Who is Byeon Woo-seok, the model-turned-actor starring opposite IU in Perfect Crown?

Byeon Woo-seok’s star has been on a sharp rise over the past few years. After sitting out last year’s drama release schedules, he returns in what is arguably his most hotly anticipated role to date: Grand Prince I-an in the alternate-history fantasy romance Perfect Crown opposite K-pop idol IU (aka Lee Ji-eun).

Born in Bucheon, a satellite city southwest of Seoul, in 1991, Byeon spent his early childhood there before relocating to the capital. Influenced by his older sister, he became interested in acting and modelling while at school.

His parents did not initially support his new job ambitions but he was nevertheless allowed to enrol as a student in the Theatre and Film department at Cheongju University in Cheongju City. He went out looking for an agency to recruit him as an actor but he was scouted as a model instead. As his career took off, he discontinued his university studies.

Debuting as a model in 2010, Byeon quickly became active at fashion shows and in magazine spreads. He was a visible presence at Seoul Fashion Week, gracing the catwalks for spring and autumn collections for several years.

This success as a model gave him the opportunity to return to his original passion: Acting.

His first role was a small one in the hit Noh Hee-kyung drama series Dear My Friends (2016).

After a few years of playing odd parts in a variety of dramas, he picked up some meatier roles, starting in 2019, when he appeared in the workplace drama Search: WWW and the period romantic comedy Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency.

From there, he graduated to leading roles, clinching his first in 2020.

WHY WE LOVE LIM

Despite coming to prominence relatively recently, Byeon has already built a reputation as a philanthropist, having given large donations to a variety of worthy causes.

Among those was a 300 million won (US$203,000) payment to Severance Hospital for paediatric care, a private donation that was only later revealed by the press.

Part of what makes Byeon stand out in the current generation of Korean screen stars are the same qualities that made him shine on the catwalk: his film-star looks but also his unusually tall frame. Standing at 190cm, Byeon often towers over his on-screen co-stars.

THE STAR-MAKING ROLES

Byeon’s first experience as a main cast member was in the fashion world youth drama Record Of Youth (2020), alongside Park So-dam and Park Bo-gum. Playing Won Hae-hyo, a model-turned-actor, Byeon was undoubtedly able to draw inspiration from his own life.

Reaching a peak of 8.7 per cent ratings, Record of Youth was one of the most successful dramas of the year and cemented Byeon’s transition to leading man status.

For his first major film role, Byeon appeared alongside fellow rising stars Kim Yoo-jung and Roh Yoon-seo in the Netflix romantic comedy 20th Century Girl, which debuted at the 2022 Busan International Film Festival. Set in 1999, the film depicts the ups and downs of the love and friendship between four students.

THE ICONIC PARTS

Byeon got to sink his teeth into his first villain role in the hit superhero action-comedy Strong Girl Nam-soon in 2023, a spin-off of the popular 2017 drama Strong Girl Bong-soon. He plays Ryu Shi-oh, a dapper and mysterious CEO who exudes menace as he begins to terrorise Seoul by flooding it with an illicit narcotic. 

Remarkably, Strong Girl Nam-soon was more successful than its predecessor, with its viewership soaring over 10 per cent during its final episode.

Byeon’s star climbed even higher after he appeared in Lovely Runner, one of the most beloved dramas of 2024.

Byeon portrays Ryu Sun-jae, a star with a seemingly perfect life whose sudden death shocks his fans, including Kim Hye-yoon’s Im Sol, who is then transported 15 years into the past – when they were both students at the same school.

The series posted robust numbers when it aired and has since developed a rabid fanbase that has turned it into a cult hit.

THE UNHERALDED PERFORMANCES

One of Byeon’s most acclaimed works was the tender romantic drama Soulmate, a remake of the 2016 Chinese film of the same name. The story concerns the friendship of two women, played by Kim Da-mi and Jeon So-nee, with Byeon portraying the man who unintentionally forces a wedge between them.

Despite strong reviews, the film struggled to secure an audience in early 2023, when the Korean box office was still fighting to recover from the pandemic.

TOMORROW'S TURNS

Byeon can next be seen in what is shaping up to be his biggest project yet, as the lead of the big-budget Netflix drama series Solo Leveling.

He will portray Sung Jin-woo in the fantasy-action adaptation of the popular webtoon, a low-ranked “hunter” in a world where humans must fend off demons.

The webtoon has garnered over 14 billion views to date, suggesting a significant appetite for the upcoming series, which is being co-directed by Lee Hae-joon (Castaway On The Moon) and Kim Byung-seo (Cold Eyes).

This article was first published on SCMP.