Ryu Jun-yeol (류준열) is a South Korean actor born on September 25, 1986, in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. After appearing in several short films and independent productions, he began to attract public attention through film before enjoying a particularly rapid rise to fame on television.
In 2015, he made a name for himself in the independent film Socialphobia, in which he plays Yang-ge. That same year marked a major turning point in his career with the series Reply 1988. In it, he plays Kim Jeong-hwan, a reserved teenager who hides his feelings behind a cold and sarcastic demeanor. The drama’s massive success has made Ryu Jun-yeol one of the most popular new actors of his generation.
In 2016, he landed his first major romantic role in Lucky Romance, in which he plays Je Su-ho. At the same time, he has built a successful film career. He has appeared in, among others, The King and To a Taxi Driver in 2017, and then in Little Forest and the crime thriller Believer in 2018. He continues with Money, Hit-and-Run Squad and The Battle: Roar to Victory in 2019.
In 2021, Ryu Jun-yeol returns to television with Lost, in which he plays Lee Kang-jae, a disillusioned young man searching for meaning in his life. In 2022, he joined the science-fiction universe of’Alienoid as Mureuk.
He regained significant international prominence in 2024 thanks to the Netflix series The 8 Show. In it, he plays Bae Jin-su, the contestant on the third floor, who, along with seven other people, is thrust into a game where the time spent locked up earns them money.
In 2025, he plays the role of Pastor Seong Min-chan in the thriller Revelations by Yeon Sang-ho. In 2026, he continues in a dark vein with Mousetrap, in which he plays the lead character, Je Mun-jae.
Alternating between mainstream films, independent productions, and psychological dramas, Ryu Jun-yeol has built a particularly diverse filmography, driven by characters who are often complex and ambiguous.
