Often, series use videos or even appearances by real politicians to contextualize historical events. A Korean series did it quite differently: With Merkel and Obama, they showed how important the fictional main character is.
Which series is it? On TikTok, the user ohsassy.life posts an obscure discovery she made while watching a K-drama. In the series What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?, she finds former Chancellor Angela Merkel and seemingly former President Barack Obama, along with one of the main characters from the series.
A lot of effort for this guest appearance
was probably not made.
Photoshop – The Friend and Helper
What kind of guest appearance is this? In the 14th episode of What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?, the secretary, played by Park Min-young, looks at a file about Lee Young-joon, played by Park Seo-joon. In it, she finds a photo of him that is supposed to show his influence and power.
In the photo, he stands in the middle with a politician who seems to be Obama, and in the foreground on the right is Merkel. Surrounding them are other suit-wearers with glasses in hand. You can see the photo here:
This is clearly Photoshop. Even though we could not find the original image, one can infer from the clothing and background that this picture originates from the state banquet at the White House on June 7, 2011. You can find matching pictures, for example, on Getty Images.
What is What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? even about? The series is from 2018 and focuses on Kim Mi-so, who has worked for Lee Young-joon for nine years. He is the vice president of a company and a rather arrogant type who knows how much influence he has.
One day, Kim Mi-so wants to quit, and Lee Young-joon realizes not only that he needs her for his daily life, but he also has feelings for the woman he has known since childhood. The series is available on Rakuten Viki, a free streaming service mainly funded by advertisements.
What obscure politician or celebrity appearances do you remember from series or films? Feel free to tell us in the comments. An unusual appearance was also made by politician Robert Habeck in 2025: Ten years ago, LeFloid had to deal with Merkel – Now, Habeck sits at the tile table of HandOfBlood before 50,000 viewers on Twitch
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