As You Stood By: Release date news, cast details, streaming details and more about the upcoming K-crime drama

As You Stood By is the new South Korean crime thriller already making waves before its international premiere! The series officially premieres on Netflix on November 7, 2025, as part of the platform’s lineup of dark, character-driven K-dramas. Ahead of its global premiere, the drama was showcased at the 30th Busan International Film Festival on September 18, 2025, with the first two episodes screened.

As You Stood By, directed by Lee Jeong-rim and written by Kim Hyo-jeong, is an adaptation of Hideo Okuda’s 2014 novel Naomi and Kanako. The drama was produced by StudioS, Ghost Studio, and Mizi Film and differs considerably from lighter K-drama genres, exploring themes of crime, trauma, and survival.

Release date and time of As You Stood By

The world premiere of As You Stood By is scheduled for Friday, November 7, 2025. All episodes of the drama will be released simultaneously on the same date, following Netflix’s usual approach for Korean original dramas.

Though the exact release time has not yet been officially announced, Netflix typically releases new content at 12:00 AM PT (3:00 AM ET / 5:00 PM KST), so viewers outside the U.S. should prepare according to their local time zones.

Streaming details

As You Stood By will have a worldwide exclusive release on Netflix in more than 190 countries. The series will be available to stream with its original Korean audio and subtitles in multiple languages. English dubbing and other major language options are also expected to be available for global viewing.

Staggered releases have been proposed but not confirmed; therefore, the complete set of episodes should be available on day one.

Plot summary

As You Stood By follows the lives of two women, Eun-su and Hui-su, whose fates become entangled in a whirlpool of loss and trauma. Eun-su is a department store VIP handler who keeps her painful memories hidden, while Hui-su is a former children’s book author married to a brutal man.

Their desperation compels both women to join forces against Hui-su’s violent husband, Jin-pyo. However, their suicide attempt sets off a series of risky actions that draw them deeper into crime and moral uncertainty.

Cast and characters

As You Stood By features a talented Korean cast:

Jeon So-nee as Eun-su, a department store clerk with deep emotional wounds.

Lee Yoo-mi as Hui-su, an impoverished wife seeking escape from domestic abuse.

Jang Seung-jo as Jin-pyo, Hui-su’s abusive husband.

Lee Moo-saeng as Chen Shaobo (or Jin So-baek), the shop owner connected to the women’s scheme.

Lee Ho-jung as Detective Noh Jin-young, the crime investigator pursuing the perpetrators.

Production background

Production for As You Stood By began in September 2024, following the official announcement of the adaptation. Lead actors read the script before filming commenced later that month. Production lasted nearly five months, concluding in February 2025.

The coproduction was handled by StudioS, Ghost Studio, and Mizi Film, with the script adapted by Kim Hyo-jeong under the direction of Lee Jeong-rim.

Festival premiere

Before its streaming release, As You Stood By first premiered on September 18, 2025, during the Busan International Film Festival. The series was one of the festival's "On Screen" category with international television productions, along with film features.

The premiere utilized the first two episodes and offered viewers an early peek into the crime-based narrative.

Source material and adaptations

As You Stood By is based on the Japanese novel Naomi and Kanako by Hideo Okuda, serially published from 2012 to 2014. The novel was previously adapted into a Japanese TV drama in 2016.

The Netflix series reinterprets the story in a South Korean context, exploring friendship, family violence, and moral choices while retaining the essence of two women fighting abuse and injustice.

As You Stood By premieres on November 7, 2025, exclusively on Netflix. With its prior Busan International Film Festival screening, the drama is already a frontrunner among K-crime thrillers. Its production, cast, and adaptation from a best-selling Japanese novel highlight the series as a successful convergence of literature and television narrative.