JTBC has confirmed the main cast for its upcoming drama “Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness” (literal translation), starring Koo Kyo Hwan, Go Youn Jung, Oh Jung Se, Kang Mal Geum, and Park Hae Joon. The series marks the return of writer Park Hae Young, widely recognized for her work on “My Mister” and “My Liberation Notes.”
The drama centers on an individual who, surrounded by outwardly successful friends, becomes convinced that their own life will never fall into place. Consumed by anguish, envy, and jealousy, the character teeters on the edge while searching for a sense of peace and meaning amid persistent feelings of inadequacy.
Koo Kyo Hwan takes on his first leading role in a television series as Hwang Dong Man, an aspiring film director. Among the well-known film-industry gathering known as “The Eight,” Dong Man is the only one who has yet to make his debut. Hovering on the margins like an uninvited guest, he masks constant anxiety with relentless chatter and bravado.
Go Youn Jung plays Byun Eun Ah, a producer at Choi Film, nicknamed “The Ax” for her incisive script evaluations. Though she strives to remain composed and balanced in every situation, Eun Ah is quietly burdened by unresolved trauma, suffering nosebleeds whenever emotional pressure overwhelms her. Through Dong Man—who appears left behind by conventional standards yet possesses inner resilience—she begins to heal, while also transforming his sense of worthlessness into something luminous and meaningful.
Oh Jung Se portrays Park Kyung Se, a director at Gobak Film whose volatile love-hate relationship with Dong Man sharpens the drama’s tension. Despite having directed five feature films, Kyung Se is shaken after his latest project fails at the box office, plunging him into insecurity and an acute inferiority complex, particularly when confronted by Dong Man’s apparent lack of status.
Kang Mal Geum appears as Go Hye Jin, the CEO of Gobak Film and Kyung Se’s wife. She operates the restaurant that serves as The Eight’s gathering place and brings stability to the narrative, combining broad-minded composure with decisive, sometimes blunt, leadership as a producer.
Park Hae Joon plays Hwang Jin Man, Dong Man’s older brother and a former poet. Having once pursued poetry, Jin Man withdraws from society after confronting the limits of his own competence, surviving through day labor and lending the story additional emotional depth.
According to the production team, the drama explores how people stalled by feelings of worthlessness come to embrace one another’s flaws and discover room to breathe for the first time. By confronting universal emotions such as envy and jealousy head-on, the series aims to deliver both piercing relatability and quiet comfort. “Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness” is scheduled to premiere in the first half of 2026.
