'Almost like a demon': Actor Park Hae-soo reflects on dark character in Netflix series 'Karma'
Published: 10 Apr. 2025, 12:07
Updated: 10 Apr. 2025, 17:02
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
![Actor Park Hae-soo plays a character only referred to as The Witness in Netflix show "Karma."[NETFLIX]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/10/a66c1108-60de-45a2-aa78-3d2338234222.jpg)
Actor Park Hae-soo plays a character only referred to as The Witness in Netflix show "Karma."[NETFLIX]
In Netflix’s new Korean original series “Karma,” six lives become tightly intertwined through a chain of dark, morally compromising decisions. At the center is a character known only as “The Witness.” He has no name, no backstory and no home. But he sees everything.
The Witness is played by actor Park Hae-soo, who said the ambiguity of the role intrigued him from the start.
“It was the first time I got offered a character without a name,” he said in an interview on Wednesday at JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul.
“When I first read the script, I couldn’t figure out who he really was. It was when I talked with the director that I understood he was almost like a demon. I wanted to find out how far he could go.”
Netflix released the six-episode series on Friday. By Tuesday, it had climbed to No. 1 in Netflix’s TV show rankings in six countries including Korea, Indonesia and Thailand, and ranked fourth worldwide, according to FlixPatrol, a streaming analytics site.
Director Lee Il-hyung said he felt the weight of expectation following the hit Netflix show, “When Life Gives You Tangerines.”
“It’d be a lie to say I didn’t feel pressure,” Lee said. “But this is a different kind of story, one with more heat, which I hope people find satisfying.”
“Karma” presents a layered narrative where each character carries out a questionable act, and The Witness alone connects all of them. At first, he appears to be an accidental observer to a hit-and-run. He approaches the driver, a character wearing glasses played by Lee Kwang-soo, and demands money. The Witness seems awkward, even naive. But as the story unfolds, his role grows darker and more unsettling.
![Actor Park Hae-soo plays the role of the Witness in Netflix show "Karma." [NETFLIX]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/10/c226b5b3-795e-4ca2-abb6-7c2db994e275.jpg)
Actor Park Hae-soo plays the role of the Witness in Netflix show "Karma." [NETFLIX]
Park’s performance drew praise for its complexity. He credits the writing, the direction and the cast.
“I’m very grateful for the praise, but really, the story has so much strength on its own, and it’s really thanks to Lee’s direction and chemistry with the other actors that allowed the character to change naturally. There’s a wide range to him, and I think people responded to that.”
He pointed to his co-stars as essential to the transformation. “Characters shift depending on who they’re with,” Park said. “With Shin Min-a’s character, a surgeon named Ju-yeon, The Witness backs down in response to her firm but gentle nature. Around Lee Kwang-soo, whose Glasses Man character has more chaotic energy, The Witness bumbles more.
Park said the role let him push boundaries.
“You don’t often get a chance to play someone who shifts this much in one story,” he said. “It was exciting to step into a character who doesn’t follow rules and crosses lines.”
![The cast of Netflix show ″Karma″ pose for a photo during the series' press conference held in Jongno District, central Seoul, on March 31. Actor Park Hae-soo is pictured on the far right. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/10/3738623b-40e1-4e6e-8a0f-47a47a188d35.jpg)
The cast of Netflix show ″Karma″ pose for a photo during the series' press conference held in Jongno District, central Seoul, on March 31. Actor Park Hae-soo is pictured on the far right. [NEWS1]
Park debuted in theater in 2007 with “Annapurna” (2007), and gained national attention with the 2017 drama series “Prison Playbook”. His global breakthrough came in 2021 with “Squid Game” (2021-). He continued working with Netflix in “Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area” (2022) and “Narco-Saints” (2022). His frequent appearances on the platform earned him the nickname “Netflix's civil servant.”
“I don’t seek out Netflix projects,” Park said. “But somehow we just clicked. Maybe it’s fate.”
He still returns to the stage regularly. In 2023 and 2024, he performed lead roles in “Faust” and “The Cherry Orchard” at LG Arts Center. He hopes to keep challenging himself.
“If I get the chance, I’d like to try physical theater,” he said.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HA NAM-HYUN [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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