The Defects

★★★☆☆ 6/10
📅 2025 📺 16 episodes 🔴 Currently Airing 👁️ 25 views

Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the drama The Defects, which delivers a chilling exploration of illegal adoption schemes and the fight for survival that follows.

Premiering on July 21, 2025, and broadcasting on Mondays and Tuesdays at 10 p.m. KST on ENA, this webtoon-based action thriller runs for approximately 16 episodes with each episode lasting around 60 minutes. The series is based on a popular webtoon and follows children who have been abandoned by their adoptive parents and their fight for survival and revenge.

The drama tackles shocking subject matter with sophisticated direction, examining stories about parents who treat their children as possessions or use them as tools. The tone is dark and intense, blending action sequences with psychological thriller elements that expose the disturbing realities of illegal adoption networks.

Chief director of a large hospital

Kim Se-Hee (Yum Jung-Ah) is the chief director of a large hospital and the operator of a charity foundation. She is a highly respected doctor, but, unknown publicly, she is also the head of an illegal adoption organization that is run by Jung Hyeon (Kim Jin-Young). Kim Se-Hee holds a twisted belief that only superior genes should survive. In the case of a child that is adopted through their illegal operation and does not meet the adoptive parents’ expectations, Kim Se-Hee’s group provides a free refund for a certain period of time.

When a child is returned by the adoptive parents, Kim Se-Hee’s group abandons them, treating human lives as disposable commodities. Children abandoned and adopted illegally fight for life survival while seeking revenge against this corrupt system that failed them.

Kim Se-Hee: The Respectable Monster

Yum Jung-Ah takes on the complex role of Kim Se-Hee, a character who represents the horrifying duality of respectability and evil. On the surface, she’s a distinguished doctor running a charity foundation, but beneath this facade lies a woman who orchestrates the systematic abandonment of children. Her twisted ideology about genetic superiority makes her a particularly chilling antagonist who believes she’s performing a service to society.

The performance promises to showcase the actress’s range as she navigates between public respectability and private monstrosity, making viewers question how many real-world figures might hide similar dark secrets behind charitable facades.

The Abandoned Children: Survival and Revenge

Won Jin-Ah, Choi Young-Joon, and DEX portray characters who represent the victims of this illegal system. Children abandoned by their parents take their revenge, transforming from vulnerable victims into determined survivors who refuse to remain silent about their trauma.

Their journey from abandonment to empowerment forms the emotional core of the series, as they band together to expose the truth and seek justice against those who treated them as disposable goods.

The Climax: System Exposed

The series builds toward a confrontation where the illegal adoption network faces exposure. The abandoned children, armed with inside knowledge and determination, work to bring down Kim Se-Hee’s organization while fighting for their own survival. The action thriller elements intensify as the stakes become life-or-death for both the perpetrators and their victims.

This climactic battle represents not just personal revenge, but a fight against a system that commodifies human lives and treats children as returnable products.

Success on ENA

Based on a popular webtoon, the drama has generated significant interest for its shocking subject matter and sophisticated direction. The series tackles difficult themes that resonate with real-world issues about adoption, child welfare, and the dark side of charitable organizations. ENA’s commitment to producing thought-provoking content shines through in this adaptation, with the hour-long format allowing for deep exploration of complex moral issues. The Defects stands out for its willingness to examine uncomfortable truths about society while delivering compelling action sequences.

If you love dark thrillers, social commentary, and stories about justice prevailing against corruption, The Defects is the perfect series to binge on ENA.

A gripping examination of institutional corruption and human resilience that challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about society’s treatment of vulnerable children.


Series Details:

Number of Episodes: 16 (estimated)
Platform: ENA
Rating: N/A (New Release)
Genre: Action Thriller, Social Drama, Revenge
Main Cast: Yum Jung-Ah (Kim Se-Hee), Won Jin-Ah, Choi Young-Joon, DEX
Antagonist: Yum Jung-Ah (Kim Se-Hee)