If you’re a K-drama fan who’s fallen for the irresistible charm of Byeon Woo-seok, we’ve got the inside scoop for you. We’ve combed through his online presence to uncover some unique aspects of his personality. Did you know his favorite colors are black and purple? Or that he wishes he could teleport?
He loves beef and can’t live without family, friends and work. Our hearts melted a bit when he revealed he cries when watching sad movies. Of course we volunteer as tribute to give him a hug! These little details add depth to our understanding of the man who’s stealing our hearts as Ryu Sung Jae in ‘Lovely Runner’. Here are a few tidbits about him:
He started out as a model
Towering at 1.89 m tall, with smoldering eyes and a dashing smile with a dimple, it is no surprise that Byeon Woo-seok initially started out as a model in 2014. Apparently, he was so good that designers couldn’t stop gushing about him.
How did he end up acting?
In a recent interview with Hong Seok-cheon on his YouTube channel, Byeon Woo-seok revealed that he majored in theatre and film while at university. He, however, ended up debuting as a model first. Still, his love for acting didn’t subside, and he finally debuted as an actor in Dear My Friends (2016). At the time, he was nervous but the love he received from prolific actors on the project pushed him to further explore acting as a career.
Did you know that he had guest roles in hit shows such as Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo ( 2016) and Search: WWW (2019)?
His Big Break!
Although his role as Do Joon in Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency (2019) garnered him great reviews from critics and viewers alike, it was his role as Won Hae-hyo in Record of Youth (2020) that cemented Byeon Woo-seok as a Hallyu star. He followed that up with another lead role in Moonshine (2021), where he won our hearts as the Crown Prince. The role earned him the Best New Actor at the 2022 KBS Drama Awards.
However, it was not until he portrayed the lead role of Poong Woon-ho in the hit film 20th Century Girl (2022) that people began to pay him more attention. The movie propelled him to international and local success. K-drama fans couldn’t get enough of him. Thankfully, he returned as Ryu Shi Oh in Strong Girl Namsoon (2023). Even though he was a villain, he stole the show and gave us a moral dilemma as we still wanted to see him have a happy ending. Please don’t deny it. You saw the hot edits on TikTok and were rooting for him, too!
This year, we met him as Ryu Sung Jae in Lovely Runner and finally heard him sing. Yes, he is actually a good singer!
How was his journey to the top?
In his own words, Byeon Woo-seok acknowledges it was not easy. He was rejected from at least 100 auditions. For a while, he contemplated quitting acting. Thank the heavens he didn’t! He decided to ignore naysayers and fought for his dream.
His Ideal Type?
We won’t all be lucky to have a Y/N moment with Byeon Woo-seok, but he admits he likes someone wise as he is goofy.
His current favourite songs?
Comma by Mu-jin Lee
She is going by Soo Bin So
Can’t Sleep by Jang Beom June
Overall, Byeon Woo-seok is a talented actor who deserves to be on our screens more. If he is not making us fall in love with characters in K-dramas, he is making us laugh in the BTS scenes as his goofy self. Don’t you think he would make a great protagonist in an action series? In the meantime, catch up with our recaps and previews of Lovely Runner here:
Hi Helen, we couldn’t agree more !
Byeon woo seok is a real favorite
:)