Police officer who inspired Don Lee character in ‘Roundup’ suspended, indicted for drunk driving

A police officer who served as the real-life model for the tough cop character in 2017 action comedy "The Outlaws," played by actor Don Lee, has been indicted on charges of drunk driving, local reports said Friday.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office indicted the officer, a lieutenant formerly assigned to Suseo Police Station, without detention on April 15 on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act, multiple media outlets reported.

The officer is accused of driving under the influence and causing a minor collision near Gangnam Severance Hospital in southern Seoul at around 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 24, 2025. His blood alcohol level at the time was above 0.08 percent — enough to warrant license revocation — though no injuries were reported.

He was suspended from duty after the incident.

The officer had gained public attention as the inspiration for detective Ma Seok-do in "The Outlaws," which marked the start of the "The Roundup" franchise and introduced Don Lee’s now-iconic “beast cop” character.

The former officer was known as a key figure in Seoul police's 2004 crackdown on an organized crime group, during which he and two junior officers apprehended 14 suspects in a single night, from Garibong to Gangnam. The operation is said to have inspired the film’s tagline, translated into English as: “Tonight, we sweep them all.”