“First broadcast on Monday, April 8th at 8:50 PM.”
Actor Byun Woo-seok’s short comment on Instagram has really hit the fans ‘nostalgia button. It’ s thanks to the behind-the-scenes photos released to commemorate the 1st anniversary of the first broadcast of the tvN drama ‘My Secret Romance.’

On this day, Byun Woo-seok revealed several photos from his days as Ryu Seon-jae. From high school Seon-jae to Seon-jae in his 30s, and even a photo of him in the recording booth while showing off his lead vocal power in the idol group ‘Eclipse’. From the fans ‘perspective, these are not just collectibles, they are taxidermy.

Among the released photos, the one that stands out the most is the scene where he is wearing a gym uniform and smiling brightly. This look, which seems to have been taken on a filming set, is none other than the high school student Ryu Seon-jae himself. In fact, Byun Woo-seok was born in 1991 and is 34 this year. I don’ t know if I should say this, but… I don’t think he would feel awkward at all if he transferred to high school again.

In the drama, Ryu Sun-jae is a character who grows into the most shining idol in the entertainment industry, ‘Eclipse’. Byun Woo-seok has a face that embodies the story, and he naturally moves from school uniforms to stage costumes. It’s not for nothing that they call him a time machine actor.

The syndrome created by ‘Seonup-twi’ … and it is still ongoing

‘Seonjae Upgo Twi’ was not a simple romance. This work, which mixed time travel, growth, idol story, and even a vague first love, received a lot of love after it was aired and created the so-called ‘Seonjae Upgo Twi Syndrome’. With this one drama, Byun Woo-seok definitely rose to stardom, and the afterglow still continues.

Most recently, he proudly took first place in the advertising model brand reputation revealed by the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute. What’s the secret to his popularity? Isn’t it ‘Seonjae’ s face + sincere charm + hidden hard worker + good influence = Byun Woo-seok’s formula ‘?

And even more good news! Byun Woo-seok will be appearing in the new MBC drama’ 21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife ‘with IU. It’ s a period drama with a romantic twist, so people are already excited to see what kind of face he’ll show this time.

One year ago today, the first episode of ‘Seonup Twi’ began, and Byun Woo-seok left a strong impression on the public. And one year later today, he still remains with his fans as “an actor they want to be carried and jumped on.”
Looking at the photos released by Byun Woo-seok, it feels like meeting Seonjae in full bloom again on a spring day. So, how about we go on a ‘Seonup-twi’ binge once again?



Reporter Yang Hyeong-mo hmyang0307@donga

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.