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Koo Kyo-hwan said he had an unsettling first impression of the script for Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness, and that comment has only heightened curiosity about what lies behind it.
The new JTBC weekend drama Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness (hereafter MoJaMuSsa), which premieres April 18, follows a man who, isolated among once-successful friends, becomes consumed by envy and jealousy as he searches for inner peace. Acclaimed actor Koo Kyo-hwan stars as Hwang Dong-man, a character who’s been stuck in place for 20 years while his peers rise to prominence. Koo says the script’s depth surprised him, and he praised his on-screen chemistry with co-star Go Yoon-jung.
Hwang Dong-man watched people who once shared his dream of making films debut brilliantly as producers, PDs and directors, while he remained trapped in the role of a perpetual hopeful. That frozen period layered intense anxiety on him; to erase his sense of worthlessness, he attempts to talk his way through life. His goal isn’t grand fame—he simply wants to make one film to chip away at that self-loathing. His desperate bid to reach a state free from anxiety makes his struggle all the more poignant.
After reading the script, Koo summed up his first encounter with Hwang in a single, arresting line: “It felt like my diary had been leaked.” By the time he finished, he said, “I felt like I’d secretly read all of our diaries,” praising writer Park Hae-young’s ability to expose people’s private, hidden sides without restraint. Koo cited a line from Hwang that struck him: “That’s the kind of guy I am. If someone shows me the slightest favor, I’ll give them my liver and gall. Why should I be nice to people who hate me? I’m like litmus paper—if someone’s acidic, so am I. If someone’s alkaline, so am I.” He found it uncanny that phrases he uses in daily life flowed naturally from the character’s mouth.
That eerie overlap between Koo’s real speech habits and the script suggests he hasn’t simply acted as Hwang Dong-man—he has embodied him. Park Hae-young’s probing, often tender view of life, filtered through Koo’s singular presence, promises a vivid authenticity that will be compelling to watch on screen.
Another key draw is Koo’s chemistry with Go Yoon-jung, who plays film company planning producer (PD) Byeon Eun-ah. Koo explained their dynamic: Eun-ah helps Hwang accurately read his emotions and provides him with a sense of safety. After years of masking his worthlessness with nonstop chatter, Koo says, Hwang meets Eun-ah and finally stops the noisy monologues, finding the courage to confront his anxious inner self.
About their emotional rapport, Koo—born in 1982—praised Go—born in 1996—for blending an innocent, unaffected charm with a mature warmth that embraces others. “The more I watch her, the more amazed and fond I become,” he said. He especially lauded her economy of expression, noting she can “deliver sentences with her eyes” without speaking. He recalled scenes where Hwang dominates the dialogue while Eun-ah listens; afterward, he said, he felt as if Go’s voice still filled the room. The chemistry between these two rising talents already feels intimate and raises expectations for the series.
MoJaMuSsa unites writer Park Hae-young—who has a talent for turning raw, low emotions into eloquent lines—with director Cha Young-hoon, noted for capturing extraordinary solidarity among ordinary people and delivering warm humanism. Framed around the universal modern emotion of anxiety, the series aims to turn on a “green light” for those stalled by feelings of worthlessness, making it one of the most anticipated Korean dramas of the first half of 2026. JTBC premieres MoJaMuSsa on Saturday, April 18, at 10:40 PM.
So-jeong Lee, TenAsia reporter
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