Netflix K-drama Record of Youth made Byeon Woo-seok a star, what was it like to work with actors Park Bo-gum and Park So-dam? – interview

Nov 11 , 2020

Byeon Woo-seok, rising star of Netflix series, Record of Youth. Photo: @byeonwooseok/Instagram

Soon to appear in his first film with Itaewon Class’ Kim Da-mi, Byeon has seen his Instagram following double after appearing in the smash series about a crew of aspiring actors and artists trying to make it in South Korea’s competitive entertainment industry

This season’s trending K-drama series Record of Youth was a big hit thanks to its deliberately paced, riveting storyline and heartthrob stars – it finished with the bang of a final episode that scored a 8.7 per cent domestic viewership share.

The story revolved around three millennials – aspiring actors and childhood friends Hye-jun (Park Bo-gum) and Hae-hyo (Byeon Woo-seok), and make-up artist Jeong-ha (Park So-dam) – struggling to pursue their dreams, love and family relationships.

The heartwarming series sent out hopeful messages – that there can be a new beginning in life – to those who are living through the trials and errors of early adulthood. Indeed, this was what Record of Youth came to mean to 29-year-old actor Byeon Woo-seok, who has become a star thanks to the show.

From left, Park Bo-gum and Byeon Woo-seok, stars of K-drama, Record of Youth. Photo: Netflix

“This series set a new start in my acting career,” Byeon told The Korea Times. Despite his growing popularity, little is known about the star – so here are five more things we learned from the interview:

His real life resembles Park’s character, Hae-jun

Just like his character Hae-hyo, Byeon debuted as a model before he began acting with his first minor role in the 2016 TV drama Dear My Friends. Since then, he has starred in several TV series, including TVN’s romantic comedy Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency.

But Byeon said he saw himself more as Hye-jun, played by Park Go-bum, than as his own character. “When I first read the script, I related to Hye-jun more,” he said. “As Hae-hyo has such an extraordinary background, I couldn’t fully see myself in the character at first.”