The face of middle age is not unfamiliar: someone who once moved more sharply and quickly than anyone, only to become an ordinary person in the face of family worries, living expenses, and changes in the body. MBC’s new Friday-Saturday drama Fifties Professionals follows characters like these as they step back into dangerous cases, unleashing laughter, action, and long-standing loyalty all at once.
Fifties Professionals Cast and Characters: Shin Ha-kyun, Oh Jung-se, and Heo Sung-tae Return in a Salty Action Comedy
Premiering on May 22, 2026 at 9:50 p.m., MBC’s drama Fifties Professionals is an action comedy about three men who once made names for themselves at the very top, only to be swept back into fate over an incident from ten years ago and a missing object. Centered on Shin Ha-kyun, Oh Jung-se, and Heo Sung-tae, the cast also includes distinctive actors such as Kim Shin-rok, Lee Hak-joo, Kim Sang-kyung, Kwon Yul, Han Ji-eun, Kim Sang-ho, Hyun Bong-sik, and Shin Dong-mi.
The English title of Fifties Professionals is Fifties Professionals. As the title suggests, it is a story about people who have passed roughly the halfway point of life pulling out their professional instincts once again. The weight of time and the saltiness of reality run underneath it, but the key is how the series combines action, comedy, and deeply human loyalty.
At the center are three men: Jung Ho-myung, Bong Je-soon, and Kang Beom-ryong. They live ordinary lives on Yeongseon Island while hiding pasts as a NIS black operative, a North Korean special agent, and a former gangster, but when an object connected to an incident from ten years ago resurfaces, their time begins moving again.
Fifties Professionals Basic Information
Main Characters and Cast
| Character | Actor | Former Identity | Current Position | Key Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jung Ho-myung | Shin Ha-kyun | NIS black operative | Chef at Oran Chinese Restaurant | A middle-aged family man hiding on Yeongseon Island after being framed following a failed operation |
| Bong Je-soon / Bulgae | Oh Jung-se | North Korean special agent | Employee at Yeongseon Steel | A man living on Yeongseon Island after an accident during a mission to retrieve confidential documents |
| Kang Beom-ryong | Heo Sung-tae | Number two of the Hwasan gang | Convenience store owner | A man who comes after Ho-myung to recover the object that caused his organization’s downfall |
| Ma Gong-bok | Lee Hak-joo | Kang Beom-ryong’s close aide | Convenience store business partner | Beom-ryong’s right-hand man who has adapted to life on Yeongseon Island with him |
| Prosecutor Kang / Kang Young-ae | Kim Shin-rok | Prosecutor | Pursuer of the incident from ten years ago | A potential key ally who digs into the past case involving Han Kyung-wook and Yoo In-gu |
| Han Kyung-wook | Kim Sang-kyung | Power broker | Candidate for mayor of Imcheon | A villain figure who built wealth and power through a criminal business colluding with North Korea |
| Chairman Do | Kwon Yul | Businessman | Han Kyung-wook’s sponsor | A power-backed supporter disguised as a glamorous businessman |
Jung Ho-myung, Shin Ha-kyun
Jung Ho-myung is a former NIS black operative.
He was once a special agent who moved like a “shadow,” but after being framed following a failed operation, he left the NIS and went into hiding on Yeongseon Island. Now he is a middle-aged family man living under cover as the chef at Oran Chinese Restaurant.
Jung Ho-myung’s appeal lies in the gap between his past and present.
In the past, he was a figure whose name alone carried presence, but now he is a breadwinner who shrinks in the face of his wife’s nagging and the realities of family life. His action instincts remain, but his body and circumstances are not what they used to be, creating both comedy and bittersweet realism.
Bong Je-soon, Oh Jung-se
Bong Je-soon is a former North Korean special agent nicknamed Bulgae.
He drifted onto Yeongseon Island after suffering an accident while retrieving confidential documents for the Republic. Now he works at Yeongseon Steel and also shows a humane side by caring for his benefactor’s grandson, Heo Nam-il, like family.
Bong Je-soon, played by Oh Jung-se, is likely to handle both comedy and action.
As his past as North Korea’s top agent collides with his modest present-day life, the result is a character who is funny but never merely lightweight.
Kang Beom-ryong, Heo Sung-tae
Kang Beom-ryong is the former number two of the Hwasan gang.
He once made his name in a rough world, but he comes to Yeongseon Island in pursuit of Jung Ho-myung to recover the object that caused his organization’s collapse. At present, he runs a convenience store with Ma Gong-bok that barely even pays an hourly wage, having adapted to reality.
The fun of Kang Beom-ryong lies between his intimidating face and his clumsy reality.
He came to Yeongseon Island with revenge in his heart, but his current life as a convenience store owner amusingly clashes with his tough image. With his unrequited love for Park Mi-kyung added in, Kang Beom-ryong is set to carry both action and comedy.
Supporting Characters, Allies, and Opponents
Ma Gong-bok / Lee Hak-joo
He runs the convenience store with Kang Beom-ryong. Positioned like Beom-ryong’s right-hand man, he is likely to handle both the comedy and action of a former gangster line that has adapted to reality.
Kang Young-ae / Kim Shin-rok
She is a prosecutor who heads to Yeongseon Island after learning that Han Kyung-wook and Yoo In-gu are connected to the incident from ten years ago. She could become a dependable ally to the three men.
Han Kyung-wook / Kim Sang-kyung
He is a man who built wealth and power through a criminal business colluding with North Korea. Seeking even the position of Imcheon mayor to turn Yeongseon Island into an island of crime and pleasure, he forms a powerful opposing axis.
Chairman Do / Kwon Yul
He is Han Kyung-wook’s sponsor, disguised as a glamorous businessman. He appears to symbolize the backing of power, money, and crime, placing him within the villain line that threatens the three men’s return to action.
Park Mi-kyung / Han Ji-eun
She is a police officer at the Yeongseon police substation. Although she feels disillusioned with the corrupt police organization, she preserves her sense of justice and responsibility, and her role as Kang Beom-ryong’s crush hints at comic chemistry.
Jo Sung-won / Kim Sang-ho
He is the team leader of the NIS counterintelligence investigation unit. After being driven into hiding due to a frame-up as an internal mole and a betrayal, he spends ten years concealing his identity while pursuing the truth and preparing revenge, serving as Jung Ho-myung’s ally.
Family, Organization, and Power-Line Characters
| Character | Actor | Relationship | Character Point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kwon Oran | Shin Dong-mi | Jung Ho-myung’s wife | The daughter of the Oran Chinese Restaurant family and a character who creates realistic married-couple chemistry with Ho-myung |
| President Kwon | Lee Han-wi | Owner of Oran Chinese Restaurant | A character who adds a realistic family temperature between his daughter and son-in-law |
| Yoo In-gu | Hyun Bong-sik | Leader of the Ingu gang | He grew after gaining Han Kyung-wook’s trust, but fears revenge from Beom-ryong and Gong-bok |
| Geum Gang-sik | Lee Soon-won | Number two of the Ingu gang | A character who secured his place by siding with the powerful and now eyes Yoo In-gu’s position |
| Hwang Hwa-san | Kim Byung-ok | Leader of the Hwasan gang | A character caught in the aftermath of a failed operation and betrayal after receiving a dangerous proposal from the NIS |
| Ri Cheol-jin | Jung Seok-yong | Head of North Korea’s special forces | Bulgae’s direct superior, who colludes with Han Kyung-wook and shakes up the board |
Key Relationship Map Summary
Their backgrounds as a NIS black operative, a North Korean special agent, and the number two of the Hwasan gang do not make it easy for them to become a team. They suspect and guard against one another, but in the face of the incident from ten years ago and the missing object, they have no choice but to stand on the same board.
Han Kyung-wook is a figure trying to seize control of Yeongseon Island through criminal business and political power, while Chairman Do moves beside him with the face of a businessman as his sponsor. Their collision with the three men heightens the tension of the case.
Kang Young-ae heads to Yeongseon Island in pursuit of the truth behind the incident from ten years ago. If the three men have lived while hiding their pasts, Prosecutor Kang is someone who can bring that past back out into the world.
Characters rooted in everyday places such as Oran Chinese Restaurant, the convenience store, Yeongseon Steel, and the police substation anchor the action comedy in a realistic story. That is why Fifties Professionals appears to be a work where the texture of middle-aged life comes alive, rather than simply an operation thriller.
What to Watch in Fifties Professionals
What Sets This Middle-Aged Action Comedy Apart
The protagonists are not young, flawless heroes, but middle-aged professionals whose bodies are no longer what they used to be, while their instincts and loyalty remain alive. The way laughter and action are built into the same setup is its biggest point of distinction.
The Combination of Shin Ha-kyun, Oh Jung-se, and Heo Sung-tae
All three actors move between genre work, comedy, and emotional acting. As they meet as three men with different pasts, they are expected to show conflict, cooperation, and bickering teamwork.
Director Han Dong-hwa’s Genre Direction
Director Han Dong-hwa has handled both strong genre dramas and warm human emotion. In Fifties Professionals, his direction is expected to tie together action, comedy, and emotionally grounded everyday realism.
The Incident from Ten Years Ago and the Missing Object
At the center of what sets the three men in motion again are the incident from ten years ago and the missing object. The identity of this object and the truth behind the failed operation at the time are likely to become the central mystery of the early episodes.
Checklist Before the Premiere
Remember the Three Men’s Pasts First
Jung Ho-myung comes from the NIS, Bong Je-soon from North Korean special operations, and Kang Beom-ryong from the Hwasan gang. Their current jobs may look ordinary, but once you know their pasts, even small actions take on a different meaning.
Pay Attention to Yeongseon Island as a Setting
Yeongseon Island is not just a backdrop, but the stage where the three men live in hiding and where the past returns. As an isolated island, its closed-off space is an ideal setting for action, chases, and comic situations at the same time.
Watch the Power Structure of the Villain Line
Han Kyung-wook, Chairman Do, Yoo In-gu, and Ri Cheol-jin are characters who move power and crime in different spheres. The villain line may be the side that creates a board even larger than the three men’s action.
Watch the Family and Everyday Comedy Too
Ordinary spaces such as Oran Chinese Restaurant, the convenience store, Yeongseon Steel, and the police substation appear frequently. Rather than watching only for the action, you can better understand the drama’s tone by also paying attention to its middle-aged slice-of-life texture and family comedy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. When does Fifties Professionals premiere?
A. It premieres on MBC on Friday, May 22, 2026 at 9:50 p.m.
Q. What kind of drama is Fifties Professionals?
A. It is an action comedy about three men who once made names for themselves but now live ordinary lives on Yeongseon Island, only to be set in motion again over an incident from ten years ago and a missing object.
Q. Who are the lead actors in Fifties Professionals?
A. Shin Ha-kyun plays Jung Ho-myung, Oh Jung-se plays Bong Je-soon, and Heo Sung-tae plays Kang Beom-ryong. Kim Shin-rok, Lee Hak-joo, Kim Sang-kyung, Kwon Yul, Han Ji-eun, Kim Sang-ho, Hyun Bong-sik, and others also appear as major characters.
Q. What kind of character is Jung Ho-myung?
A. He is a former NIS black operative who, after being framed following a failed operation, lives on Yeongseon Island while hiding his identity as the chef at Oran Chinese Restaurant.
Q. What kind of character is Bong Je-soon?
A. He is a former North Korean special agent nicknamed Bulgae. After an accident, he lives on Yeongseon Island as an employee at Yeongseon Steel and also has a humane side.
Q. What kind of character is Kang Beom-ryong?
A. He is the former number two of the Hwasan gang. He came to Yeongseon Island after Jung Ho-myung to recover the object that caused his organization’s downfall, but now runs a convenience store with Ma Gong-bok.
Final Thoughts
Even before its premiere, Fifties Professionals is drawing anticipation on the strength of its cast combination alone. The setup of Shin Ha-kyun, Oh Jung-se, and Heo Sung-tae becoming entangled again on Yeongseon Island while carrying pasts as a NIS black operative, a North Korean special agent, and a former gang number two is a structure well suited to creating both action and comedy.
With a solid cast including Kim Shin-rok, Lee Hak-joo, Kim Sang-kyung, Kwon Yul, Han Ji-eun, Kim Sang-ho, Hyun Bong-sik, and Shin Dong-mi joining in, the relationship map is also tightly constructed. The key points to watch in today’s premiere are how the incident from ten years ago, the missing object, each character’s past and desire for revenge, and the lived-in texture of middle age will all mix together.