Noticed some familiar faces while watching Can This Love Be Translated? Get to know the cast of the Netflix K-drama, their past roles, and how they brought their characters to life.
Netflix’s Can This Love Be Translated? is making waves early on in 2026 with its complex storyline, stunning locations, and star-studded cast. The titular translated love refers to the one between actress Cha Muhee (Go Younjung), who quickly rises to fame through her hit role in a horror movie, and translator Joo Hojin (Kim Seonho), who, despite his talent, is still seeking to understand the language of love.
Part of the show’s success is undoubtedly due to the effortless chemistry between its two leads, as Muhee and Hojin try to understand each other despite linguistic and romantic barriers. In addition, the supporting characters fill out the world of the drama with their own struggles and colorful backstories.
Look back on the events of the series while getting to know its talented cast members. Major spoilers ahead.
Also Read: Pop Corner: Can This Love Be Translated? Ending Explained: Everything That Happened
Main Cast of Can This Love Be Translated?
Go Younjung as Cha Muhee/Do Rami
Our female lead, Cha Muhee, starts the series as a rookie actress who, after suffering an on-set injury that sent her into a months-long coma, wakes up to find herself an overnight success. Though Muhee tries to enjoy “the festival just for her,” apparitions of her character, Do Rami, begin to lead her to question her sanity and eventually confront traumatic events from her childhood.
It is later revealed that Do Rami is the manifestation of Muhee’s mother, who killed her father and tried to kill Muhee herself. Do Rami often taunts Muhee and fronts – that is, takes control of Muhee’s body – to do things that Muhee can’t do. With Hojin’s help, Muhee eventually comes to terms with her past and learns to love herself despite her trauma.
Despite only making her acting debut in 2019 in the tvN drama He Is Psychometric in 2019, Go Younjung is no stranger to playing multiple roles in one show. She gained more attention with her role as Park Yuri in Sweet Home in 2020. She then played Naksu, Jin Buyeon, and Cho Yeong in Alchemy of Souls (2022), which, like Can This Love Be Translated?, was also written by the Hong Sisters. You might have also seen her in Moving (2023) as Jang Heesoo and in Resident Playbook (2025) as Oh Yiyoung.
Kim Seonho as Joo Hojin
According to his business card, Joo Hojin is a translator fluent in six languages – Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, and French. He comes from an affluent, highly educated family, though his parents have since divorced and settled elsewhere around the world, leaving him alone in the house his grandfather left him.
After meeting Cha Muhee in Enoshima, he ends up accompanying her on the travel show Romance Trip to help her face her visions of Do Rami. Along the way, he reconciles with his mother and makes peace with his first love, Shin Jiseon.
Our dimpled king Kim Seonho returns to the small screen after quite a long hiatus. He already began his comeback last year as Park Cheongseop in When Life Gives You Tangerines, though you might know him best as Han Jipyeong in Start Up (2020) and Chief Hong in Hometown Cha Cha Cha (2021). Having started his career as a theater actor, his earnest “good boy” image has earned him a lot of fans worldwide.
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Fukushi Sota as Kurosawa Hiro
Known as Japan’s “romance prince,” Kurosawa Hiro finds himself traveling the world alongside “horror queen” Cha Muhee as the male lead in the travel show Romance Trip. At first, he thinks himself better than this zombie actress and actively tries to sabotage her. However, he eventually falls for her charm and friendliness, aided in part by Do Rami’s advances. Though Hiro can be full of himself, his moments with Muhee are both hilarious and heartfelt, truly embodying a love that cannot be translated.
Like his character, Fukushi Sota has had his fair share of leading romance roles, playing Miura Aoi in Koinaka (2015), Toyama Mitsuru in the Japanese version of My Love from the Stars (2022), and Ichinose Ren in the movie adaptation of shojo manga Strobe Edge (2015). On the flip side, he’s also had some prominent action roles, having first gained attention as Kisaragi Gentaro in the Kamen Rider franchise and later playing Kurosaki Ichigo in the Bleach (2018) movie adaptation.
Additionally, one of Fukushi’s earliest films is Enoshima Prism (2013), set on the same island where Muhee and Hojin first meet. Ironically, Hiro is never seen in Enoshima in this drama.
Lee Yidam as Shin Jiseon
Hojin first met Shin Jiseon on Enoshima, though he never told her he loved her. When they meet again, Jiseon is dating Hojin’s half-brother, Jinsuk. She wants to marry Jinsuk, but the latter doesn’t seem to want marriage for the same reasons as her, so they ended up calling it off. Jiseon ends up joining the crew of Romance Trip as a producer. Here, she meets Yong-u and they start dating.
Lee Yidam is the stage name of Korean model and actress Baek Hyewon. Though she has mainly starred in smaller projects prior to Can This Love Be Translated, she has appeared in a few Netflix dramas before, namely Black Knight (2023) and Daily Dose of Sunshine (2023). She also has a role in the upcoming Netflix movie Pavane (2025).
Choi Woosung as Kim Yong-u
Yong-u is Muhee’s dedicated manager who has been supporting her all throughout her career. He and Jiseon begin a relationship. A former competitive shooter, he gets offered a job at a sports agency in the UK, which he accepts. Jiseon decides to study abroad and accompany him.
Another rookie actor, Choi Woosung made his acting debut as Lim Gunhyuk in Moment at Eighteen (2019). After playing supporting roles in various dramas, he landed the main role as Cho Gyeonghwan in Chief Detective 1958 (2024), which was followed by his role as Yang Wondae in I Am A Running Mate (2025). With his turn on Can This Love Be Translated? being a charming success, fans are hoping to see Choi Woosung in more dramas soon.
Supporting Cast
Hyunri as Nanami
Nanami is Hiro’s manager who can speak both Korean and Japanese. This is because the actress who plays her, Hyunri, was born in Tokyo to Korean parents. She is married to Keita Machida, who viewers might know from other Netflix productions, Glass Heart (2025) and 10Dance (2025). She and her husband both had roles in Alice in Borderland (2020-2025). Hyunri herself is a multi-awarded actress, with her films The Voice of Water (2014) and Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021) being showcased at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Sung Joong as Nam Jinsuk
Jinsuk is a famous yet flashy writer, who also happens to be Hojin’s older half-brother. As for the actor, you might recognize Sung Joong from one of the many K-dramas he starred in in the early 2010s. Among these were Shut Up: Flower Boy Band (2012), Can We Get Married? (2012), Discovery of Love (2014), Hyde, Jekyll, Me (2015), and High Society (2015).
Kim Wonhae as Kim Younghwan
Though he is more of a father figure in Can This Love Be Translated?, where he plays the novelist Kim Younghwan, Kim Wonhae often plays actual fathers in his extensive discography. He was Sunjae’s dad in My Lovely Runner (2025), Dosan’s dad in Start Up (2020), and Myunghee’s dad in Youth Of May (2021). Most recently, he played Sena’s boss in Idol I (2025).
Also Read: Pop Corner: IDOL I Ending Explained: Did Maeng Se-na and Do Ra-ik End Up Together?
Im Chulsoo as PD Kim Jeongsu
Finally, Im Chulsoo makes a brief appearance as one of the original producers on Romance Trip, before having to leave for an “emergency” back in Korea. He is another prolific character actor, though Alchemy of Souls might have immediately recognized him as the inemitable Master Lee, making the scene where Muhee was being interviewed for Romance Trip a brief reunion between master and pupil.
Who gave your favorite performance in Can This Love Be Translated?
Source: Netflix PH, Lee Yidam (Instagram), Hyunri (Instagram)
