Netflix thriller 'The Price of Confession' hit #1 in Korea two days after its December 2025 drop

The Price of Confession (자백의 대가) dropped on Netflix December 5, 2025. Two days later it was No. 1 on South Korea's Netflix Top 10 Series chart.

Directed by Lee Jeong-hyo and written by Kwon Jong-gwan, the 12-part Korean thriller was shot from August 2024 through March 23, 2025. The plot follows two women: Yun-su, suspected of killing her husband, and Mo-eun, a mysterious figure called a witch. A mystery built on the secrets between them.

Jeon Do-yeon and Kim Go-eun lead the cast. Jeon debuted in a 1990 Johnson & Johnson CF before moving into film. She won Best Actress in Film at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards in 2025 for Revolver. Kim Go-eun debuted in the 2012 film Eun-gyo. She took Best Actress at the 34th Buil Film Awards in 2025 for Love in the Big City and was named Cine21's Actress of the Year in 2024. The ensemble also features Park Hae-su, Jin Seon-kyu, Choi Young-jun, Lee Sang-hee, Kim Guk-hee, Lee Cho-hee, Jeong Un-seon, Lee Gyu-hoe, Lee Ha-yul, Lee Chae-yu, Nam Da-reum, Lee Mi-do, Kim Sun-young, Kim Da-huin, Kim Jung-don, Park Yi-jun, Lee Jae-in, Ham Seong-min, Kim Sang-ji, Hong Hwa-yeon, Jin Mi-sa, Kim Ae-jin, and Lee Jeong-min.

Park Hae-su made a point in a recent interview about the title's daega. It's written with the hanja for "price" or "cost" (代價), not the hanja for "master" or "great figure" (大家). He wanted to flag the distinction because it matters to what the show is actually about. The romanization reads the same either way, but the show is very much about what confessions cost, not who's an expert at them.