"A New Final Boss Every Episode": Lee Jae-wook Risks His Life for a Part-Time Job Paying 50 Times the Hourly Wage [Comprehensive]

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Actor Lee Jae-wook dives into a nightmare-like work environment, seduced by the temptation of wages 50 times higher than normal. "Honey Side Job" has foreshadowed the birth of differentiated horror by featuring a new workplace and unpredictable threats in every episode.

The production press conference for the Netflix series "Honey Side Job" was held on October 28, 2026, at the Fairmont Ambassador Hotel in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Director Kim Da-min, Planning Head Han Jun-hee, and actors Kim Min-ha and Lee Hee-jun attended the event.

"Honey Side Job" is a survival horror series about a young man named Hyuk-jun who is deployed to a nightmare-like work environment, set against the backdrop of a strange staffing agency that only introduces "honey side jobs" starting at 50 times the standard hourly wage.

Director Kim Da-min, who wrote the screenplay for the Netflix series "The Killer's Game" and gained attention with the film "Makgeolli Will Tell You," takes on his first feature-length series direction.

Regarding the differences from his previous works, Director Kim Da-min stated, "There was a significant difference in the number of shooting days compared to my two previous projects. Around the 30th day was a critical point, and many interesting things happened as we passed through that period."

He continued, "I tried to approach each episode in different ways. New actors joined frequently, and it was also a work where CG and special effects played a crucial role," adding, "It became a great experience in the sense that many people could come together to create the work."

The one who proposed the direction to Director Kim Da-min was Planning Head Han Jun-hee. Han said, "When I first read the script written by screenwriters Gyeong Min-sun and Lee Sin-ji, I felt it was unfamiliar yet attractive. It was scary and funny at the same time, refreshing but never a light story."

He continued, "I believed there was value in what the two writers created by clashing their different personalities," adding, "We started the work with a sense of gratitude and responsibility."

He also added, "We constantly pondered what kind of story only we could tell, bringing together Director Kim Da-min and the actors. I believe this was a project that would have been difficult to attempt if it were not for Netflix, beyond just Shortcake [Note: Likely referring to a specific production entity or context, translated literally as 'Shortcake' based on source text]. We started with the hope that this work would become an irreplaceable piece for everyone."

Lee Jae-wook plays Hyuk-jun, a young man who dives into a high-paying part-time job to make a living and ends up facing bizarre incidents. Currently serving in the military, he sent a video greeting instead of attending the press conference in person.

In the released video, Lee Jae-wook stated, "It is nostalgic to see 'Honey Side Job,' which I completed by joining forces with many actors including senior actor Lee Hee-jun, senior actor Go Min-si, and senior actor Kim Min-ha, being revealed."

He continued, "I feel very sorry that I cannot be there with you. While fulfilling my military duty at my current post, I will cheer for and wait for 'Honey Side Job,'" adding, "I will try to meet you again in good health. Please pay close attention to 'Honey Side Job.'"

Director Kim Da-min explained the character of Hyuk-jun, played by Lee Jae-wook: "It is a character with a lived-in feel and a touch of poverty. While he is clumsy, he has strong determination when it comes to survival. He is a figure you find yourself cheering for even as he keeps rolling around and getting beaten up."

He continued, "We worked hard to make Hyuk-jun's actions look desperate. Even while running away, his legs give out and he falls; in moments where he seems ready to fight, he suddenly kneels down and begs," adding, "We tried to ensure that the character's personality naturally blended into the action."

Kim Min-ha, who played Hyuk-jun's sister in the series, said, "Except for table reads, we got along very well. Actor Jae-wook is three years younger than me, but he took good care of me on set. He brought me food and even bought me bread, saying it was a specialty when going to Daejeon."

She continued, "We bickered just by making eye contact. We briefly met at the Busan International Film Festival recently, and as soon as we saw each other, he started joking around," adding, "I think that dynamic naturally carried over into our filming."

She also added, "Unexpected chemistry emerged even during rehearsals, which made it more fun. We filmed happily without any discomfort between us," boasting about her unique rapport with Lee Jae-wook.

Kim Min-ha plays Ji-yoon, a realistic character who is more afraid of becoming poor than ghosts and is Hyuk-jun's younger sister.

Regarding why she chose the work, Kim Min-ha stated, "When I first received the script, I thought it was a genre I had never seen anywhere. In particular, there were many stage directions that required relying on imagination for 80% of the depiction, which was attractive."

She continued, "It was interesting because this was my first time acting in scenes facing invisible beings. I have not shown you my emotions being unleashed freely before, so I had high expectations that I could show a new side through this work."

She also added, "It was fun because I could pour out my emotions as they were, like a baby. The storyline, which seemed understandable but was not easily comprehended, was also intriguing."

She shared an anecdote about her action scenes. Kim Min-ha said, "I thought I was doing cool action, but when I actually did it, it felt very pathetic. There was no impact, so I told the director that I wanted to look cool, but the director said, 'This is right for Ji-yoon,'" eliciting laughter.

Lee Hee-jun, who transformed into the president running the suspicious staffing agency "Spider Staffing," revealed his reason for joining: "The script was very fresh. I thought, 'So you can make a story like this.' The ability to freely unfold imagination through the subject of part-time jobs was attractive."

He continued, "I had trust in Director Kim Da-min, with whom I had interacted since 'The Killer's Game,' and I also wanted to work with Director Han Jun-hee. There was no reason not to join," adding, "It was really fun during the actual filming as well."

Regarding what he focused on while acting in the character, he explained, "Above all, I thought I had to deliver a performance that inspires trust. The character had to be someone who makes people readily participate in this part-time job, so I concentrated on that aspect."

He also added, "Because the director writes directly, she immediately corrected parts that were difficult to film on set. Thanks to that, we could film comfortably and enjoyably."

In response, Director Kim Da-min said, "Actor Lee Hee-jun has done a lot of research on the character. He proposed various ideas related to the character, including the Othello board," adding, "Thanks to him, we were able to complete a much richer and three-dimensional character."

Director Kim Da-min, who previously introduced "Honey Side Job" as "a story like an assorted gift box where Neapolitan horror stories and various urban legends are naturally woven in," also explained the work's differentiating factors.

He stated, "From the beginning until now, I have often heard that it is unfamiliar. However, those who like horror stories will be able to find fun in familiar elements."

He continued, "Although we borrowed from Neapolitan horror stories, since all episodes must be tied together into a single worldview, it is not limited to just the Neapolitan horror story set in a convenience store," emphasizing, "The fact that new elements appear every episode and that we show a story that does not end with just the Neapolitan horror story is the unique charm of 'Honey Side Job.'"

He also added, "From Part 1 to Part 8, a new workplace and final boss appear in each episode. The target could be a person or a building," adding, "Predicting what kind of being will appear this time will be an important point to watch."

Kim Min-ha urged anticipation, saying, "'Honey Side Job' is a story that you can watch while laughing and crying, and ultimately asks the question of what it means to make a living for me. It is a good work that is not entirely light nor entirely heavy."

"Honey Side Job" will be available exclusively on Netflix starting the 30th.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original