Kim Mu-yeol Surprises Rising 'Karma Class' Actors With Video Call: "Don't Give Up"

The six young leads of the Netflix original series "Karma Class" reunited for their first group shoot since the show wrapped, and the day turned into something bigger than a photo session. Director Hong Jong-chan and co-star Kim Mu-yeol dropped in with surprise messages that left several of the actors in tears.

Park Seo-yoon, Song Si-an, Ok Jin-wook, Lee Bong-jun, Lee Seung-gyu and Jang Yo-hoon gathered for a group pictorial with the global media platform BoldPage. Each actor played a different role tied to the show's overlapping storylines, so bringing them all into one room carried its own weight. On camera they had been intense. Off camera they joked around, moved easily together and clearly enjoyed being back in the same space.

The mood shifted when director Hong Jong-chan appeared on screen with a video message. "It feels good that the show is doing well right now, but what really means the most to me as a director is that viewers noticed your performances," he said.

He kept going. "You did really well. I know how much potential each and every one of you has as an actor, and I hope you believe in yourselves." He also told them, "Our work is one long stretch of uncertainty. Whenever you feel anxious or worn out, reach out anytime." He added that he planned to watch how far each of them would grow. Several of the actors cried during the message and answered back with "I love you" and "Thank you."

A surprise video call from Kim Mu-yeol followed. Kim, who plays Na Hwa-jin in the series, spoke to each young actor about their role. He told Ok Jin-wook, who plays Jo In-beom of Guun Hi-tech High School in episode two, "You really did well. Congratulations." To Jang Yo-hoon, who plays the young offender Min Ji-woong in episode six, he said, "Your energy came through." He praised Song Si-an, who plays Choi Ji-seon in episode five, for capturing "the fragility and the feeling of someone just starting out in society," which he said made the character stand out.

Kim, who has been named as a role model by actor Heo Nam-jun, also left the younger cast with a piece of advice. "Don't give up. Let's keep acting," he told them. The actors did not hide their delight at the unexpected appearance and thanked him during the call.

The cast returned the affection they had received from Hong. One actor said the director's way of speaking felt as easygoing as a neighbor's. "When we were working out scenes together, he told us, 'Try everything you can do,' so we could work with energy and joy," the actor said. Lee Seung-gyu recalled that the director took a real interest in them as people. "He asked a lot of questions like what kind of actor I wanted to become. I was grateful for that," he said.

The bond formed on "Karma Class" has clearly outlasted the shoot. The messages from Hong Jong-chan and Kim Mu-yeol offered real backing to a group of actors just starting to break through, and showed once again how tightly the "Karma Class" team has stayed connected.

The full BoldPage group pictorial and interview capture a different side of the cast, along with behind-the-scenes moments from the shoot.