Kim Min-ha, Lee Hee-jun, Director Kim Da-min and Executive Producer Han Jun-hee Celebrate ‘Dead-End Job’ Press Conference

Dead-End Job, a livelihood horror series set at a bizarre employment agency that offers only “perfect part-time jobs” paying up to 50 times the usual hourly rate, follows Hyuk-jun, a young man sent to nightmarish workplaces. The series held a successful press conference on Wednesday the 28th. Director Kim Da-min, executive producer Han Jun-hee, and actors Kim Min-ha and Lee Hee-jun attended the event, where they shared a range of insights about the series and teased a horror series with a distinctive flavor.

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Making her debut as a director of a long-form series with Dead-End Job, Kim Da-min described it as “the story of Hyuk-jun, a young man struggling under debt, who takes part-time jobs from an employment agency called Spider Staffing and gets caught up in all kinds of bizarre situations.” She pointed to what makes the series special: “The nightmarish workplaces change with each episode, and there’s also the fun of meeting new characters. You can watch Hyuk-jun struggle to make it through the chaos of survival.” Executive producer Han Jun-hee said, “It felt both unfamiliar and compelling. It was scary and funny, lively but not lightweight. We wondered what only we could do, and we began with the hope that this would become a one-of-a-kind work for everyone,” sparking anticipation for the series. The actors also agreed that the script’s fresh appeal drew them in. Kim Min-ha explained why she chose the project: “It was a genre I’d never seen before, and I was drawn to having to build it through my imagination. I hoped I could show a new side of myself, and the storyline was compelling because it felt like something I could understand, yet also couldn’t.” Lee Hee-jun added, “The project felt so fresh. I was excited by the idea of letting our imaginations run wild with part-time work as the subject, and it was so much fun to film,” adding to the intrigue.

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Anticipation is high for the arrival of “livelihood horror,” which blends mystery and horror with the familiar subject of part-time work—a job many people have likely experienced at least once. Executive producer Han Jun-hee explained the idea behind the series: “I liked the question, ‘Is there anything scarier than making a living?’ And I thought the subject of part-time work would resonate with everyone watching.” Another distinctive feature is how familiar workplaces become strange spaces of terror. Kim Da-min described the creative process: “We tried to make the spaces look unfamiliar and new by using lighting and obstacles.” She added, “We used a lot of intense colors, as if a new stage begins the moment a part-time job starts. We took various situations from everyday life and gave them different genre treatments,” offering a glimpse of the series’ fresh and distinctive visuals.

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The conversation also turned to the characters at the heart of Dead-End Job’s mystery. Lee Jae-wook plays Hyuk-jun, who finds an opportunity for an exceptionally high-paying part-time job at the lowest point in his life, delivering a grounded performance. Director Kim Da-min described Hyuk-jun as “a character who feels real and evokes sympathy. He can be a bit of a klutz and frustrating at times, but when it comes to survival, he’s determined to try whatever he can, which makes you root for him.” Go Min-si plays Yeon-ju, a mysterious accident investigator looking into Spider Staffing and its “perfect part-time jobs.” Executive producer Han Jun-hee raised anticipation for the character: “Yeon-ju is an accident investigator at the Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service who approaches Hyuk-jun to uncover what’s going on at Spider Staffing. She’s a complex character with both light and dark sides, and you can’t tell what she’s planning. She’s a character who forms the foundation of the world of the series. Go Min-si brought her to life beautifully with her characteristically delicate expressiveness.” Kim Min-ha plays Ji-yoon, Hyuk-jun’s younger sister, who is more afraid of ending up broke than of ghosts. “She’s practical and action-oriented. She might seem simple, but she’s a brave person who puts things into action,” Kim said of the character. She added, “I got along really well with Lee Jae-wook. He looked after me on set, too, and there were moments when our chemistry naturally came through in the scenes,” promising a believable sibling dynamic with Lee Jae-wook. Lee Hee-jun plays the mysterious owner of Spider Staffing. “I focused on making him seem trustworthy to the people who come to the agency. I thought I should play him in a way that doesn’t make them nervous or tremble with anxiety, but instead makes them willing to take the job,” he said, stirring curiosity about a character who moves between charisma and mystery.

Special guest actors appearing in each episode are also expected to make the series even more entertaining. Their casting has drawn attention, particularly because some have worked with executive producer Han Jun-hee on previous projects. Han said, “As we thought about who would best fit each role, we invited many people we’d worked with on previous projects. I think they found the roles interesting because they hadn’t done anything like them before, and thanks to them, we were able to film together,” raising anticipation.

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To wrap up, director Kim Da-min said, “Each episode brings a new workplace, a new final boss and new characters. Trying to predict the story all the way to the end could be another point of interest.” Executive producer Han Jun-hee highlighted the series’ appeal: “Dead-End Job is a multifaceted work that can be lively, scary, funny and sad. It isn’t lightweight, but it’s definitely easy to watch.” Kim Min-ha said, “There’s a lot to see, and we filmed in many different places. There’s plenty to look at and plenty of story, so you can laugh and cry along the way. Ultimately, it’s a series that can make you ask yourself what it means to make a living.” Lee Hee-jun added, “A really talented crew came together, and they seemed to know what people these days enjoy. It has all the fun elements of what you could call a dopamine drama. It moves along quickly, with a strong pace from beginning to end,” urging viewers to look forward to Dead-End Job. The livelihood horror series Dead-End Job will be available exclusively on Netflix starting Friday the 30th.