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 that's already making waves before its international premiere! The series premieres officially 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 premiered at the 30th Busan International Film Festival on September 18, 2025, with the first two episodes shown.

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 production of the drama had occurred at StudioS, Ghost Studio, and Mizi Film and differs considerably from light genres of K-dramas to discuss crime, trauma, and survival options.

Release date and time of As You Stood By

The world premiere date of As You Stood By is scheduled for Friday, November 7, 2025. The entire episodes of the drama will be released simultaneously on the same date, similar to the Korean original dramas of Netflix.

Though the news of the release time has not yet been officially announced, Netflix likes to release new content at 12:00 AM PT (3:00 AM ET / 5:00 PM KST), so viewers outside the US will have to be prepared to access it based on their own times.

Streaming details

As You Stood By will have a worldwide exclusive release on Netflix in more than 190 countries. The show will be made available to stream with its original Korean sound and subtitles in numerous languages. English dubbing and the other major languages would also need to be made available, as on Netflix, for global viewing.

Staggered releases are said to have been proposed but not confirmed, and therefore, the complete set of episodes should be available to watch on day one.

Plot summary

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

Their desperations compel both of them to join forces against Hui-su's violent husband, Jin-pyo. But their suicide bid triggers a sequence of risky activities that drive them deeper into crime and moral bewilderment.

Cast and characters

As You Stood By boasts a multicultural cast of talented Korean actors:

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

Lee Yoo-mi as Hui-su, an impoverished wife who longs to escape domestic abuse at the hands of her husband.

Jang Seung-jo as Jin-pyo, the abusive husband of Hui-su and chief baddie.

Lee Moo-saeng plays the role of Chen Shaobo (or Jin So-baek), owner of the shop in connection with the scheme of the women.

Lee Ho-jung plays the role of Detective Noh Jin-young, a crime investigator who catches up with criminals.

Production background

Production for As You Stood By commenced in September of 2024, following the official news release for the adaptation. The script was read by the lead actors before their commencement of filming later in the same month. Production was undertaken for close to five months and extended until February of 2025.

Coproduction of production is handled by StudioS, Ghost Studio, and Mizi Film, from script adaptation 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, written by Hideo Okuda, which was serially published from 2012 to 2014. The novel was already adapted into a Japanese TV drama in 2016.

Adapting the story into a South Korean context, the Netflix series reinterprets its theme of friendship, family violence, and moral choice and retains the very essence of two women fighting against abuse and injustice.

Thus, As You Stood By comes out on November 7, 2025, and is only on Netflix. With its previous release at the Busan International Film Festival, the drama is already a frontrunner in the expanding list of K-crime thrillers. Its production history, cast, and adaptation from a best-selling Japanese novel emphasize how the series is better than the convergence of literature and television narrative.