Kdrama The Defects Plot Summary Ending Explained Review & Cast

The Defects is an ENA Monday-Tuesday drama, set to ignite the summer of 2025 as a shocking action noir thriller. Based on the popular Kakao Webtoon original (written by Eom Se-yoon, illustrated by Ryu Ga-myeong), it tackles the weighty themes of adoption, abandonment, and revenge, drawing intense attention from drama fans both domestically and internationally. The story depicts the journey of so-called “returned children,” who, abandoned by their adoptive parents or societal systems and faced with ruin and death in their childhood, grow into adults confronting their trauma head-on, fiercely pursuing lost justice, dignity, and revenge.

The title i Shopping(The Defects) carries not only the wordplay of “eye shopping” but also the layered meaning of “child + shopping.” It realistically and chillingly portrays the flaws in societal structures, the dark underbelly of the adoption and abandonment system, the hypocrisy and violence committed in the name of love, and the shattered youth within a blood-forged bond.

The protagonists are resilient survivors who refuse to give up despite their harsh upbringing, transitioning from victims and the weak to perpetrators and judges. Without glorifying or sentimentalizing murder, it sharply poses the philosophical question, “What is the boundary between good and evil?” It is a drama where the protagonists personally deliver judgment to adults who ignored the truth and the evil that destroyed them.

Director Oh Ki-hwan, who helmed the production, stated, “This is the work that raises the most fundamental questions in my directing career.” As an adoption-revenge noir drama that transcends the conventions of traditional noir, it is poised to be the most provocative work of 2025, promising significant social impact.

Kdrama The Defects

Korean 아이쇼핑 | Japanese Title: アイショッピング
Genre: Action, Thriller, Noir, Drama, Revenge
Episodes: 8
Release Date: July 21, 2025
Broadcast Schedule: Every Monday and Tuesday at 10 PM
Director: Oh Ki-hwan
Writer: An So-jung
Production: Group Eight, Take One Studio
Cast: Yeom Jung-ah, Won Jin-ah, Choi Young-jun, Kim Jin-young (Dex), An Ji-ho, Kim Se-hee, Kim Ah-hyun, Woo Tae-sik, Jung-hyun, and others
Filming Period: November 30, 2023 ~ November 29, 2024 (1 year of pre-production)
Rating: Suitable for ages 15 and up
Network: TVING (exclusive streaming in Korea), ENA channel broadcast, Naver TV, YouTube (clips)

Korean Drama The Defects Cast

Kim Sehee (Yeom Jung-ah): CEO of SH Medical Foundation and the head of an illegal adoption trafficking organization, a cold-blooded character obsessed with superior genes.

Kim Ahyeon (Won Jin-ah, child actor Shin Yeon-woo): Leader and survivor among the “refunded” children, a central character battling between revenge and survival who uncovers the truth.

Won Jin-ah instagram

Woo Taesik (Choi Young-joon): The organization’s underling who secretly protects the refunded children, tormented by guilt.

Choi Young-joon instagram

Junghyun (Kim Jin-young): The organization’s real operational manager and Sehee’s human weapon, absolutely loyal and ruthless in carrying out commands.

Kim Jin-young instagram

Juan (Ahn Ji-ho): Boy adopted and later abandoned by a megachurch pastor; bright personality with a knack for machines.
Somi (Lee Na-eun): Girl adopted by a private elementary school principal’s family and then abandoned, an optimistic girl dreaming of becoming an idol.
Seoksu (Oh Seung-jun): Once abused and abandoned by a politician’s family, he is the kindest and most gentle of the children.
Choi Siwoo (Kang Ji-yong): Recently refunded child, cheerful and lively, abandoned for lack of academic talent.
Sehee’s Daughter (Kim Ji-an): Outstanding student who resembles Sehee in both looks and intellect, used to fulfill Sehee’s twisted ambitions.
Kwon Kang-man (Son Jong-hak): Leader of the ruling party and presidential frontrunner, Seoksu’s father and Sehee’s major sponsor.
Yoon Se-hun (Song Young-gyu): Megachurch pastor, Juan’s biological father.
Han Cheol-soo (unknown): Elementary school principal, Somi’s biological father.
Park Min-joo (Choi Yu-ha): Siwoo’s mother.
Choi Hyeon-gyu (unknown): Siwoo’s father.
Somi’s Mother (Bae Min-hee): Somi’s biological mother.
??? (Kim Soo-ro): Unspecified character, details not provided.
Gyutae (Do Yoo): Jung-hyun’s closest subordinate.
Eun-gyeol (Kim Yu-jun): Student carrying deep internal wounds and confusion.

K drama The Defects plot summary

In a dark room, Se-hee flipped through documents on her desk. As the head of SH Medical Foundation, she operated a system trading children like commodities in a lavish office. The monitor displayed children’s photos, barcodes, and grades. She clicked on a child’s file and smiled coldly. The scene shifted to Si-woo’s house. Si-woo trembled, clutching his report card. His mother, Min-joo, glared at him coldly, holding a belt. Si-woo was beaten, tears streaming down his face, but he couldn’t make a sound. The next day, Min-joo approached him with a smile. Si-woo felt hope at her kind words, but she hid a sinister plan behind her promise of a trip to an amusement park.

At night, Si-woo was kidnapped and locked in the back of a truck. In the darkness, he recalled his mother’s words. He realized he was adopted and that his parents intended to eliminate him. When the truck stopped and the door opened, Woo Tae-sik appeared. He untied Si-woo’s ropes and spoke softly. Si-woo, confused, received a piece of paper with an address from Tae-sik. Si-woo entered a phone booth and called his mother. But the call was intercepted by Jung-hyun, who put down the receiver with a cold expression.

Tae-sik drove to evade Jung-hyun’s pursuit. But on a dark road, Jung-hyun’s men rammed into Tae-sik’s car. The car flipped, and Tae-sik bled out, dying. Meanwhile, Si-woo reached the address Tae-sik gave him. In an abandoned factory, Kim Ah-hyun, Joo-an, So-mi, and Seok-su greeted him. Ah-hyun looked at Si-woo with a firm gaze. So-mi questioned him warily. Si-woo bowed his head in guilt, and Ah-hyun calmed So-mi, defending Si-woo. They lived in a hideout prepared by Tae-sik, learning weapons and survival skills. But So-mi broke the rules to buy chicken, exposing them to the organization’s radar.

Jung-hyun and his men raided the hideout. The children tried to escape on a fishing boat, but Jung-hyun’s gunshots rang out. Ah-hyun found records hidden by Tae-sik, revealing they were “defective products” abandoned for quality issues. She firmly declared to the children. They moved to a new secret location, but Ah-hyun’s dropped phone exposed their whereabouts to Jung-hyun. Jung-hyun smirked coldly.

So-mi visited her adoptive father, Kang Chung-man, for revenge. In a dark room, Chung-man mistook Ah-hyun for a transactional partner and approached her. Ah-hyun overpowered and tied him up. So-mi entered the room and saw a family photo. She recalled suppressed memories, her hand trembling as she held a gun. Tears streaming down her face, So-mi shot Chung-man and left the room.

Meanwhile, Ah-hyun infiltrated the maternity clinic and confronted Se-hee. Se-hee, shocked to see Ah-hyun, smiled. Ah-hyun responded with anger. Se-hee’s daughter, Chae-yeon, appeared to help her mother but hesitated and stepped back at Ah-hyun’s words.

K drama The Defects ending

The children infiltrated SH Medical Foundation, Se-hee’s stronghold. In a dark hallway, Joo-an and Seok-su fought Jung-hyun’s men, clearing the way. So-mi rushed to the server room to hack the organization’s transaction records. Jung-hyun appeared, aiming a gun at So-mi, but Si-woo ambushed him from behind, knocking him down. Ah-hyun stormed into Se-hee’s office. Se-hee spoke with a cold expression. Ah-hyun responded resolutely.

The final confrontation unfolded on the rooftop. Se-hee aimed a gun at Ah-hyun, but Chae-yeon suddenly pushed Se-hee, causing her to stagger. Ah-hyun seized the moment and subdued Se-hee. The server records hacked by So-mi were exposed to the world, and the organization collapsed. The children emerged from the ruined building, embracing each other. Ah-hyun looked at the sky and spoke quietly. They took steps toward a new life. In the distance, a larger shadow behind Se-hee’s system was hinted at, and the story ended.

The cartel collapsed, and those involved were arrested. News screens reported the cartel’s reality, shocking society. Jin-woo and his companions returned to the abandoned factory, embracing each other. Though scarred, they considered each other family and vowed to start anew. In the final scene, Jin-woo revisited the alley where he first escaped. The rain had stopped, and the sky was clear. He smiled and murmured, “Now we’ll choose ourselves.” The story ended, suggesting the children’s new beginning.

Kim Se-hee resisted to the end, clinging to her beliefs, but was defeated by the children’s unity and fierce will to survive. The children completed their revenge, proving their worth, embracing each other as a new family, healing their wounds, and moving toward the future. However, the possibility of a larger force behind Kim Se-hee’s system and the question of why she started such a monstrous business remained as an open-ended conclusion.

Kdrama The Defects review

While bringing the webtoon’s intense thriller elements and emotional depth to the drama, adjusting the level of violence to suit a 15+ rating enhanced its mainstream appeal. In particular, So-mi’s revenge scene against her adoptive father, Kang Chung-man, and the final confrontation between Ah-hyun and Se-hee maintained the original’s tension while amplifying emotions through cinematic visuals. However, the omission or abbreviation of some details from the original left a sense of regret among fans.

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