After passing the midpoint, "Undercover Miss Hong" revealed the viewing points for the second half.
tvN's weekend drama "Undercover Miss Hong" (directed by Park Sun-ho, Na Ji-hyun; written by Moon Hyun-kyung) set its own record high for household ratings for the third consecutive week, and tvN's target men and women 20-49 ratings also ranked first across all channels, including terrestrial broadcasters, in the same time slot, earning explosive love from viewers. Also, according to the results for the second week of February released by FUNdex, the official platform of Good Data Corporation, it ranked first in the TV drama category and took first place in buzz for three consecutive weeks.
In the previous episode, Hong Geum-bo (played by Park Shin-hye) discovered the identity of the whistleblower "Yeppi," whom she had been desperately searching for, and the 1997 foreign exchange crisis, commonly called the "IMF crisis," which remained a pain of the era, occurred, bringing the situation into a new phase. As the drama unfolds, the increasingly rich backstories of the characters and the three-dimensionality of their personalities shine even more, raising immersion. We looked at the viewing points for the second half of "Undercover Miss Hong," which will offer fun with a more intensified story.
▲The worst ordeal: the unveiled "Yeppi" and the "IMF crisis"
Hong Geum-bo ultimately identified Manager Bang Jin-mok (played by Kim Do-hyun) as the final pick among Hanmin Securities' "So.Bang.Cha" candidates she had been watching as potential "Yeppi," and learned the whole story through his mouth. But Manager Bang drew a line, saying he could no longer cooperate with Hong Geum-bo and that there was no copy of the missing slush fund ledger. To make matters worse, the "IMF crisis" broke out, causing an unprecedented economic crisis and turmoil within Hanmin Securities. Hanmin Securities tried to package the company's finances through accounting fraud to receive government bailout funds, but Hong Geum-bo, who could not stand by and watch, put a stop to it, and the effort fell apart. With no cooperation from "Yeppi," questions arise about whether the undercover mission can continue, and attention is focused on who will stand with Hong Geum-bo and what team play they will use to overcome the crisis. In upcoming episodes, the process by which Hong Geum-bo deals with the various variables arising during the IMF crisis will also be portrayed, stimulating interest.
▲A crossroads of choices made by the times, characters changing through conviction
The conflict between Hong Geum-bo and Manager Bang over Hanmin Securities' accounting fraud evoked both sympathy and questions from many viewers and opened a forum for debate. Hong Geum-bo, who could not tolerate Chairman Kang Pil-beom's (played by Lee Duk-hwa) crimes of accumulating slush funds through all kinds of corruption, and Manager Bang, who was worried about the livelihoods of employees who would be on the street if the company did not receive support, were both portrayed convincingly, presenting a dilemma to viewers. Such a special historical situation causes choices to diverge, and the characters act on their own convictions, gradually growing and changing. Not only the protagonist Hong Geum-bo but also Shin Jung-woo (played by Ko Kyung-pyo), who entered Hanmin Securities hiding his true intentions; the ambitious embezzler Go Bok-hee (played by Ha Yoon-Kyung); and the carefree Albert Oh (played by Cho Han-gyeol) without lust for power—all of their convictions and decisions are expected to become clear in the latter part of the drama, adding dimensionality to the story. In addition, the storyline of Kim Mi-sook (played by Kang Chae-young), who is pushed into a desperate situation by the economic downturn, stands out and is said to lead to poignant empathy and immersion.
▲Fundamental conflict at Hanmin Securities: a succession rivalry?
In the drama, the rivalry over Chairman Kang's successor between Albert Oh and his father, Executive Director Oh Deok-gyu (played by Kim Hyung-mook), and Kang Nora (played by Choi Ji-soo) and her mother, Mrs. Choi In-ja (played by Byun Jung-soo), is also a major viewing point in the second half. Unlike Hanmin Securities' employees, who were hit hard by an economic crisis that shook the nation, those who fight over corporate control are ironically somewhat detached from the realistic urgency. Albert Oh has no interest in wealth or titles, but he wants to protect the crisis management headquarters team members who gave him a special camaraderie; Kang Nora, having grown attached to her roommates, faces a situation where she must reveal her identity someday and return to her place. Attention is focused on what impact their changed appearances will have and what decision Chairman Kang will make as he weighs between his daughter and his grandson.
[Photo] Provided by tvN
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