Undercover Miss Hong is now streaming on Netflix as of January 17, 2026, dropping viewers into a late-1990s Seoul where office life is ruled by rank, fear, and unspoken rules. Behind the nostalgic desks and rigid hierarchies, corruption moves quietly, protected by tradition and silence. What begins as a retro workplace comedy steadily sharpens into something more dangerous.
Starring Park Shin-hye, the series builds its tension around disguise rather than action. The city’s most feared financial inspector is forced to go undercover as the lowest employee in the building, where survival depends on acting harmless and staying invisible. In a workplace where power is everything, pretending to be weak becomes the riskiest move of all. Here is everything you need to know about Undercover Miss Hong — from the story and cast to why this Netflix series stands out right now.
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Undercover Miss Hong: All the key details
- Title: Undercover Miss Hong
- Format: Series
- Genre: Workplace comedy, Investigation
- Country of production: South Korea
- Original language: Korean
- Setting: Late 1990s, Seoul
- Director: Park Seon-ho
- Lead cast: Park Shin-hye, Go Kyung-pyo
- Platform: Netflix
- Release date: January 17, 2026
What Undercover Miss Hong is about
Set in 1997 Seoul, the series follows Hong Geum-bo, a sharp, work-obsessed elite inspector at South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service. Known in the financial district as the “Witch of Yeouido,” she has built a reputation on precision and fearlessness. Her latest assignment targets Hanmin Securities, a firm suspected of slush funds and illicit financial practices.
To investigate from the inside, Geum-bo goes undercover as Hong Jang-mi, a seemingly inexperienced 20-year-old high school graduate entering the company at the lowest level. Inside the office, she must navigate rigid seniority rules, humiliating rookie tasks, and unpredictable social dynamics, all while secretly tracing financial misconduct. The mission becomes even more dangerous when she discovers that the firm’s new CEO is her former lover.
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Cast highlights and previous notable roles
Park Shin-hye stars as Hong Geum-bo and her undercover alter ego. The role demands a sharp contrast between authority and enforced naivety, allowing Park to lean into controlled comedy while maintaining dramatic weight. She is widely known for major Korean hits such as The Heirs and for her Netflix series Memories of the Alhambra, which introduced her to a global streaming audience. Early attention has focused on this performance as one of her most flexible and tonally precise roles to date.
Go Kyung-pyo plays the new CEO of Hanmin Securities, whose presence threatens to expose Geum-bo’s cover. He previously gained international recognition for Reply 1988 and has continued to build a strong profile in television and film. Here, his restrained performance adds tension to both the romantic and investigative threads. The supporting cast fills out the office environment with a mix of opportunists, allies, and obstacles, grounding the comedy in believable workplace behavior rather than exaggeration.
What the creators say
Speaking about her choice to join the project, Park Shin-hye explained the tonal balance that attracted her to the role, saying, “I think I keep looking for sweet and salty.” The line reflects the series’ approach, mixing humor with emotional and narrative stakes rather than separating them. Director Park Seon-ho has emphasized that the drama was conceived as a character-driven story inside a comic framework, with a strong focus on relationships and solidarity rather than spectacle.
Why Undercover Miss Hong is worth watching
Undercover Miss Hong stands out because its 1990s setting is not decorative. In a workplace governed by rank and appearances, hiding the truth becomes a daily performance. If you enjoy workplace dramas that pair sharp social observation with a light investigative spine, this Netflix series deserves a spot on your watchlist.
Undercover Miss Hong release date and platform
Undercover Miss Hong is streaming exclusively on Netflix as of January 17, 2026, and is available to watch now for subscribers worldwide. Watch on Netflix.
