What Is Next Sohee About?
The premise of Next Sohee in 313 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a bustling Korean city where corporate ambition collides with youthful aspiration, a high‑school student who spends her free time dancing finds herself thrust into the world of call‑center labor. Sohee lands an externship at Human & Net, a service hub for a major telecom, and quickly discovers that the glossy promise of career experience masks a relentless drive for sales and a culture that pushes its workers to their limits.
The call‑center itself feels like a pressure‑cooked stage, its bright fluorescent lights and tightly scripted conversations contrasting sharply with the quiet desperation of the staff. Within this environment, Junho, a manager who tries to soften the harshness for his team, offers a rare glimpse of empathy, while a new, results‑obsessed supervisor emphasizes relentless targets. The daily rhythm is punctuated by demanding customers, endless performance metrics, and an ever‑present sense that every call is a test of endurance rather than a genuine effort to help.
Sohee navigates this uneasy balance, wrestling with the clash between her spirited love of dance and the grinding demands of the job. She begins to question the fairness of the system that treats interns as expendable tools, and her growing awareness sets the stage for a deeper internal conflict. The atmosphere is tense, tinged with melancholy, and the polished corporate veneer often feels hollow against the personal struggles playing out behind each headset.
When a tragic loss shakes the community, Yoojin, a determined female detective, steps in to investigate the circumstances surrounding the high‑school girl’s death and the shadowy practices that may have contributed to it. Her inquiry peels back layers of institutional pressure, exposing the stark contrast between the city’s sleek modernity and the hidden toll it exacts on vulnerable individuals. The film unfolds with a sober, immersive tone, inviting viewers to contemplate the unseen costs of unchecked ambition and the fragile humanity caught in its wake.
What Happens in Next Sohee?
The complete story of Next Sohee, from the first scene to the last, in 659 words (about 3 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 1 cast member page.
Spoilers ahead
Sohee, Kim Si-eun, a high school student who loves dancing in her spare time, is called in by one of her teachers who informs her that he has finally managed to secure an externship at a company called Human and Net, one of the many call centers for S-Plus Korea Telecom (a fictional telecommunications company). Before starting her externship, Sohee attends a training session that turns out to be makeup lessons as well as body shaming of the trainees. Once starting her externship, Sohee quickly learns that the primary aim of the company is not to help customers who want to cancel their services or troubleshoot issues, but to boost and sustain sales of S-Plus’s subscription services. The guidance she receives is to stall customers as much as possible so they eventually change their minds and stay with the services or buy additional offerings.
Throughout the externship, Sohee endures verbal abuse from rude customers who yell and swear at her, including an incident where a customer insinuates sexual assault, which pushes her to lash back in anger. She also notices how the company exploits its temporary workers by underpaying them, using the extern status as a justification. Team meetings become regular reminders that she must be among the top performers, otherwise she’ll face consequences. The atmosphere is tense, competitive, and merciless, with targets always looming over the trainees.
Junho, Sohee’s manager, stands out as the one person who seems to understand and support the workers as much as he can. Then one day, while walking to work, Sohee discovers Junho’s body in his car outside the company’s parking lot. The scene implies suicide by self-inflicted carbon monoxide poisoning. It later emerges that Junho felt guilty about the exploitation of externs and had sent whistleblower complaint letters to upper management, only to have them ignored.
A new female manager takes over and she is intensely focused on upping sales. She pressures Sohee to sign a form that rebukes Junho’s claims, a move Sohee signs reluctantly. At a company dinner, Sohee fights with another extern who resents her for doing so well and, as a result, raises the bar for everyone. After again receiving only partial pay despite meeting sales targets, Sohee shifts her attention to processing customer requests to cancel subscriptions rather than pressuring people to buy more. The new manager witnesses this shift and reprimands Sohee, who then speaks out about the blatant exploitation of externs and the underpayments. The manager mocks her for being poor and always chasing money, and in a moment of anger Sohee strikes the manager, landing her on three days of unpaid disciplinary leave.
While on leave and grappling with the guilt of signing the questionable claims about Junho, Sohee drinks with a friend, and in a moment of despair, she slits her wrists and is hospitalized. She asks to quit the externship, but her teacher rebukes her and urges her to return to work. Overwhelmed by the possibility of returning to the call center and still recovering from the night, Sohee, now slightly intoxicated, chooses to end her life by jumping into a reservoir.
The second half of the film follows the investigations led by detective Yoojin into Sohee’s suicide, along with a renewed inquiry into Junho’s death, which uncovers further details about Human and Net’s labor violations and the school’s role in placing externs to meet employment quotas. Across the examinations, the institutions often blame Sohee for her own death, characterizing her as undisciplined and hot-tempered. Yoojin attempts to pursue legal action against the companies and the school, but faces pressure from her superiors to drop the case, leaving the truth muddied and unresolved. The film closes with Yoojin watching an old video recording of Sohee practicing a dance routine—the only video left on Sohee’s phone before she turned it off and died—leaving viewers to wonder whether any real changes to safety practices or working conditions ever come about after Sohee’s death.
Next Sohee Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
15 key events in the order they happen, from “Externship offered and onboarding begins” to “Ending: memory and ambiguity about change”. 15 events name a place, across 14 locations.
- 1
Externship offered and onboarding begins
A teacher informs Sohee that he has secured an externship at Human and Net. She prepares to start the placement and balances it with school life, hopeful for real-world experience. The opportunity marks the start of a troubling journey into the company's labor practices.
When:Pre-externship Where:Human and Net offices
- 2
Training day reveals makeup lessons and body shaming
Sohee attends a training session that turns out to be makeup lessons, during which trainees also face body shaming. The session hints at the dehumanizing atmosphere awaiting the externs. The experience sets a negative tone for the externship.
When:Onboarding Where:Human and Net training room
- 3
First day on the floor: sales-focused objectives
On starting externship, Sohee learns the main goal is to boost sales of S-Plus services rather than helping customers who want to cancel or face issues. She is told to stall customers to increase the likelihood they will stay or buy more.
When:Day 1 Where:Call center floor
- 4
Verbal abuse and a disturbing insinuation
Sohee endures rude customers who yell and swear at her. One customer insinuates a sexual act, testing her temper and resilience.
When:During externship Where:Call center floor
- 5
Regular reprimands for not being top performer
Sohee attends team meetings where workers are reprimanded for not achieving top performance. The environment reinforces a culture of pressure and humiliation.
When:Ongoing Where:Meeting room, call center
- 6
Junho's death discovered outside the building
Sohee walks to work and finds Junho dead in his car in the company parking lot. It is implied he killed himself through carbon monoxide poisoning. He had previously attempted to blow the whistle on labor exploitation but was ignored.
When:Mid-externship Where:Company parking lot
- 7
New manager and the form rebuking Junho's claims
A new female manager takes over and prioritizes sales. She pressures Sohee to sign a form rebuking Junho's complaints, and Sohee reluctantly signs.
When:After Junho's death Where:Call center / office
- 8
Company dinner sparks further tension
At a company dinner, Sohee clashes with another extern who blames her for hitting sales targets, adding pressure on everyone. The atmosphere reveals the cracked morale among the externs.
When:Following the signing of the form Where:Company dining hall
- 9
Underpayment persists despite sales
Sohee continues to be underpaid despite meeting sales targets. She starts shifting focus to processing cancellations rather than pushing more sales.
When:Post-dinner Where:Call center
- 10
Confrontation leads to punishment
The manager reprimands Sohee for not boosting sales and mocks her for being money-minded. In a heated moment, Sohee hits the manager and is placed on three days of unpaid disciplinary leave.
When:After confrontation Where:Office / Call center
Show the other 5 events of Next Sohee Hide the last 5 events
- 11
Guilt over signing the form fuels self-harm
While on leave and tormented by the idea that Junho's claims were false, Sohee injures herself by slitting her wrists during a night out and is hospitalized. The incident marks a turning point in her mental state.
When:During leave Where:Hospital
- 12
Sohee contemplates quitting; teacher's response
Sohee requests to quit the externship, but her teacher scolds her and urges her to return to work. The lack of support deepens her sense of entrapment.
When:After hospitalization Where:School/teacher's guidance office
- 13
Sohee's suicide by reservoir
Depressed and exhausted, Sohee ends her life by jumping into a reservoir after a night out with friends. The tragedy underscores the toll of exploitative work conditions.
When:After night out Where:Reservoir
- 14
Investigation and aftermath
The second half follows detective Yoojin as she reinvestigates Sohee's death and Junho's, uncovering labor violations at Human and Net and the school's unsafe externship practices. She faces resistance from superiors who want to shelve the case. The investigation reveals systemic abuses behind the tragedy.
When:Post-tragedy Where:Police department / investigative environment
- 15
Ending: memory and ambiguity about change
The detective pursues legal action against the institutions, but the film shows the weight of systemic neglect and the closing image is Yoojin watching an old video of Sohee practicing a dance, hinting at what might have been.
When:Ending Where:Police filing / memory scene
Who Are the Main Characters in Next Sohee?
4 characters, among them Sohee (Kim Si-eun), Yoo-jin (Bae Doona) and Newcomer Team Manager (Choi Hee-jin): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- S(
Sohee (Kim Si-eun)
Played by Kim Si-eun
A high school student who loves dancing and takes an externship at a call center. She endures verbal abuse, underpayment, and moral conflict as she witnesses the company’s prioritization of sales over service. Her resilience is tested as she confronts exploitation and personal danger.
- 🧑🎓 Student
- 💪 Resilient
- 🗣️ Advocate
- Y(
Yoo-jin (Bae Doona)
Played by Bae Doona
A female detective investigating Sohee’s death and the broader abuses at Human and Net. She pursues accountability against both the company and the school, facing resistance and mounting pressure from her superiors. Her persistence drives the investigation and the search for truth.
- 🕵️♀️ Detective
- 🧭 Investigator
- 🎯 Pursuing justice
- NT
Newcomer Team Manager (Choi Hee-jin)
Played by Choi Hee-jin
A new manager who pushes aggressive sales targets and pressures externs to perform. She embodies the corporate drive for revenue at the expense of workers’ well-being and uses reprimands to control the team.
- 👔 Manager
- 💼 Sales-driven
- 🗣️ Authoritative
- SF
Sohee's Father (Kim Yong-jun)
Played by Kim Yong-jun
Family member mentioned in relation to Sohee's background. The film references the personal life and concern of Sohee, illustrating the domestic context surrounding the external pressures she faces.
- 👨 Father
- 🏠 Family
- 💬 Supportive
Where and When Is Next Sohee Set?
Next Sohee is set in Human and Net call center, S-Plus Korea Telecom offices, Sohee's high school (Present-day). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Present-day
The events unfold in contemporary times, reflecting current labor practices in South Korea’s service industry. The narrative covers a school semester, externship processes, and subsequent investigations, all within a modern urban backdrop.
Where
Human and Net call center, S-Plus Korea Telecom offices, Sohee's high school
The story centers on a call center environment tied to S-Plus Korea Telecom, with key action taking place inside the Human and Net offices. The corporate setting serves as a pressure cooker for trainee externs and employees alike, highlighting who profits and who bears the costs. Sohee's high school externship placement also factors into the critique of how young people are placed into exploitative work settings.
- 🏢 Corporate offices
- 🏫 Education
- 🚗 Parking lot
What Are the Themes of Next Sohee?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Labor Exploitation, Mental Health & Pressure and Accountability & Whistleblowing.
-
01
Labor Exploitation
The externship program reveals underpayment, pressure to meet aggressive sales targets, and a culture that prizes revenue over worker welfare. Sohee and her peers endure verbal abuse and coercive practices that blur ethical boundaries. The film critiques corporate systems that monetize workers’ time and compliance.
-
02
Mental Health & Pressure
Sohee faces relentless stress and manipulation within a high-pressure environment, illustrating the toll on mental health. The escalating strain culminates in a tragic outcome, underscoring the emotional cost of abusive workplace cultures. The narrative also shows how family and friends are affected by these pressures.
-
03
Accountability & Whistleblowing
Yoojin’s investigation exposes systemic labor-law violations and the school’s role in placing students in exploitative externships. The film questions the effectiveness of whistleblowing amid managerial pushback and organizational inertia. It advocates for legal and institutional accountability to protect workers and students.
What Kind of Film Is Next Sohee?
Bleak in tone, with steady pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Bleak
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Straightforward
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bleak
A steady and oppressive thriller that immerses the viewer in the crushing despair of workplace exploitation, leading to a bleak investigation that offers little resolution or hope.
- oppressive
- anxious
- somber
- despairing
- gritty
- frustrating
- workplace exploitation
- suicide
- police investigation
- critique of capitalism
Content notes: suicide, workplace bullying, verbal abuse, self harm, exploitation.
Quiz
How well do you remember Next Sohee? Test yourself on the story.
