Director: Kim Chang Ju, Park Shin Woo
The Manipulated is a 2025 South Korean series that combines action, crime, and drama across episodes running roughly fifty minutes each, following one man's effort to understand and answer the sudden collapse of his own life.
What is The Manipulated about?
At the center of the story is Tae Jung, an unassuming man whose ordinary routine is shattered when he is convicted of a violent crime he did not commit and sent to prison. Behind bars, he gradually pieces together that his ruin was no accident. A shadowy operator known as Yo Han appears to have engineered every step of the frame-up that put him away. Set on clearing his name and finding out exactly what was done to him and why, Tae Jung begins to trace the person he holds responsible. From there the series follows that pursuit through a mix of action set pieces and crime-drama tension, as Tae Jung moves from wronged prisoner toward a reckoning with the forces that dismantled his life.
Cast & crew
The series is led by Ji Chang-wook in the central role, with Doh Kyung-soo and Lee Kwang-soo among the principal cast. Jo Yoon-soo, Kim Jong-soo, and Yang Dong-geun round out the ensemble. Directing duties are credited to Kim Chang Ju and Park Shin Woo, who guide the show through its interwoven crime and action threads.
Context & significance
Produced in South Korea and released in 2025, The Manipulated sits within the action, crime, and drama genres. Its episodes run about fifty minutes each. On IMDb the series carries a rating of 7.9. It is presented in its original Korean and stands as part of the broad, ongoing output of Korean serialized dramas that have found audiences well beyond their home market.
Where & how to watch
The Manipulated streams on K-Time, where both a Persian dub and Persian subtitles are available for viewers who prefer either option. This page is free to read, while watching requires signing in with a K-Time account. The platform is built for Persian-speaking audiences across the Iranian diaspora and offers a Farsi interface throughout the experience.