K-actress Go Youn-jung on navigating stardom and anxiety as her career soars

SEOUL – Go Youn-jung’s character enters the Netflix series Can This Love Be Translated? under circumstances few romcom protagonists ever face.

An actress who had long hovered on the margins of the industry, Mu-hee (Go) plunges into a six-month coma after an on-set accident.

When she wakes, she discovers that the film she was shooting has become an unexpected blockbuster and that her prolonged absence has only amplified public fascination. Overnight, she finds herself at the top of the profession she once struggled to break into.

What follows is not triumph but a more complicated reckoning, marked by a star’s anxiety over the fear that the long-awaited parade of success could end just as suddenly as it began.

That ascent mirrors Go’s own position in the industry.

The 29-year-old has built momentum through a string of massively successful projects, including Disney+’s Moving (2023) and Netflix’s Sweet Home (2020). She has also attracted the attention of marquee writers such as the Hong sisters, who penned Can This Love Be Translated?.

Speaking at an interview in Seoul on Jan 23, Go said she deeply related to Mu-hee’s inner conflict. In her view, the more someone gains, the more anxiety can take hold alongside happiness.

“People who feel they have nothing to lose may actually experience less anxiety, but for those who have already achieved and possess a lot, the desire to hold on to that happiness makes them anxious that it might someday come to an end,” she said.

She described Mu-hee as someone who feels those extremes more acutely, a trait she recognises in herself.

“I tend to get very nervous at official events or award ceremonies,” Go said. “Making a verbal slip doesn’t bother me that much, but when I start thinking it could disrupt the flow of the ceremony, or negatively affect the many people involved, even the hair and make-up teams, my anxiety increases significantly.”

That sensitivity, she added, informed her portrayal of Mu-hee. “I felt that she would experience anxiety more strongly than others, worrying that a small misjudgment or a single careless remark could cost her everything she’s built. That was something I could relate to.”

Despite surface similarities, Go said playing an actress on screen was far from straightforward. She was quick to push back against the assumption that such casting makes a performance easier.

Acting, she explained, is deeply subjective, and her own habits and instincts did not necessarily align with the public’s idea of what an actor should look like or how one should behave.

To bridge that gap, Go immersed herself in research. “I watched videos of pop stars, groups like Blackpink and BTS, especially how they interact with fans at airports, and how senior actors greet people comfortably on the red carpet,” she said.

Portraying Mu-hee comes at a moment when Go herself is firmly established at the top of the industry, fielding a steady stream of offers from acclaimed creators.

Her next series, We Are All Trying Here (2026), pairs her with South Korean actor Koo Kyo-hwan and is written by Park Hae-young, the celebrated screenwriter behind award-winning Korean drama classics My Mister (2018) and My Liberation Notes (2022).

Reflecting on her recent tentpoles, Go noted a striking contrast between her projects.

“As I’m filming now, I find myself moved by the script at every moment,” she said. “Without giving away spoilers, if Can This Love Be Translated? felt like a colourful fairy tale, this project feels more like a black comedy sitcom set in a grey, concrete reality, filled with people who still manage to shine.”

“That contrast has made the process of receiving each new script and performing it almost like a piece of music,” she added. “It’s been incredibly enjoyable.” THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK