Series Details
Air Dates: July 11 - August 16, 2026
Episodes: 12
Where to Watch: Netflix
Genre: Mystery Comedy
Starring: Ji Sung and Ha Yoon Kyoung
The Story
A former gangster needs cash to save the life of his mentor and father-figure. He hatches a crazy plan after hearing about large pots of money that sit in apartment complexes for long-term repair reserve funds. But in order to get access to the cash, he will need to become president of the apartment complex. And he is hoping that posing as a stable family-man will be enough to get him elected.
The Leads
Ji Sung as Park Hae Gang
Park Hae Gang grew up working in the Oasis Gang under Park Yong Man, who became Hae Gang's father figure. When Yong Man "retired", Hae Gang took his place as the gang boss. But Hae Gang has also stepped away from the gang itself. Now he works as the CEO of HK Trading and Investments, where he is a loan shark for unrecovered debt. But when Yong Man is suddenly arrested, Hae Gang is told that he will need to pay 10 billion won to save his life and assure Yong Man's medical release from prison. Desperate to raise the money, Hae Gang hears from one of his habitual gambling clients that apartment complexes store huge amounts of money in a fund for long-term repairs. The catch is that the only one with access to the money is the apartment complex president. So Hae Gang gathers a fake family from among his fellow-gang members and hires a fake wife to give the impression of a stable family. And as a large extended family, the whole group move into True Value Apartments.
Hae Gang immediately begins his campaign for president. But as he gets to know the complex and its residents, he finds out that there is more going on behind the scenes than anyone realized. As he begins to dig into the whereabouts of the repair fund, he will discover a dangerously influential and corrupt group called the One Club, led by the penthouse resident, Lee Chung Won. And while Hae Gang's original intentions may have been questionable, he suddenly finds himself on the right side of the law, fighting to protect those he cares about.
Hae Gang has a rough background, but Yong Man continually reassures Hae Gang that he is a good man. He is loyal and dependable as a boss and as a friend. He even tries to cut his workers free when he embarks on this crazy adventure. But each of them has benefitted from Hae Gang's friendship and protection, and none of them are interested in leaving his side. Ji Sung just never disappoints. He is dashing and funny, and he is so perfect in these tough guy characters. As expected, I loved him in this role.
Ha Yoon Kyoung as Kang Ha Ri
Kang Ha Ri graduated from law school and dreams of joining a big, prestigious firm. But she keeps failing the bar exam. While she is studying to take the bar again she volunteers for a free legal consultation center and works part -time as a stand-in. She has no idea when she take a job that she will be posing as a bride for Hae Gang, and she is a little nervous when she sees the rough looking wedding party and guests. But she can't say no to the pay! So she completes the job and thinks that will be the end. But a few days later, Ha Ri gets fired from her consultant job for slapping a client. And as she is reeling from her predicament, Hae Gang shows up again with a new offer. If she will continue to pose as his wife for three month, he will pay her 100 million won. How can she refuse? So she poses in a family portrait with the rest of their "family", including her newly acquired "son" and moves into the high rise apartment complex known as True Value.
In the beginning, Ha Ri is there in name only, to play her part and go home. But as time goes on, she finds herself more and more charmed by this ragtag group of men. She has never been a wife or a mother, but the part becomes more natural as she lets herself be drawn into their scheme. And when one of the corrupt office workers turn out to be Ha Ri's older sister, she finds herself in deeper than she ever planned. She also finds her own heart becoming involved as she gets to know Hae Gang and sees that he is not at all the violent conman she had assumed at first.
Kang Ha Ri has a lie of her own. Because her family had put everything into sending Ha Ri to law school to become a lawyer, she couldn't bear to tell them that she had failed the bar exam again. So she tells them she got a job with one of the big firms, which makes her more understanding to Hae Gang's position. She understands first-hand that sometimes you get stuck in a situation where you need to lie. Ha Yoon Kyoung is a fun actress who has taken on some interesting characters. I thought her quirky personality fit well in this role and despite the 15 year age gap, she has nice chemistry with Ji Sung.
Supporting Characters
Moon So Ri as Jang Suk Jin
Jang Suk Jin is a busybody who lives in the True Value apartment complex. She had been hoping to become president before Hae Gang moved in and campaigned against her. She is a single mom who knows pretty much everything that happens in the apartments. While she starts off as someone that Hae Gang has to be wary of, she eventually joins the gang in trying to expose the corruption of Lee Chung Won and True Value Construction.
Park Byung Eun as Lee Chung Won
Lee Chung Won lives in the penthouse at the True Value apartments. In the beginning, no one knows much about him. But they soon find out that he is the CEO of Chunsong Group, the company that built the apartments, and that he also has his eye on the repair fund. Chung Won has the backing of the corrupt One Club, who hold high political and business positions in the city.
Kim Won Hae as Hwang In Sik (Lizard)
Lizard is a career conman and habitual gambler. He is the one who originally came up with the plan to steal the repair fun, but he didn't have the backing to make it happen. He tells Hae Gang about it as a way of paying off his debt for the information. But since they can't trust him out of their sight, In Sik becomes Hae Gang's "father" in their make-shift family.
Things I Like
Han Gyul
I loved Han Gyul's character, as Ha Ri's make-believe son. This little boy seemingly never got to know his mom, so he instantly bonded with Ha Ri, even though she doesn't seem to have an ounce of maternal instinct in the beginning. And his very mature outlook was such a funny contrast with the childlike gangsters.
Lizard's Redemption
Kim Won Hae is such a kdrama staple, and I always love seeing him. I really enjoyed his character in this one. His process to redemption was full of stops and starts. and you never really knew if it was going to stick. Which is why it worked at the end when it seemed like he might have actually double-crossed them. I wanted to believe he had changed but there was enough doubt to make it interesting.
Hero and Villain
All of the casting for this drama was amazing but I have to give a special shout out to Ji Sung and Park Byung Eun. Ji Sung always brings his A-game and he played this character with perfect balance. He was the tough guy with a heart of gold. Opposite him, Park Byung Eun was the perfect unhinged villain. And their early interactions were really well done as they were both feeling the other out. Their strong performances were perfect for a hero/villain dichotomy.
Things I Didn't Like
More Residents
Business or political corruption storylines aren't my favorite. I often feel they drag on too long with more characters than are worthwhile. In a drama about becoming president of an apartment complex, I would have rather spent that time getting to know more about the complex residents. The mom group was fun and their characters could have easily been expanded a bit. They seemed more interesting to me than the stuffy old business men.
Make-Up
I hate that I have to say this for every dramas they put Ji Sung in, but why do they insist in starting him out in such heavy makeup? The waxy foundation and boy band guyliner were definitely not necessary for a gangster. Ji Sung is so handsome on his own. I wish they would just leave him looking natural.
Rooftop Ending Scene
As I said, I loved Park Byung Eun's portrayal of Chung Won. But I really don't understand what he was thinking during that final rooftop scene. It seemed like he thought he would somehow feel better about himself if he could prove that Hae Gang also had a dark side. But it's not like he identified with Hae Gang during the rest of the show. They were nothing alike. So why should he care if Hae Gang could become a killer? Also, quietly accepting defeat goes against everything we had seen from Chung Won up until now. And showing his cards feels wildly uncharacteristic. The whole scene just felt off to me.
The Ending
'The Apartment Job' gives us a neat, happy ending. Of course, the series wouldn't be complete without one final showdown between Hae Gang and Chung Won. Chung Won tries to provoke Hae Gang, but through a cloud of anger, Hae Gang remembers Yong Man's warning to never stoop to Chung Won's level. He controls himself and walks away, with a secret recording of Chung Won's confession. Chung Won runs to One Club, still thinking he can rebuild everything. But Hae Gang shows up with his recording to put the nail in Chung Won's coffin. And with that, Chung Won and the rest of One Club are carted away, hopefully for good.
Three years later, we catch up with everyone again. Ha Jung and Manager Choi have opened a bakery together in the neighborhood. Ha Jung and Kyung Nam are dating and seem happy. Je Gil has gone back to school and is showing up all the younger students. And Big Guy is working at a fast food chain where his boss accuses him of eating more than their customers. Hae Gang served time for his past crimes, but when he is released he opens a law office with Ha Ri, although there is no hint as to their romantic status. As everyone gathers at the new law office, Lizard shows up after getting early release for good behavior. With everyone back together they prepare for their first case, uncovering yet another corruption scheme at True Value Apartments.
Should I Watch
'The Apartment Job' is an action comedy with a touch of mystery. The story is action-packed, clever, and fun. The found-family themes are both touching and humorous and the gangsters with a heart of gold never get old. Ji Sung is as charming and charismatic as always and his interactions with the rest of the cast give this drama the heart it needs. Park Byung Eun makes a convincing villain and creates just the right amount of dramatic tension.
But the story does drag a bit toward the end of the series. This drama does keep romance to an absolute minimum, which was disappointing for some fans. If anything, the plot could have included less business corruption and more about the apartment residents themselves. But I enjoyed the talented cast and the breezy, fun story. I give 'The Apartment Job' a 4 out of 5 ramen
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