The Devil Judge

Set in a near-future South Korea where public trust in courts has collapsed, The Devil Judge turns trials into televised spectacles that satisfy an audience hungry for swift moral reckoning. Ji Sung plays a charismatic chief judge who stages high-profile proceedings that seem designed to please the crowd rather than follow strict legal norms. Jinyoung plays an assistant judge whose faith in the system starts to wobble as he watches spectacle, secrecy and power shape verdicts. The series shifts between courtroom theatrics, behind-the-scenes scheming and private investigations, as shifting alliances and hidden motives complicate what appears on camera and force characters to weigh justice against performance.

Released in 2021, The Devil Judge was created by Moon Yoo-seok and directed by Choi Jung-kyu. The series stars Ji Sung, Kim Min-joung, Jinyoung, Park Gyu-young and Jang Young-nam, and it favors bold visuals and stage-like sets that underline its heightened tone.

While it earned praise for acting and production design, The Devil Judge did not sweep major international awards. It did raise the profiles of its leads and attracted attention during South Korean television award season, particularly for performances and the show's cinematic production values.

The show quickly sparked online debate about mob justice, media influence and accountability, and its image of a judge as a public spectacle became a frequent subject of fan art and commentary. Memes and think pieces circulated as viewers discussed whether televised trials reflect or distort public will, and the series influenced conversations about authority and spectacle in contemporary Korean drama.

Critics and viewers reacted strongly to the show's moral ambiguity and stylized approach, with many praising Ji Sung's performance while some critics flagged uneven pacing and tonal shifts. On user ratings it holds about an 8.5/10 from 64 votes, and its central themes include corruption, the performance of power, performative justice and the social cost of turning law into entertainment.