"I really let myself go in this project," said Park Shin-hye, describing a role that pushed her physically and emotionally.
Park steps back into 1997 in Undercover Miss Hong, a new tvN weekend drama that premiered its production presentation on January 12 at The Link Hotel in Sindorim, Seoul. The event was attended by Park Shin-hye, Ha Yoon-kyung, Jo Han-gyeol, and director Park Seon-ho.
An office comedy set at the end of the 1990s, Undercover Miss Hong follows Hong Geum-bo, a sharp elite financial supervisor in her 30s who goes undercover as a 20-year-old high-school-graduate office clerk to infiltrate a suspicious securities firm. Park plays Hong Geum-bo, a woman who deliberately cuts her own career ties to expose corruption within a powerful brokerage family.
Park explained why she chose the project. After The Judge from Hell, she wanted a character she could express with more freedom. The premise felt fresh, the material fun, and the chemistry between characters immediately appealing.
Portraying both a 35-year-old professional and a 20-year-old rookie required clear contrast. Park differentiated the two through styling and tone: the supervisor version wears sleek straight hair and sharp three-piece suits, while the undercover employee appears in hip-hop pants, short hair with clips, and a lighter, more impulsive energy. Dialogue rhythm and vocal tone were also carefully adjusted.
Director Park Seon-ho praised her work, saying she captured the gap between identities both visually and emotionally. He added that the biggest challenge was avoiding a caricatured "retro" look. Instead of leaning too far into nostalgia, the production focused on small but telling details—pagers, landline phones, and character relationships—to ground the era.
The name Hong Geum-bo intentionally recalls Hong Kong action icon Sammo Hung. The director explained that the drama aims to overturn rigid ideas of femininity common at the time, and the name suited a character who balances righteousness, strength, and comedy.
Park said returning to 1997 felt natural. Though she was in elementary school then, she clearly remembers the social atmosphere and emotional tension of the period. Those memories helped her layer discomfort, urgency, and resilience into the character.
Reflecting on her career, Park noted that acting has become easier with age. In her 20s, she focused on getting lines right. Now, she understands each line's meaning, allowing emotions to flow more naturally. Building a family and growing older expanded the range of feelings she can draw from on screen.
She described the set as one where she gave everything—physically and emotionally. "I started working at 13. In my 20s, I only knew how to run forward. Now I understand more, feel more, and that makes acting more comfortable," she said.
Closing the presentation, Park encouraged viewers to look forward to the ensemble. Veteran actors and new faces come together, creating layered relationships filled with humor and momentum.
Undercover Miss Hong premieres on January 17 at 9:10 p.m. on tvN.
