'Karma' explores twisted fates of 6 desperate souls

Showrunner Lee Il-hyung, left, sits with cast remembers of the Netflix crime thriller "Karma" during a press conference at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul, Jongno District, Monday. From left are Lee Il-hyung, actors Gong Seung-yeon, Lee Kwang-soo, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Hee-jun, Shin Min-a and Park Hae-soo. Yonhap By Park Jin-hai Netflix's new crime thriller series "Karma" delves into the lives of six individuals entangled in inescapable ill-fated relationships as they pursue their desires. The adaptation of the popular Kakao Webtoon of the same name is set to premiere Friday. "Karma" features a star-studded cast, including Park Hae-soo as a man who witnesses a mysterious accident; Shin Min-a as a surgeon haunted by lifelong trauma; Lee Hee-jun as a debtor chased by loan sharks after a failed cryptocurrency investment; Kim Sung-kyun as a man cornered after losing his job; Lee Kwang-soo as a successful doctor who practices traditional Korean medicine; and Gong Seung-yeon as his charming girlfriend. "Karma" is adapted and directed by Lee Il-hyung, known for his acclaimed film "A Violent Prosecutor" (2016). This marks Lee Il-hyung's first stint as a showrunner. "It is a story about six individuals, each driven by their own desires, who experience a specific incident and become trapped in the inescapable cycle of ill-fated relationships," Lee Il-hyung said Monday at a press conference at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul. "When I came across the original webtoon, it was so captivating that I read it all in one sitting. I thought it would be fascinating to adapt it into a video media production. However, as the content seemed too extensive for a film, I decided to work on it as a drama series instead." The showrunner paid a great deal of attention to the final scenes of each episode, making them so intriguing that viewers will just have to binge the series. "I wanted viewers to unravel the twists gradually, like untangling a thread, rather than grasping them all at once. By the end of all the six episodes, I aimed for audiences to fully understand how these ill-fated relationships unfold and why the title is 'Karma,'" he said. Poster for Netflix series "Karma" / Courtesy of Netflix The six lead actors unanimously praised the compelling script as the driving factor for their involvement. "What drew me the most was how extreme and intense the story was while maintaining a single, cohesive flow. I was captivated by the narrative and appreciated the twists and structure. My character, though selfish and detestable, also had a foolish and comical side, which made it an interesting role to portray," Park Hae-soo said. The "Squid Game" actor delivers another career-defining performance as Witness Man, the ultimate villain in the series. "I explored the reasons why this character was driven to make such choices. While the character is far from relatable and doesn't resemble me, I wanted to focus on portraying his gradual transformation in extreme circumstances," Park said. Shin Min-a plays a character who suffers from insomnia and lives in pain due to past trauma, focusing on expressing "the depth and weight of real-life pain." Lee Hee-jun leads the series' first episode, determined to deliver a lasting impact from the start. He praised the drama's narrative structure, noting how each episode's focus on an individual character keeps the viewers engaged. "The initial script I received was for an eight-part series. While that was enjoyable, it was condensed into six episodes in a short period and I was impressed by the director's writing skills. In particular, I liked the structure where each episode is driven by a different character," Lee Hee-jun said. In the series, Lee Hee-jun's character is chased by loan sharks, leading to him being forced to kill his father. "I felt it was important to make his bad choices appear plausible. That’s why I incorporated many internal monologues, similar to Hamlet, as he contemplates whether or not to kill his father." "Karma" will be released Friday worldwide on Netflix. Actor Shin Min-a in a scene from Netflix crime thriller "Karma." Courtesy of Netflix