Byeon Woo-seok stormed the limelight with his performance in Kim Bbang’s 2024 series Lovely Runner. Starring alongside Lee Seung-Hyub and Kim Hye-yoon, the comedy fantasy seemingly made Woo-seok an overnight sensation, but his career dates back to the early 2010s. Apart from his talent, the actor’s stunning looks and charming personality resonated deeply with viewers, earning him the nickname “Nation’s Boyfriend.”
Unfortunately, the immense popularity has also meant dealing with sasaengs, a trail of obsessive fans disrupting his schedules. This compelled the actor’s agency Varo Entertainment to take strong measures against the invasion of his privacy, culminating in a controversy that threatened to derail his continued rise to stardom. Byeon Woo-seok faced severe criticism in July 2024 due to the extreme measures employed by his security team at the Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea.
Byeon Woo-seok Was Born Into A Modest Family In Bucheon
The Lover Runner actor was born on October 31, 1991, in Bucheon, a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. He was raised there for a while before his family moved to Seoul, where he attended Wooshin High School. Following his graduation from Woosin High, Byeon Woo-seok decided to pursue a career in acting and enrolled at Cheongju University to study drama.
He dropped out after the first semester as he wasn’t certain of the career path to follow. Woo-seok acknowledged this in a 2021 interview with Elle. He told the publication he put off doing what he wanted because his parents had reservations about his aspirations. “My family wasn’t well off,” he said, “I think my parents were worried that their son, who had no connections, wanted to work in show business.”
The Lovely Runner Actor Began His Career As A Model In 2010
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Byeon Woo-seok’s domineering height during high school drew comments about his potential for a modeling career. He was often told he had what it takes to thrive as a model. As his older sister had a stint in the profession, Woo-seok was compelled to give it a shot. He signed up for a modeling competition by K Plus, deciding to quit if he didn’t finish in the top three. He did, and it marked the beginning of his career in show business.
As a fashion and commercial model, Byeon Woo-seok penetrated the South Korean entertainment industry. He performed on the runway of various fashion shows, promoting designers like Mesazzeri, Christian Pellizari, and Cornelliani. When he made his international debut at the 2015 F/W Men’s Fashion Show, it was a fulfilling accomplishment for Woo-seok who began modeling at age 20. Although he excelled as a model, it wasn’t enough to make him forget about acting.
Byeon Woo-seok Made His Acting Debut In 2016 At Age 26
While working as a model signed under K Plus, the agency merged with a popular entertainment agency YG Entertainment, and became YG K Plus. With this development, Byeon Woo-seok revived his acting dreams and began taking drama classes at the YG K Plus Actor School. He honed his skills there, leading up to his professional debut in 2016 as Son Jong-shik in tvN’s Dear My Friends. That same year, he appeared in MBC’s Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo and SBS’s Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. Woo-seok started landing regular roles in 2019 when he played Han Min-gyu in Search: WWW and Do Joon in Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency.
The Actor Achieved His Breakout Performance In 2020
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Byeon Woo-seok’s acting breakthrough came in 2020 with his portrayal of Won Hae-hyo in Record of Youth. His performance in the series highlights the depth of his modeling skills, pushing him to the forefront of the industry. Bench’s Ben Chan alluded to this in a 2021 interview with The Diarist. Responding to a question about what inspired Bench’s partnership with Woo-seok, Chan said: “If like me you’ve seen Record of Youth, you might have been impressed with the modeling of Byeon Woo-seok. It was easy to imagine him modeling for us in Bench.”
Before consolidating his television resume with Lovely Runner, Byeon Woo-seok starred in KBS2’s Moonshine and JTBC’s Strong Girl Nam-soon. The former won him the KBS Drama Awards for Best New Actor. His feature film debut was in Jason Kim’s 2017 action comedy Midnight Runners. Two years later, Byeon Woo-seok appeared as a bodyguard in Lee Hae-jun’s disaster film Ashfall (2019), before landing a starring role alongside Kim Yoo-jung in Bang Woo-ri’s 20th Century Girl. He also starred as Ham Jin-woo in 2023’s Soulmate, which earned him a nomination for the Grand Bell Awards’ Best New Actor. Read about K-drama actor Park Hyung Sik.
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