yadang career as he helps Ku tackle drug rings from the inside out.
A Cycle: Chased to Chaser to Chased to Chaser
With years of snitching under his belt, scrappy prisoner Lee is a presence long forgotten. In his place is a new and improved version: an official, successful yadang. With a crisp suit and a slicked-back hairstyle, Lee carries himself with an arrogance and flamboyance of a man who’s protected by law, having long established a brotherhood-esque partnership with prosecutor Ku on handling drug cases. Sneering in the face of criminals he once trembled from, Lee struts his way into a drug bust that shatters everything — his health, growing career, and partnership with Ku.
Betrayed by Ku in his burning climb for a seat in the Central Prosecutor’s Office, Lee is set on exacting revenge. His bloodthirst is unnerving as throws himself back into the drug operations that ruined him in the first place. Unable to piece his rich, untouchable yadang persona back together, he pushes on nevertheless, albeit a bit scattered. Picking up an unlikely alliance with hot-blooded narcotics detective Oh Sang-jae (Park Hae-joon), who always seems to be at the right place at the wrong time, they set off on their own revenge-branded rides, cursing each other out along the way.
This is cinema
YADANG: THE SNITCH moves incredibly fast, with action scenes that fly by in a blur and scenes pumped with visuals that mirror stimulant effects. Purposeful amidst its artistry, the cinematography highlights the significant impact of drugs on society, especially youth — from clouded thinking and debilitating withdrawal symptoms to the very real associations with addiction and violence.
The film doesn’t shy away from showcasing violence, with graphic scenes of drug abuse endangering and harming the characters as well as narratively creating victims. Calling out to society, the heavy content is intended to “show how difficult it is to quit drugs and how drug addiction often leads to death in the end,” Hwang affirms. It’s eye-opening as it is alarming, aligning with his aim to “underscore just how dangerous and serious” drugs are and “help bring drug addiction into wider social discussion.”
To Society
The tension is incredibly palpable at times, with scenes that are exhilarating and excruciating, all at once. And with morally gray characters, it becomes increasingly difficult to cheer on a character without recognizing their very apparent flaws. Yet, despite the heaviness of the injustices and unfortunate realities, it’s easily counteracted by the natural flow of dialogue and the unexpected chemistry between characters as they unite towards a common goal for the first time. Unveiling the first-ever film about the yadang, YADANG: THE SNITCH is undoubtedly a satisfying and thrilling watch, potentially claiming its spot as one of Korea’s best action crime films.
Be sure to check out YADANG: THE SNITCH at a venue near you. For more information on the film, check out their official website and Instagram.
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