Some romances are like fizzy soda sweet, sparkling, but quick to fade. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? is more like a cup of tea you didn’t realize you needed: warm, layered, and with a hint of something bittersweet at the bottom. At ComicK, I picked up this series expecting a charming workplace comedy. I stayed because it whispered secrets between the smiles.
The story begins with Miso Kim, a woman who has given nine years of her life to being the perfect secretary for Youngjun Lee a man who has everything except, apparently, the ability to understand why someone might want a life beyond him. When she announces she’s leaving, his world tilts. What follows isn’t just an attempt to keep an employee; it’s the unraveling of a relationship that’s been hiding unspoken truths for years.
And that’s the hook this isn’t only about romance. It’s about the things we bury deep, and the people who make us dig them up again.
Youngjun Lee: The Man Who Can Buy Anything But Answers
Youngjun could easily have been a flat character: rich, good looking, self-assured to the point of absurdity. But there’s something about the way he reacts to Miso’s resignation that makes him more human. He doesn’t just offer her a raise he piles on grand gestures like they’re items in an online shopping cart. Promotions, perks, even his hand in marriage all tossed onto the table as bargaining chips.
But here’s the thing: beneath the polished exterior is a man who’s quietly terrified of losing someone constant. That fear leaks out in small ways a glance that lingers too long, a moment where his voice dips softer.
It’s in those cracks that Youngjun becomes interesting. He’s not the flawless hero you expect. He’s a man who has learned to run boardrooms but not his own heart.
Miso Kim: The Quiet Storm
Miso isn’t running away; she’s walking toward something. There’s a difference, and it’s one the story handles beautifully. She’s composed, measured, never flustered even when Youngjun turns the charm dial up to ridiculous levels. And yet, you can feel the steel under her calm.
Her reason for leaving isn’t about burnout or boredom. It’s about reclaiming time for herself, and finding answers to questions she’s carried since childhood. That kind of resolve isn’t loud, but it’s unshakable.
Watching her resist Youngjun’s offers is oddly satisfying. She’s proof that love or the possibility of it shouldn’t come at the expense of self discovery.
The Past That Won’t Stay Buried
Every time you think the story is settling into a playful push-and-pull, it drops another breadcrumb from the past. Hints of shared childhood trauma. A complicated relationship with Youngjun’s older brother. Fragments of memory that don’t quite fit together.
The beauty is in the restraint. The author doesn’t dump the mystery in your lap. Instead, it seeps in slowly, the way old memories do uninvited but impossible to ignore. By the second volume, you know there’s a deeper connection between Miso and Youngjun, but you can’t quite name it yet.
That slow reveal is addictive. It keeps the romance from feeling like a straight line and turns it into a maze one you actually want to get lost in.
Laughing Between the Lines
If the mystery is the hook, the humor is the cushion. Youngjun’s “romantic” schemes range from mildly manipulative to absurdly theatrical, and Miso’s deadpan reactions are half the fun. There’s a rhythm to their exchanges his flamboyance crashing against her quiet wit.
The best moments aren’t big set pieces, but the small, awkward silences. The way Youngjun doesn’t realize he’s overstepping, and Miso doesn’t feel the need to correct him outright. It’s like watching two dancers who don’t realize they’re in the same routine.
This levity is what makes the heavier moments hit harder. You’re laughing one page, then leaning forward the next.
When the Art Speaks Louder Than Words
The series’ art isn’t just pretty it’s intentional. Color illustrations give the characters a kind of tangible presence that fits the modern setting. Subtle shifts in expression say more than some lines of dialogue ever could.
One panel might show Miso’s perfectly neutral face, but if you look closer, there’s the faintest tightening around her eyes. In another, Youngjun’s usual smirk softens just enough to betray something he’d never admit.
It’s these quiet visual cues that make the emotional beats land. You’re not just reading the story; you’re reading between the lines.
Why This Story Stays With You
What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? is a slow burn romance wrapped around a mystery, tied together with threads of humor and genuine emotion. It’s not here to rush you to a happy ending; it wants you to sit with its characters, to understand them piece by piece.
At ComicK, we’d recommend it to readers who like their love stories with a bit of grit the kind that can make you laugh and ache in the same chapter.
By the time you close the last page, you might not have all the answers yet. But you’ll feel like you’ve been let in on a secret, and you’ll want to stick around to hear the rest.
