The Devil’s Plan: A Korean Mind Game That’ll Test Your Brain and Teach You Korean

The Devil's Plan (데블스 플랜) has quickly become one of Netflix’s most engaging Korean reality shows. It focuses on mental strategy rather than physical challenges, featuring contestants who must outsmart each other through complex games while living together for a week.

With the second season, The Devil's Plan: Death Room (데블스 플랜: 데스룸), set to premiere on May 6, 2025, here's what you need to know about the show and how it can help you learn Korean.

What Is The Devil's Plan?

The Devil’s Plan (Korean: 데블스 플랜) is a South Korean reality game show that premiered on Netflix on 26 September 2023. Produced by Jung Jong-yeon (the creator of The Genius and The Great Escape), the show features 12 contestants competing in both team-based and individual strategy games over seven days to win a cash prize of up to ₩500,000,000 (about $370,000).

What makes this show different from other reality competitions is its focus on mental challenges rather than physical ones. The contestants must use strategy, logic, memory, and social skills to advance. They live together in a specially designed house with game areas and prison cells, creating an environment where alliances form and strategies evolve constantly.

Key Korean Terms You’ll Hear in The Devil's Plan

The show uses several Korean terms that are useful to know, both for understanding the game and learning practical Korean:

조각 (Jogak) - "Piece"

Each contestant starts with one Piece, which works as the game's currency. Players win or lose Pieces during challenges, and anyone who ends up with zero Pieces is immediately eliminated. The Korean word "jogak" (조각) literally means "piece" or "fragment."

메인 매치 (Mein Maechi) - "Main Match"

This daily competitive challenge determines who gains or loses Pieces. After each Main Match, the two players with the fewest Pieces are sent to prison. This creates ongoing tension as contestants must strategize to stay out of the bottom positions.

감옥 (Gamok) - "Prison"

Players with the fewest Pieces are sent to this cave-like cell with minimal comforts. Imprisoned contestants can't participate in the Prize Match, putting them at a strategic disadvantage. The Korean term "gamok" (감옥) is commonly used for "prison" or "jail" in everyday language.

상금 매치 (Sang-geum Maechi) - "Prize Match"

In this collaborative challenge, players work together to add money to the final prize pot. Each successful Prize Match adds either ₩50,000,000 or ₩100,000,000. The word "sang-geum" (상금) means "prize money" in Korean.

비밀 방 (Bimil Bang) - "Secret Chamber"

This hidden area in Season 1 contained special challenges that could earn players additional Pieces but also risked elimination. "Bimil" (비밀) means "secret" and "bang" (방) means "room" in Korean.

The Devil's Plan: Death Room - What's Coming in 2025

The second season, titled "The Devil's Plan: Death Room" (데블스 플랜: 데스룸), premieres on May 6, 2025. Netflix will release episodes in three batches: episodes 1-4 in the first week, episodes 5-9 in the second week, and episodes 10-12 in the third week.

The new season features 14 contestants (two more than Season 1), including:

• Lee Se-dol (legendary Go player who famously faced off against AI AlphaGo)
• Justin H. Min (actor from Netflix's Beef and The Umbrella Academy)
• Kyuhyun (member of K-pop group Super Junior)
• Kang Ji-young (former JTBC news anchor)
• Chuu (K-pop singer)
• Yoon So-hui (actress)

The biggest change for Season 2 is the expanded prison concept. Instead of just being a punishment zone, the prison is now a full "prison ward" that creates a separate competitive environment. Producer Jung Jong-yeon has described it as a "class-based system" where players must both work together against those in the main living quarters while also competing among themselves.

The trailer reveals new game formats including "7 vs. 7" team competitions and something called a "deathmatch," suggesting higher stakes than the first season.

Using The Devil's Plan to Learn Korean

The Devil's Plan is an excellent resource for Korean language learners. Unlike scripted dramas, reality shows offer authentic conversations in real situations. The contestants use natural language while strategizing, forming alliances, and reacting to wins and losses.

Here's how you can use the show to improve your Korean:

1. Game Vocabulary: Learn practical terms related to competition, strategy, and decision-making.
2. Negotiation Phrases: Hear how Koreans persuade others and make deals in high-pressure situations.
3. Emotional Language: Pick up natural expressions of excitement, disappointment, and frustration.
4. Speech Levels: Notice how contestants adjust their speech based on who they're talking to (age differences and social relationships).
5. Natural Conversation: Experience how Koreans talk when strategizing in groups versus one-on-one conversations.

Korean Cultural Elements in The Devil's Plan

Group Harmony vs. Individual Success

Season 1 showed two main approaches to the game: team-focused (like contestant Orbit who tried to "save everyone") versus individual strategy (like Ha Seok-jin who took calculated risks for personal gain). This reflects the Korean concept of "우리" (uri, meaning "we/us") - the balance between group harmony and individual goals that's central to Korean social dynamics.

Respect Hierarchies

Even when competition gets intense, contestants maintain respectful language with those who are older or more accomplished. This demonstrates "존대말" (jondaemal, honorific speech), which is fundamental in Korean daily life. Watching how players navigate these social rules while competing provides practical examples of Korean communication norms.

Indirect Communication

The show highlights how Koreans often communicate indirectly in group settings. When forming alliances or discussing strategy, contestants frequently use subtle hints and roundabout approaches rather than being completely direct - a common communication style in Korean culture.

What Makes The Devil’s Plan Different

Complex Games with Simple Rules

The games themselves start with basic concepts (like board games or memory challenges) but include special twists and strategic layers. Each game is designed to create difficult choices between helping yourself or helping the group.

Real Strategic Thinking

Unlike many reality shows where "strategy" just means forming alliances, The Devil's Plan requires actual problem-solving skills, memory, logical thinking, and game theory. The contestants aren't just physically fit celebrities - they're selected for their intellectual abilities.

Natural Human Reactions

The show captures how people react when facing difficult choices. Contestants often feel genuinely conflicted about decisions that help them but hurt others. This creates authentic emotional moments without manufactured drama.

Using The Devil's Plan to Learn Korean in 2025

With Season 2 arriving on May 6, 2025, The Devil's Plan offers Korean language learners a fresh resource. Here's how to make the most of it:

1. Watch with Korean subtitles - Since the strategic discussions use specific vocabulary repeatedly, you'll quickly pick up key terms.
2. Focus on decision-making language - Pay attention to how contestants explain their reasoning, make proposals, or reject ideas.
3. Notice social dynamics - The show provides excellent examples of how Koreans navigate social hierarchies while competing.
4. Learn from real-time reactions - The spontaneous emotional responses give you authentic examples of Korean expressions.
5. Use the weekly release schedule - With episodes releasing in batches, you'll have time to study each section before moving to the next.

Level Up Your Korean With Lingopie

While The Devil's Plan is entertaining on its own, using Lingopie to watch Season 1 takes your Korean learning to another level. Unlike standard subtitles, Lingopie lets you click any word for instant translations, save phrases for later review, and even practice pronunciation alongside the contestants.

Whether you're preparing for Season 2 or just starting your Korean journey, combining The Devil's Plan with Lingopie's interactive learning tools gives you the best of both worlds: addictive reality TV competition and practical language skills you can use right away.

Start your free 7-day Lingopie trial today and learn Korean in the best way possible!