Undercover Miss Hong () is a 2026 South Korean workplace comedy television series written by Moon Hyun-kyung, directed by and Na Ji-hyun, and starring Park Shin-hye in the title role, along with Ko Kyung-pyo, Ha Yoon-kyung, and Cho Han-gyeol. Set in 1997 Seoul, the series follows an elite securities inspector Hong Keum-bo, who goes undercover as a 20-year-old junior employee at a suspicious investment firm, navigating workplace chaos, hidden agendas, and comedic misadventures while investigating financial wrongdoing. It aired on tvN from January 17, to March 8, 2026, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:10 (KST). It is also available for streaming on TVING and Netflix.
Synopsis
Hong Keum-bo is a 35-year-old elite inspector at the Financial Supervisory Service who knows nothing but work. Using her naturally youthful appearance, she goes undercover as a 20-year-old junior employee at Hanmin Investment & Securities where suspicious funds have been detected. As Keum-bo navigates life as an inexperienced entry-level employee, she encounters comedic mishaps, unexpected friendships, and workplace drama, all while secretly investigating financial wrongdoing. Along the way, she must balance her dual identity, confront corporate intrigue, and navigate complicated relationships, including her interactions with the ambitious CEO Shin Jung-woo and her lively younger sister Hong Jang-mi.
Cast and characters
Main
A senior inspector of the Capital Market Investigation Division at the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) and a Certified Public Accountant, Keum-bo is a Seoun University graduate known for her specialty in investigating economic crimes. When her key contact, Myeong-hwi, dies in a car accident before he can provide evidence of corporate corruption, the investigation's whistleblower goes into hiding. Under the direction of her superior, Keum-bo undergoes an undercover assignment to retrieve a secret ledger from within the Hanmin Investment & Securities. With the help of her sister, Hong Jang-mi, she assumes her younger sister's name and be a 20-year-old high school graduate, and enters the firm as a junior clerk during their 1997 recruitment cycle.
A management consultant and corporate investigator who is appointed as the new president of Hanmin Investment & Securities after working at an investment firm in Hong Kong. He prioritizes financial data in his business operations and has a history of using various methods to achieve corporate objectives. His plans change when he meets Hong Jang-mi, who resembles his former college acquaintance, Keum-bo. Although told that Jang-mi is Keum-bo's younger sister, he remains skeptical of her identity while managing a professional crisis that leads him to reconsider his previous methods.
A secretary at Hanmin Investment & Securities and Jang-mi's dormitory roommate. Due to financial instability caused by her brother's gambling, she seeks to save one million dollars to immigrate to the United States. Following the death of the company president, she is served a termination notice but remains employed after Jang-mi intervenes on her behalf. Although she accepts the assistance, she maintains a skeptical attitude toward Jang-mi's background and motivations.
The grandson of Chairman Kang Pil-beom and Division Manager of the Risk Management Division at Hanmin Investment & Securities. Following the death of his uncle, Myeong-hwi, he is designated as a successor candidate by Chairman Kang. A former film student, he shows little interest in corporate management and spends his work hours watching movies. He becomes involved in the company's internal power struggles after taking an interest in Jang-mi, an entry-level clerk whose actions frequently disrupt the workplace.
Supporting
Seoul City Dormitory for Single Female Workers, Room 301
- as Kang Nora / Kang Eun-joo
The daughter of Chairman Kang and a successor to Hanmin Investment & Securities. Following a kidnapping incident during her childhood, she lived in the United States, and her adult identity has not been disclosed to the public. She returns to Korea after the death of her half-brother to claim an inheritance that requires her to attain permanent employee status at the company. Under the alias Kang Eun-joo, she joins the firm as an entry-level clerk and resides in a company dormitory, where she coordinates with Jang-mi to adapt to the workplace.
- Kang Chae-young as Kim Mi-sook
An employee at the Hanmin Investment & Securities Magang Branch and a resident of Room 301. She is noted for her religious faith and often acts as a mediator among her roommates. Due to her ability to remember names and faces, she has received recognition at her branch for her service and performance.
Mi-sook's daughter who stays in the dormitory while her mother and the other roommates are at work, eventually being discovered after hiding in a wardrobe.
Hanmin Investment & Securities Risk Management Division
- as Bang Jin-mok (Yehppee)
A veteran employee at Hanmin Investment & Securities and former fund manager. Despite being repeatedly passed over for promotions and displaying a dismissive attitude toward office decorum, he remains with the firm due to his role in managing the aftermath of corporate incidents and internal crises. He is known for his confrontational history with company leadership, including the late Myeong-hwi.
An engineering PhD and developer at Hanmin Investment & Securities who participated in the creation of the firm's first cyber banking system. A member of the Risk Management Division, he maintains a professional respect for Manager Bang and a friendly rapport with Albert. He also harbors unrequited feelings for Keum-bo.
Key Personnel of Hanmin Investment & Securities
A veteran trader at Hanmin Investment & Securities with over 26 years of service and a close confidant of Chairman Kang. He served as the long-time mentor and chief advisor to the late Myeong-hwi. Despite his significant internal influence and reputation among his peers, he reportedly attempted to resign following Myeong-hwi's death, though he remains with the firm.
General Manager of the Research Division at Hanmin Investment & Securities who utilized his lifelong friendship with the late Myeong-hwi to advance within the company. Following the Myeong-hwi's death, he focuses on maintaining his professional standing under new management. Alongside Kyung-dong and Jin-mok, he is a member of a group of veteran employees nicknamed "So-Bang-Cha".
Managing Director of Hanmin Investment & Securities and Chairman Kang's son-in-law. A former government official, he utilizes an extensive network within the financial and political sectors to exert influence. Following the death of Myeong-hwi, he seeks to position himself as the successor to the company and views his son, Albert, as a key part of his plan for control.
Chief of Staff at Hanmin Investment & Securities and a long-time confidant of Chairman Kang. Having risen from an entry-level position to become the firm's first female Chief of Staff, she leads the "Yeou-hoe," an internal organization for female employees. She plays a pivotal role in the company's succession struggle, supporting Kang No-ra to prevent Managing Director Oh and Albert Oh from gaining control of the firm.
The Founding Family of Hanmin Investment & Securities
Founding chairman of Hanmin Investment & Securities. A self-made tycoon who established the firm following the Korean War, he is faced with a succession crisis after the death of his only son. During the 1997 IMF crisis, he seeks to maintain control of his corporate empire by weighing options between government bailouts and foreign investment, while navigating a complex relationship with his surviving heirs, Nora and Albert.
Nora's mother and former second wife of Chairman Kang. Following a high-profile divorce and years spent in the United States, she returns to assist her daughter in the succession battle at Hanmin Investment & Securities. She views a strategic marriage between Nora and Jung-woo as a means to secure the family's influence over the company.
The late son of Chairman Kang and the former heir apparent of Hanmin Investment & Securities. Despite his initial success and popularity within the firm, he grew disillusioned with his father's management style and corruption. He died in a car accident while attempting to expose the Chairman's legal indiscretions, leaving a power vacuum that triggered the firm's succession struggle.
Financial Supervisory Service
Director of the Capital Market Investigation Division at the Financial Supervisory Service and Keum-bo's supervisor. He recruited Keum-bo into the regulatory body after her previous career was derailed by whistleblowing. He initiates the secret undercover investigation into Hanmin Investment & Securities without official backing, driven by a mix of professional confidence in Keum-bo's abilities and personal responsibility for her past.
- Han Soo-ho as Nam Dong-gi
Team Leader of the Capital Market Investigation Division at the Financial Supervisory Service. As Keum-bo's peer and rival, he actively seeks to undermine her career. He serves as an informant for Hanmin Investment & Securities, providing Managing Director Oh with confidential internal information from the regulatory agency.
Hong Keum-bo's Family
Keum-bo's mother who runs Ullala Chicken with her husband.
Keum-bo's father who runs Ullala Chicken with his wife.
Keum-bo's younger sister. A graduate of a vocational high school with an interest in beauty and fashion, she provides the necessary aesthetic transformation and the legal identity for Keum-bo to carry out her undercover operation.
Others
Residential advisor of the Seoul City Dormitory for Single Female Workers.
A former organized crime associate who operates an auto repair shop. He assists Ju-ran, an acquaintance from his hometown, with various tasks.
- Park Jung-pyo as a prosecutor (special appearance)
- An Seol-a as Seol-ah
One of the three university-graduate secretaries at Hanmin Investment & Securities. Representing the 1990s X-Generation, she is a diligent professional who often finds herself in conflict with Bok-hee and Keum-bo due to her competitive nature and quick-witted adaptability.
- Lee Soo-jung as Lee Soo-jung
A member of the university-graduate secretary trio at Hanmin Investment & Securities. She is also in conflict with Bok-hee, engaging in exclusionary behavior such as withholding scheduling information.
A member of the Trading Division at Hanmin Investment & Securities. He facilitates a fraudulent sell-off of Hanye Electronics stock as part of a price manipulation scheme.
President of One Million Investment who is involved in a stock price manipulation case. He goes into hiding following a major trading error at Hanmin Investment & Securities but is eventually apprehended at an airport by Keum-bo.
Episodes
Production
Development
Undercover Miss Hong was developed under the working title Miss Undercover Boss (). The series is directed by , who helmed Business Proposal (2022) and Brewing Love (2024), and Na Ji-hyun, written by Moon Hyun-kyung, who penned Memorials (2020), planned and produced by Studio Dragon with Celltrion Entertainment.
Casting
In March 2025, Park Shin-hye had reportedly reached a tentative agreement to appear in the series. Two months later, Ko Kyung-pyo was reportedly cast as the male lead. In June 2025, both Ha Yoon-kyung and Cho Han-gyeol were reportedly cast alongside Park and Ko. In July 2025, Park, Ko, Ha, and Cho were confirmed to star. Additionally, Yuna was cast marking her acting debut.
Original soundtrack
The series' soundtrack was oversaw by Park Se-jun and produced by Blix Entertainment, marking the company's first project in television drama music production. The company's strategy for the project involved a partnership between its management and established musicians to oversee the score.
Album
Singles
Singles included on the album were released from January 18 to February 14, 2026.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Chart performance
Release
Undercover Miss Hong was reportedly scheduled to air in the first half of 2026. It premiered on tvN on January 17, 2026, and airs every Saturday and Sunday at 21:10 (KST). The series is also available for streaming on TVING in South Korea and Netflix globally.
Viewership
Undercover Miss Hong premiered on January 17, 2026, with a nationwide viewership rating of 3.5% and a metropolitan area rating of 3.2%. While the first episode reached a peak of 4.3%, the series saw an upward trend in subsequent weeks. The episode, broadcast on March 7, recorded the series' highest average ratings of 13.1% nationwide and 14.0% in the Seoul metropolitan area. The final episode on March 8 averaged 12.4% nationwide and 13.0% in the capital, ranking first in its time slot across all cable and terrestrial channels, particularly within the 20âÂÂ49 age demographic.
In Netflix, the series entered the global weekly chart for non-English shows at number 6 on the week of January 19âÂÂ25, 2026, appearing in the top 10 rankings of 14 countries and garnered a total of 1.9 million views. It rose on the chart by one rank the following week then peak at number 4 on the week of February 2âÂÂ8.
References
External links