Edited by Hwang Hong Sun
Translated by Kim Hoyeun
Ryu Jun Yeol, who played big and small roles in short films met the light of the day when he appeared in the independent film Socialphobia. The story of Socialphobia takes place as people who are accused of the murder of “malicious commenter” Lena dig into the secret of the case themselves. In the play, Ryu Jun Yeol played the role of BJ Yang Ge, who broadcasts the process live on the internet, and delivered laughter throughout the movie with his ceaseless and exaggerated behaviors.
Director Shin Won Ho, who saw Socialphobia, picked out Ryu Jun Yeol to play Kim Jung Hwan in Reply 1988. Reply 1988 is a story about five childhood friends, who all live in the same Ssangmundong neighborhood, in the year of 1988 Seoul Olympics. Since the Reply series is famous for discovering actors from independent films and turning them into stars, when the news of Ryu Joo Yeol’s appearance was reported, everyone thought that he will play a role similar to BJ Yang Ge of Socialphobia.
However, Kim Jung Hwan, played by Ryu Jun Yeol, was far from “being pleasant.” Jung Hwan seems sensitive, but is pure-hearted and has a crush on Deok Sun, who he lived in the same neighborhood for a long time. Ryu Jun Yeol came to fame as the story progressed with his acting that even made the viewers blush. in particular, the scene where he confessed to Deok Sun showed such emotional performances to the point where all the staff at the scene cried. For this reason, many fans hoped that Jung Hwan would be the answer to the big question, “Who is Deok Sun’s husband?”
With Ryu Jun Yeol’s passionate performances, Reply 1988 made a huge success, recording the highest viewership in the history of tvN. Although he remained as a heartbreaking first love, in reality, he became a couple with Hyeri, who played the role of Deok Sun.
After Reply 1988, he continued to make impressive performances in several films, establishing himself as a notable actor in the movie industry. In director Choi Dong Hon’s new film Extraterrestrial, which recently started filming, he will challenge his first 10 million-viewers film. I send my cheers for Ryu Jun Yeol, who shows different personalities in every work, and his new challenge.
