# The Roundup: No Way Out (범죄도시3)
**The Roundup: No Way Out** (범죄도시3; revised romanization *BumJoedoshi 3*) is a 2023 South Korean crime-action film directed by Lee Sang-yong and starring [Ma Dong-seok](https://www.edgepedia.org/ma-dong-seok), also known internationally as Don Lee, as Detective Ma Seok-do. It is the third entry in the series that began with *The Outlaws* (2017) and continued with *The Roundup* (2022), and it follows Ma as he joins a new squad in Seoul and uncovers a synthetic drug ring run by a corrupt police officer and Japanese yakuza distributors.[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20226411) • [2](https://asianwiki.com/index.php?title=The_Roundup%3A_No_Way_Out) • [3](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/the-roundup-no-way-out-with-don-lee-to-premiere-on-may-31/11762732) Released in South Korea on May 31, 2023, the film sold 10,682,813 admissions and grossed $76,531,719 locally, ranking second among 2023 Korean releases behind *12.12: The Day*.[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20226411) • [4](https://filmdistributorsassociation.com/wp-content/uploads/FDA-YB2024-ALL-03APRIL-SINGLE.pdf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Korean title / release | 범죄도시3; released May 31, 2023 in South Korea, 105 minutes, rated 15[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20226411) |
| Director and star | Lee Sang-yong, returning from *The Roundup*; Ma Dong-seok (Don Lee) as Detective Ma Seok-do[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20226411) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_roundup_no_way_out) |
| Main antagonists | Joo Sung-chul (Lee Jun-hyuk), a corrupt officer behind the drug ring, and Riki (Munetaka Aoki), a yakuza-hired hitman[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_roundup_no_way_out) • [6](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-movies/article/3222262/roundup-no-way-out-movie-review-korean-action-star-ma-dong-seoks-beast-cop-outlaws-returns-third?module=inline&pgtype=article) |
| Korean admissions | 10,682,813 admissions, $76,531,719 gross, on 2,582 screens[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20226411) |
| Worldwide gross | $83,410,298, of which $909,411 came from the North American release beginning June 2, 2023[7](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt21364552/) |
| Production | Big Punch Pictures, BA Entertainment, and Hong Film; filming began July 20, 2022[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_roundup_no_way_out) • [2](https://asianwiki.com/index.php?title=The_Roundup%3A_No_Way_Out) |
| Critical scores | 100% Tomatometer from 13 reviews and 95% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_roundup_no_way_out) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and setting
The story is set seven years after the events of *The Roundup*, in which Ma caught the murderer in a Vietnam kidnapping case; the film places that action in 2015.[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20226411) • [6](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-movies/article/3222262/roundup-no-way-out-movie-review-korean-action-star-ma-dong-seoks-beast-cop-outlaws-returns-third?module=inline&pgtype=article) Ma has transferred to a new violent crime investigation unit in Seoul, working under squad leader Jang Tae-su (Lee Beom-soo) alongside Detective Kim Man-jae (Kim Min-jae).[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20226411) • [2](https://asianwiki.com/index.php?title=The_Roundup%3A_No_Way_Out) Investigating a homicide with his new teammates, he finds the case connected to Hiper, an addictive new synthetic [club drug](https://www.edgepedia.org/club-drug).[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20226411) • [8](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-roundup-no-way-out-movie-review-2023)
The drug trade draws three competing forces. Joo Sung-chul (Lee Jun-hyuk) is the mastermind behind the smuggling ring, a corrupt police officer who plans to cheat the Japanese and sell the drugs to a Chinese consortium.[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20226411) • [6](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-movies/article/3222262/roundup-no-way-out-movie-review-korean-action-star-ma-dong-seoks-beast-cop-outlaws-returns-third?module=inline&pgtype=article) When 20 kilos of Hiper go missing, yakuza boss Ichijo (Jun Kunimura) sends the katana-wielding hitman Riki (Munetaka Aoki) to Korea to recover the shipment, adding a third party to the conflict.[6](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-movies/article/3222262/roundup-no-way-out-movie-review-korean-action-star-ma-dong-seoks-beast-cop-outlaws-returns-third?module=inline&pgtype=article) • [8](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-roundup-no-way-out-movie-review-2023)
## Production
Filming began on July 20, 2022, less than two months after *The Roundup* opened in May 2022.[2](https://asianwiki.com/index.php?title=The_Roundup%3A_No_Way_Out) • [9](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film-tv/2023/07/01/the-roundup-no-way-out-review-don-lees-return-is-formulaic-fun-and-ferocious/) Lee Sang-yong, who directed *The Roundup*, returned as director, and Ma Dong-seok served as executive producer alongside Kim Hong-baek and Jang Won-seok.[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20226411) The film was produced by Big Punch Pictures, BA Entertainment, and Hong Film, with ABO Entertainment as the Korean distributor.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_roundup_no_way_out) • [2](https://asianwiki.com/index.php?title=The_Roundup%3A_No_Way_Out) The screenplay is credited to Kim Min-sung and Cha Woo-jin.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_roundup_no_way_out) • [2](https://asianwiki.com/index.php?title=The_Roundup%3A_No_Way_Out)
## Box office
**Korean performance.** The film passed 1 million admissions on its second day, 2 million on its third, 3 million on its fourth, 4 million on its fifth, and 5 million on its sixth day, becoming the first Korean film of 2023 to reach 5 million moviegoers.[10](https://www.soompi.com/article/1592007wpp/the-outlaws-3-cast-thanks-viewers-after-becoming-1st-korean-film-of-2023-to-surpass-5-million-moviegoers) It topped 9 million admissions after three weeks on release, taking $69 million at the local box office.[11](https://www.screendaily.com/news/the-roundup-no-way-out-tops-9-million-admissions-in-south-korea/5183377.article) It finished with 10,682,813 admissions and $76,531,719 in gross, ranking second among 2023 Korean releases behind *12.12: The Day*, which crossed 12 million.[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20226411) • [4](https://filmdistributorsassociation.com/wp-content/uploads/FDA-YB2024-ALL-03APRIL-SINGLE.pdf)
The film's popularity lifted the whole market: Korean films drew 9.41 million moviegoers in June 2023, a 64.8 percent audience share, up sharply from 19.5 percent the month before.[1](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20226411) With this third installment, the series became the first domestic trilogy to surpass 30 million cumulative ticket sales.[12](https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=235274)
**International performance.** [Box Office Mojo](https://www.edgepedia.org/box-office-mojo) records a worldwide gross of $83,410,298, of which $82,500,887 (98.9 percent) came from international markets and $909,411 (1.1 percent) from the limited North American release that began June 2, 2023.[7](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt21364552/) South Korea accounted for $79,575,135, with smaller totals in Taiwan ($710,514), Vietnam ($665,709), and Hong Kong ($357,408).[7](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt21364552/) A home video release followed on April 9, 2024.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_roundup_no_way_out)
## Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 100 percent Tomatometer from 13 professional reviews and a 95 percent Popcornmeter audience score from more than 500 ratings.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_roundup_no_way_out) Critics generally treated it as a solid continuation of the series formula rather than an advance on it. Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com wrote that it "does not improve on the slightly refined formula of *The Roundup*, but it goes down a little smoother and is notably slicker."[8](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-roundup-no-way-out-movie-review-2023) The South China Morning Post's review gave it 3 of 5 stars, finding it enjoyable but disappointingly safe, with more focus on comedy and a lack of strong opponents for Ma.[6](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-movies/article/3222262/roundup-no-way-out-movie-review-korean-action-star-ma-dong-seoks-beast-cop-outlaws-returns-third?module=inline&pgtype=article) Reviewers repeatedly highlighted Lee Sang-yong's action staging, including a hallway fight involving Riki, a machete, and trapped foot soldiers, as a strength.[9](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film-tv/2023/07/01/the-roundup-no-way-out-review-don-lees-return-is-formulaic-fun-and-ferocious/)
## Place in the series
The film continues the franchise rebranding in which the Korean title remains *Crime City* (범죄도시) while English titles shifted to *The Roundup* beginning with the 2022 sequel.[8](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-roundup-no-way-out-movie-review-2023) Each installment has paired Ma with a different foreign criminal element: Chinese-Korean gangsters in *The Outlaws*, Korean-Vietnamese kidnappers in *The Roundup*, and Japanese yakuza drug distributors here.[8](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-roundup-no-way-out-movie-review-2023) • [6](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-movies/article/3222262/roundup-no-way-out-movie-review-korean-action-star-ma-dong-seoks-beast-cop-outlaws-returns-third?module=inline&pgtype=article) The series continued with *The Roundup: Punishment* (2024), which the trade press notes was made with a more serious tone than this installment's deliberately lighthearted approach.[13](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&mode=VIEW&seq=6101)
## References
1. [THE ROUNDUP : NO WAY OUT (2023), Korean Film Council database](https://koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20226411)
2. [The Roundup: No Way Out, AsianWiki](https://asianwiki.com/index.php?title=The_Roundup%3A_No_Way_Out)
3. ['The Roundup: No Way Out' with Don Lee to premiere on May 31, Korea JoongAng Daily](https://www.koreajoongangdaily.com/entertainment/the-roundup-no-way-out-with-don-lee-to-premiere-on-may-31/11762732)
4. [FDA Yearbook 2024, Film Distributors Association](https://filmdistributorsassociation.com/wp-content/uploads/FDA-YB2024-ALL-03APRIL-SINGLE.pdf)
5. [The Roundup: No Way Out, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_roundup_no_way_out)
6. [The Roundup: No Way Out movie review, South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-pop/k-movies/article/3222262/roundup-no-way-out-movie-review-korean-action-star-ma-dong-seoks-beast-cop-outlaws-returns-third?module=inline&pgtype=article)
7. [The Roundup: No Way Out (2023), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt21364552/)
8. [The Roundup: No Way Out movie review, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-roundup-no-way-out-movie-review-2023)
9. [The Roundup: No Way Out review, The National](https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/film-tv/2023/07/01/the-roundup-no-way-out-review-don-lees-return-is-formulaic-fun-and-ferocious/)
10. ['The Roundup: No Way Out' Cast Thanks Viewers After Becoming 1st Korean Film Of 2023 To Surpass 5 Million Moviegoers, Soompi](https://www.soompi.com/article/1592007wpp/the-outlaws-3-cast-thanks-viewers-after-becoming-1st-korean-film-of-2023-to-surpass-5-million-moviegoers)
11. ['The Roundup: No Way Out' tops 9 million admissions in South Korea, Screen Daily](https://www.screendaily.com/news/the-roundup-no-way-out-tops-9-million-admissions-in-south-korea/5183377.article)
12. [Action-film trilogy sets domestic sales mark with 30M tickets, Korea.net](https://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=235274)
13. [The Roundup series and Don Lee, Korean Film Council news](https://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/eng/news/news.jsp?blbdComCd=601006&mode=VIEW&seq=6101)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Franchise and series entries as standalone works › Action, thriller, and crime series film entries › Entries released 2020s and later*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license