A decade in the shadows — before the spotlight finally hit. Here’s how that long-simmering trajectory finally turned into one of the industry’s most unlikely success stories
At 187-centimeters, with a dreamy face and even a solid singing voice, Byeon Woo-seok seems made for K-drama stardom.
While his polished appearance might imply an effortless ascent, you might be surprised to hear the 34-year-old actor has weathered nearly a decade of disappointment: from being abruptly fired from projects with a single phone call to being bluntly told that he "would not make it."
But Byeon is a late bloomer — a rarity in Korean entertainment.
Now an A-list actor who reportedly earns more than 10 billion won ($6.7 million) a year, he has come a long way from his early days as a struggling supporting actor.
From a debt-laden childhood to modeling success
Byeon's early days weren't easy.
His childhood was defined by financial strain, growing up in a small home with a laundromat below, sharing a room with his grandmother and, at times, living apart from his family as debt piled up.
It was his older sister, who was preparing for a modeling career, that first drew him into the industry — and what started as a tentative step gained traction.
"While working as a model, I unexpectedly landed major opportunities and started earning money. I was able to pay off my parents' debts. The look on their faces at that moment is something I can't put into words. It was a side of them I had never seen before," he recalled, during a 2024 "You Quiz on the Block" interview.
Momentum came fast. Runways, editorials and appearances at Seoul Fashion Week turned him into a familiar face in the fashion scene.
Rising as a promising fashion model, it was during that period that he also began taking acting classes through his agency with the aim to expand public reach. Then his anticipated acting debut came in 2016 with a minor role in the tvN series "Dear My Friends."
Early struggles: Fired, facing criticisms
However, it wasn't a smooth transition.
Byeon has described the early years of his acting career as a string of "traumas," being cut from projects after script readings, sometimes even after starting physical preparations for roles.
"One time, I received a call telling me I had been dropped from a project while in the middle of getting a haircut for the part," Byeon said on TV show "You Quiz on the Block."
"And I was cut even after (I had passed) script readings, and (my early acting career) feels like it was a series of traumas," he said.
"At the time, there was a group chat with the actors (for a project), and I said, 'I don't think I'll be on the project with you guys any longer,' before leaving the chat. That really hit me hard. ... Some people told me, 'From what I see, you're not going to make it within four or five years,'" he said.
Despite the setbacks, Byeon continued to land roles, though opportunities remained sporadic, mostly in minor parts scattered across projects. After leading a web drama in 2017, he spent the next few years building his resume through supporting roles in cable TV series.
His big break came in 2020, when he landed a key role alongside established names like Park Bo-gum and Park So-dam in the drama "Record of Youth."
The series posted solid ratings, surpassing the 10 percent mark despite strong competition from the popular thriller "The Penthouse: War in Life."
Yet much of the spotlight remained on Park Bo-gum, leaving Byeon largely in the background — a pattern that carried into his later works.
Even with roles in popular titles such as "20th Century Girl" and "Strong Girl Nam-soon," his level of recognition remained relatively low.
Offers flood in after 'Lovely Runner'
Then came a breakthrough few saw coming.
The 2024 tvN rom-com "Lovely Runner" — a project even its producer CJ ENM had low expectations for, given its relatively unknown cast and a Monday-Tuesday slot long considered one of the weakest for TV dramas — had turned into a global sensation.
Blending early-2000s nostalgia with a fantasy centered on the romance between a K-pop star and his fan, the series was met with a completely unexpected, explosive response, topping Rakuten Viki charts in more than 130 countries.
The ripple effect was immediate.
Byeon saw his profile leap from modest domestic recognition to global fame. Fan meeting tickets sold out instantly, with resale prices reportedly reaching up to 45 times their original value.
"Since 'Lovely Runner,' I've heard (from my agency) that the number of drama offers I had increased by 10 to 20 times more," he said, via an interview with local outlets held in 2024. "This had all happened over the course of a month."
'Leveling' up with Han So-hee
After "Lovely Runner," all eyes were on Byeon's next move.
His choice was the fantasy rom-com "Perfect Crown" starring opposite IU — a decision that, so far, appears to have paid off.
Since its April premiere, the series easily broke through the double-digit ratings threshold and currently sits as the water cooler show of this spring.
Looking ahead, he is expected to move beyond the rom-com space.
He is reportedly in talks to lead the Netflix adaptation of "Solo Leveling" — largely regarded as one of the most consumed Korean web novels of all time — alongside Hallyu star Han So-hee.
Apparently, Byeon is eager to showcase his versatility by taking on roles removed from his rom-com track.
"I really like Timothee Chalamet. He draws you in with incredible focus, and his charm really resonates. I especially love the emotional depth he brings to his roles," he said during a 2020 interview with local outlets.
"(Like him), I want to try a wide range of genres myself," said Byeon.
"I'd like to play a psychopath, though I think I'd be scared if I actually got the offer. Still, I imagine the sense of achievement after pulling it off would be huge," he added.
