Netflix's Korean mystery 'Karma' follows six people entangled in messy ties

By Woo Jae-yeon

SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- Director Lee Il-hyung of Netflix's upcoming series "Karma" said his primary goal was to craft an immersive experience that would keep viewers hooked, making them want to watch all six episodes in one go.

"The main objective for me in making this series was to maintain tension and keep viewers engaged, with strong performances and direction serving as the foundation," Lee said during a press conference Monday.

"I personally hesitate before clicking the next episode if it doesn't pique my curiosity. So I put a lot of thought into how to make viewers unable to resist clicking," he said.

The upcoming crime thriller, based on the webtoon of the same name by Hwang Joon-ho, revolves around six characters who are tightly entangled in ill-fated relationships amid failed attempts to escape from one another.

Shin Min-a of "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" (2021) and "Our Blues" (2022) plays Ju-yeon, a surgeon who lives with trauma after experiencing an incident as a child. "Squid Game" star Park Hae-soo portrays the Witness, who makes a secret deal with the Debtor, played by Lee Hee-joon, in an effort to cover up an accident that he witnesses.

Other cast members include Kim Sung-kyun from Netflix's Korean original movie "Officer Black Belt," Lee Kwang-soo of Netflix's Korean variety show "Korea No. 1" and Gong Seung-yeon from the comedy thriller "Handsome Guys."

The director explained each episode develops the narrative of its characters individually, with the entire story intricately woven together throughout the series.

The key challenge for him was to let viewers slowly realize the unfortunate ties among them as if they "unravel a tangle."

"I wanted to make viewers piece everything together after the six episodes are finished," the director said.

Park Hae-soo spoke about the uniqueness of the script, saying, "I haven't encountered many works that were this intense, with a strong storyline that could be carried through in a single breath."

He described his character, the Witness, as "a foolish and almost naive man" despite also being "ruthless, frightening and even repulsive."

"The contrast was so striking that it even felt comedic at times," he added.

Actress Shin recalled being so captivated by the story that she decided to join the series even before reading her character's part in the script.

Lee Hee-jun, who portrays the Debtor, particularly liked the series' focus on each character in a dedicated episode, with his character's story unfolding in the first episode.

"With all the other actors being so brilliant, I thought I just needed to focus on doing my part well," said the actor, known for his role in "A Killer Paradox."

"Karma" marks the director's first series, following his work on films that include "A Violent Prosecutor" (2016) and "Remember" (2022).

It is set for release Friday.

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