The series is based on the webtoon of the same name by Yoon Tae-ho, which was serialized on Daum from January 2012 to August 2013, and was nicknamed the updated 'TV Art of War'.

The show was originally planned to air on a terrestrial network, but the deal fell through because producers were told they 'had to insist on a love line', which did not fit the story's tone.

Im Si-wan reprised his role as protagonist Jang Geu-rae, having already played the character in an earlier film adaptation, Incomplete Life: Prequel (2013).

Misaeng was the first Korean drama to film on location in Jordan, where Im Si-wan and Lee Sung-min shot the series's prologue in Amman, Petra, and Wadi Rum.

The fictional company One International, where the story is set, was modeled on the real company Daewoo International.

Real-life professional Go players Cho Hun-hyun and Yoo Chang-hyuk appeared as themselves in a cameo in episode 3.

The series became a cultural phenomenon in South Korea and recorded unusually high viewership ratings for a cable network program.

The show swept numerous awards, including Best Drama at the 9th Cable TV Broadcasting Awards, the Directing Award for Kim Won-seok at the 51st Baeksang Arts Awards, and a Special Award for Overseas Programming at the 9th Tokyo Drama Awards.