Park Bo-gum’s love rival in Netflix K-drama Record of Youth, Byun Woo-seok, says the pair are super close off set: what else should you know about this rising star?

Oct 30 , 2020

Byun Woo-seok and Park Bo-gum in the hit Netflix k-drama, Record of Youth. Photo: VN

The model-turned-actor looks to Park Bo-gum and Call Me By Your Name star Timothée Chalamet for acting inspiration and won’t be whisked away for military service any time soon

Netflix’s latest trending K-drama Record of Youth – centred on South Korea’s fashion and entertainment – features a powerhouse cast. Park Bo-gum plays Sa Hye-joon, an aspiring model who dreams of becoming a top actor and slogs his way to the top, while Parasite star Park So-dam plays Ahn Jeong-ha, an optimistic make-up artist and long-time fan of Sa Hye-joon.

But besides these two big banner names, there is another actor who has caught the attention of K-drama fans: the second lead, Byun Woo-seok. As he celebrates his 29th birthday, we investigate the rising star further, uncovering five facts about a man who, like his character in the drama, started out in the industry as a model.

He has already completed his mandatory South Korean military service

Thankfully for his fans, Byun Woo-seok completed his military service before he reached mainstream stardom. Kpopmap notes that he began modelling in 2010, before heading out to complete his military service and being discharged in 2013. He once again pursued modelling after he was released, shooting fashion editorials and booking runway shows. He’s even been in shoots with fellow model-turned-actor Nam Joo-hyuk and 2NE1 popstrel Sandara Park.

He has already starred in multiple K-dramas

After his stint as a model, Byun Woo-seok decided to transition to acting. He had guest roles in several shows such as Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo, and Search: WWW. Then last year, he landed a major role in the historical drama Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency. He was cast as Do Joon, a wealthy informant whose job it is to advise the king on matters of matchmaking.

His Record of Youth character resembles him in real life