Netflix Premieres Korean Thriller ‘As You Stood By,’ A Story of Friendship, Trauma, and Murder

Netflix is preparing to launch a new South Korean original series, As You Stood By. The project is a crime drama and thriller that focuses on the intense relationship between two women, bound by shared trauma, who are driven to a breaking point.

The premise follows these two protagonists as they navigate a “brutal reality” where, according to the plot description, survival demands “kill or be killed.” Their shared decision to commit murder in a desperate attempt to escape a life of abuse sets them on a path fraught with consequences. The series will explore how, after making this fatal decision, they find themselves “caught in a twist of fate they never saw coming.”

The Plot: Friendship and Transgression

At the core of As You Stood By is an exploration of female friendship driven to its breaking point. Classified as a crime drama and a thriller, the narrative uses the connection between the protagonists as the main emotional engine for the story’s suspense elements.

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The conflict is catalyzed by the desperate situation of one of the central characters, Hui-su. Hui-su, once a promising children’s book writer, is living an “infernal life” marked by the violence she suffers at the hands of her husband, Jin-pyo. The plot portrays Hui-su constantly struggling to find a way to escape her husband’s abuse.

The dramatic tension escalates when Hui-su’s lifelong friend, Eun-su, decides to take drastic measures. Eun-su, who carries her own past childhood traumas, resolves to save her friend by proposing Jin-pyo’s murder. Together, the two women “devise a murder plan” and embark on the dangerous path their decision entails.

The series title presents a thematic duality pointing to central themes of guilt and responsibility. While the international title is As You Stood By, its original Korean title is Dangsini jugyeotda, literally translating to “You Killed Him.” This stark contrast between a title suggesting passive complicity and one that is a direct, active accusation sets the stage for a complex psychological thriller. The narrative will focus not only on the act itself but also on the aftermath, the guilt, and the accusations that will inevitably arise, embodying the “twist of fate” the protagonists will confront.

Main Characters: A Bond Forged in Trauma

The main cast of As You Stood By features a group of actors who bring the four key players in this drama of murder and its consequences to life.

The protagonists are Eun-su, played by Jeon So-nee, and Hui-su, played by Lee Yoo-mi.

• Eun-su (also referred to as Cho Eun Su) is an employee who works in the VIP department of a large department store. Her character is motivated by childhood trauma, which seemingly grants her a deep empathy for her friend’s suffering and drives her to propose the radical solution of murder.
• Hui-su (also referred to as Choi Hee Soo) is the victim at the center of the conflict. She is a former aspiring children’s book writer whose life has been consumed by the violence of her husband, from whom she struggles to escape.

Facing them are the antagonistic forces and external figures who complicate their plan.

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• Jin-pyo, interpreted by Jang Seung-jo, is Hui-su’s menacing, controlling, and violent husband. His abuse is the catalyst that sets the entire plot in motion.
• Noh Jin-young, interpreted by Lee Ho-jung, is a detective. Her role is expected to be that of the investigator who applies the pressure of the law on the protagonists as the plot unfolds following Jin-pyo’s disappearance.

A crucial element in the narrative is the introduction of a mysterious ally.

• Lee Moo-saeng interprets a character identified as Jin So-Baek (or Chen Shaobo in other sources). Jin So-Baek is described as the “CEO of Jingang Firm” or the owner of the Jinkang Store. His role is fundamental, as, according to reports, “he notices their plan and helps them as a strong supporter.”

This character configuration establishes a complex web of power. The two protagonists, although acting with agency in deciding to commit murder, become entangled in a dynamic involving figures of authority from different spheres: legal power, represented by Detective Noh Jin-young, and financial and social power, represented by the CEO Jin So-Baek. The latter’s motivation for supporting the women in their cover-up is one of the main mysteries the series is expected to resolve.

Production and Adaptation

As You Stood By is a Netflix original series. The creative team behind the project includes director Lee Jeong-rim and screenwriter Kim Hyo-jeong. The series, which reportedly consists of eight episodes, will also feature Ghost Studios as co-producer.

The project is a transnational adaptation of a Japanese literary work. The series is based on the novel Naomi and Kanako, written by author Hideo Okuda.

This indicates that the production is a faithful adaptation of the original material, reinterpreting a Japanese domestic thriller for a global audience through the K-drama format on Netflix.

Context and Availability

The original novel on which the series is based, Naomi and Kanako by Hideo Okuda, was published in 2014.

Netflix officially confirmed the series production on September 18, 2024, and the main cast was reported to have participated in a script reading the following day, September 19, 2024. Filming began in mid-September 2024 and concluded in early February 2025. Later, in January 2025, Ghost Studios was announced as a co-producer for the project. The series is categorized as a 2025 drama.

As You Stood By will premiere on the Netflix streaming platform on November 7.

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