“Mercy for None” (광장)

By Jae-Ha Kim
Substack
June 12, 2025

☆☆☆ (out of ☆☆☆☆)
Nam Gi-jun (played by So Ji-sub)
Huh Joon-ho (played by Lee Joo-woon)
Gu Bong-san (played by Ahn Gil-kang)
Lee Joo-woon (played by Huh Joon-ho)
↑Note: Korean names denote the surname followed by the given name.

Full of revenge (and bloodshed), “Mercy for None” features a taciturn protagonist (So Ji-sub) who is the ultimate fighter. You can knock him down, but you can’t destroy him.

It becomes clear early on why Nam Gi-jun — who another gangster describes as a god — metes out justice after a family member is murdered. 

This superb K-drama made it into my Best K-dramas of 2025:

So Ji-sub (My Secret, Terrius, Oh My Venus) is back in this brutal revenge series that depicts how desperate people get pulled into doing bad things. And even when they try to remove themselves from that scenario, they are never completely free of their previous life. In this highly watchable, but extremely violent revenge series — think along the lines of Keanu Reeves’ John Wick franchise or the K-drama The Worst of Evil — So plays a retired gangster who’s brought back into the fold when his brother is killed.

As he navigates between a pair of dueling gang leaders trying to protect their kinda sorta legitimate businesses, we learn who killed his brother and why. Because South Korea doesn’t have gun culture, this K-drama relies primarily on fists, and just about any sharp object that a fist can grab, as lethal weapons. This series isn’t for the faint of heart, but for those who love action-packed shows that offer a sense of justice, Mercy For None is not to be missed. (Netflix)

As I mentioned above, the violence is along the lines of Ji Chang-wook’s “The Worst of Evil” — maybe even moreso, due to the depiction of broken, jutting bones and other disgusting sights.

But for a show that has as much violence as it does, there are a few compelling story arcs that are almost tender. Almost.

Action fans will get into the groove of this K-drama. As my high school-age son said, “This might even be better than John Wick!”

Note: This series is not for young eyes. I would say this is not appropriate viewing for anyone under 16 years of age.

Airdates: Seven hour-long episodes released on Netflix on June 6, 2025.

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