"We thought actor Byun Woo-seok had potential" - Rakuten Viki Team Leader on the actor's soaring popularity following Lovely Runner's success

Actor Byeon Woo-seok, known for his role as Ryu Seon-jae in tvN's Lovely Runner, has gained global popularity. On August 28, 2024, at the 'International Broadcasting Video Market' in Seoul, industry experts discussed the international success of Lovely Runner, starring Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon, during the 'Trend Session - IP' event.

The event attendees included PD Park Soon-tae from Bon Factory, Rakuten Viki Team Leader Son Jeong-wook, CJ ENM Team Leader Kim Do-hyun, and cultural critic Jeong Deok-hyeon. Local Korean media highlighted Byeon Woo-seok's rising stardom, with Rakuten Viki's Son Jeong-wook sharing his thoughts on the actor's success.

Team Leader Son disclosed how the production believed in Byeon Woo-seok's potential and commented on his growing popularity since Lovely Runner's launch. According to STARNEWS, he said,

"We thought actor Byun Woo-seok had potential. He is a case where he became more popular after the drama was released than when he signed the contract."

Apart from the K-drama star's major contribution to the project, the discussion further dived into other aspects that led to Lovely Runner's success in the global viewership market.

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Industry experts share key factors behind the universal success of Lovely Runner starring Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon

At the '2024 International Broadcasting Video Market', the industry professionals in attendance revealed some key factors that led to Lovely Runner's established success amongst audiences worldwide.

Per Newsen, Planning Director Park Soon-tae of Bon Factory, the production helming the drama, noted how audiences at home react coldly to uninteresting content, apart from stating that South Korean viewers have the highest viewership level in the world.

The Director expressed confidence, saying,

"Those viewers loved 'Seonjae Upgo Twiyo' (Korean title) the most in the first half of the year. I think that the drama production method, know-how, and such are still world-class enough to meet the viewers' level."

He even credited the emergence of large studios in changing the game of the production scene, aiding to meet the standards of audiences, stating,

"By breaking away from the existing method of relying on top creators or top actors and discovering fresh actors, writers, and directors like Studio Dragon and grafting proven original IP onto them, I think it's possible to create soft content that can meet global trends and viewers' expectations. And I think the result is 'Seonjae Upgo Twiyo.'"

He also admitted that the results left him surprised, while further voicing his expectation that Lovely Runner comes as a hope in the tough content market.

"It's still a result that leaves me dumbfounded. If you look for its own meaning, 'Seonjae Upgo Twiyo' is content that achieved global success without the participation of top writers, creators, or actors with global influence. That is the greatest meaning and value of the success of 'Seonjae Upgo Twiyo'.

He went on,

"As you all know, I hope that 'Seonjae Upgo Twiyo' can become another hope in the increasingly difficult content market."

Additionally, as per STARNEWS, Team Leader Son Jeong-wook of the OTT platform Rakuten Viki explained the importance of a good combination of content and platform, and how Lovely Runner became a strategic content at the platform.

"We had a good combination of content and platform. Rakuten Viki consumes Asian content, especially Korean dramas, in markets outside of Asia. Romantic comedies are the most popular. Since large-scale OTTs can be important for each country's usage rights, works like "Seonuptwi" (shortened Korean title) may not be highlighted.

He added,

"Korean content is not released to the entire world at once, but rather sequentially. "Seonuptwi" is our strategic content at Rakuten Viki,"

According to Soompi, which cited data from Nielsen Korea (a global provider of TV data), the final episode of Lovely Runner recorded an average nationwide viewership rating of 5.8 percent.

The Korea Times' May 24, 2024, article highlighted how TV ratings are no longer the sole determining factor of a drama's success. A strong buzz - including the renown of the cast - creating popularity for the content also plays a major role in the present day. The article read,

"Despite its relatively modest ratings, the drama (Lovely Runner) has built a powerful fanbase. The show's overall buzz, along with the popularity of its lead actors, Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon, has propelled it to the top of various popularity charts."

The report further stated that while the drama was not selected for prime time slots initially, it gradually rose to the position of one of the hottest dramas. It then explored the global impact of Lovely Runner and its main leads, Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon, who were dominating actor buzz rankings.

"Although the drama's ratings have plateaued as it nears its conclusion, "Lovely Runner" remains strong in all four key areas of "buzz": the news, voice of netizens, video and social media.

It continued,

"Its popularity extends beyond Korea, topping the weekly viewing charts on Viu, an Asian regional streaming service, in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia for the first week of May, from April 29 to May 5. Byeon and Kim have maintained their positions at the top of the actor buzz rankings for three consecutive weeks."

Meanwhile, Lovely Runner tells the story of former swimmer Ryu Seon-jae who is a top-tier celebrity in the highly competitive world of stardom. He has been popular since his debut but fights inner turmoils and exhaustion owing to the demands of the entertainment industry, ultimately meeting an unfortunate demise.

A heartbroken Im Sol (played by Kim Hye-yoon), who derived comfort from Ryu Sun-jae's music, goes back in time to prevent the tragic accident from taking place. The story was adapted from the web novel The Best of Tomorrow by Kim Bbang.