In To the Moon KDrama, life looks easy in the glossy world of social media. Food looks perfect. Clothes look new. Smiles look bright. But the real lives of many young people tell a different story.
They live with low pay, heavy debt, and jobs that could vanish any day. “To the Moon,” MBC’s new Friday-Saturday drama, shows this reality with blunt honesty.
The drama is not about fantasy wealth or dream jobs. It focuses on three women who fight for survival. They live on small wages but want more than just survival.
They look at the “coin train,” hoping one bold risk might change their lives. It’s not just about money. It’s about dignity, dreams, and finding meaning when life feels unfair.
According to 2025 Korean labor statistics, 42% of workers aged 22-35 hold temporary or contract positions mirroring the characters’ circumstances, explaining why the drama’s premise resonates deeply with contemporary audiences
Struggles Behind the Smiles
Jung Da-hae, played by Lee Sun-bin, works in public relations at Marron Confectionery. But she is not even an official employee. Her life feels stuck in the same dull routine.

One day she shouts, “Let’s go to the moon.” It’s not just a joke. It’s a desperate call for something beyond her grey days.
Kang Eun-sang, played by Ra Mi-ran, works in management support. Her past is full of painful failures. She once tried investments. She tried business & she lost.
Yet she still believes money is the only way forward. Every day she thinks of new ways to earn. Every night she plans again. She is not greedy. She is just a survivor who cannot give up.
Kim Ji-song, played by Jo A-ram, is on the accounting team. She spends as much as she earns. Her motto is simple: the left hand uses what the right hand already spent.
She buys what she likes, even if it means more debt. But when Eun-sang and Da-hae suggest the coin train, she feels torn. Should she risk more for a chance to win, or stay where she is and struggle?
Then there is Ham Ji-woo, played by Kim Young-dae. He comes from wealth. He is a second-generation chaebol. On paper, his life looks complete. He is good at his job.
He looks confident. But something is missing. When he meets Da-hae, he rediscovers what he lost long ago—his dreams. His role adds contrast. He shows what privilege can hide and what even wealth cannot fix.
Four Lives, Four Survival Tactics
Character | Role | Economic Strategy | Core Motivation |
---|---|---|---|
Jung Da-Hae | Contract PR Worker | Desperate Gambler | Escape poverty cycle |
Kang Eun-Sang | Sales Team Veteran | Relentless Investor | Financial security |
Kim Ji-Song | Accounting Temp | YOLO Spending | Immediate gratification |
Ham Ji-Woo | Chaebol Director | Privileged Safety | Rediscover purpose |
Also Read: To the Moon K-Drama: A Story of Dreams, Money, and a Controversy That Sparked Debate
A Drama About Money, Survival, and Desperate Hope
“To the Moon” is based on a best-selling novel by Jang Ryu-jin. It was bestselling 2021 novel, the drama expands on the book’s exploration of ‘speculative desperation’, how ordinary people turn to risky investments when traditional paths fail.
The poster captures this feeling. It shows the three women holding phones. They smile brightly inside a gloomy subway, called the “Hell Train.” The name mixes “hell” and “subway.”
It shows how daily commutes feel like punishment. Yet their smiles tell another truth. Even in the darkest setting, they dream of boarding the “coin train.” They want to reach the moon, even if it feels impossible.
This contrast makes the drama heavy but also relatable. Many workers feel the same—living in a cycle of work, debt, and stress but still dreaming of a breakthrough.
The tagline on the poster says, “Can we have one too…? A decisive move that will turn this game around!” It’s not marketing fluff. It’s the exact thought of millions of workers.
It’s not only a drama about women, it’s about the system itself. It asks why so many need to risk unstable coin investments just to dream of stability. That question is political, social, and deeply human.
Where To Watch ‘To the Moon’ KDrama?
Episode Schedule:
- Episode 1 – September 19 (Friday)
- Episode 2 – September 20 (Saturday)
- Episode 3 – September 26 (Friday)
- Episode 4 – September 27 (Saturday)
- Episode 5 – October 3 (Friday)
- Episode 6 – October 4 (Saturday)
- Episode 7 – October 10 (Friday)
- Episode 8 – October 11 (Saturday)
- Episode 9 – October 17 (Friday)
- Episode 10 – October 18 (Saturday)
- Episode 11 – October 24 (Friday)
- Episode 12 – October 25 (Saturday)
For International Viewers: The drama will stream on KOCOWA+ with multilingual subtitles, following MBC’s recent pattern of global releases for socially relevant content
Schedule Timings
The drama releases at 9:50 PM KST on MBC. Here's your timezone schedule:
💡 Tip: KST is 9 hours ahead of GMT. Use this to estimate future air times!
Why This Drama Matters Now
The drama does not romanticize poverty. It does not glorify risky investments. It shows both sides. The excitement of the chance. The despair of the loss. It asks viewers to think: what drives people to gamble their futures on unstable coins? Is it greed, or is it lack of choice?
Each character reflects a different kind of survival. Da-hae dreams of escape. Eun-sang clings to money as her only weapon. Ji-song laughs off her debt but fears her choices. Ji-woo has wealth but no real purpose. Together they show four ways people cope with an unfair system.
The casting adds weight. Lee Sun-bin brings sincerity to Da-hae. Ra Mi-ran adds realism to Eun-sang. Jo A-ram delivers freshness as Ji-song. Kim Young-dae balances the story with contrast. The mix of veteran talent and younger actors makes the drama stronger.
Another point is the direction. Oh Da-young and Jung Hoon are behind the camera. They aim for hyper-realism. That means the story will not be sugar-coated. Every scene tries to look like the real lives of office workers, not like a polished drama. That tone will speak to many viewers.
For some, this K-drama might be a mirror & for others, it may be a warning. For everyone, it’s a reminder that money controls too much of modern life. The drama is not about heroes. It’s about ordinary people who refuse to stay silent.
MBC will air “To the Moon” on September 19 at 9:50 PM. With a story rooted in truth, this K-drama about coin investment and survival may spark more than just entertainment. It may spark conversations about debt, work, and the future of a generation.
Countdown For - To the Moon
Which 'To the Moon' Character Matches Your Financial Personality?
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Kavita Mishra is a dynamic writer and passionate Korean entertainment enthusiast, combining her love for K-pop and K-drama with a flair for storytelling. With a keen eye for the latest trends, Kavita crafts articles that capture the pulse of K-pop idols, chart-topping hits, and the most buzz-worthy dramas taking over screens worldwide.
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