The Merciless is a 2017 South Korean crime-action film directed by Byun Sung-hyun, and starring Sul Kyung-gu and Im Si-wan.

It centers around the main character Hyun soo, the undercover cop, and Han Jaeho the inmate leader.

Prior to its local release, the film has been pre-sold to 85 countries including France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Japan, Australia, India, Taiwan, the Philippines and Singapore at the 2017 Hong Kong Film Mart.

[3] According to the distributor CJ Entertainment the film was later sold to additional territories, reaching a total of 117 countries worldwide.

[10][11] On December 28, 2017, CJ E&M, the production company of The Merciless, announced a television adaptation of the film.