# Goodbye Earth (종말의 바보)
**Goodbye Earth** (종말의 바보) is a 2024 South Korean science fiction drama series released on Netflix, adapted from [Kotaro Isaka](https://www.edgepedia.org/kotaro-isaka)'s novel *Fool at the End of the World* (終末のフール). Its story follows a former teacher, Jin Se-kyung, who fights to protect her former students as an unstoppable asteroid approaches Earth, with 200 days left until impact.[1](https://www.namu.moe/w/%EC%A2%85%EB%A7%90%EC%9D%98%20%EB%B0%94%EB%B3%B4) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/goodbye_earth/s01) The 12-episode series premiered on April 26, 2024, directed by Kim Jin-min and written by Jung Sungju.[1](https://www.namu.moe/w/%EC%A2%85%EB%A7%90%EC%9D%98%20%EB%B0%94%EB%B3%B4) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/goodbye_earth/s01)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 종말의 바보 (Jongmal-ui Babo); English title Goodbye Earth; based on Kotaro Isaka's novel 終末のフール[1](https://www.namu.moe/w/%EC%A2%85%EB%A7%90%EC%9D%98%20%EB%B0%94%EB%B3%B4) • [3](https://www.kinoafisha.info/en/series/7577/) |
| Format | 12 episodes, released April 26, 2024 on Netflix; total runtime 709 minutes[1](https://www.namu.moe/w/%EC%A2%85%EB%A7%90%EC%9D%98%20%EB%B0%94%EB%B3%B4) |
| Premise | With D-200 days until an asteroid strikes Earth, a determined former teacher fights to keep her former students safe in the town of Woongcheon[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/goodbye_earth/s01) |
| Main cast | Ahn Eun-jin (Jin Se-kyung), Yoo Ah-in (Ha Yoon-sang), Jeon Sung-woo (Woo Sung-jae), Kim Yoon-hye (Kang In-ah)[4](https://kdrama.co.kr/dramas/goodbye-earth/) |
| Production | Directed by Kim Jin-min, written by Jung Sungju; produced by IMTV and Studio S; filmed January 16 to August 31, 2022[1](https://www.namu.moe/w/%EC%A2%85%EB%A7%90%EC%9D%98%20%EB%B0%94%EB%B3%B4) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/goodbye_earth/s01) |
| Release delay | Postponed indefinitely in March 2023 after lead actor Yoo Ah-in faced drug charges; released in April 2024 after re-editing[5](https://www.mk.co.kr/news/entertain/10697335) • [6](https://v.daum.net/v/20240425070322820) |
| Reception | Tomatometer 24% (3 reviews); IMDb rating 4.4/10 from about 1,800 user ratings[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/goodbye_earth/s01) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17492848/ratings/) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and setting
The series is set in the fictional Korean city of Woongcheon (웅천) as an asteroid collision becomes unavoidable. Rioting and crime spread, and the story follows both villains who exploit the chaos and ordinary citizens trying to preserve order, with the residents' watchword being "together until the end."[8](https://koreandrama-graphy.com/goodbye-earth-information/) The countdown structure is explicit: promotional material and the show's imagery use a D-200 counter marking 200 days until impact.[1](https://www.namu.moe/w/%EC%A2%85%EB%A7%90%EC%9D%98%20%EB%B0%94%EB%B3%B4)
The central character is Jin Se-kyung (안은진 as Ahn Eun-jin plays her), a former teacher traumatized by a tragedy involving her students, who plots revenge against a child trafficking ring while trying to keep her loved ones safe. Her lover Ha Yoon-sang is played by [Yoo Ah-in](https://www.edgepedia.org/yoo-ah-in), and Jeon Sung-woo plays Woo Sung-jae, a priest caring for his congregation.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/goodbye_earth/s01) • [4](https://kdrama.co.kr/dramas/goodbye-earth/) A review in *NME* describes how the plot shifts from the asteroid crisis into a crime thriller, with much of the story devoted to Se-kyung's pursuit of the trafficking ring that killed her students and her later flight from an unknown ringleader.[9](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/goodbye-earth-review-netflix-k-drama-3752020)
## Production and the Yoo Ah-in delay
Filming ran from January 16 to August 31, 2022, and the series was originally scheduled for release in 2023.[1](https://www.namu.moe/w/%EC%A2%85%EB%A7%90%EC%9D%98%20%EB%B0%94%EB%B3%B4) • [10](https://www.hankyung.com/article/2024032298827) In March 2023, after lead actor Yoo Ah-in was investigated by Seoul police on drug charges, Netflix announced that both *Goodbye Earth* and the film *Seungbu* (승부) were postponed indefinitely, with release dates to be announced later.[5](https://www.mk.co.kr/news/entertain/10697335) Yoo Ah-in had already finished filming, and his character carried substantial weight in the story, so cutting him entirely was not feasible.[10](https://www.hankyung.com/article/2024032298827)
**Re-editing instead of recasting.** Netflix announced on April 24, 2024 that the series would premiere on April 26. The company explained that if filming had still been underway it would have considered replacing the actor, but since shooting was complete, re-editing was the most realistic option; it judged that one actor's issue should not damage a work made by many actors and crew members. Yoo Ah-in's screen time was adjusted through re-editing, and he appeared in none of the trailers or posters.[6](https://v.daum.net/v/20240425070322820) Korean industry commentary noted that the decision might not generalize, since a global platform faces less reputational risk from one actor than domestically released works do.[6](https://v.daum.net/v/20240425070322820)
## Reception
Critical and audience responses were negative on aggregate. Rotten Tomatoes recorded a Tomatometer of 24% from three critics, with fewer than 50 audience ratings.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/goodbye_earth/s01) The IMDb weighted rating stood at 4.4/10 from about 1,800 votes, with per-episode scores declining from 5.9 for the premiere to 4.4 for the finale.[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17492848/ratings/) A Korean Consumer Insight survey scored the series 57 points, lower than contemporaries such as *Uncle Samsik* (67) and *The 8 Show* (66).[11](https://www.consumerinsight.co.kr/up_files/%EA%B8%B0%EC%83%9D%EC%88%98%20%EB%8D%94%20%EA%B7%B8%EB%A0%88%EC%9D%B4%20%EC%8B%9C%EC%B2%AD%EA%B2%BD%ED%97%98%EB%A5%A0%20%EC%9D%B8%EC%A7%80%EC%9C%A8%20%EB%AA%A8%EB%91%90%201%EC%9C%84.pdf)
Reviewers converged on similar criticisms. Melissa Camacho of Common Sense Media wrote that the show has "too many narratives playing out at once, many of which aren't fully fleshed out."[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/goodbye_earth/s01) The *NME* review found the frequent time jumps of the early episodes confusing and judged that a stronger story lay beneath the execution.[9](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/goodbye-earth-review-netflix-k-drama-3752020) More positive voices included Charles Hartford of But Why Tho? (7/10), who wrote that the series explores hope, despair, love, and resilience "in a uniquely authentic way" for viewers who get past the slow opening, and Jonathon Wilson of Ready Steady Cut (4/5), who called it "a compellingly human take on the disaster format."[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/goodbye_earth/s01)
Commercially, the series rose to first place on Netflix Korea in its second week after release, according to a Korean media industry report.[12](https://www.kmediarods.com/fileUpload/bulletins/news_pdf_2024-05-11.pdf) A year-end aggregation of FlixPatrol data ranked it 44th among 2024 Korean OTT dramas, with 1,564 accumulated ranking points.[13](https://www.archivecenter.net/kaitArchive/attach/130000/130772/20250701115354552.pdf)
## Themes
Korean commentary read the series as social critique as much as disaster fiction. Screenwriter Jung Sungju's stated insight, quoted in a Daum review, is that what is more frightening than the collective death sentence of an asteroid impact is people: the drama locates its true catastrophe in unjust systems and irresponsible power, including predatory father figures, self-serving authorities, and hypocritical religion.[14](https://v.daum.net/v/20240504114301863) A Korean government-linked report on climate themes in media noted that the drama extends the asteroid disaster into derivative climate catastrophes, including rising global temperatures and giant tsunamis damaging [Northeast Asia](https://www.edgepedia.org/northeast-asia), with a government announcement that ecosystem restoration would take at least 30 years, while the story's society resigns itself to the foretold disaster without naming those responsible.[15](https://seoulkfem.or.kr/post_file_download.cm?c=YTo1OntzOjEwOiJib2FyZF9jb2RlIjtzOjIyOiJiMjAyMTEwMTkxYjU4NWY1ZDYwOTdiIjtzOjk6InBvc3RfY29kZSI7czoyMjoicDIwMjUxMTI2MDkzZDUyZGY1ZDZhZSI7czo5OiJmaWxlX2NvZGUiO3M6MjI6InAyMDI1MTEyNmNmODQwM2UwNTliMTYiO3M6MTk6InBvc3RfZG93bmxvYWRfdG9rZW4iO3M6MTM6IjY5YjIxM2Q2ZDZjNWYiO3M6MTE6Im1lbWJlcl9jb2RlIjtOO30%3D)
## References
1. [종말의 바보, Namu wiki](https://www.namu.moe/w/%EC%A2%85%EB%A7%90%EC%9D%98%20%EB%B0%94%EB%B3%B4)
2. [Goodbye Earth: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/goodbye_earth/s01)
3. [Goodbye Earth 2024, Kinoafisha](https://www.kinoafisha.info/en/series/7577/)
4. [Goodbye Earth, KDrama.co.kr](https://kdrama.co.kr/dramas/goodbye-earth/)
5. [넷플릭스 측 "유아인 출연 '종말의 바보'·'승부', 공개 연기"(공식입장), 매일경제 (March 27, 2023)](https://www.mk.co.kr/news/entertain/10697335)
6. [유아인 출연 '종말의 바보' 공개… 불편하지만, 불가피한 선택?, 국민일보 via Daum (April 25, 2024)](https://v.daum.net/v/20240425070322820)
7. [Goodbye Earth (TV Series 2024) – Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17492848/ratings/)
8. [終末のフール｜キャストとあらすじを紹介, 韓国ドラマグラフィー](https://koreandrama-graphy.com/goodbye-earth-information/)
9. ['Goodbye Earth' review: a web of convoluted time-jumps and subplots, NME (April 29, 2024)](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/goodbye-earth-review-netflix-k-drama-3752020)
10. [이 드라마에 의사가 파업하는 내용도 나오나요?…직격탄, 한국경제 (March 22, 2024)](https://www.hankyung.com/article/2024032298827)
11. [기생수 더 그레이 시청경험률 인지율 모두 1위, Consumer Insight](https://www.consumerinsight.co.kr/up_files/%EA%B8%B0%EC%83%9D%EC%88%98%20%EB%8D%94%20%EA%B7%B8%EB%A0%88%EC%9D%B4%20%EC%8B%9C%EC%B2%AD%EA%B2%BD%ED%97%98%EB%A5%A0%20%EC%9D%B8%EC%A7%80%EC%9C%A8%20%EB%AA%A8%EB%91%90%201%EC%9C%84.pdf)
12. [kmediarods weekly report PDF (May 11, 2024)](https://www.kmediarods.com/fileUpload/bulletins/news_pdf_2024-05-11.pdf)
13. [표 6. 2024년 OTT 한국 드라마 순위 50위, KAIT Archive Center](https://www.archivecenter.net/kaitArchive/attach/130000/130772/20250701115354552.pdf)
14. ['종말의 바보' 재밌게 본 바보, Daum blog review (May 4, 2024)](https://v.daum.net/v/20240504114301863)
15. [기후위기 존재근거 자료, Seoul KFEM](https://seoulkfem.or.kr/post_file_download.cm?c=YTo1OntzOjEwOiJib2FyZF9jb2RlIjtzOjIyOiJiMjAyMTEwMTkxYjU4NWY1ZDYwOTdiIjtzOjk6InBvc3RfY29kZSI7czoyMjoicDIwMjUxMTI2MDkzZDUyZGY1ZDZhZSI7czo5OiJmaWxlX2NvZGUiO3M6MjI6InAyMDI1MTEyNmNmODQwM2UwNTliMTYiO3M6MTk6InBvc3RfZG93bmxvYWRfdG9rZW4iO3M6MTM6IjY5YjIxM2Q2ZDZjNWYiO3M6MTE6Im1lbWJlcl9jb2RlIjtOO30%3D)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Korean contemporary drama › Fantasy, supernatural, and science fiction series › Premiered 2023 to 2027*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license