'Undercover Miss Hong' closed its long run by delivering a refreshing payoff with a perfect beginning, middle and end.
In the finale of the tvN Saturday-Sunday drama Undercover Miss Hong broadcast on the 8th (directed by Park Seon-ho, Na Ji-hyun / written by Moon Hyun-kyung / planned by Studio Dragon / produced by Celltrion Entertainment, Studio Dragon), Hong Geum-bo (Park Shin-hye) and the Yeouido pirate crew delivered a message of justice prevailing over evil, and their hotter camaraderie and solid woman-to-woman solidarity kept viewers glued to their screens until the end. The finale recorded an average nationwide rating of 12.4% and a peak of 13.9% on paid platforms integrating cable, IPTV and satellite, and 13.0% and a peak of 14.6% in the Seoul metropolitan area, securing the top spot among Saturday-Sunday dramas and bringing the series to a grand close. tvN's target adults 20-49 ratings also ranked first across all channels including terrestrial in both nationwide and metropolitan areas, achieving a perfect finish. (Based on paid platforms integrating cable, IPTV and satellite / provided by Nielsen Korea)
That day Kang Nora (Choi Ji-su) announced she would transfer her equity to the Yeouido pirate crew and revealed that there was an overseas slush fund in her name at Hanmin Securities, causing a major upheaval. Chairman Kang Pil-beom (Lee Duk-hwa) instructed chief secretary Song Ju-ran (Park Mi-hyun) to stay in the country alone and handle the situation, and Song realized with disappointment that the chairman intended to flee alone. Song then planned to betray the long-held loyalty and flee with cash, but she was caught by his right-hand man Bong Dal-su (Kim Roe-ha) and was devastated to learn he had secretly colluded with the chairman and betrayed her.
After Song the chief secretary disappeared, the first trial on embezzlement and breach of trust related to the chairman's slush fund opened, and Hong Geum-bo pressed the case with physical evidence including the slush fund ledger, but the situation turned difficult. Even when a decisive witness was needed, Hong Geum-bo recalled a promise with Director Bang Jin-mok (Kim Do-hyeon) and kept the identity of internal whistleblower "Yeppi" secret to the end. At that moment a sudden witness application surprised everyone, and Director Bang, who had been sitting secretly in the audience, revealed himself and completed the final puzzle of the Yeouido pirate crew by giving testimony that supported Hong Geum-bo. Director Bang's courageous act, declaring he would have no more regrets, sent shivers and moved viewers.
Later, at the auto shop Bong Dal-su had run, many pieces of evidence he had kept as spoils after committing crimes were found, and among them were items belonging to the brother of Director General Yoon Jae-beom (Kim Won-hae), Yoon, who was Hong Geum-bo's colleague accountant and who had taken his own life after the 1988 Hanmin Securities accounting fraud incident, revealing that the tragic event 10 years earlier had been Bong Dal-su's doing. Song, who was trapped in the chairman's basement, faced a life-threatening situation, but Hong Geum-bo, Go Bok-hee (Ha Yoon-kyung) and Kang Nora barged in and rescued him after a fierce physical fight. Bong Dal-su was eventually arrested, and Hong Geum-bo visited Song and left a searing rebuke, saying, I hope you live with remorse for the female employees who admired and wanted to be like you, closing the long and bitter conflict.
Even Chairman Kang, who had planned to flee alone, was tricked by Choi In-ja (Byeon Jeong-su) and walked into the police station on her own, and the image of daughter Kang Nora embracing the brave Choi In-ja moved viewers. Cha Jung-il (Im Cheol-su), who took the vacant CEO position at Hanmin Securities, changed his past attitude of making discriminatory remarks and belittling junior female employees. Albet Oh (Cho Han-gyeol), who let go of his obsession over the inheritance competition and regained family affection, and Lee Yong-gi (Jang Do-ha), who jumped into IT innovation in the uncharted land of Pangyo, among other Yeouido pirate crew members, gradually returned to their places after disbanding. Shin Jeong-woo (Ko Kyung-pyo), who had lived with guilt since the incident 10 years earlier, sincerely thanked Hong Geum-bo for giving him another chance, and Hong Geum-bo quietly offered his hand in a handshake, resolving the tangled emotions and lingering attachments between them accumulated over long years.
One year later, the updates on the roommates from room 301 gathered at the kindergarten graduation of Kim Bom (Kim Se-a), the daughter of Kim Mi-sook (Kang Chae-young), were revealed. Go Bok-hee, who runs a secret detective agency in partnership with Hong Geum-bo's younger sister Hong Jang-mi (Shin Yu-na), Kang Nora who went abroad to study and became a patissier, and Kim Mi-sook, who attended an open university for communications and was promoted to head teacher, each pursued their own paths, showing new growth that resonated with viewers. They returned to the closed Seoul unmarried women workers' dormitory room 301, recalled the precious memories they shared there and left photos, proudly displaying their unchanged, strong friendship.
The much-anticipated ending scene hinted at another undercover operation by Hong Geum-bo and delivered catharsis. Yoon Jae-beom, the Director General at the Financial Supervisory Service who had been Hong Geum-bo's superior, offered him conditional reinstatement, and Hong Geum-bo's new challenge was previewed as she disguised herself as an insurance company accountant with glamorous styling to investigate an insurance fraud case, leaving viewers with both pleasure and lingering emotion.
After the broadcast, viewers reacted strongly with comments such as Park Shin-hye is Park Shin-hye, The court witness was Bang Yeppi!, The main and supporting cast were all perfect. Everyone was so good, Hong Geum-bo is really reliable, I liked the directing that made the female employees get names from miss, Jung-woo and Geum-bo's ending is so beautiful, Love roomies of 301, Undercover is momentum, Characters all come alive and not a single episode is disposable — a drama strong from start to finish, I was happy for eight weeks.
Thus, Undercover Miss Hong satisfied viewers' senses with the unique genre of an office comedy set in Yeouido at the end of the 1990s, the fresh undercover premise of a 35-year-old securities regulator disguising herself as a 20-year-old junior employee, and solid direction. Undercover Miss Hong, led by lead actor Park Shin-hye's passionate embodiment of Hong Geum-bo and the excellent performances of the main and supporting cast that perfectly backed the tightly woven story, cemented itself as one of 2026's most beloved dramas.
[Photo] Undercover Miss Hong broadcast capture
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