Profile Ryu Jun Yeol: From ‘Reply 1988’ to Baeksang Winning and Controversial Dating Story (2024 Updated)

Who is Ryu Jun Yeol?

Ryu Jun Yeol was born in 1986, starting his acting career in 2012 with a few short films. Later, he took on minor roles in some lesser-known works such as East Thai, Angry People, Glory Day… Before becoming an actor, he held various jobs such as pizza delivery, tutoring, to make a living while studying at university under a scholarship.

Shining from the television drama Reply 1988

Ryu Jun Yeol had his first lead role in the film Social Phobia in 2014. However, his name truly became famous thanks to his role as Kim Jung Hwan in the popular television series Reply 1988. Jung Hwan is a boy who appears cold on the outside but harbors secret feelings for Duk Sun.

After the series ended, Ryu Jun Yeol’s fan base grew rapidly. They affectionately called him “puppy face”. Among a forest of handsome Korean men, Ryu Jun Yeol stood out with his “unconventional” looks. However, it’s precisely his single eyelid eyes, distinctive facial features that blend in with no one else.

Thanks to his role as Kim Jung Hwan, the star born in 1986 won the Best New Actor award at the Baeksang Arts Awards, Best New Actor at the Asia Artist Awards 2015.

The success of Reply 1988 paved the way for the actor to try more challenging roles on the big screen. Participating in blockbusters like The King, A Taxi Driver, Believer,… Ryu Jun Yeol demonstrated his versatile acting ability, intelligent and subtle performances. Each of his performances has its own uniqueness, not monotonous like many other young actors.

A promising face “guaranteeing box office success”

Ryu Jun Yeol has become a name that guarantees box office success. The films he participated in achieved remarkable results, notably The King (2017), A Taxi Driver (2017), Believer (2018)… The King was the 7th highest-grossing film in South Korea in 2017, earning Ryu Jun Yeol the Best New Actor award at the Baeksang Arts Awards 2017 and The Seoul Awards 2017.

Meanwhile, A Taxi Driver set numerous records at the South Korean box office. It was the highest-grossing film of 2017 with $90.13 million, becoming the 10th Korean film in history to surpass 12 million viewers. Ryu Jun Yeol was nominated for Best New Actor at the 2017 Blue Dragon Awards.

Believer is a special case. Initially facing mixed reviews from audiences and some critics, Yonhap News even stated that Believer was a tense, dramatic film but overloaded with too much violence and sexual content.

However, when officially released, Believer unexpectedly surpassed 2 Hollywood blockbusters, Deadpool 2 and Solo: A Star Wars Story, in the domestic market. According to statistics from the Korean Film Association in 2018, Believer reached over 3 million viewers in just 12 days – a dream achievement for many Korean films. The film also maintained the top spot at the box office during that time.

Ryu Jun Yeol played the lead role of Rak, a member of a drug trafficking gang in Believer. After a bombing incident caused by a mysterious leader, fearing another attack, Rak and another member sought help from the police. He silently helped the police officer Won Ho investigate the mastermind behind the organization.

Ryu Jun Yeol has appeared in many acclaimed films. Rak is a character with few lines, complex psychological developments, and a challenge for the actor. The 33-year-old star’s convincing performance received positive feedback from the audience.

Dating Life

7-year love with Lee Hyeri:

Having an opportunity to work together in “Reply 1988,” but Ryu Jun Yeol and Lee Hyeri left audiences disappointed when they didn’t end up together in the series. However, after the end of the drama, Dispatch released evidence and suspicions of their relationship.

Before their official announcement, Jun Yeol’s caring gestures and attentive care towards Hyeri always gave audiences great hope for their relationship. Whether on stage or secretly dating by the Han River, Jun Yeol was always seen treating his girlfriend with the utmost tenderness and respect.

Then in March 2016, the couple publicly confirmed their relationship, delighting fans. They were one of the few couples in showbiz who inspired positive feelings about love.

In 2019, after a period of facing breakup rumors due to being “quite silent” about their relationship, Hyeri didn’t hesitate to share, “Despite being quite busy, we are still very happy. We meet each other regularly like I usually meet the members of Girl’s Day.”

However, on November 13, 2023, the couple announced their breakup, ending their dream-like relationship.

Controversial love story with Han So Hee

On March 15th, 2024, social media exploded with rumors of a love triangle involving the trio Han So Hee, Ryu Jun Yeol, and Hyeri. Starting from the morning of the same day, rumors of Ryu Jun Yeol and Han So Hee dating spread after a netizen spotted the two prominent Korean stars vacationing together in Hawaii. Soon after, Ryu Jun Yeol’s management company confirmed that he was indeed in Hawaii but declined to comment on the dating rumors. Meanwhile, Han So Hee denied the rumors by responding that she was on vacation “with close friends”.

The uproar reached its peak when Ryu Jun Yeol’s ex-girlfriend, Hyeri, posted an Instagram story with a picture resembling the scenery of Hawaii along with the caption: “It’s fun.” Additionally, the singer and actress unfollowed her ex-boyfriend on Instagram. These actions were interpreted as Hyeri’s response to the ambiguous relationship between Ryu Jun Yeol and Han So Hee. Shortly after, Han So Hee also responded with an Instagram story post, asserting that she and Ryu Jun Yeol not cheating on Hyeri. Particularly, the status line: “I find this fun too” was seen as a response to Hyeri’s post.

On the morning of March 16th, just one day after denying the rumors, Han So Hee shared a personal letter on her social media, unexpectedly publicly confirming her romantic relationship with Ryu Jun Yeol. In the post, the actress revealed that she and her boyfriend had been dating since early 2024. They met at a photo exhibition when she came to support her friend, a photographer.

Notably, the star of the film “Gyeongseong Creature” once again denied being a third party involved in the relationship between Ryu Jun Yeol and Hyeri. Han So Hee emphasized that she and her partner truly began dating after he and his ex-girlfriend officially “went their separate ways”. Han So Hee explained: “He ended his relationship with Hyeri at the beginning of 2023, but news of their breakup only surfaced in November last year”.

Following Han So Hee’s actions, Ryu Jun Yeol also announced his relationship with the 90s beauty. The actor born in 1986 affirmed that he started dating Han So Hee after breaking up with Hyeri. Additionally, Ryu Jun Yeol’s management company requested that the media respect his privacy, stating that they would sue those who spread negative rumors about his private life.