Former co-stars—and former real-life couple—Ryu Jun-yeol and Hyeri ultimately did not reunite on camera during the Reply 1988 10th anniversary special, despite both participating in the commemorative program.
The first episode of tvN’s Reply 1988 10th Anniversary, which aired on December 19, followed the Ssangmun-dong families as they prepared for a one-night, two-day trip to Gangwon Province in celebration of the drama’s 10-year milestone.
Ahead of the MT (group retreat), each family was shown gathering separately. Deok-sun’s family (Sung Dong-il, Lee Il-hwa, Choi Sung-won, Ryu Hye-young, Hyeri) and Jung-hwan’s family (Ra Mi-ran, Kim Sung-kyun, Ryu Jun-yeol, Ahn Jae-hong, Lee Min-ji) met at different locations, alongside the families of Sun-woo, Dong-ryong, and Taek.
Sung Dong-il explained that the reunion was planned organically after conversations among the older cast members (OB), which later expanded to include the younger members (YB). The broadcast included footage of both private OB and YB gatherings, highlighting the behind-the-scenes planning process.
However, viewers quickly noticed that Hyeri was present at the YB gathering, while Ryu Jun-yeol was absent from that scene. Later, a twist followed when Ryu Jun-yeol appeared at Jung-hwan’s family gathering, despite initially being expected to miss it.
Ryu Jun-yeol participated only in the opening segment and did not join the full MT trip in Gangwon Province, where all families later gathered. As a result, his path never overlapped with Hyeri’s, and the two did not appear together on screen.
Ryu Jun-yeol’s initially unexplained appearance left many viewers confused. However, during a December 16 live broadcast on the YouTube channel Channel Fullmoon, actors Go Kyung-pyo and Lee Dong-hwi—who appeared to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the hit tvN drama Reply 1988—clarified why Ryu Jun-yeol only took part in the opening segment.
During the livestream, Na Young-suk revealed, “We recently went on a very fun MT together to mark the 10th anniversary.” Go Kyung-pyo expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thanks to you, we were able to have such a meaningful gathering.” Lee Dong-hwi added, “It felt very special. I laughed so much that day.”
The two actors shared humorous anecdotes from the trip, with Go Kyung-pyo joking that he experienced “every emotion except anger,” while Lee Dong-hwi explained that some cast members became upset after losing games during filming, teasing that those moments would appear in the broadcast preview.
Lee Dong-hwi confidently added, “Everyone can really look forward to it because I performed incredibly well in the games,” while Go Kyung-pyo remarked that there were “quite a few unforgettable moments.”
Addressing the biggest point of curiosity, Na Young-suk clarified, “All of the Ssangmun-dong family members gathered together without a single exception. Jun-yeol, who had a filming schedule that day, stopped by briefly in the morning before leaving.” He emphasized that the entire cast was able to enjoy the MT together.
The Reply 1988 10th Anniversary Special, set to air on December 9 on tvN, will follow the cast as they embark on a 1-night, 2-day trip to commemorate a decade since the drama first aired.
With Na Young-suk’s confirmation, fans can now look forward to seeing at least a glimpse of Ryu Jun-yeol when the long-awaited Reply 1988 10th anniversary special airs.
Sources: 네이트 뉴스
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