Undercover High School
| Undercover High School | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Hangul | 언더커버 하이스쿨 |
| RR | Eondeokeobeo haiseukul |
| MR | Ŏndŏk'ŏbŏ haisŭk'ul |
| Genre | |
| Written by | Im Young-bin |
| Directed by | Choi Jung-in |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Park Se-joon |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Lee Wol-yeon |
| Cinematography |
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| Editors |
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| Running time | 70 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | MBC TV |
| Release | February 21 – March 29, 2025 |
Undercover High School (Korean: 언더커버 하이스쿨) is a 2025 South Korean action comedy spy television series written by Im Young-bin, directed by Choi Jung-in, and starring Seo Kang-joon, Jin Ki-joo, and Kim Shin-rok. The series depicts a man who is an NIS agent goes undercover as a high school student. It aired on MBC TV from February 21, to March 29, 2025, every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 (KST). It is also available for streaming on TVING and Wavve in South Korea, and on Viu, Kocowa and Viki in selected regions.
Synopsis
Jeong Hae-seong, a demoted NIS agent following a major incident that occurred during an operation, is tasked with a special mission of tracking down the whereabouts of Emperor Gojong's missing gold bars. Hae-seong hides his identity, goes undercover as a high school student at Byeongmun High School, and meets Oh Su-a, his homeroom teacher. Su-a, a devoted teacher to her students, begins to notice the similarities between Hae-seong and her childhood first love, who left her heartbroken and filled with painful memories.
Cast and characters
Main
- Seo Kang-joon as Jeong Hae-seong / Jeong Si-hyun
- Yu Ji-wan as young Jeong Si-hyun
- An ace field agent of Domestic Team 4 of the NIS who is given a special mission to find Emperor Gojong's gold bars.
- Jin Ki-joo as Oh Su-a / Oh Bong-ja
- Park Seol-ha as young Oh Bong-ja
- Hae-seong's homeroom teacher who is a temporary Korean history teacher at Byeongmun High School.
- Kim Shin-rok as Seo Myeong-ju
- Chairwoman of the Byeongmun Foundation and Byeongmun High School who is Ye-na's mother.
Supporting
NIS people
- Jeon Bae-soo as An Seok-ho
- Head of the Domestic Team 4 of the NIS and is like a second family and father to Hae-seong.
- Jo Bok-rae as Go Yeong-hun
- Hae-seong's junior agent at the NIS.
- Yoon Ga-i as Park Mi-jeong
- Hae-seong's junior agent at the NIS.
- Lee Seo-hwan as Kim Hyung-bae
- Director of domestic division of the NIS.
- Im Cheol-hyeong as Gong Jin-sang
- Seok-ho's classmate and the head of the NIS Domestic Team 1.
Student Council of Byeongmun High School
- Kim Min-ju as Lee Ye-na
- Student council president of Byeongmun High School who is Myeong-ju's only daughter.
- Park Se-hyun as An Yu-jeong
- Student council member of Byeongmun High School who is Seok-ho's daughter and Hae-seong's younger sister.
- Jang Seong-beom as Park Tae-soo
- A student council member of Byeongmun High School who is a son of a three-term National Assembly member from Yeouido.
- Lee Hyun-so as Han Seung-jae
- Student council member of Byeongmun High School who is a son of the CEO of Han Young Law Firm, one of the top law firms in South Korea.
- Yoon Chae-bin as Yoon Chae-rin
- A student council member of Byeongmun High School and an idol trainee.
- Kim Sun-min as Ji Hyun-joon
- Student council vice-president of Byeongmun High School.
Students of Byeongmun High School
- Shin Jun-hang as Lee Dong-min
- A student of Byungmun High School who is bullied by Tae-soo's group.
- Jeong Soo-hyun as Im Yoon-cheol
- One of the class bullies that uses his mouth rather than fists.
- Kang Pil-jun as Son Beom-sik
- The class bully who has a keen eye for details.
- Shin Ga-eun as Choi Su-jin
- A student who is faster and more sensitive to SNS and trends than anyone else.
- Kim Seung-beom as Kim Ho-jin
- A student of Byeongmun High School who is the source of information and is serious about internet broadcasting and content commercial production.
Teacher's office of Byeongmun High School
- Park Jin-woo as Park Jae-mun
The principal of Byeongmun High School who is Myeong-ju's loyal henchman.
- Oh Yong as Baek Kwang-du,
- The vice-principal of Byeongmun High School.
- Lee Min-ji as Kim Ri-an
- Su-a's fellow teacher and soulmate who teaches physical education.
- Noh Jong-hyun as Lee Jun-ho
- Su-a's fellow teacher who has a crush on her and teaches mathematics.
Others
- Kim Young-ah as Im Cheong-ha
- Su-a's mother who runs Have a Drink With Su-a restaurant for over 10 years.
- Kim Soo-jin as Jang Man-ok
- Seok-hi's wife, Yoo-jung's mother, and a mother-like person to Hae-seong.
- Gu Min-hyuk as Kim Hyeon-ho
- Security guard at Byeongmun High School.
- Kim Eui-sung as Seo Byeong-mun
- A traitor to his nation who was never recorded in history and the keeper of Emperor Gojong's secret safe.
- Oh Eui-shik as Jeong Jae-Hyeon
- Hae-seong's father and a NIS agent who was missing for 22 years.
Production
Development
The series began its production and is planned by Namkoong Seong-woo, written by Im Young-bin, directed by Choi Jung-in, and produced by Neo Entertainment and Slingshot Studios. In addition, it aimed to air in early 2025.
Casting
In March 2024, Seo Kang-joon was reportedly in talks as the lead actor and his agency told the media that he was positively reviewing it. This was Seo's first work after completing his military service in May last year as well as comeback to the small screen after 2022 TV series Grid. In May 2024, Jin Ki-joo and Kim Min-ju were reportedly cast to work along Seo with the former as the female lead in the series. In June 2024, MBC confirmed that Seo and Jin would appear as the lead actors for the series. This was also Seo's first MBC drama comeback after appearing in Splendid Politics (2015). The same month, Kim Shin-rok was reportedly confirmed to cast July 2024.
Filming
Principal photography began in the first half of 2024.
Original soundtrack
Part 1
All tracks are written by Polar Bears (Lee Jung-woo, Rich, Cozy).
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Until I'm With You" | Doyouka | 3:57 |
| 2. | "Until I'm With You" (Inst.) | 3:57 | |
| Total length: | 7:54 | ||
Part 2
All lyrics are written by Kinsha; all music is composed by Tomajo and Noyi.
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Love Is You" | Kim Pu-reum | 3:00 |
| 2. | "Love Is You" (Inst.) | 3:00 | |
| Total length: | 3:00 | ||
Part 3
All lyrics are written by Loogone and Han Gyeong-soo; all music is composed by Loogone, Han, and Prime Time.
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Call My Name" (내 이름을 불러줘) | Han Gyeong-soo | 3:25 |
| 2. | "Call My Name" (내 이름을 불러줘; Inst.) | 3:25 | |
| Total length: | 6:50 | ||
Part 4
All lyrics are written by Zeenan and Lee Jung-won; all music is composed by Zeenan, Lee, +1, and Dong6.
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A-Yo" | Lucy | 2:50 |
| 2. | "A-Yo" (Inst.) | 2:50 | |
| Total length: | 5:40 | ||
Part 5
All lyrics are written by Giryeon; all music is composed by Giryeon, +1, and Dong6.
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "How About You?" (넌 어때) | Vin | 3:15 |
| 2. | "How About You?" (넌 어때; Inst.) | 3:15 | |
| Total length: | 6:30 | ||
Part 6
All tracks are written by Polar Bears (Lee Jung-woo, Rich, Cozy).
| No. | Title | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I'm in Love With You" | Homezone | 2:53 |
| 2. | "I'm in Love With You" (Inst.) | 2:53 | |
| Total length: | 5:46 | ||
Release
MBC announced that Undercover High School would be broadcast in a Friday–Saturday timeslot in February 2025. The series was confirmed to premiere on MBC TV on February 21, at 21:50 (KST). It is also available for streaming on TVING and Wavve in South Korea, and on Viu, Kocowa and Viki in selected regions.
Viewership
Undercover High School : South Korea viewers per episode (millions)
Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.
| Season | Episode number | Average | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |||
| 1 | 1.099 | 1.311 | 1.199 | 1.537 | 1.387 | 1.386 | 1.312 | 1.239 | 1.153 | 1.044 | 1.156 | 1.142 | 1.247 | |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Seoul | |||
| 1 | February 21, 2025 | 5.6% (12th) | 5.8% (9th) | |
| 2 | February 22, 2025 | 6.6% (5th) | 6.5% (4th) | |
| 3 | February 28, 2025 | 6.6% (9th) | 6.7% (6th) | |
| 4 | March 1, 2025 | 8.3% (3rd) | 8.3% (3rd) | |
| 5 | March 7, 2025 | 7.2% (6th) | 7.0% (6th) | |
| 6 | March 8, 2025 | 6.7% (3rd) | 7.1% (3rd) | |
| 7 | March 14, 2025 | 6.8% (6th) | 6.3% (8th) | |
| 8 | March 15, 2025 | 6.1% (4th) | 6.1% (3rd) | |
| 9 | March 21, 2025 | 6.1% (7th) | 5.8% (8th) | |
| 10 | March 22, 2025 | 5.4% (5th) | 5.3% (5th) | |
| 11 | March 28, 2025 | 6.0% (6th) | 6.3% (7th) | |
| 12 | March 29, 2025 | 5.8% (4th) | 5.8% (4th) | |
| Average | 6.4% | 6.4% | ||
| ||||
Awards
- 2025 MBC Drama Awards
- Drama of the Year: Undercover High School
- Grand Prize (Daesang): Seo Kang-joon
- Top Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries: Jin Ki-joo
- Best Supporting Actress: Kim Shin-rok
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Undercover High School. Episode 1 (in Korean). February 21, 2025. MBC TV.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 프로그램 소개 [Program Introduction]. iMBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 26, 2025. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
- ↑ "Undercover High School". WelCon. Archived from the original on March 30, 2025. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
- 1 2 Choi, Yi-jung (June 10, 2024). 서강준, 고등학생 된다..전역 후 첫 복귀작 '언더커버 하이스쿨' 확정 [공식] [Official: Seo Kang-joon makes a comeback after military discharge as a high school student in 'Undercover High School' confirmed]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024 – via Naver.
- ↑ Jung, Ga-young (March 15, 2025). '언더커버 하이스쿨' 서강준 정체, 김신록은 알았다...반전 엔딩[TV핫스팟] [TV Hot Spot: Kim Shin-rok found out Seo Kang-joon's identity in 'Undercover High School' with a twist ending]. Sports World (in Korean). Retrieved March 31, 2025.
- 1 2 Chang, A-leum (June 18, 2024). 진기주 '언더커버 하이스쿨' 확정...서강준과 사제 공조 로코 [Jin Ki-joo confirmed to cast in 'Undercover High School' with Seo Kang-joon, a romantic comedy drama between teacher and student]. News1 (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024 – via Naver.
- ↑ Jung, Eujene (March 9, 2025). '언더커버 하이스쿨', 서강준·진기주 로맨스 엔딩 10%까지 치솟아 [Seo Kang-joon and Jin Ki-joo's romance ending soars to 10% in 'Undercover High School']. News1 (in Korean). Retrieved March 31, 2025.
- 1 2 Kim, Soo-jin (July 1, 2024). 김신록, '언더커버 하이스쿨' 이사장으로 출연 [공식] [Kim Shin-rok to Appear as Chairman of 'Undercover High School' [Official]]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024 – via Naver.
- ↑ Kim, Se-ah (January 7, 2025). 서강준, 전배수와 갈등 불거졌다...국정원서 작전 수행 중 부딪쳐 ('언더커버 하이스쿨') [Seo Kang-joon and Jeon Bae-soo's conflict flares up...They clash while performing an operation at the National Intelligence Service in 'Undercover High School']. Ten Asia (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ↑ Lee, Min-ji (January 7, 2025). '언더커버 하이스쿨' 전배수X이서환X윤가이X조복래, 국정원 라인업 [공식] [Official: National Intelligence Service line-up consists of Jeon Bae-soo, Lee Seo-hwan, Yoon Ga-yi, and Jo Bok-rae]. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ↑ Lee, Joo-in (September 10, 2024). '본업 집중' 윤가이, 서강준 만난다... '언더커버 하이스쿨' 캐스팅 [공식] [Yoon Ga-i confirmed to appear with Seo Kang-joon in 'Undercover High School' [Official]]. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024 – via Naver.
- ↑ Lee, Mi-ji (January 6, 2025). '오징어 게임2' 이서환, '언더커버 하이스쿨' 캐스팅..서강준과 호흡(공식) [Official: 'Squid Game 2' actor Lee Seo-hwan joins Seo Kang-joon in 'Undercover High School']. Herald Pop (in Korean). Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ↑ Baek, Ji-yeon (February 14, 2025). 배우 임철형, MBC '언더커버 하이스쿨' 깜짝 출연 [Actor Im Cheol-hyeong makes a surprise appearance in 'Undercover High School' on MBC]. Sports Today (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ↑ Lee, So-jung (November 13, 2024). 김민주, 알고 보니 사립 명문고 이사장 외동딸이었다...학창시절 독보적 인기 ('언더커버') [Kim Min-ju, turns out to be the only daughter of the chairman of a prestigious private school...Unrivaled popularity during school days ('Undercover')]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 30, 2024. Retrieved November 13, 2024.
- ↑ Kim, Chae-yeon (January 9, 2025). '김명민 딸' 박세현, 서강준 동생 된다...'언더커버 하이스쿨' 출연 [Kim Myung-min's daughter Park Se-hyun becomes Seo Kang-joon's younger sister in 'Undercover High School']. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 2, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 등장인물 [Characters]. iMBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 2, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ↑ Jang, Woo-young (December 21, 2024). 이현소, 서강준과 호흡...'언더커버 하이스쿨' 출연 확정 [Lee Hyun-so, working together with Seo Kang-joon in 'Undercover High School']. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ↑ Lee, Seung-hun (February 19, 2025). "부족함 없는 부학생회장"...김선민, 서강준과 '언더커버 하이스쿨' 출연 [공식] [Official: Kim Sun-min confirmed to cast in 'Undercover High School' as Vice-president of Student Council Without Lacks]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ↑ Kang, Joo-hee (January 8, 2025). 김민주X박세현X신준항, '언더커버 하이스쿨' 고등학생 라인업 공개 ['Undercover High School' reveals a line-up of high school students: Kim Min-ju, Park Se-hyun, and Shin Jun-hang]. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ↑ Son, Bong-suk (February 14, 2025). 정수현, '언더커버 하이스쿨' 임윤철 역...서강준과 호흡 [Jeong Soo-hyun plays Im Yoon-cheol in 'Undercover High School' starring Seo Kang-joon]. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ↑ Kang, Seo-jung (January 7, 2025). 이민지, '언더커버 하이스쿨' 출연 확정... 서강준·진기주와 호흡[공식] [Lee Min-ji confirmed to appear in 'Undercover High School' starring Seo Kang-joon and Jin Ki-joo]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ↑ Kim, Myung-mi (December 3, 2024). 김영아 '언더커버 하이스쿨' 캐스팅...진기주와 현실 모녀 케미[공식] [Kim Young-ah cast in 'Undercover High School'...Jin Ki-joo and real mother-daughter chemistry [Official]]. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ↑ Kim, Ye-eun (February 4, 2025). 오의식, '그놈은 흑염룡'·'언더커버 하이스쿨' 출연...팔색조 열일 [Oh eui-sik, appearance in 'My Dearest Nemesis' and 'Undercover High School'...Eight-color performance]. Xports News (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ↑ Yoo, Jung-min (June 10, 2024). '군백기 끝' 서강준, 전역 후 첫 복귀작 MBC '언더커버 하이스쿨' 확정 [Seo Kang-joon, 'The End of Military Service', Confirmed for His First Comeback After Discharge, MBC's 'Undercover High School']. iMBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024 – via Naver.
- 1 2 3 Hwang, So-young (March 6, 2024). [단독] 돌아온다‥서강준, '언더커버하이스쿨' 주인공 [Exclusive: Seo Kang-joon casts as the lead role in 'Undercover High School']. JTBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 19, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024 – via Naver.
- ↑ Kim, Saet-byul (March 6, 2024). 서강준, 드디어 컴백하나..."'언더커버하이스쿨' 출연 검토 중" [Seo Kang-joon finally considers a comeback in 'Undercover High School']. The Fact (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024 – via Naver.
- ↑ Hwang, So-young (May 23, 2024). [단독] 진기주, 서강준과 만난다...'언더커버하이스쿨' 주인공 [Exclusive: Jin Ki-joo joins lead actor Seo Kang-joon in 'Undercover High School']. JTBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024 – via Naver.
- ↑ Jang, Woo-young (May 23, 2024). [단독] 김민주, 서강준X진기주 만난다...'언더커버하이스쿨' 출연 [Exclusive: Kim Min-ju stars in 'Undercover High School' with Seo Kang-joon and Jin Ki-joo]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024 – via Naver.
- ↑ Woo, Jae-yeon (June 10, 2024). "Seo Kang-joon cast as undercover intelligence agent in MBC's new comedy-action series". Yonhap News Agency. Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
- ↑ Jo, Ji-young (June 10, 2024). [공식] '군백기' 끝낸 서강준, 전역 후 첫 복귀작 '언더커버 하이스쿨' 확정..10년만에 MBC行 [Official: Seo Kang-joon, who finished his military service, confirmed his first comeback work in 10 years after his discharge in MBC drama 'Undercover High School']. Sports Chosun (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 14, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024 – via Naver.
- ↑ Kim, Ji-won (June 27, 2024). [단독] 김신록, 이사장 됐다...'언더커버 하이스쿨' 서강준·진기주와 호흡 [Exclusive: Kim Shin-rok becomes chairman in 'Undercover High School' starring Seo Kang-joon and Jin Ki-joo]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved September 14, 2024 – via Naver.
- ↑ Lee, Min-ji (January 16, 2025). 서강준, 눈빛부터 다른 만찢 비주얼 (언더커버 하이스쿨) [Seo Kang-joon has a different visual from the eyes for 'Undercover High School']. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 13, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
- ↑ Lee, Soo-hyun (February 21, 2025). 서강준X진기주 '언더커버 하이스쿨', 오늘(21일) 첫 방송...인물관계도→OTT 관심 ['Undercover High School' starring Seo Kang-joon and Jin Ki-joo premieres today...Character relationship chart and OTT interest]. Top Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ↑ Salma, Nisrina (January 22, 2025). "Sinopsis Undercover High School" [Undercover High School Synopsis]. Viu (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- ↑ @kocowa_official (February 16, 2025). "Get ready for some serious chemistry! Undercover #SeoKangJun and teacher #JinKiJoo are about to make high school the most exciting place on earth! Watch the premiere of #UndercoverHighSchool on KOCOWA+ February 21!" (Tweet). Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ↑ Mahanta, Sushmita (March 9, 2025). "Undercover High School: Episode release schedule of the Seo Kang-joon starrer". Prestige Online. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
- 1 2 Nielsen Korea ratings:
- "Ep. 1". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). February 21, 2025. Archived from the original on February 25, 2025. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
- "Ep. 2". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). February 22, 2025. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- "Ep. 3". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). February 28, 2025. Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
- "Ep. 4". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 1, 2025. Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
- "Ep. 5". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 7, 2025. Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
- "Ep. 6". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 8, 2025. Archived from the original on March 13, 2025. Retrieved March 8, 2025.
- "Ep. 7". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 14, 2025. Archived from the original on April 6, 2025. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- "Ep. 8". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 15, 2025. Archived from the original on April 6, 2025. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
- "Ep. 9". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 21, 2025. Archived from the original on April 6, 2025. Retrieved March 21, 2025.
- "Ep. 10". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 22, 2025. Archived from the original on April 6, 2025. Retrieved March 23, 2025.
- "Ep. 11". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 28, 2025. Archived from the original on April 6, 2025. Retrieved March 28, 2025.
- "Ep. 12". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 29, 2025. Archived from the original on April 6, 2025. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
- ↑ "'MBC 연기대상' 서강준 대상·'언더커버 하이스쿨' 올해의 드라마..'이강달' 7관왕 [종합]". m.entertain.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved October 23, 2026.
External links
- Official website (in Korean)
- Undercover High School at IMDb
- Undercover High School at HanCinema
