Byeon Woo-seok takes the top spot as the number one advertising model, surpassing Blackpink!
2023 has been the year of Byeon Woo-seok. Thanks to the popularity of the tvN drama ‘Run with Sonjae’, he has emerged as the leading figure in the advertising world, overtaking Blackpink in popularity rankings.
Having achieved almost everything he wanted as a model, Byeon Woo-seok decided to challenge himself with acting, which had always been his dream. His acting debut was in the 2016 tvN drama “Dear My Friends.” Despite facing various difficulties, Byeon Woo-seok chose to participate in as many projects as possible, taking on both lead and supporting roles to overcome his shortcomings and gain experience in the field. He began his leading role in JTBC’s “Flower Crew: Chosun Marriage Agency” and rose to great popularity in 2023 with “Lovely Runner” eventually surpassing Blackpink to become the top choice in the advertising industry that year.
Profile
Name: Byeon Woo-seok 변우석
Date of Birth: October 31, 1991
Height: 189 cm
Weight: 73 kg
Family: Parents, elder sister
Blood Type: B
MBTI: INTJ
Education history: Cheongju University, College of Arts (dropped out)
Religion: Catholic (Baptism name: Francisco)
Hobbies: Holds a 4th grade in Kendo, skin scuba diving, swimming, gaming, fishing, horseback riding, band activities
Debut: Debuted as a model in 2015, made acting debut in 2016 with “Dear My Friends”
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byeonwooseok/
Filmography
2016 tvN drama ‘Dear My Friends’ ★
2016 SBS drama ‘Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo’ ★
2016 MBC drama ‘Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo’ ★
2017 tvN drama ‘Mystic Pop-up Bar’
2017 콕TV drama ‘Office Watch: The Gossip RoomSeason 3’ (Lead Role)
2017 tvN drama ‘History of Walking Upright’ (Lead Role)
2017 Movie ‘Midnight Runners’
2017 tvN drama ‘Modulove’ (Lead Role)
2019 JTBC drama ‘Welcome to Waikiki 2’
2019 movie ‘Ashfall’
2019 tvN drama ‘Search WWW’ ★★
2019 JTBC drama ‘Flower Crew-Chosun Marriage Agency!’ (Lead Role)
2020 tvN drama ‘Record of Youth’ (Lead Role) ★
2021 KBS2 drama ‘Moonshine’ (Lead Role) ★
2022 Netflix movie ’20th Century Girl’ (Lead Role) ★
2023 Netflix drama ‘Strong Girl Nam-soon’ (Lead Role) ★
2023 movie ‘Soulmate’ (Lead Role) ★
2024 tvN drama ‘Lovely Runner!’ (Lead Role) ★★
2024 tvN drama ‘I Don’t Want to Lose’
Awards
2016 – 2016 Asia Model Festival – Fashion Model of the Year Award
2022 – KBS Drama Awards – Best New Actor Award for “Moonshine”
2024 – Brand Awards – Hot Trend Actor Award for “Lovely Runner”
2024 – Seoul Drama Awards – Asia Star Award for “Lovely Runner”
2024 – Korea Drama Awards – Hot Star Award for “Lovely Runner”
2024 – Seoul International Film Awards – Popular Star Award for “Lovely Runner”
2024 – FUNdex Awards – Best Performer Award, TV Drama Best Actor Award for “Lovely Runner”
2024 – Asia Artist Awards – Best Actor Award, Best Artist Award, Popularity Award, Best Couple Award for “Lovely Runner”
2024 – APAN Star Awards – Popular Actor Award, Global Star Award, Best Couple OST Award for “Lovely Runner”
According to him, he has failed over 100 times in auditions. It’s hard to believe that he could fail so many times, but each time was a disappointment. After script readings, he would sometimes be suddenly cut from consideration, and he heard some harsh stories on set that left him traumatized. It was so tough that he often thought, “Maybe the path of an actor isn’t for me.” Despite being a model and having once loved being in front of the camera, he developed a sort of camera-related depression and felt a strong urge to escape from the production environment.
However, even amid various challenges, Byeon Woo-seok worked hard to overcome his shortcomings. He chose not to limit himself to lead or supporting roles and aimed to participate in as many projects as possible to adapt to the set environment. He played IU’s ex-boyfriend in the 2016 drama “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” and a senior in the swimming club in “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo.” He continued to build his acting career steadily, albeit not without difficulties, appearing in “Office Watch Season 3” in 2017, “Everyone’s Romance” on tvN in 2018, and the web drama “Office Watch:The gossip room” in 2019.
Dear My Friends
Based on a script by a highly popular author that depicts the friendship and lives of elderly people, this masterpiece features incredibly expensive renowned actors and actresses. In this work, Byeon Woo-seok plays the role of Oh Jeong-nam (Youn Yuh-jung), who runs a café in the story. Viewers can see his youthful appearance from this drama.
Flower Crew : Chosun Marriage Agency
Through the JTBC drama “Flower Crew : Chosun Marriage Agency”, Byeon Woo-seok began taking on leading roles in mini-series. In this work, he skillfully portrayed a matchmaker with a refined appearance and a perfect fit in traditional Korean attire, embodying a character with a complex inner world and captivating expressions that draw in the hearts of women.
20th Century Girl
In a winter that brought a video tape filled with memories from 1999, we follow 17-year-old girl “Bora” as she plays the role of Cupid to help her best friend “Yeondoo” achieve her first love. This is a heartwarming observation romance of first love. This work is a Netflix original film released in 2022, and actor Byeon Woo-seok mentioned that he made an effort to condense his emotional expressions to portray his delicate and pure character. He also worked hard to lose 2 to 3 kilograms of muscle to wear the school uniform stylishly.
In the drama, the bright and cheerful female protagonist, along with the character Pung Eun-ho, cultivates emotions that have been praised for gaining a refreshing vitality through Byeon Woo-seok. After just three days of its Netflix release, it secured the second spot in the Global TOP 10 Movies (non-English) category and made it into the TOP 10 lists of a total of 33 countries, including South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Brazil, and Mexico, receiving positive responses.
Additionally, it was nominated for the Best New Actor Award in the film category at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards. In 2023, the writer and director of his fateful work “Lovely Runner” chose Byeon Woo-seok for the main role of Seonjae after seeing his image in this project.
Strong Girl Nam-soon
Byeon Woo-seok returns to the drama after more than two years, playing the villain Ryu Shio in JTBC’s weekend drama “Strong Woman Nam-soon.” This is his first time taking on a bad guy role, and since he plays the representative of a company, he has made significant efforts to establish his character’s demeanor, walking style, and voice, trying to incorporate these traits into his daily life. He portrays a psychopathic character who is willing to go as far as drug trafficking and murder to achieve his goals, yet he has been well-received for effectively depicting a multidimensional character who still longs for genuine connections with others. Notably, his overwhelming physical presence, perfect suit fitting, and captivating gaze that can make one fall in love have earned him the nickname “Weak Man(contrary to the strong heroine)” contributing to his growing popularity among the audience.
Lovely Runner!
“Ryu Seonjae is so well-suited in his custom outfits that it feels like a fateful drama beyond imagination. He can be considered the representative ‘first love icon’ of Korea in 2023, perfectly embodying the essence of a pure-hearted man. Furthermore, from the swimming scenes crafted through his hard work to the authentic band vocalist moments, Byeon Woo-seok showcased his singing talent and stage presence.
Through ‘Run with Seon-jae on your back,’ he revealed all his charms and painted the entire world with ‘Seon-jae’s unrequited love.’ The term ‘syndrome’ doesn’t even begin to capture how the whole world has united in admiration for Byeon Wooseok.”
– from Joy News ー
He smoothly transitions between the character of a top star in his 30s and a promising high school swimmer in his teens, creating a persona that could only be imagined as Byeon Wooseok. He has emerged not only in South Korea but also as a new Hanllyu star.
Among the six original soundtrack songs he sang by himself, the representative track “Shower” has received widespread love from the public. He has won related awards at ceremonies such as the 2024 MAMA Awards and the 2024 Melon Music Awards. Additionally, he has become a sought-after figure in the advertising world, being chosen as the face for over 20 brands. He ranked fourth among the most shining talents of 2024 and second among the most beloved male actors.
Byeon Wooseok and IU to Star in New Drama
A Love Story Between Commoners and a Prince Set in a Constitutional Monarchy in Korea
The casting for the upcoming MBC drama “21st Century Grand Duchess,” scheduled to air in the second half of 2025, has been confirmed. Byeon Woo-seok will play Ian, a grand prince born as the second son of the king, who has nothing to his name except his royal status. His life takes a turn when he meets Song Hee-joo (played by IU).
This marks the first time in 9years that Byeon Woo-seok will reunite with IU, who was the female lead in the 2016 drama “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo,” where he appeared in a supporting role. The news of their casting together has already generated buzz.
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