Would Taeju make a better boss than Mujin?
A real question worth asking—after all, he’s supposed to succeed him! And also because I enjoy a good debate, and we have to acknowledge just how important Taeju is!
To answer this, I decided to compare them along several axes :
Their role within the gang
I. Responsibilities: Who does what in the gang ?
Here’s everything Taeju does for the gang:
Personally trains the recruits and soldiers
Personally carries out investigations when the organization is looking for someone (he hunts for Gang Jae and tails Jiwoo)
Carries out assassinations
Fights and protects Mujin (with some magnificent kicks and, when space runs out, he’s not above starting fires and burning people alive)
Served (and maybe still serves?) as a driver for Donghoon (and probably Mujin)
Keeps tabs on street events (he knows about the new drug on the market and informs Mujin)
Calms down buyers when needed
Explains to Mujin how the meth is cooked on the ship
Greets foreign branches (announces their arrival to Mujin, then has to tell them to leave)
Runs the organization during Mujin’s absence
Gets called whenever there’s trouble at the Liber or the warehouse (for example, when Jiwoo asks to see Mujin, Taeju comes into the office to tell him he needs to see something, then switches on the camera showing Jiwoo. Same thing when Jiwoo is attacked and almost raped by Gang Jae’s friend—people go to Taeju, not Mujin).
And probably plenty of other things we don’t see on screen.
Obviously, that’s a huge workload, and we can guess that if the series had been longer, some of these tasks would have been delegated. But since that’s not the case, we’ll have to accept that Taeju sleeps two hours a night and lives on coffee to keep going.
On Mujin’s side, his role is much more limited :
Administrative and strategic management
I suppose the show mainly wants to present him as a leader who rules from the top of his office, so its makes sense in that light.
II. Relationship to the gang: Devotion vs. detachment
He has quite a “family-like” dynamic with the gang, especially when things get rough—most noticeably during Gang Jae’s attack.
In that scene, Taeju fights Gang Jae’s men and manages to take one of them hostage. Gang Jae shouts for his men to stop, and Taeju pulls back near the fence (to be less exposed). At that moment, Taeju looks around to check on his men—the camera even switches from an “omniscient” perspective to Taeju’s own point of view.
Then (in the French version) he calls Gang Jae a “son of a bitch” and threatens him. Gang Jae mocks him in response and is about to shoot another one of Taeju’s men, which prompts Taeju to beg him to stop. Taeju gives up his hostage, making himself vulnerable, and Gang Jae then maims his arm.
This scene shows how much the gang and its members matter to Taeju: he checks on his men, gets openly angry when he sees them hurt or killed (even though it could get him killed), and when one of them is about to die—this time knowing he can save them—he acts accordingly, even at his own expense.
(His “You think I’m gonna let you do that?!” and “Son of a bitch!” make it clear that Taeju isn’t just angry because they were attacked or because he’s in danger—it’s seeing his men hurt and dying that truly enrages him.)
I also think Gang Jae targeted that particular man on the ground to provoke this exact reaction from Taeju—he didn’t hesitate to kill the others, but as soon as Taeju dropped his hostage, Gang Jae abandoned his intended victim. He’s known Taeju for years and knows he feels responsible for the men he trains.
The aftermath of the attack—especially the funeral—is also telling:
To begin with, Taeju wears a two-banded armband. (Correct me if I’m wrong!) but in Korean culture, this usually means:
You’re considered a close relative of the deceased
Or you helped organize the funeral
Since the only other people wearing such bands are either family members (for example, an elderly man kneeling before the altar) or colleagues (like the man standing next to a crying woman when Mujin exits), and no high-ranking member of the organization (not even Mujin) wears one, we can assume Taeju was considered a close one.
Also, during the funeral, we see Taeju surrounded by several members—some seem to be friends he spends time with (see Dongcheon Organisation – Part 2).
And Dongcheon clearly returns this devotion: after his death, the whole organization goes after Jiwoo to capture her and bring her to Mujin (expecting him to kill her personally).
It’s also worth noting that Taeju’s authority is never questioned—not once do we see anyone doubt his competence or his place next to Mujin, despite his young age. Of course, it’s possible the series just didn’t have time to explore that.
He doesn’t seem particularly close to the gang. Sure, he’s the boss, but he’s more concerned with his own survival and avoiding the police than with his men.
His interactions with them are extremely limited—mostly with Taeju, Donghoon, and Miss Kang. He probably has some contact with other high-ranking members, since he eats with them at the funeral and one of them turns to him during the tournament.
But beyond that, there’s no “friendly” interaction—he never addresses the rank-and-file members directly. Throughout the whole series, Taeju acts as the go-between. Only after Taeju’s death does Mujin start speaking directly to the soldiers—scolding one who wants to kill Jiwoo and sending men to find her.
During Gang Jae’s attack, he doesn’t seem particularly affected by his men’s fate—he doesn’t check on anyone or show grief. He only cares about silencing potential snitches, the image this attack gives of the gang, and what Gang Jae might do next.
He’s also very opportunistic in relationships: Gang Jae was only “useful” to him; his interactions are either manipulative (Jiwoo) or strictly professional (the gang).
This opportunism shows clearly at Taeju’s death: Taeju was willing to die to protect Mujin because he cared about him and represented Dongcheon. In return, when Mujin loses Taeju—his last pillar—he plunges into vengeance, abandoning his gang and sacrificing them if it means killing Jiwoo (or dying by her hand, since he has nothing left to live for).
(See: “The relationship between Taeju and Mujin… or rather, Mujin’s relationship with Taeju” for more on this.)
This part is trickier to compare because they’re rarely put in the same situations, and I think both have their strengths and weaknesses.
I’ll list personality traits for each and evaluate whether, in the series, that trait is more of an asset or a liability.
1) A manipulative and strategic mastermind
Mujin is a genius at manipulation: he makes Jiwoo believe he’s on her side and supports her goal of killing her father’s murderer… only to turn her into an undercover spy for Dongcheon, manipulating her right up until the end.
He also plays the police by using the information she gives him, and manages to get out of most situations fairly unscathed.
As the head of a criminal organization, this is a huge strength, and probably the main reason Mujin has stayed in power so long and made Dongcheon the market leader in Seoul.
2) Cold-blooded
Mujin is portrayed as calm and cold: he doesn’t panic when the police arrive at the ship, nor when he walks into the station while wanted for Gang Jae’s murder. At the funeral, when Cha Gi-Oh approaches him, he even allows himself to be arrogant and throw some barbs at the old cop.
Obviously, this is an essential quality—especially in crisis situations, where Mujin doesn’t let panic take over despite how critical things can get.
3) Paranoid and mistrustful
One of Mujin’s biggest flaws is his lack of trust in those around him. This didn’t exist at the start—it appeared after Donghoon’s death.
He isolates himself from everyone, fears betrayal even from close allies, and this pushes him to :
Either hide his plans and intentions from those around him (his “Do you trust me?” to the Busan branch is one of the clearest examples)
Or take action without telling anyone (like when he goes to save Jiwoo)
In theory, as boss, it’s his right not to justify himself—his men should just obey. But in practice, it hurts him more than it helps, because his men follow him blindly and can only hope he isn’t making the wrong call (like when he sends the Busan branch away without explanation, even though the gang is weakened and needs reinforcements).
It even comes off as “dismissive” toward his closest allies: Taeju still gets some form of answer from Mujin (ranging from actual explanations to “Do you trust me?”), but people like Miss Kang get only silence or a remark to “know their place.”
The Busan incident is telling: Taeju comes to tell Mujin the branch is here for reinforcements and awaiting orders. Mujin, without looking up from his file and cigarette, just says Taeju can send them back. Taeju is baffled, and Mujin follows with his usual “Do you trust me?”
In other words: people traveled at least 4 hours (2.5 by public transport, though I can’t picture an armed squad on the train), after all the logistics, only to be greeted by the second-in-command telling them to pack up and go home 🤡 And of course, it’s Taeju who apologizes and smooths things over, because the boss won’t leave his office to do it himself.
4) Attachment
One of Mujin’s great weaknesses is his love for those he cares about. If he’s ice-cold with most, when he loves, he loves to the point of losing his head :
Donghoon : never got over his death, despite Donghoon’s betrayal.
Taeju: his death drives Mujin to hunt Jiwoo and end it all, willing to sacrifice his gang just to see her dead (or die by her hand, since he has no one left).
Jiwoo: makes terrible decisions to protect and save her, even though she’s a ticking time bomb for him and the gang.
5) Good fighter (and good teacher)
Not necessarily a required skill for a boss, but since he’s a criminal who ends up in fights, it’s worth noting. Mujin is a capable fighter, even if we rarely see him in action. As Jiwoo’s “final boss,” he had to be a match for her—she can take down dozens of adult men with her fists and feet.
And he trained Jiwoo himself! That shows not only that he’s a strong fighter but also an excellent teacher: throughout training, he encourages her, expresses pride in her progress, and gives advice to improve.
(I like to imagine he trained Taeju too, since Taeju is the youngest of the bunch—maybe he trained him the way he trained Jiwoo.)
1) Cautious and meticulous
A quality Mujin reproaches him for, especially when he says there are moments when “you have to take action.”
(Though, given the circumstances, it feels more like a “last” piece of advice—Mujin knows he might not come back from facing Gang Jae. If Taeju’s hesitation before acting without certainty is the only “big” flaw Mujin sees in him, that’s not bad—there are far worse defects he could have pointed out.)
And the series proves Taeju right: he sensed trouble before confronting Gang Jae (possibly knowing him better than Mujin, since Taeju spent his time at the gym and Gang Jae was one of his favorites).
Sure enough, it was a trap—Gang Jae had called the police. Because of this, half the men were probably arrested for murder, and Mujin almost died and later ended up wanted for Gang Jae’s murder. He only survived because Taeju disobeyed orders and came to save him.
Same with Jiwoo : Taeju doesn’t want her in the gang—she’s dangerous. Keeping her risks her overhearing or stumbling onto compromising info about Mujin. Making her a cop is equally risky, especially since Donghoon was in Cha Gi-Oh’s unit.
Throughout the series, Taeju questions Mujin’s trust in her—logically so—but Mujin refuses to listen, blinded by his attachment to Jiwoo.
When Taeju does act impulsively, it often backfires:
He responds to Cha Gi-Oh’s message claiming to know where Gang Jae is—making Jiwoo suspect him of being a mole.
Sent to kill Cha Gi-Oh, he rushes in without much preparation because of the urgency (to silence him before he can talk to Jiwoo). Far from a discreet, well-planned assassination, he ends up injured and fails.
We can also guess that going after Jiwoo was impulsive—better executed, but still driven by urgency.
(So Mujin, be kind to your protégé—he’s built to be a manager and strategist, not to dive into the fray like a brawler.)
2) Attachment
Taeju shares this flaw with Mujin: when he cares about someone, he’ll do anything for them. This is clearest with Mujin—he’s ready to kill Jiwoo for him, disobey orders for him, etc.
But it also applies to his men, as seen with Gang Jae’s attack—leading him into Cha Gi-Oh’s trap in hopes of avenging them quickly.
However, Taeju seems better able than Mujin to cut ties when necessary: at the start, he’s cold with Donghoon (unlike before). We learn he already knew about the betrayal (warned Mujin, told Jiwoo he killed him), and that was enough to sever all positive feelings.
(Whereas Mujin can’t let go of Donghoon despite the betrayal.)
Probably the same with Gang Jae—he’s bitter toward Jiwoo as always, but doesn’t oppose Mujin’s decision, defend Gang Jae, or keep in touch.
The scene where Taeju turns over the photo on Mujin’s desk can also be read as cutting a bond—either because Taeju knows he’s going to die, or because he knows killing Jiwoo will likely destroy their relationship.
(I doubt Mujin would have killed Taeju for it—Taeju had said months earlier he’d kill her if needed, and Mujin hadn’t objected. Still, I think Mujin wouldn’t have forgiven him—at that point, Jiwoo was more important to him than Taeju, and he only realizes his love for Taeju when Jiwoo kills him. So Taeju “breaks up” first, and protecting him from Jiwoo is his last gift.)
This is actually a strength for Taeju: he can love deeply but also walk away when relationships become harmful to him or the gang—unlike Mujin.
3) Emotional
In this, he’s the opposite of Mujin, though in more measured doses. His emotions mainly surface when something he cares about is threatened; otherwise, he’s a cold marble statue.
When his men are attacked, he’s angry and, in a fit of revenge, runs into Cha Gi-Oh’s trap.
But the person who makes him most emotional is undoubtedly Mujin :
Puppy-dog eyes when scolded
Irritation and frustration whenever Jiwoo is brought up (out of jealousy or annoyance at Mujin’s stubbornness)
Worry when he thinks Mujin might have died helping Jiwoo
And when he finally gets to taunt Jiwoo about Donghoon? He’s downright cruel, smiling with delight while mentioning the fate of the friend who stabbed them in the back.
He’s also openly contemptuous toward her, which colors all his interactions—when she’s a recruit, he never defends her, stops the mockery, or tries to teach her anything. I doubt he’d act that way toward one of his men.
Feeling emotions isn’t bad in itself, but for Taeju, they often lead to impulsive actions that put him in precarious situations (anger at Gang Jae → Cha Gi-Oh trap ; fear for Mujin → revealing Donghoon’s fate ; then taunting Jiwoo to push her into a mistake during their fight).
4) Trusting
Unlike Mujin, Taeju isn’t blinded by paranoia or the pain of betrayal. We often see him close to his men, giving orders, never doubting their actions. On the contrary, he seems willing to delegate missions and work alongside them.
(Just look at how often he’s surrounded by other members, including the one I call “Jang-Soon” in Dongcheon Organisation – Part 2.)
5) Good fighter?
Yes, especially early on and in flashbacks—he’s solid, especially with kicks.
After Gang Jae maims his arm, though, he’s much less effective: fails the Cha Gi-Oh assassination, loses to Jiwoo despite ferocity.
This makes sense—his arm was deeply cut; even without the sling, he often holds it in a “rest” position, suggesting it never fully healed or still has aftereffects (reduced mobility/reflexes).
Against Jiwoo, it’s even worse—injured again after Cha Gi-Oh, fighting one-armed.
And since he trains recruits and soldiers, we can assume he’s a good coach—he’s shown taking the time to demonstrate moves himself.
Summing up point by point:
Role in the organization
No clear winner: Taeju does a lot (proving he could manage and knows the ins and outs), but Mujin does what we expect of a drama boss—order from above without getting his hands dirty.
Relationships in the gang
Taeju wins hands down. He loves his men, they know it, and they return it.
Mujin may have been closer to his men in the past (judging by his openness with Taeju/Donghoon and dining with others), but that’s just speculation.
Manipulative/strategic mind
Attachment (leads to gang’s downfall)
Paranoia/mistrust (hard to follow a boss who doubts everyone and hides most of his plans)
Attachment (especially to Mujin) — but to a lesser degree, since he can break ties when needed
Emotional (affects his behavior and decisions)
So who’s the better boss?
If we take present-day Mujin, Taeju wins—if only because of his bond with the gang and ability to cut ties when they turn toxic.
If we take past Mujin, I think he might have been the better boss back then—without the paranoia and probably closer to his men.
In any case, Taeju and Mujin complement each other well—what one lacks (or isn’t shown to have in the series), the other has, balancing out their flaws.
I think Taeju would have been an excellent peacetime boss (especially as a negotiator/diplomat), while Mujin could have better handled the gang in times of crisis (with his calm and manipulative skills), as we’ve seen several times in the series.
As usual, I look forward to reading your opinions and discussing this topic with you ! 😁
