Korean Media Outlet Asks Fans: “Do You Prefer Byun Woo-seok or Ryu Sun-jae?”

Although “Lovely Runner”has ended over a week ago, the fame of its actors and actresses persists. Byun Woo-seok, who played “Ryu Seon-jae”, is especially the focus of this frenzy.

Before gaining recognition as an actor, Byun Woo-seok began his career as a model and made his debut in 2016 in tvN’s drama “Dear My Friends.”He then took on supporting roles in popular dramas like “Moon Lovers”and “Weight Lifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo”before eventually securing leading roles in hit dramas like “Record of Youth,””Moonshine,””Strong Woman Gang Nam-soon,”and “Lovely Runner.”Additionally, he has also appeared in films such as “20th Century Girl”and “Soul Mate.”

Byun’s popularity has increased exponentially with the success of his dramas “Record of Youth”and “20th Century Girl.”However, his latest drama, “Lovely Runner,”has propelled his popularity to new heights. A clear indication of this is the growth of his Instagram followers. When he appeared on “Strong Woman Gang Nam-soon,”he had approximately 2 million followers. However, since the airing of “Lovely Runner,”his followers have skyrocketed to over 7 million. As the drama came to an end, his followers exceeded 9.5 million and are expected to reach 10 million soon.

According to the latest rankings released by Good Data Corporation’s platform FUNdex on the 28th of last month, Byun maintained his popularity by claiming the top spot in the TV-OTT drama popularity survey for the fourth consecutive week in May. Additionally, he also secured the first place in the drama and non-drama cast popularity survey during the fourth week of May. This marks the first time since 2015, when Good Data Corporation began analyzing K contents and presenting the results, that one person has dominated the popularity across all fields. Byun’s performances in “Lovely Runner”earned him 29,672 points, while his appearance on “You Quiz On The Block”garnered 4,997 points, solidifying his reign at

In addition, he was known as “the actor who lost his name,”a measure of actors’ popularity in Korea. It was common for people to refer to him as “Ryu Sun-jae”rather than Byun Woo-seok. The first OST for “Lovely Runner,”titled “Sudden Shower”and performed by Eclipse, where Byun was a member, reached No. 5 on Melon’s TOP100, the biggest music site in Korea. Furthermore, on June 8, it surpassed that achievement by entering the Billboard Global 200 chart at No. 199.

Everywhere Byun visits, he is met with throngs of adoring fans. They flocked to the cafe where his interview was taking place, gathered at Incheon International Airport as he departed for Taiwan, and also filled Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport upon his arrival. Byun’s presence served as a testament to his widespread popularity, as it was broadcasted live by local media outlets.

It is evident that the Byun Woo-seok syndrome is still prevalent, as well as the popularity of Ryu Sun-jae. Byun Woo-seok and Ryu Sun-jae’s symbiotic relationship has had a significant impact on the actor and his work, contributing to his current level of fame. Byun has even interacted with fans as Ryu Sun-jae on both online and offline platforms, leading to the natural transition of the “Ryu Sun-jae Craze”to the “Byeon Woo-seok Syndrome.”

Despite the public’s preference for either Byun Woo-seok or Ryu Sun-jae in the drama “Lovely Runner,”Byun Woo-seok has been showcasing his unique charm through various endeavors such as guest appearances on entertainment shows, launching a fan communication platform, and hosting fan meetings. As a result, he has gained a natural and dedicated fan base, allowing him to maintain his popularity even after the conclusion of “Lovely Runner”and solidify his identity as “Byeon Woo-seok”rather than “Ryu Sun-jae.”