# The Defects (TV series)
**The Defects** (Korean: 아이쇼핑, literal title *Child Shopping*) is a 2025 South Korean action thriller television series based on a Kakao webtoon, in which children who were adopted illegally and then returned or disposed of by their adoptive parents survive and take revenge on the trafficking organization behind the trade.[1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250721/yum-jung-ah-plays-devilish-adoption-trafficking-kingpin-in-korean-drama-the-defects) It aired on ENA for eight episodes from July 21 to August 12, 2025, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00, and streamed on TVING in South Korea.[2](https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-entertainment/2025/06/25/Q7JEQCU5MJDEBMYXIYQFLTDFPY/) • [3](https://asianwiki.com/The_Defects)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Native title | 아이쇼핑 (Child Shopping); the title is not the Korean word 결함[3](https://asianwiki.com/The_Defects) |
| Broadcast | ENA, 8 episodes, July 21 – August 12, 2025, Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00[3](https://asianwiki.com/The_Defects) • [4](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-defects/umc.cmc.3iwf25ke0p138pipelg0ais3d?l=es) |
| Source material | Kakao webtoon by Eom Se-Yoon (writer) and Ryu Ga-Myeong (illustrator), serialized December 6, 2016 to January 30, 2018, with over 51 million views[3](https://asianwiki.com/The_Defects) • [1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250721/yum-jung-ah-plays-devilish-adoption-trafficking-kingpin-in-korean-drama-the-defects) |
| Leads | Yum Jung-ah (염정아) as Kim Se-hee and Won Jin-a (원진아) as Kim Ah-hyun[4](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-defects/umc.cmc.3iwf25ke0p138pipelg0ais3d?l=es) |
| Production | Directed by Oh Ki-hwan, written by Ahn So-jung, produced by Group 8 and Take One Studio[2](https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-entertainment/2025/06/25/Q7JEQCU5MJDEBMYXIYQFLTDFPY/) |
| Ratings | Nielsen Korea nationwide 1.747% (episode 1) to 2.312% (episode 8); Seoul peak 2.670% (episode 3)[3](https://asianwiki.com/The_Defects) |
| International release | Available on Prime Video (TV-MA, 8 episodes) and Apple TV[5](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0MIJVPQKR5AL3HD8H1LY79S9I2) • [4](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-defects/umc.cmc.3iwf25ke0p138pipelg0ais3d?l=es) |
## Premise and source material
The series imagines children being bought, sold, refunded, or disposed of as if they were products. At the age of ten, Kim Ah-hyun was nearly erased from the world with a "refund" stamp; she was rescued by Woo Tae-sik and later becomes the only adult and emotional anchor among the surviving children.[6](https://www.ondemandkorea.com/en/player/vod/the-defects-1) On the other side, Kim Se-hee, a hospital chief director, secretly heads an illegal adoption organization run by Jung-hyeon, which refunds and kills returned children; Ah-hyun leads the survivors against her.[3](https://asianwiki.com/The_Defects) The Korea Times summarized the story as the desperate survival and revenge of children abandoned by their adoptive parents.[1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250721/yum-jung-ah-plays-devilish-adoption-trafficking-kingpin-in-korean-drama-the-defects) Prime Video's international tagline reads: "The refunded souls make a return with a plan to strike back at the adults."[5](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0MIJVPQKR5AL3HD8H1LY79S9I2)
The drama adapts the Kakao webtoon *Ayishopping*, written by Eom Se-Yoon and illustrated by Ryu Ga-Myeong, published from December 6, 2016 to January 30, 2018.[3](https://asianwiki.com/The_Defects) The webtoon won the Best Creativity Award at the International Content Market SPP 2017 and recorded over 51 million views.[2](https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-entertainment/2025/06/25/Q7JEQCU5MJDEBMYXIYQFLTDFPY/) • [1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250721/yum-jung-ah-plays-devilish-adoption-trafficking-kingpin-in-korean-drama-the-defects)
## Cast and characters
**Leads.** Yum Jung-ah (염정아) plays Kim Se-hee, the de facto leader and villain of the illegal adoption trafficking organization.[1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250721/yum-jung-ah-plays-devilish-adoption-trafficking-kingpin-in-korean-drama-the-defects) Won Jin-a (원진아) plays Kim Ah-hyun, the refunded child who survived and leads the other survivors.[3](https://asianwiki.com/The_Defects)
**Supporting cast.** Choi Young-jun plays Woo Tae-sik, the man who rescued Ah-hyun.[4](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-defects/umc.cmc.3iwf25ke0p138pipelg0ais3d?l=es) Kim Jin-young, the former UDT member and YouTuber known as Dex from *Single's Inferno*, plays Jung-hyeon, the real operator of the adoption trafficking organization.[1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250721/yum-jung-ah-plays-devilish-adoption-trafficking-kingpin-in-korean-drama-the-defects) The surviving children are played by [Lee Na-eun](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-na-eun) (So-mi), Oh Seung-jun, Ahn Ji-ho, and Kang Ji-yong (Choi Si-woo).[3](https://asianwiki.com/The_Defects)
## Production
The series was directed by Oh Ki-hwan and written by Ahn So-jung, and produced by Group 8 and Take One Studio.[2](https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-entertainment/2025/06/25/Q7JEQCU5MJDEBMYXIYQFLTDFPY/) Group 8 had previously produced webtoon adaptations including *Today's Lovely* and the *[Taxi Driver](https://www.edgepedia.org/taxi-driver-south-korean-tv-series)* series; Take One Studio produced *Your Honor* and *Luca: The Beginning*.[2](https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-entertainment/2025/06/25/Q7JEQCU5MJDEBMYXIYQFLTDFPY/)
Oh said he approached the project as if making an eight-part film, citing high-intensity settings, a powerful narrative, and strong action, and described the drama as one "where light and darkness collide."[1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250721/yum-jung-ah-plays-devilish-adoption-trafficking-kingpin-in-korean-drama-the-defects) The series was released in two versions: a 15+ cut on ENA, edited milder to suit the rating, and a 19+ version on TVING in which, by the director's account, "100 percent" of his vision was shown.[1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250721/yum-jung-ah-plays-devilish-adoption-trafficking-kingpin-in-korean-drama-the-defects)
## Broadcast and international release
The Defects premiered on July 21, 2025 at 10 p.m. on ENA and was available on TVING in South Korea, with Genie TV also carrying it.[2](https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-entertainment/2025/06/25/Q7JEQCU5MJDEBMYXIYQFLTDFPY/) • [4](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-defects/umc.cmc.3iwf25ke0p138pipelg0ais3d?l=es) It took over ENA's Monday and Tuesday 22:00 slot previously occupied by *Salon de Holmes* and was followed by *My Troublesome Star* on August 18, 2025.[3](https://asianwiki.com/The_Defects) Internationally, the series is carried by Prime Video, rated TV-MA with 8 episodes, and listed on Apple TV, which classifies it as an action-suspense drama.[5](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0MIJVPQKR5AL3HD8H1LY79S9I2) • [4](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-defects/umc.cmc.3iwf25ke0p138pipelg0ais3d?l=es)
## Genre classification
Apple TV calls it an action-suspense drama based on a webtoon.[4](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-defects/umc.cmc.3iwf25ke0p138pipelg0ais3d?l=es) OnDemandKorea rates it 16+ and lists it under Action & [Adventure](https://www.edgepedia.org/adventure), Thriller, Crime, and Drama.[6](https://www.ondemandkorea.com/en/player/vod/the-defects-1) The Korea Times calls it an action thriller.[1](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250721/yum-jung-ah-plays-devilish-adoption-trafficking-kingpin-in-korean-drama-the-defects)
## By the numbers
Nielsen Korea nationwide ratings rose from 1.747% for the first episode (July 21) to 2.063% (episode 2), 2.264% (episode 3), 2.199% (episode 4), 2.128% (episode 5), 2.175% (episode 6), and 2.028% (episode 7), ending at 2.312% for the finale on August 12, 2025.[3](https://asianwiki.com/The_Defects) Seoul ratings ranged from 1.815% to a peak of 2.670% in episode 3.[3](https://asianwiki.com/The_Defects) The series premiered into an ENA Monday-Tuesday lineup that had been setting new ratings records in 2025 with dramas such as *New Recruit* and *Tastefully Yours*.[2](https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-entertainment/2025/06/25/Q7JEQCU5MJDEBMYXIYQFLTDFPY/)
## References
1. [Yum Jung-ah plays devilish adoption trafficking kingpin in 'The Defects', The Korea Times (July 21, 2025)](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/shows-dramas/20250721/yum-jung-ah-plays-devilish-adoption-trafficking-kingpin-in-korean-drama-the-defects)
2. [K-drama 'The Defects' depicts chilling survival story of abandoned children, CHOSUNBIZ (June 25, 2025)](https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-entertainment/2025/06/25/Q7JEQCU5MJDEBMYXIYQFLTDFPY/)
3. [The Defects, AsianWiki](https://asianwiki.com/The_Defects)
4. [The Defects, Apple TV show page](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-defects/umc.cmc.3iwf25ke0p138pipelg0ais3d?l=es)
5. [The Defects, Prime Video](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0MIJVPQKR5AL3HD8H1LY79S9I2)
6. [The Defects, OnDemandKorea show page](https://www.ondemandkorea.com/en/player/vod/the-defects-1)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Korean contemporary drama › Thriller, crime, and mystery series › Spy and action thrillers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license