Lee Jung-Sik (김정식 Lee Jung Sik)

Lee Jung-Sik was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1991, during a period when the city’s underworld was consolidating power amid rapid economic growth. His mother, a Japanese immigrant, and his father, a Korean factory worker, raised him with strict discipline. From an early age, Lee experienced the tension of his mixed heritage, navigating prejudice from both communities while learning to forge his own identity.   In 2001, at the age of 10, Lee moved to Japan with his mother, who wished to return to her homeland. The transition was difficult, he faced language barriers, cultural friction, and the sense of being caught between two worlds. While navigating these hardships in Tokyo, Lee became aware of the Geomeun Kkot, or Black Flower, a Korean mafia-like organization in 2005 with a growing presence in the city’s underworld. Drawn by their creed “born in the flames of Hell’s Kitchen” and their emphasis on honor, heritage, and vengeance, Lee was captivated by the organization from an early age. Assigned Female at birth but recognising himself as male in adolescence, Lee transitioned in 2006, a process he undertook quietly amid societal conservatism. This personal struggle instilled in him a resilience that would later define his approach to both life and crime.   Throughout his adolescence, he trained under Black Flower mentors, developing exceptional skill in martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, and weaponry, particularly claw nails and traditional Korean melee weapons. Rising through the ranks, Lee became a lieutenant within the Black Flower, a position that tasked him with enforcing the organization’s Blood Law and ensuring that new recruits adhered to its traditions. He stressed that the Geomeun Kkot was not a charity but held firm to pacts and promises, even when these principles placed him at odds with his subordinates or potential expansions. His loyalty to Kim, the Black Flower leader, was evident, and he harbored a quiet affection for him that he kept private.   Lee’s career was defined by both pragmatism and honor. He refused to expand operations into Japan beyond what was agreed with the Hidora Clan, and he cooperated with a Daidoji Agent known as Joryu on the Daidoji case in Okubo, demonstrating that even in the shadow of crime, he valued integrity and strategic alliances. While he could appear heartless to outsiders, Lee quietly acknowledged his limitations as a leader.