Byeon Woo Seok, the star of the tvN drama ‘Lovely Runner’, is making waves with his knack for playing characters that make you forget he’s in his 30s.

In ‘Lovely Runner’, Byeon Woo Seok takes on the role of Ryu Sunjae, the leading man who’s stealing the hearts of viewers everywhere.

The show is a time-travel romance about Im Sol (played by Kim Hye Yoon), a die-hard fan who’s devastated by the death of her idol, Ryu Sunjae. She travels back to 2008 to save him, and the drama unfolds from there.

The show kicked off with a modest rating of 3.073% but has been climbing ever since, hitting 4.752% by the 10th episode. It’s also topping the charts in the 20-49 age group, beating out all other shows on air at the same time.

But it’s not just about the ratings. ‘Lovely Runner’ is also the talk of the town, ranking first in the TV-OTT drama topic index for the first week of May. Byeon Woo Seok himself is enjoying the limelight, topping the actor’s topic chart.

He’s riding the wave of popularity, with appearances on tvN’s ‘You Quiz on the Block’ and SBS’s ‘Running Man’, and even planning his first Asian fan meeting tour.

A big part of Byeon Woo Seok’s appeal is how well he fits the character of Ryu Sunjae. Despite being in his 30s, he pulls off the school uniform look without a hitch, which is quite surprising given his actual age.

Born in October 1991, Byeon Woo Seok is 34 in Korean age and 32 in international age. He served in the army from 2011 to 2013, and is now in his third year of civil defense, which has also been a hot topic.

He also played a high school student in the Netflix movie ‘20th Century Girl’, alongside Kim Yoo Jung. Even then, he was in his 30s, but he perfectly embodied the charm of a first love romance as Poong Woon Ho, the best friend of Baek Hyun Jin (played by Park Jung Woo) and the target of Bora (played by Kim Yoo Jung)'s affection.

In ‘Lovely Runner’, Byeon Woo Seok showcases a more youthful image, a refreshing change from the villain he played in ‘Strong Woman Do Bong Soon’. He convincingly portrays a teenager, a 20-something, and a 30-something, thanks to his tall stature, good looks, and the chemistry he shares with Kim Hye Yoon.

At a previous press conference, he mentioned that ‘Lovely Runner’ might be his last time wearing a school uniform.

But despite his concerns, Byeon Woo Seok continues to impress by breaking age boundaries, and we can’t wait to see what he does next.

Source[1]

A memorial for 8-year-old Kim Haneul, who tragically lost her life in the Daejeon elementary school murder case, has become a place for people to pay their respects.

What caught the eye of many, however, was a thoughtful flower arrangement sent by K-pop group IVE.

On February 11th, reports revealed that Kim Haneul's memorial has attracted a steady flow of visitors, including family, friends, and even those who didn't know her personally but wanted to mourn her loss.

Among the visitors was Haneul’s father, Mr. A, who shared some touching details about his daughter’s love for IVE, particularly for member Jang Wonyoung.

According to Mr. A, Haneul’s biggest dream was to meet Jang Wonyoung. “Whenever Jang Wonyoung appeared on TV, Haneul would stay up late just to watch her live,” he shared.

The father went on to say, “If anyone from IVE sees this, I would be so thankful if Jang Wonyoung could say a warm goodbye to our Haneul.”

A heartfelt photo card from IVE was placed in front of Haneul’s portrait at the memorial, showing the young girl's admiration for the K-pop group.

Later, fans and netizens shared messages like “Haneul, go and become a beautiful star,” hoping that IVE’s gesture would send warmth to Haneul.

In a heartbreaking turn of events, Kim Haneul and her teacher, Mr. B, were found at an elementary school in Daejeon on the afternoon of February 10th.

Haneul was rushed to the hospital but tragically passed away. Police investigations revealed that Mr. B had made a shocking statement: "I was going to kill anyone and die together." It was later confirmed that Mr. B had no connection to Haneul.

The police have stated they will continue to investigate Mr. B’s motives and the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident once his health improves.

Source: [1]