My Youth, the highly anticipated new series starring Song Joong Ki and Chun Woo Hee, is set to premiere on September 5 on JTBC. The show promises an emotional, nostalgia-fueled story of first love, reconnection, and second chances.
Earlier this week, JTBC dropped the first teaser poster and trailer, giving audiences a glimpse into the bittersweet reunion between Sun Woo Hae (played by Song Joong Ki) and Sung Je Yeon (played by Chun Woo Hee), two people who once shared a tender love at 19, only to cross paths again as very different adults.
Set in contemporary Korea, My Youth follows Sun Woo Hae, a man who’s only now learning to live a normal life after surviving early fame and burnout. His quiet world is turned upside down when Sung Je Yeon, his long-lost first love, suddenly reappears, sparking a journey of emotional rediscovery for them both.
The drama is penned by Park Si Hyeon, known for her heartfelt work on Run On, and directed by Lee Sang Yeob (Yumi’s Cells, Familiar Wife), praised for his nuanced storytelling and visual sensitivity. With this powerhouse team at the helm, expectations are sky-high.
The newly released teaser poster perfectly captures the emotional pull of the series. It features adult versions of the lead characters reunited, contrasted with an old photograph and an unfinished diary page, remnants of their teenage past. The poetic tagline reads: “I would recognize you, again and again, for as long as I live,” setting the tone for a heartfelt, time-spanning romance.
The teaser trailer opens with Woo Hae’s voiceover: “Will anyone remember the season we first experienced, the year we had it, that first snow?” As his words unfold, viewers are taken through interwoven scenes of the characters’ younger and present-day selves, evoking the aching beauty of young love and the passage of time.
One standout moment is a quiet, rainy bus ride, where teenage Woo Hae and Je Yeon exchange shy smiles. Later, the adult Woo Hae is seen alone, gazing out the window, wondering: “If you saw me now, what would you say?”
With its nostalgic visuals, poetic narration, and emotional depth, My Youth invites viewers to revisit the hopes and heartbreaks of growing up, and what happens when first love returns long after it’s gone.
Song Joong Ki leads as Sun Woo Hae, a former child star whose celebrity burned out too fast. Now in his thirties, he’s a florist and novelist trying to live a quiet, stable life after years of simply trying to survive. When Je Yeon reenters his life, Woo Hae is forced to confront the past he thought he’d left behind.
Chun Woo Hee plays Sung Je Yeon, a fiercely practical and straightforward talent manager whose life feels stuck on autopilot. She bulldozes through challenges, but crossing paths with Woo Hae brings a wave of unresolved feelings crashing back, feelings she thought she’d outgrown.
Supporting the main romance is a charming secondary cast. Lee Joo Myung stars as Mo Tae Rin, a quirky former child actress with a big heart and no filter. She once fell in love with a voice she heard over her high school’s intercom, and that voice belonged to Kim Seok Joo (played by Seo Ji Hoon), a level-headed tax accountant who has become like a brother to Woo Hae.
As their lives begin to intertwine, Seok Joo finds himself unexpectedly drawn to Tae Rin’s oddball energy, creating a sweet and unconventional romance of their own.
With its mix of emotional storytelling, nostalgic visuals, and strong performances, My Youth looks poised to strike a chord with viewers, especially anyone who’s ever wondered what might’ve been with their first love.
From the creators of some of Korea’s most beloved romantic dramas, and with a lead pairing as emotionally compelling as Song Joong Ki and Chun Woo Hee, this series promises to be a beautifully crafted journey through memory, love, and self-discovery.
