Noh Mu Jin (Jung Kyung Ho) just can’t seem to catch a break. He quits his job, thinking it’s only a matter of time before he hits it big. His friend, played by Kim Dae Myung, convinces him to invest his life savings in cryptocurrency, but dies in a car crash, taking Mu Jin’s dreams with him. Things go from bad to worse. His wife leaves him, and his former boss, who is also a friend, suggests that Mu Jin consider becoming a labor lawyer, a more stable career path. Mu Jin follows his advice and gets certified, but his very first case doesn’t go in his favor.
Still trying to make it work, he takes another friend’s advice and opens his own tiny law firm. Helping him is his sister-in-law, Na Hee Ju (Seol In Ah), who steps in as his assistant. But luck continues to elude Mu Jin.
Everything changes when Hee Ju and her friend, famous YouTuber Go Gyeon Woo (Cha Hak Yeon), come up with a bold idea. The three go undercover to expose and take down shady, corrupt businesses. Things seem to go smoothly until Mu Jin suffers a workplace accident. Suddenly, he finds himself face-to-face with a celestial being, who makes him sign a strange labor contract. Now, Mu Jin must fight for a new set of clients – ghosts who were wronged by corrupt workplaces and unjust labor laws. The twist? Helping these clients is his price for resurrection.
Here are three reasons why this heartwarmingly unique K-drama should be on your watch list.
The legal eagle trio
Jung Kyung Ho’s Noh Mu Jin, Seol In Ah’s Na Hee Ju, and Cha Hak Yeon’s Go Gyeon Woo may seem like an unlikely trio, but as “Team Mujins,” they operate with uncanny synergy, delivering heart, chaos, and justice in equal measure.
Mu Jin is no stranger to misfortune. His ex-wife describes him as your typical loser-next-door. While he often comes across as naive and even downright foolish, Mu Jin is surprisingly headstrong when his moral compass kicks in. After becoming a labor attorney, his first case involves his former boss, who had promised him a job when he clears the exam. When the same man is accused in a workplace harassment scandal, Mu Jin refuses to defend him, well aware that he is a repeat offender.
Hee Ju and Gyeon Woo, meanwhile, are chasing dreams of quick money and viral fame. Hee Ju is unemployed while Gyeon Woo, who creates patriotic videos, is chasing his 1 million subscribers. They devise a plan to find companies that violate labor laws and drag a hesitant Mu Jin into their scheme. But everything takes a dramatic turn after Mu Jin survives a near-death experience and encounters a celestial being named Bo Sal. Mu Jin is told his one time useless existence has a purpose: he will fight for the dead and bring them justice. Mu Jin is now an employee of Bo Sal. After the first uncanny encounter, there is a shift in Mu Jin.
Determined to bring justice to the dead and closure to the living, Mu Jin emerges as the pragmatic heart and brain of the team. Hee Ju, fiery and fearless, becomes the muscle. She’s always quick to act, especially in high-risk situations. She’s well aware of Gyeon Woo’s not-so-secret crush and keeps him on his toes. Gyeon Woo, ever the attention-seeker, is the team’s wild card, bringing creativity, eccentric energy, and viral schemes to their undercover missions.
As the trio dives deeper into cases involving those who can no longer speak for themselves, each of them begins to evolve. Mu Jin sheds his fear, Hee Ju reveals her vulnerability, and even Gyeon Woo shows surprising emotional depth. They bicker, scheme, and even risk their lives as they deal with calculating adversaries. However, together, they prove that justice sometimes requires a little bit of chaos, a lot of courage, and a team you never saw coming.
Jung Kyung Ho shines with his signature mix of dry wit and emotional sincerity, making Mu Jin easy to root for. And Seol In Ah brings bold charisma and heart to Hee Ju, while Cha Hak Yeon charms with a disarming innocence that adds surprising layers to Gyeon Woo.
Labor life refreshingly meets the afterlife
There have been stories of the living avenging the dead, however, “Oh My Ghost Clients” is off the beaten path. It is refreshing in its approach, but is also cathartic for the viewer, since several moments and situations are relatable.
What began as a quick gig to make some fast cash soon turns into a full-blown mission for Team Mujin, and Mu Jin’s first ghost client is Lee Min Woo (Park Soo Oh), a factory intern who tragically died on the job. Initially terrified and convinced he’s losing his mind — especially since he didn’t even bother to read the contract he signed with Bo Sal — Mu Jin hesitates. But as he’s nudged into investigating, with both Hee Ju and Gyeon Woo equally eager to tag along, he gradually takes up the case.
Min Woo’s death, caused by the negligence and apathy of senior staff at the factory, is swiftly covered up. His widowed mother is coerced into signing a settlement. However, it’s Min Woo’s friend, an immigrant worker, who steps up as the key witness and agrees to testify. The entire workforce rallies behind him, standing united.
Mu Jin doesn’t take the case for money. He wants to bring peace to Min Woo’s soul. Believing it was a one-time ordeal, Mu Jin is relieved to return to helping the living… until another accident occurs. He finds himself face-to-face with Bo Sal once again, who reminds him that he unknowingly signed a six-month contract. He’s on duty 24/7, and if he halts or fails, the contract is void, and he’ll be sent to hell. The most important clause? He’s not allowed to charge clients any attorney fees.
Next, Mu Jin becomes possessed by the spirit of an overworked nurse. From there, the cases keep coming. There’s a delivery worker who died of dehydration, a student left in a coma after being overworked at a convenience store, and one of many victims of a deadly factory fire. Taking on each case as both witness and defense, Mu Jin helps reopen investigations and deliver long-overdue justice. While fighting for the voiceless dead, he also champions the living, those still trapped in cycles of exploitation.
It is often said that history repeats its self, and it does… however the drama wants to make us all a bit more aware, that it’s we the people who can be the change. Even though deceased, the souls are troubled: Min Woo is worried about the mother he left behind, while the nurse wants the truth about her superior exposed. It’s through bringing them justice that Mu Jin brings closure to the departed and those they left behind.
With Gyeon Woo’s undercover skills, Hee Ju’s sharp instincts, and Mu Jin’s newfound conviction, the trio becomes an unstoppable team: legal avengers for the forgotten. And though there are several moments when your eyes well up with tears, the dry wit and playful sense of humor is also bound to make you smile.
Not just a legal fantasy drama
“Oh My Ghost Clients” dives deep into meaningful territory and is not just a fantasy legal-themed drama. This high-concept show sheds light on incomplete public records and the blatant disregard for labor rights in a capitalist society. There are no subtleties — it’s all right there.
When Mu Jin, in a drunken state, laments how he seems to have failed in his legal practice, he drops his name card into the hands of a statue at Seoul’s Sewoon Plaza. The statue depicts Jeon Tae Il, a textile worker who publicly self-immolated in protest of horrific working conditions and the exploitation of the working class. The incident sparked national labor reforms.
Several of the cases portrayed in the drama are adapted from real-life events, highlighting societal apathy and the way those in power continue to pay lip service to rules and regulations.
Mu Jin’s own experience — losing his life savings — also highlights the prevalence of get-rich-quick schemes that plague modern society. On the other hand, Gyeon Woo, through his ultra-patriotic channel, preys on neo-nationalists who are easily manipulated by politicians and those in power.
“Oh My Ghost Clients” is a poignant reflection of contemporary society, shedding light on its frayed socio-economic fabric, all while remaining thoroughly entertaining. And its powerhouse ensemble cast delivers compelling performances you don’t want to miss.
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Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yoo Yeon Seok and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.
