Still Shining

Yeon Tae-seo and Mo Eun-ah meet and fall in love the summer before their senior year, but subsequent university commitments and shifting priorities in their lives force them to break up. Ten years later, the two meet again in Seoul, and old feelings resurface. ==Cast==

Main • Park Jin-young as Yeon Tae-seo :A subway engineer who views the world realistically and prioritizes living safely in the present. After achieving the independent life he long sought, he reunites with Mo Eun-ah, his first love from when he was nineteen, bringing subtle changes to his settled daily routine. • Kim Min-ju as Mo Eun-ah :A senior hotelier who guided Mo Eun-ah onto the path of becoming a hotelier and remains by her side with quiet affection. • Park Se-hyun as Im Ah-sol :Yeon Tae-seo's younger brother who works at a rural post office. He was injured in the accident that killed their parents, leaving him with a permanent limp. • Kang Shin-il as Yeon Chang-sik :Tae-seo and Hee-seo's grandfather. • Byun Jung-hee as Park Hwa-soon :Tae-seo and Hee-seo's devoted grandmother. Mo Eun-ah's family • Kim Tae-hoon as Mo Seon-gyu :A third-generation Hawaiian immigrant journalist, who fell in love with Mo Seon-gyu after interviewing him. Yeonwoo-ri people • Park Jung-ja as fortune teller :The elderly owner of the village general store. • Kim Cheol-yoon as Jeong Jin-soo :The eldest son of a woodworking shop owner and Yeon Tae-seo's longtime friend, who has quietly remained by his side through the years. • Oh So-hyun as Jin Hyang-gi :A post office delivery worker who rides a scooter to deliver mail who is popular among the elderly residents. Others • Lee Chang-hoon as Mu Jeong-su :A Mathematics teacher at the rural high school where Yeon Tae-seo and Mo Eun-ah study. • Lee Ji-hae as Jae-soon :A veteran train engineer who appears blunt and rough on the outside but deeply cares for her colleagues and takes pride in her work. • Park Geun-rok as Kim Ho-sik :Park So-hyun's ex-boyfriend, who is a Seoul-based freelance content creator. ==Production==

On September 23, 2024, Sports Chosun reported that Chae Jong-hyeop had been offered the male lead role, while Kim Min-ju was linked to the project the following November. Rowoon entered casting discussions in January 2025 when Chae declined, but ultimately Park Jin-young was cast to play Yeon Tae-seo in April. Park found the realistic story appealing because it didn't portray just a pretty youth, but struggles with problems that everyone could relate to; he was also captivated by Yeon Tae-seo, who he described as a warm character "who lives his life his own way, rather than being swayed by others' stares." ==Original soundtrack==

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 After releasing eight songs during the broadcast, the full soundtrack was released on April 3, 2026, adding two new tracks and thirty-one instrumentals. The musical direction was entrusted to Nam Hye-seung, who collaborated with composers Park Sang-hee, Park Jin-ho, Jeon Jeong-hoon, Jo Mi-ra, Go Eun-jeong, Jo Han-na, Lee So-young, and Kim Kyung-hee. ==Viewership==

The first episode recorded a 2.1% audience share, which declined as the show continued to air, reaching 0.8% by the eighth episode, the lowest rating ever achieved by a Friday night series on JTBC. == Reception ==

Still Shining received mixed reviews. Jo I-eum of Ize complimented the series, highlighting its direction "that delicately captures the temperature of the seasons in every scene," the script that meticulously builds the textures of relationships, and Park Jin-young's emotional performance, stating that the combination of these three elements was not flashy, but bound to linger. For Lee Sook-myung of Vogue Korea, the series poses questions that make viewers reflect on relationships, while Oh Soo-kyung of Cine21 felt that it dealt with the light and darkness of life and love, filling the empty spaces of the narrative with emotions. On the other hand, Choi Soo-bin of The Fact deemed the plot frustrating and repetitive in its use of classic melodrama devices, which prevented viewers from engaging with the series' strength, alas its discreet depiction of the characters' inner lives and relationships. Viewers filed complaints with the Korea Communications Standards Commission about two scenes in episodes 7 and 8 showing characters driving after drinking alcohol. ==Notes==