Go Youn-jung, the star of the recent Netflix series “Can This Love Be Translated?”, has been confirmed for the main cast of writer Park Hae-young‘s upcoming JTBC drama. The show, titled “Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness”, is scheduled to premiere in the first half of 2026 and will be available for global streaming on Netflix. This casting news confirms Go Youn-jung’s next major project following her successful romantic comedy debut.
Cast and Character Details
The drama brings together a powerful ensemble cast led by Koo Kyo-hwan and Go Youn-jung. They are joined by veteran actors Oh Jung-se, Kang Mal-geum, and Park Hae-joon.
Koo Kyo-hwan takes on his first leading role in a television drama as Hwang Dong-man. He is an aspiring film director who is the only member of a famous film circle, “The Eight,” yet to make his debut. He masks his constant anxiety with relentless talking and bravado.
Go Youn-jung transforms into Byun Eun-ah, a producer at the film company Choi Film. Nicknamed “The Axe” for her sharp script reviews, Eun-ah strives for calm but battles personal trauma, suffering physical reactions like nosebleeds when emotionally overloaded.
Oh Jung-se plays Park Kyung-se, a successful director at Gobak Film. After his latest movie fails at the box office, he is shaken by a deep inferiority complex and develops a tense, love-hate relationship with Hwang Dong-man.
Kang Mal-geum is Go Hye-jin, the CEO of Gobak Film and Kyung-se’s wife. She runs the restaurant that serves as the hideout for “The Eight,” providing a steady, leadership presence for the group.
Park Hae-joon joins as Hwang Jin-man, Dong-man’s older brother and a former poet. Having hit rock bottom, he now drifts between manual labor jobs, adding a layer of shared pain and kinship to the story.
Writer and Director
The project marks the highly anticipated return of writer Park Hae-young, who is celebrated for creating the critically acclaimed dramas “My Mister” and “My Liberation Notes”. Her writing is known for its deep exploration of human emotions and everyday struggles.
Directing is Cha Young-hoon, who previously helmed the hit series “When the Camellia Blooms” and “Welcome to Samdal-ri”. His style is noted for its warmth and ability to portray solidarity among ordinary people. The collaboration between Park’s insightful writing and Cha’s gentle direction has generated significant excitement.
Storyline and Themes
“Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness” follows the journey of a person who, surrounded by successful friends, believes they are the only one whose life is not working out. Consumed by anguish, envy, and jealousy, the protagonist searches for a way to find inner peace.
The drama uses “anxiety” as a central theme, aiming to reflect a universal modern emotion. It seeks to offer what the production team describes as a “green light in life” for viewers who feel halted by their own sense of worthlessness.
The production team stated, “‘Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness’ focuses on the process of people who have come to a stop in the face of worthlessness embracing one anotherโs deficiencies and, for the first time in their lives, finding room to breathe.” They added, “By transparently confronting universal emotions such as envy and jealousy rather than denying them, we hope to deliver both intense empathy and warm comfort to viewers.”
Release Date and Streaming Info
The drama is scheduled to air on the JTBC network in South Korea during the first half of 2026. While an exact premiere date has not been announced, filming began in October 2025.
Internationally, the series will be available for streaming on Netflix. It is expected to arrive on the platform shortly after its Korean broadcast, making it accessible to a global audience.
Production Background
Principal photography for the drama commenced in October 2025. The official casting confirmations were announced in January 2026, solidifying the star-studded lineup.
The drama is a production collaboration between Studio Phoenix, SLL, and Studio Flow. This team is behind some of South Korea’s most notable television projects, ensuring a high production standard.
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Fan Reactions
News of the casting has sparked positive reactions from fans online. Many have expressed excitement about seeing Go Youn-jung in a new, complex role following “Can This Love Be Translated?” and are eager for the reunion of writer Park Hae-young and director Cha Young-hoon.
On social media, fans have already begun organizing support for the cast, including sending coffee trucks to the filming set. Posts about the drama and its cast have been widely shared, building early buzz for the 2026 premiere.
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