Byeon Woo-seok: From Model to the Icon of First Love
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Actor Byeon Woo-seok, 33, is no novice in the entertainment industry. He began his career as a fashion model and has been acting for nearly nine years. His transition from modeling to acting was driven by a simple desire: "Is there something more exciting in life?" When he asked himself this question, acting came to mind.

Though he made up his mind quickly, opportunities did not come easily. He faced over 100 rejections in auditions. After years of playing supporting roles in various dramas and films, the script for the drama Lovely Runner came to him.

He was cast as the male lead, Ryu Seon-Jae. "The script was so beautiful that I really wanted to do it. I hoped people could feel these emotions too," he said. Through this drama, Byeon Woo-seok quickly became known as the "Icon of First Love."

Lovely Runner is a time-slip romance drama where the female protagonist, Im Sol (played by Kim Hye-yoon), accidentally travels back in time and meets Ryu Seon-Jae, a member of the band Eclipse, whom she had been a fan of. The characters in the drama constantly move between their 30s, teens, and 20s. Byeon Woo-seok once wished he could travel back in time—to be a prodigious child again and to be with his grandmother in her final moments. However, after the last episode of Lovely Runner, his perspective changed. "I no longer want to go back. The fun of a time slip is living a new life. But the feelings I experienced at the end of the drama were so precious that now I don't want to return to the past," he shared.

Through this drama, he gained a "first love" image similar to Suzy's in the film Architecture 101. He still finds it hard to believe his popularity. "Honestly, I'm bewildered. I can't quite grasp it, and neither can those around me. I often wonder, 'Is this real? Is it like the movie The Truman Show?'"

Does he worry about being typecast as the "first love" character? He doesn't seem to. "I think if I just do my best in each moment, it'll be fine," he said. "I've played villains before this 'first love' role. I know I need to improve a lot, but if I do my best, won't people appreciate it?"

As more people become fans, even his past YouTube content is gaining popularity again. Comments like "Seon-Jae, I've made it here" make it feel as if he's actually time-slipping. "Seeing people watch all my videos from the past 10 years makes me feel like I'm going back in time. I'm grateful for this moment where I can connect so deeply with a character."

His passion for acting has grown. "When someone told me, 'Life was tough, but watching the drama made me happy,' I realized this job can give such profound emotions to someone. It made me want to do even better," he reflected. For him, gaining popularity as Ryu Seon-Jae feels like "another beginning." "I am quite ambitious. I want to act better than I do now and show even more sides of myself."

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