Drama Narco-Saints

Netflix's original Korean drama 'Narco-Saints,' which premieres on September 9, 2022, is based on the actual tale of Cho Bong-haeng, a Korean who became a drug king after joining a drug trafficking network with the Carly Cartel.

Jungwoo Ha (Kang In-gu), Hwang Jung-min (Jeon Yo-hwan), Park Hae-soo (Choi Chang-ho, Gu Sang-man), Cho Woo-jin (Boo Ki-tae), Yoo Yeon-seok (David Park), and Chen-jin are among the characters (Jang Chen).

1. Origin (Related to Director) 

It is reported that Jungwoo Ha, upon learning about Cho Bong-haeng's motif of this work, originally offered to his close director Yoon Jong-bin to transform it into a position.

It is reported that it was shortly after the publication, but the project did not begin until Yoon Jong-bin approved it because Yoon Jong-bin could not find a competent director even after completion.

According to the Netflix production machine, director Yoon Jong-bin cast the number one cast intended for each role. Hwang Jung-min had long chatted with director Yoon Jong-bin, but after viewing the scenario, he chose to join instantly, while Cho Woo-jin pledged to participate in director Yoon Jong-next bin's film and earned a contract.

It was originally planned as a three-hour film to be shot in the Dominican Republic in the first half of 2021, but because COVID-19 made it hard to leave the nation and cast locals, we chose to shoot in South Asia instead.

Yoon Jong-bin, the director, reportedly sought to recreate Surinam's environment by cultivating palm palms and aggressively employed CG. Yoo Yeon-seok, for example, is claimed to have solely filmed in the Dominican Republic. In other words, with the exception of one scene in which David Park appeared, all of the scenes in the play are believed to have been shot in Korea.

2. Difference between actual person and drama 

Jeon Yo-hwan from 'Narco Saints' is a processed figure with the motif of a genuine person Cho Bong-haeng. In the 1980s, Jo Bong-haeng worked as a ship chiller. When he was wanted for 1 billion won in fraud relating to the new villa in May 1994, he escaped to Surinam, a country he knew well. In 1995, he obtained Suriname nationality.

Cho Bong-haeng collaborated with the "Carly Cartel," South America's largest drug organization at the time, to develop a trafficking network in Surinam.

Cho Bong-haeng had solid contact with high-ranking authorities and the military in the play, but it was so powerful that he obtained a list of Asian travelers entering Surinam in advance.

Cho Bong-haeng, the passenger list's recipient, gathered Korean people in Suriname and dispatched them to Korea to collect transportation items.

He promised 5 million won if he brought jewels from South America to Europe, so he gathered 100 individuals in need, usually housewives or college students.

However, the true contents of the cargo were cocaine, and it is reported that many Koreans who transported illicit drugs to other nations were imprisoned at the time.

The NIS began detaining Cho in earnest in October 2007. Cho Bong-haeng attempted to deliver medicine to Korea after receiving intelligence, and at the time, Cho Bong-haeng was already negotiating a drug transaction with Japan.

Cho Bong-haeng was arrested on July 23, 2009, after seven years of pursuit, thanks to international collaboration between the NIS and Brazil. Cho is alleged to have received a ten-year jail term and a 100 million won fine.

Cho Bong-haeng, who had been imprisoned at Haenam Prison at the time, died on April 19, 2016, as a result of heart failure and high blood pressure while being treated at Chosun University Hospital in Gwangju following a decision to defer his sentence in 2016.

Park Chan-ho Sign Ball Appearance  

Park Chan-ho's trademark appears as a significant prop among the works, and according to Park Chan-ho's Instagram account, it is really his signature ball. He was also shocked that the sign ball made it all the way there, despite the fact that it was fairly pricey.

Rory Brünsbake, current Vice President of Suriname

The backlash occurs as it reveals the disgrace of the upper class who actually trafficked drugs, with former president Desiré Delano Dési Bouterse, who was convicted of drug trafficking in the Netherlands from 1999 to 2010, serving a prison sentence, and vice president of Suriname Ronnie Brunswijk, who was involved in massive drug trafficking while working as a rebel.

Local Reaction 

The local environment of Korean citizens who have been operating restaurants in Suriname for more than 20 years is considerably different from the response of the Suriname government and the Korean government's concerns. "Locals are also aware of the drama's premise. More often than not, I simply laughed and continued. I don't think many people actually took it seriously. Many diners visited the restaurant today (local time), yesterday, and we adore Korea, "He stated, emphasizing how the government and media exaggerate the tiny incident to suit their purposes.

However, "It is a nation where many historic structures have been preserved because it was originally a Dutch colony. The jungle is quite lovely." It's unfortunate that Suriname is not yet well-known, and he added, "I'm worried about the country's unfavorable reputation.