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What is We Are All Trying Here? The JTBC drama's plot, cast, air dates, ratings, Netflix availability and awards

The JTBC 12-episode drama 모두가 자신의 무가치함과 싸우고 있다, released internationally as We Are All Trying Here, written by Park Hae-young of My Mister and starring Koo Kyo-hwan and Go Youn-jung: its plot and roles, April–May 2026 broadcast run and ratings, Netflix chart position, ending and the October Korea Drama Awards win for best drama — supported by press coverage and Netflix's official listing.

We Are All Trying Here is the English title of the JTBC weekend drama 모두가 자신의 무가치함과 싸우고 있다 — literally "Everyone Is Fighting Their Own Worthlessness," and shortened in Korea to Mojamussa. Written by Park Hae-young (My Mister, My Liberation Notes) and directed by Cha Young-hoon (When the Camellia Blooms), the 12-episode series aired from April 18 to May 24, 2026, Saturdays at 10:40 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 p.m. Koo Kyo-hwan plays Hwang Dong-man, who has spent 20 years trying to debut as a film director, and Go Youn-jung plays Byeon Eun-a, a producer at a film company.

It opened at 2.2% (Nielsen Korea, paid households) and closed at 5.3%, and reached No. 1 on Netflix's Top 10 series chart in Korea within two episodes. On October 10, 2026 it won best drama at the 17th Korea Drama Awards. Common questions are answered below, with a source number on every claim.

Koo Kyo-hwan on May 20, 2026, while the drama was on air.
Koo Kyo-hwan on May 20, 2026, while the drama was on air.Republic of Korea, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
First teaser from JTBC Drama's official channel (March 2026).JTBC Drama · official channel · YouTube
ActorRoleAs described in reports
Koo Kyo-hwanHwang Dong-manA member of the "Group of Eight" former university film-club members who has spent 20 years trying to debut as a director; he has written 14 screenplays without getting one made. Koo's first lead role in a TV drama.1,4,9,22
Go Youn-jungByeon Eun-aA planning producer at the film company Choi Film who carries childhood trauma and becomes a stabilizing presence in Dong-man's life.1,4,5,11
Oh Jung-sePark Gyeong-seA film director and fellow member of the Group of Eight, outwardly successful but gnawed by inferiority.6,16
Kang Mal-geumGo Hye-jinHead of a film company and Gyeong-se's wife; in episode 8 she decides to produce Dong-man's screenplay "날씨를 만들어드립니다" (roughly, "We Make the Weather for You").5,10
Park Hae-joonHwang Jin-manDong-man's older brother, who begins writing poetry again in the finale.5,6,13
Han Sun-hwaJang Mi-ranA top actress.4,5
Bae Jong-ok, Sung Dong-ilSupporting castListed among the cast in finale coverage.13

What is We Are All Trying Here?

It is the English title of the JTBC drama 모두가 자신의 무가치함과 싸우고 있다, which Korean media shorten to Mojamussa. The casting of Koo Kyo-hwan, Go Youn-jung, Oh Jung-se, Kang Mal-geum and Park Hae-joon was confirmed on January 20, 2026, and the press conference was held at the Stanford Hotel in Sangam, Mapo-gu, Seoul on April 17. It premiered on Saturday, April 18 at 10:40 p.m., with Sunday episodes at 10:30 p.m., and ran for 12 episodes until May 24. An April 8 report announced a collaboration with the Space-Out Competition scheduled for April 14 at Gwanghwamun's Yukjo Madang in Seoul, with cast members expected to visit. It also streams on Netflix.

1,2,3,5,7,16

What is it about?

It follows a man who, alone among his successful friends, cannot catch a break and must find peace while wrestling with envy and anxiety. Hwang Dong-man is the one member of the "Group of Eight," a group of former university film-club members, who has never debuted, and has spent 20 years trying; according to the Korea Times he has written 14 screenplays without getting a single one made. Byeon Eun-a, a producer at a film company, enters his life and becomes his support. At the press conference, director Cha Young-hoon said the story offers reassurance that failure and frustration are shared experiences, rather than following its protagonist to success as a director of a film with ten million admissions. Korea JoongAng Daily, quoting the director, described it as "a 12-hour emotional massage."

1,3,4,5,9,11,22
Second teaser introducing Hwang Dong-man (Koo Kyo-hwan), March 2026.JTBC Drama · official channel · YouTube

Who is in the cast, and who do they play?

Koo Kyo-hwan plays Hwang Dong-man and Go Youn-jung plays Byeon Eun-a; it is Koo's first lead role in a TV drama. Oh Jung-se plays Park Gyeong-se, a director and fellow member of the Group of Eight; Kang Mal-geum plays Go Hye-jin, head of a film company and Gyeong-se's wife; Park Hae-joon plays Dong-man's older brother Hwang Jin-man; and Han Sun-hwa plays the top actress Jang Mi-ran. Finale coverage also listed Bae Jong-ok, Sung Dong-il and Moon Ji-won among the cast. In a post-finale interview Oh Jung-se described Park Gyeong-se as a man who looks successful but is tormented by inferiority. The table above summarizes each role.

1,4,5,6,10,13,16
Go Youn-jung at a photo call on May 26, 2026, two days after the finale.
Go Youn-jung at a photo call on May 26, 2026, two days after the finale.K-POPit 티비텐, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Who wrote and directed it?

The screenplay is by Park Hae-young, who wrote My Mister and My Liberation Notes, and the director is Cha Young-hoon, who made When the Camellia Blooms and Welcome to Samdal-ri. At the press conference Go Youn-jung said it felt unreal that Park "wanted to write me into this," and Koo Kyo-hwan said that the more time he spent with the script, the more Dong-man felt like someone who actually existed.

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How did it do in ratings and on Netflix?

Episode 1 (April 18) drew 2.2% nationwide among paid households, per Nielsen Korea. Episode 8 on May 10 set a then-high of 3.9% nationwide and 4.5% in the Seoul metropolitan area; episode 11 on May 23 drew 4.1% nationwide and 4.5% in the capital region; and the finale on May 24 set series highs of 5.3% nationwide and 6.0% in the capital region. On Netflix it reached No. 1 on the "Top 10 Series in Korea Today" chart on April 20–21, after only two episodes, and ranked second in Good Data Corporation's FUNdex TV-OTT drama buzz for the third week of April. Korea JoongAng Daily's May 5 report put its TV ratings at around 2% as of April 29 and also reported that it had topped Netflix's Korean series chart.

6,7,8,9,10,12,13,23

How does it end? (Spoilers)

In the finale Hwang Dong-man apologizes to Park Gyeong-se after their falling-out, gets his chance to debut, finishes the film as he promised ("I'll debut and come back at your level") and, within the story, wins best new director at the Korean Film Awards. Byeon Eun-a's nosebleeds stop the moment she realizes "I am someone who cannot be killed by your words." Hwang Jin-man starts writing poetry again, and Park Gyeong-se's marriage steadies. Newsis summed it up as an ending in which each character gets past an inner wound in their own way.

13,14

What awards has it won, and what came after the finale?

On October 10, 2026 it won best drama at the 17th Korea Drama Awards, held at the Gyeongnam Culture and Arts Center. The same month the 21st Seoul International Drama Awards named it an Outstanding Korean Drama and gave Koo Kyo-hwan the Outstanding Korean Actor award. In comments published by the Korea Herald right after the finale, Koo said that reading viewers' reviews made him feel "a part of me exists there too." Colony, starring Koo, was selected for the Midnight Screenings at Cannes in 2026. The Korea Herald's June 4 report listed Gardeners with Song Kang-ho and White Blast with Kim Yun-seok among his upcoming projects, and described Your Country as a film co-directed with Lee Ok-seop. On October 12 writer Park Hae-young joined a press conference by six creators' groups, including the broadcast writers' association, saying global streaming platforms had "pressured creators to hand over their copyrights," and called for a copyright-law amendment establishing a right to fair compensation.

15,17,18,19,20
Go Youn-jung at the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards on July 31, 2026.
Go Youn-jung at the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards on July 31, 2026.K-POPIT 케이팝잇, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Koo Kyo-hwan at a press preview for another project on September 16, 2026.
Koo Kyo-hwan at a press preview for another project on September 16, 2026.K-POPIT 케이팝잇, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Where can I watch it?

It aired on JTBC in Korea and also streams on Netflix; both the Korea Herald and Korea JoongAng Daily reported the Netflix release. Availability varies by country, so checking the title on Netflix in your region is the most reliable way to confirm.

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English-subtitled trailer from the official Netflix K-Content channel (March 30, 2026).Netflix K-Content · official channel · YouTube

Which companies produced the drama?

The production companies are Studio Phoenix, SLL and Studio Flow. All three are credited in coverage published on April 8 and April 22, 2026.

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Further reading

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Sources

  1. press 뉴스1 (다음 전재), 구교환·고윤정, '나의 해방일지' 작가 신작 '모자무싸' 주인공, 2026-01-20
  2. press OSEN (다음 전재), 구교환·고윤정도 멍 때리러 온다…'모자무싸' 멍 때리기 대회 14일 개최, 2026-04-08
  3. press 스타뉴스, "사이다 없지만"..'모자무싸' 박해영 작가, 구교환→고윤정과 전할 '작은 위로' [종합] | 스타뉴스, 2026-04-17
  4. press 뉴스1 (다음 전재), 구교환·고윤정 만난 '모자무싸'…팍팍한 삶 속 전할 위로(종합), 2026-04-17
  5. press 코리아헤럴드, Koo Kyo-hwan, Go Youn-jung talk 'We Are All Trying Here,' a drama about a man eaten alive by envy, 2026-04-17
  6. press TV리포트, 시청률 '2.2%' 잔잔한 출발→'실존적 공포' 관통하며 공감 이끌어낸 韓 드라마 ('모자무싸'), 2026-04-20
  7. press 엑스포츠뉴스, 코피 흘리는 고윤정, 2회 만에 찢었다, 넷플릭스 1위...'모자무싸' 왜 다들 빠졌나, 역시 박해영 작가, 2026-04-22
  8. press 스포츠경향 (다음 전재), ‘모자무싸’ 글로벌 1위…박해영X차영훈의 화려한 귀환, 2026-04-22
  9. press 코리아중앙데일리, New JTBC drama 'We Are All Trying Here' reminds audience 'you're not alone', 2026-05-05
  10. press 스포츠경향, ‘모자무싸’ 강말금이 도박했다! 시청률이 뛰었다, 2026-05-11
  11. press 코리아타임스, [REVIEW] 'We Are All Trying Here' answers fear of worthlessness - The Korea Times, 2026-05-11
  12. press 머니투데이, '모자무싸' 고윤정과 시청자도 힐링시킨 구교환의 코미디...시청률 4.1% [종합] - 머니투데이, 2026-05-24
  13. press 뉴시스, 구교환·고윤정의 찬란한 성장…'모자무싸' 5.3%로 종영, 2026-05-25
  14. press 엑스포츠뉴스, 종영 '모자무싸', 구교환 신인감독상 수상…고윤정은 코피 멈췄다 '5.3%' 유종의 미 [종합], 2026-05-25
  15. press 코리아헤럴드, ‘We Are All Trying Here’ cast reflects on worthlessness, healing following finale, 2026-05-26
  16. press 더팩트 (다음 전재), [TF인터뷰] 오정세, '무가치함'보단 스스로를 믿는 마음, 2026-05-28
  17. press 코리아헤럴드, The man of the moment: What's next for Koo Kyo-hwan?, 2026-06-04
  18. press 코리아헤럴드, 2026 Seoul International Drama Awards kick off to celebrate TV excellence, 2026-10-08
  19. press 뉴스엔, 박해수, 코리아드라마어워즈 대상 영예‥작품상은 ‘모자무싸’, 2026-10-12
  20. press 연합뉴스, '모자무싸' 박해영 등 창작자들 "정당한 보상 위해 저작권법 개정해야" | 연합뉴스, 2026-10-12
  21. press 스포츠동아, 구교환 혼자 못났다, 영화 8인회 구성 보니…화려 (모자무싸), 2026-03-25
  22. press iMBC연예, '모자무싸' 구교환, 신인감독상 수상…자체 최고 6% 유종의 미, 2026-05-25
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“What is We Are All Trying Here? The JTBC drama's plot, cast, air dates, ratings, Netflix availability and awards.” Hallyu Wiki. https://hallyu.wiki/en/guides/we-are-all-trying-here-explained/ (Retrieved 2026-10-21).

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