On April 4, 2025, Netflix unveiled its much-anticipated original series, Karma (악연). This gripping crime thriller is inspired by the webcomic Akyeon, crafted by Choi Hee-sun, which originally ran from April 7, 2019, to January 26, 2020, on Kakao. Directed and written by Lee Il-hyung, the series promises to captivate viewers with its intense narrative and complex characters.
The stellar cast includes notable actors such as Park Hae-soo, Shin Min-a, Lee Hee-joon, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Kwang-soo, and Gong Seung-yeon. Karma intricately weaves the tales of six individuals entangled in unfortunate relationships fueled by greed, murder, and haunting pasts. Their individual journeys of ambition lead to mutual destruction, ultimately serving justice to the perpetrators of the crimes.
Warning: The following content includes major spoilers for the Karma series. Proceed with caution.
A Synopsis and Analysis of Karma: A Chaotic Web of Deception and Retribution
The series opens with a dramatic scene: a man is engulfed in flames within an abandoned construction site. First responders manage to rescue a severely burned man who identifies himself as Park Jae-yeong.
Subsequent flashbacks transport us 13 days prior to this shocking event. Park Jae-yeong (portrayed by Lee Hee-joon) is depicted as a construction worker drowning in debt due to a substantial loan from a ruthless loan shark. Facing dire threats, he devises a twisted plan to eliminate his father for the hefty 500 million KRW insurance payout.
Tasked with carrying out the act, Jae-yeong enlists Jang Gil-ryong (played by Kim Sung-kyun), a recently terminated co-worker struggling with his own issues. Unbeknownst to Jae-yeong, Gil-ryong brings along Kim Beom-jun (played by Park Hae-soo), a con artist notorious for deceiving the affluent alongside his partner, Lee Yu-jeong (Gong Seung-yeon).
In a botched attempt to murder Jae-yeong’s father, the victim survives multiple blows. The situation escalates as a friend of Jae-yeong’s father witnesses the crime. To avoid discovery, Gil-ryong and Beom-jun hastily dispose of the near-dead man in a truck.
Now ensnared in their dark plan, Kim recruits Lee Yu-jeong and sets a trap for their next mark, Han Sang-hun (Lee Kwang-soo), a rich and respected doctor. As the plot unfolds, a series of disastrous choices sends Han into a chaotic spiral, culminating in the need to bury the body in exchange for 100 million KRW. However, Kim Beom-jun’s greed pushes him to demand more.
After discovering dashcam footage that incriminates him, Han meets with Lee Yu-jeong, resulting in deadly confrontations that claim Lee’s life. Additionally, Han’s wife finds herself embroiled in the chaos, hiring a private investigator named Hwang Cheol-mok to uncover the truth behind her husband’s actions.
The story intensifies as Park Jae-yeong learns about his father’s shocking fate while feigning sorrow to the police. When the case is transformed into a murder investigation, his frustration mounts. As the pressure escalates, Gil-ryong demands his payment of 150 million KRW, which inclines him to commit further violence.
Desperate to eliminate Gil-ryong, Jae-yeong lures him to the construction site, but the encounter turns deadly when he suffers an injury instead. Meanwhile, authorities begin to close in on Kim Beom-jun, leading him to a reckless plan that ends in chaos.
In the aftermath, Kim Beom-jun assumes Park Jae-yeong’s identity while grappling with the repercussions of his violent actions. Unbeknownst to him, the attending physician, Lee Ju-yeon (Shin Min-a), is entangled in his dark past as one of his victims.
As the narrative matures, we discover that Lee Ju-yeon is haunted by traumatic memories linked to Park Jae-yeong’s heinous act from high school, where she was victimized by him and his accomplices. After conducting her investigation, she resolves to claim her revenge.
The story’s climax arrives when Kim Beom-jun is confronted by Ju-yeon, leading to a moment of truth and self-reflection. However, a significant character, Yoon Jeong-min (Kim Nam-gil), intervenes, prompting Ju-yeon to reconsider her intentions.
The series’ conclusion sees Kim Beom-jun fated by his past choices, finally trapped in a desperate scenario while Ju-yeon seeks closure and healing from her past trauma. As the narrative wraps, viewers are left pondering the intricate interplay of justice and retribution.
Evaluating the Future: Why Karma Likely Won’t Have a Season 2
In light of the series’ conclusive ending, a second season of Karma seems improbable. With major plotlines resolved, including the fates of Park Jae-yeong and Kim Beom-jun while Ju-yeon finds peace, the story reaches a definitive closure. Moreover, there has been no official communication from Netflix regarding a potential renewal for a second season.
All six episodes of Karma are currently available for streaming on Netflix, providing audiences with a complete viewing experience that ties together the complexity of its characters and storylines.