▲ Koo Kyo-hwan and Go Youn-jung pose for photos at a press conference for JTBC's upcoming series "We Are All Trying Here" in Seoul on April 17, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ Director Cha Young-hoon speaks at a press conference for JTBC's upcoming series "We Are All Trying Here" in Seoul on April 17, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ The cast pose for photos at a press conference for JTBC's upcoming series "We Are All Trying Here" in Seoul on April 17, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ A poster for "We Are All Trying Here" is seen in this image provided by JTBC. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

TV series-press conference

'We Are All Trying Here' finds healing in struggle for self-worth everyone secretly carries

By Woo Jae-yeon

SEOUL, April 17 (Yonhap) -- Park Hae-young, the acclaimed writer behind "My Mister" and "My Liberation Notes" is back, this time with yet another tender story about the quiet courage it takes to tell someone that they matter, and the profound healing that follows when they finally allow themselves to believe it.

JTBC's upcoming television series, "We Are All Trying Here," follows Dong-man (Koo Kyo-hwan), an aspiring filmmaker desperately waiting for his directorial debut, all the while quietly being certain that life is passing him by.

His life begins to change when he crosses paths with Eun-ah (Go Youn-jung), a producer with a keen instinct for compelling stories and a past she hasn't fully made peace with.

Drawn together by what they recognize in each other, the two begin to gently unravel the jealousy, inadequacy and old wounds they've long carried alone.

At a press conference in Seoul on Friday, director Cha Young-hoon, known for his previous works "When the Camellia Blooms" and "Welcome to Samdal-ri," said he strove to capture the finest nuance of every line exactly as written in the script.

"I did not want to miss a single word," he said. "I wanted to express something even greater than the feeling I received from it, and I believe the cast felt the same," he said of the resolve of everyone involved to bring the writer's intentions to life as faithfully as possible.

The drama, he said, is not a tale of an underdog clawing his way to success, but a journey of overcoming one's own sense of worthlessness through the simple, transformative act of being seen and embraced by another person.

"The drama offers warm words of reassurance," he said, "that you are not alone in carrying feelings of frustration, shame and self-contempt, and that if you hold on, they will eventually pass."

Actor Koo recalled his excitement upon reading the script and his eagerness to take on the role. "I remember thinking, 'So a moment like this can actually come to me too,'" he said. "I was so thrilled."

He described Bong-man as an ordinary man who could be living right next door. "The story unfolds against the backdrop of the film industry, but at its heart, it is really about you," he said.

Better known for his work on the big screen, the actor noted this is his first TV series in which he has had the opportunity to portray a single person's life with such depth and over such an extended period of time.

"I still feel as though I am in the middle of shooting," he said. "With past roles, saying goodbye to the character always came naturally, but with Dong-man, that hasn't been so easy."

The drama also weaves together the distinct stories of its supporting characters, each rendered with the same emotional depth and care that has made the writer's previous works so deeply resonant with audiences.

The 12-episode series is set to premiere at 10:40 p.m. on Saturday on JTBC. It will be available on Netflix and Tving as well.

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