Karma (Netflix) (Original title: Akyeon, 2025) is a dark, twisted drama that intricately weaves together the lives of six seemingly unconnected individuals. The series begins with Jae-yeong, a man drowning in debt and desperate for a way out as relentless loan sharks close in. In his desperation, he turns to a morally questionable opportunity, choosing a dangerous path that brings him into contact with the enigmatic Gil-ryong.
Through Gil-ryong, another player is pulled into the story—Beom-jun, a seasoned con man who works alongside his cunning partner, Yu-jeong. Their latest target is Sang-hun, a wealthy and arrogant man who believes his money can get him anything, including love. As their stories unfold, it becomes clear that these characters are not as disconnected as they seem. At the center of it all lies Ju-yeon, a mysterious figure whose presence binds their fates in unexpected and haunting ways.
This article contains spoilers.
Karma (Netflix) (Akyeon, 2025), Episode 1, “The Man With Loan Shark Debts” Recap:
The first episode opens in an abandoned building where a man is tied up and tortured. Another man burns the abandoned building. The firefighters arrive and find a surviving man who is burned completely. Immediately, the injured man is moved to a hospital. One of the doctors is about to inject morphine, but a lady doctor, Dr. Ju-yeon, thinks the patient might go into shock. After explaining the situation to the patient, the doctors start the procedure without morphine. After the recovery, the patient says his name is Park Jae-yeong. Hearing the name Ju-yeon gets lost in thought. When Jae-yeong thanks Ju-yeon for saving his life, Ju-yeon does not respond.
What does Jae-yeong find in Dong-sik’s house?
Fifteen days before the arson, Jae-yeong, who is in debt to loan sharks, ignores their calls. They retaliate, beating him and showing him an organ-harvesting operation as a warning. Jae-yeong has a month to repay the debts. At work, colleague Chang-seop pesters him for giving wrong advice on the stock market. Later, colleague Gil-ryong (ex-convict) blackmails their boss with a knife.
As Jae-yeong eats lunch, he notices a tattoo on Gil-ryong’s hand. A web search reveals it belongs to the Korean-Chinese Triad—Knife of Yanbian, who are known for violence. To pay loan sharks, Jae-yeong calls his father, Dong-sik, for help but learns he’s hospitalized due to a hit-and-run. The driver, avoiding insurance, offers a 5 million won settlement for medical bills. However, Jae-yeong only gives Dong-sik 3 million, asking to borrow it. When a woman from Dong-sik’s church arrives, Jae-yeong assumes they’re dating and leaves.
Outside, Jae-yeong demands an extra 3 million from the driver, claiming he reeks of alcohol. Since Dong-sik is hospitalized, Jae-yeong visits his father’s house to get clothes and toiletries. There, Jae-yeong discovers an insurance certificate stating that if Dong-sik dies in an accident or from disease, 500 million won goes to his family. Conflicted, Jae-yeong realizes he must either kill or be killed. In an alley, high school delinquents ask for cigarettes. When Jae-yeong refuses, they leave but later return, beat him up, and steal his vape and cigarettes. When Jae-yeong wakes up, he is in the hospital and overhears a cop telling his father there are no CCTV cameras in the alley.
Why do the cops think Dong-sik is murdered?
Leaving the clinic, Jae-yeong finds Gil-ryong’s hideout at the junkyard and proposes a deal: kill Don-sik in the alley without CCTV for 60 million won. However, Jae-yeong avoids mentioning the full insurance payout. The only concern for Gil-ryong is trust. Jae-yeong reveals an audio recorder, proving he recorded their talk. The next day, at the clinic, Jae-yeong sees Gil-ryong and, annoyed, confronts him. There, Gil-ryong reveals he knows the insurance claim is 500 million won and demands 150 million to finish the job. With no choice, Jae-yeong agrees but secretly plans to pay only 60 million. After the deal, Jae-yeong spends the night creating an alibi.
First, Jae-yeong invites Chang-seop for drinks, but Chang-seop leaves as soon as his kids get sick. Next, Jae-yeong visits a karaoke bar, ensuring the girls remember him. Afterwards, Jae-yeong stops at a fast food joint, where he falls asleep, still waiting for contact from Gil-ryong. The next day, during lunch at work, Jae-yeong gets a call from Chief Park to identify Dong-sik’s body. At the station, Jae-yeong fakes mourning his father, but Chief Park suspects foul play due to a witness—the woman from church. The woman saw everything. Still, Jae-yeong hopes it is an accident until Chief Park reveals that Dong-sik’s body was buried in the mountains. Now, Jae-yeong’s fake tears turn real, and he curses Gil-ryong.
Karma (Netflix) (Akyeon, 2025), Episode 2 “The Man Who Disposed of a Body” Recap:
The episode opens with a hiker-cum-influencer atop Mt. Chowol. After camping for the night, the hiker starts to descend the mountain while talking to her followers. Suddenly, the hiker sees a dog digging and heads towards it. Curious to see what the dog is doing, the hiker gets close to see a dead body. It’s Dong-sik’s body. In a hotel somewhere, Dr. Han Sang-hun recalls his friends saying money allows you to get any woman you want. At that time, Sang-hun frowned upon the idea, but now that he is rich, he knows it’s true. Just then, Sang-hun’s girlfriend, Yu-jeong, arrives at the restaurant. After having a meal, Sang-hun thinks of taking Yu-jeong for dessert, but Yu-jeong wants to spend the night with him privately.
They arrive at Oasis Stay, which is secluded near Mt. Chowol. While waiting for Yu-jeong, Sang-hun takes some medicine. Yu-jeong wants Sang-hun to drink even though he has taken medicine. Eventually, Sang-hun gives in, and they sleep together. At midnight, Sang-hun is woken up by Yu-jeong’s chat with her friends. One of Yu-jeong’s friends’ fathers passes away, and Yu-jeong needs to go into town. When Sang-hun thinks of calling a driver as he is drunk, Yu-jeong creates a fuss. Because of Yu-jeong, Sang-hun agrees to drive. On the way, Yu-jeong forces herself on Sang-hun even though he does not want to make out while driving. This causes Sang-hun to run over a man. This man is Dong-sik.
What does Sang-hun do with Dong-sik’s body?
Realizing Dong-sik is dead, Yu-jeong thinks about calling the cops, but Sang-hun stops her as he will go straight to jail for driving after consuming alcohol and killing a man. As they talk, a car approaches. Seeing the car, they hide the body. The couple in the car find Sang-hun suspicious, and the man says he is a mechanic and can help. The couple regret not taking a picture of Sang-hun as they pass through. After the car leaves, Sang-hun decides to bury Dong-sik. At that time, a man takes his cycle and passes by. Realizing he is the witness (Beom-jun) to the crimes, Sang-hun knocks Beom-jun unconscious. Both the Beom-jun and Dong-sik are kept in the trunk. The only option is to bury Dong-sik in Mt.Chowol. As soon as they arrive at the place, Beom-jun regains consciousness.
Beom-jun screams, and Sang-hun beats him with a club. Later, Sang-hun pays 10 million won to ensure Beom-jun does not say anything. With Beom-jun’s help, Sang-hun buries Dong-sik. Once inside the car, Beom-jun demands another 10 million to buy his silence. After thinking about it, Sang-hun offers 20 million won, and they will never speak about it again. The trio drives to the city. There, Beom-jun asks for cab fare as well, which Sang-hun gives. As Sang-hun enters his clinic, the couple from the car take Sang-hun’s pictures from afar. The cost of repairing Sang-hun’s car is around 4 billion won, so he asks Yu-jeong to pitch in a little if she can. As Sang-hun treats his wounds, Beom-jun enters the office, taking Sang-hun by surprise.
Karma (Netflix) (Akyeon, 2025) Episode 3 “The Unrighteous” Recap:
The episode opens with Beom-jun at Sang-hun’s clinic, demanding 30 million won for silence. Meanwhile, Jae-yeong practices fake crying in the police station washroom, unaware that Officer Baek is in a cubicle, overhearing his fears of getting caught. During a routine investigation, Baek questions Jae-yeong about Dong-sik’s death. Surprisingly, everyone remembers Jae-yeong. Despite the investigation, Jae-yeong visits the insurance office for a payout. The lady asks him to wait. Just then, Gil-ryong calls, but Jae-yeong ignores it. Later, Jae-yeong is called in to meet the officer, who turns out to be the first hit-and-run driver from whom Jae-yeong extorted money.
Why does Gil-ryong kill Officer Baek?
The driver/insurance officer informs Jae-yeong about the investigation, and Jae-yeong loses his temper. At the funeral home, Jae-yeong is annoyed to see Gil-ryong. Outside, they argue, and Gil-ryong says change is inevitable in this line of work. When Gil-ryong hits Dong-sik, the latter is alive and sees his face, forcing him to improvise. Though the insurance claim may never come through, Gil-ryong demands payment within a week. To remind Jae-yeong, Gil-ryong plays the recording. From afar, Baek watches and follows Gil-ryong.
At the scrapyard, Baek retrieves the recorder but is caught by Gil-ryong, who assumes Jae-yeong sent him and kills him. Later, Gil-ryong checks Baek’s ID and realizes he is a cop. Gil-ryong panics and calls Jae-yeong to explain the situation and demands the money by the next day. Now, Jae-yeong vows to avenge his father. At the clinic, Sang-hun promises Beom-jun cash within a week. After Beom-jun leaves, Sang-hun gets a call about his car. The mechanic, surprised, notes the hood is damaged but not the bumper, despite Sang-hun claiming he hit a deer.
What happens to Sang-hun?
Hurriedly, Sang-hun retrieves the dash-cam memory card from the garbage bin. Watching the footage, Sang-hun realizes Dong-sik fell from the bridge and that Beom-jun was behind it. Immediately, Sang-hun calls Yu-jeong, vowing to report Beom-jun. They meet, and inside the car, Yu-jeong insults Sang-hun, calling him a loser. Enraged, Sang-hun tries to kill Yu-jeong, but Beom-jun arrives with chloroform, knocking Sang-hun out. It turns out that Yu-jeong and Beom-jun are scammer duos. From afar, the mechanic couple stalks them.
To bury Sang-hun, the duo drives to their hometown. There, they start digging a grave and take a smoke break. At this time, Sang-hun wakes up, goes to the driver’s seat, and runs the car over Yu-jeong, killing her instantly. Beom-jun kills Sang-hun and buries him in the grave. The stalkers capture all this. In a flashback, we see that Yu-jeong and Ju-yeon were classmates. When Ju-yeon is chosen to be the face of the school, Yu-jeong gets jealous and brings her to the abandoned building. There, Yu-jeong leaves Ju-yeon for three boys to hurt and rape. At present, Ju-yeon wakes up from this nightmare.
Karma (Netflix) (Akyeon, 2025), Episode 4 “The Woman Trapped in the Past” Recap:
The episode opens with a recap of the Guhoe building fire. Currently, Ju-yeon is called to the hospital to deal with an intense patient. There, Ju-yeon meets investigator Hwang Cheol-mok, who senses Ju-yeon’s distress and gives her his card. Visiting Jae-yeong’s room, Ju-yeon is startled by his name, which Dr. Yoon, her fiancé, notices. In the doctor’s cabin, Ju-yeon has a panic attack and takes pills. Later, Ju-yeon secretly retrieves Jae-yeong’s patient history but gets caught by Dr. Yoon, who grows concerned.
The next day, Ju-yeon visits Cheol-mok at Harmless Agency to locate the three boys. As Ju-yeon leaves, the stalker couple arrives—they work for Cheol-mok. To gather information, Cheol-mok contacts his detective, Kang, who handles the arson case. Previously a police detective, Cheol-mok was fired for bribery, though it was his younger officers who took the bribes. Through Kang, Cheol-mok learns about the rape case. Curious, Ju-yeon enters Jae-yeong’s room and sees him suffering. Unsure if it’s the same Jae-yeong, Ju-yeon asks to administer morphine to ease his pain.
Will Ju-yeon confront Jae-yeong?
In a flashback, we see Ju-yeon had gone on a blind date with Jae-yeong. While walking home, two boys in mask attack Jae-yeong and kidnap Ju-yeon before raping her. During her statement to the police and while identifying the criminals, Ju-yeon learns, Jae-yeong was the one who planned the rape. While still in Jae-yeong’s room, Ju-yeon gets a call from Cheol-mok. Cheol-mok says Yoo Tae-jun was constantly in and out of prison. The prison life became tough after the other criminals got to know Tae-jun raped a minor. So Tae-jun died in jail. Yang Yong-seon died of an overdose, but Jae-yeong has led a quiet life in Paju.
The next day, Kang informs Cheol-mok that Jae-yeong is the one who survived the arson. Immediately, Cheol-mok tells Ju-yeon. Meanwhile, Jae-yeong checks himself out in the mirror. Outside, Ju-yeon composes herself before confronting Jae-yeong, but the cops arrive first. So, Jae-yeong tells the cops he was kidnapped and burned, with two people fighting over killing him.
Meanwhile, Ju-yeon hallucinates about killing Jae-yeong but snaps out of it to see Jae-yeong leaving the hospital. Rushing after Jae-yeong, Ju-yeon confronts him, but he tells her not to act like she knows him. As Jae-yeong takes a taxi, Ju-yeon chases him down, stops the cab, admits the past haunts her, and wants one night without nightmares. To that, Jae-yeong laughs, calls her unreasonable, and tells the driver to go to Paju. As the car drives off, Ju-yeon declares she will sleep well because she will kill Jae-yeong.
Karma (Netflix) (Akyeon, 2025) Episode 5 “Rewind” Recap:
The episode begins with Jae-yeong wondering when everything went wrong. The episode now goes into rewind. The scene cuts to Beom-jun wearing Sang-hun’s clothes after burying him. Furthermore, Beom-jun takes Sang-hun’s car and leaves. Meanwhile, Sang-hun’s wife pesters Cheol-mok to find out if Sang-hun is cheating. Just then, the junior detectives arrive and show Cheol-mok the pictures they have captured. Realizing it’s a murder case, Cheol-mok informs the cops. Ten hours before the fire, Jae-yeong arranges a meeting with Gil-ryong. As Gil-ryong walks in the scrapyard, a vehicle approaches. The person in the car is Beom-jun, and it seems they know each other.
In a flashback, we briefly see Beom-jun and Gil-long in the same prison, where they get acquainted. The day Beom-jun leaves prison, he asks Gil-ryong to reach out for any con gigs. Outside, Yu-jeong is waiting for Beom-jun, and as soon as he is out, they begin conning people. The tricks are the same: Yu-jeong would sleep with people, and Beom-jun would approach them to extort money. A while later, Yu-jeong meets Sang-hun. At that time, Gil-ryong calls Beom-jun to join him on the gig to kill Dong-sik. When Gil-ryong shows who Jae-yeong is, Beom-jun recognizes Jae-yeong as a loser from their school days.
How did Beom-jun escape from the cops?
At the church, Dong-sik’s church goers want to celebrate his birthday, but Dong-sik refuses and leaves. The one driving the car to kill Dong-sik is Beom-jun. However, Dong-sik does not die, so they take the vehicle back to ensure that Dong-sik is dead. Still, the woman from the church witnesses it. So Gil-ryong and Beom-jun take Dong-sik’s body away. The deal is for Gil-ryong to get money, and Beom-jun will take care of the body. Beom-jun plans to con Sang-hun using Dong-sik’s murder. However, Gil-ryong is pissed as Dong-sik’s death has gone out of proportion. The cops find Gil-ryong’s picture from Baek’s murder scene. Elsewhere, Jae-yeong rents a car and practices how to kill Gil-ryong.
In time, Gil-ryong arrives, and Jae-yeong drives him to the abandoned building. An annoyed Beom-jun follows. Unfortunately, the cops are looking for Beom-jun as there are checkpoints. So, Beom-jun leaves Sang-hun’s car and runs into the woods. The cops now look for Beom-jun in the woods. At the abandoned building, Jae-yeong tries to kill Gil-ryong but fails. Taking the opportunity, Gil-ryong hits Jae-ryong, knocking him unconscious. By then, Beom-jun joins Gil-ryong. Once again, Beom-jun decides to change his identity by becoming Jae-yeong. First, Beom-jun kills Gil-ryong, and after that, Beom-jun tells Jae-yeong that from now on, Beom-jun will become Jae-yeong. The arson is then committed. The person in the hospital is Beom-jun, who posed as Jae-yeong. Because of the fire burns, no one can identify Beom-jun.
Karma (Netflix) (Akyeon, 2025) Episode 6 “Karma” Recap:
The episode continues with Beom-jun spilling gasoline all over the abandoned building. After setting the place on fire, Beom-jun stops to smoke. Soon, there is an explosion, pushing Beom-jun to the floor. One after the other, piles of lit wood fall on Beom-jun. Currently, Beom-jun has reached Paju and enters Jae-yeong’s house. In a flashback, we see Ju-yeon expressing to Yoon how we meet people we want to kill in our lifetime. At present, Beom-jun takes his medication and sleeps on Jae-yeong’s couch. The sleep is interrupted by a call from the insurance company, saying the beneficiary’s money has been transferred.
Will Ju-yeon kill Beom-jun/Jae-yeong?
Unfortunately, a week before Dong-sik’s death, he changed his will for the beneficiary to be someone else. So, Beom-jun needs to speak to the beneficiary. Meanwhile, Ju-yeon picks up some medication from a locker. Ju-yeon calls Cheol-wok, asking for his help with something. As Beom-jun leaves his house, Cheol-mok purposely bumps into him, spilling coffee on Beom-jun. Annoyed, Beom-jun leaves, but Cheol-mok stops him to give him the medicine he has dropped. The beneficiary is the cathedral that Dong-sik used to go to. There, Beom-jun creates a scene demanding his money from the nun. Thankfully, Dong-sik left a voice message saying that Jae-yeong needed to atone for his sins and has asked the nun not to give Jae-yeong any money.
At the cathedral, Ju-yeon arrives. Seeing Ju-yeon, Beom-jun is annoyed and asks her what he has done. When Ju-yeon does not reply, Beom-jun leaves and enters an alley. There, Beom-jun takes his medication and starts hallucinating as he sees a dead Dong-sik. After that, Ju-yeon arrives, so Beom-jun decides to come clean. As Beom-jun realizes Ju-Yeon has a problem with Jae-yeong, Beom-jun briefly says he isn’t Jae-Yeong, but Ju-Yeon is unwilling to believe it. The medication takes effect, and Beom-jun falls into the garbage. Taking the chance, Ju-yeon is ready to stab Beom-jun, but Yoon arrives and stops Ju-yeon. Furthermore, Yoon says he asked around and discovered what happened to Ju-yeon in school. Instead of killing Beom-jun, Ju-yeon punches him a couple of times.
Karma (Netflix) (Akyeon, 2025) Ending Explained:
The Final Moves: Truths Unravel, Fates Collide
On the way, Yoon gets a call for a job. However Yoon refuses, but Ju-yeon insists he go. At the police station, Chief Park hears Beom-jun’s/Jae-yeong’s hospital testimony and realizes it doesn’t match the crime scene—Jae-yeong isn’t the culprit. Meanwhile, Beom-jun returns home as the medication wears off and realizes Cheol-mok has been tampered with.
The cops call Beom-jun for further questioning, but Beom-jun says he’ll come the following day. Instead, Beom-jun starts packing to flee. While doing so, Beom-jun finds a brochure with Ju-yeon’s face. In a flashback, Beom-jun once advised Yu-jeong to use women to manipulate men. Realizing what has happened to Ju-yeon, Beom-jun laughs. The cops break into Beom-jun’s home but find him gone. At the bus stop, Beom-jun gets a D-Day notification.
A while later, the loan shark’s men kidnap Beom-jun. As Yoon waits for someone, Ju-yeon calls to console him, admitting she once dreamed of killing Jae-yeong, but it never brought peace. So Ju-yeon urges Yoon not to blame himself. A Benz picks Yoon up. In an underground building, Yoon prepares to change when the loan shark arrives, giving him a farewell gift—it is Yoon’s last day.
Was Justice Truly Served, or Just Fate Playing Its Hand?
Working for the loan shark was Yoon’s side gig. On the operation table, Yoon realizes that the man is Beom-jun/Jae-Yeong. To avenge Ju-yeon, Yoon operates without using anaesthesia. The following day, Ju-yeon wakes up without nightmares. Yoon tells her that only good times lie ahead. At the hospital, Cheol-mok offers an update on her case, but Ju-yeon refuses to hear it. So, Cheol-mok tears the DNA results that say that the prints don’t match and that the living man was not Jae-yeong. In the final scene, Ju-yeon walks out of the hospital, smiling confidently.
In the end, Ju-yeon finds closure upon learning that all of her rapists have died. Yet, even until the final moments, neither Yoon nor Ju-yeon believes Beom-jun when he insists he isn’t Jae-yeong. This disbelief becomes Beom-jun’s karma for his deceitful past and for stealing Jae-yeong’s identity. The story unfolds as a ripple effect stemming from two pivotal choices made by Jae-yeong: first, the assault on Ju-yeon during their school years, and later, his decision to orchestrate Dong-sik’s death for insurance money.
These acts set off a chain reaction, altering the fates of many and leading to a trail of destruction. Most characters meet tragic ends, but for Ju-yeon, a sense of justice finally emerges after years of silent suffering. One action led to another, each more devastating than the last, until all those responsible met gruesome, fitting ends. Karma (Netflix) seems to serve as a haunting reminder: every decision carries weight, and sooner or later, the consequences catch up. What goes around truly comes around.
