'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon's ongoing drama, Lovely Runner, made headlines once again on May 1, 2024. However, the cast hit the news radar this time for their alleged dating rumors. In the popular drama, Byeon Woo-seok plays the character of a K-pop idol, Ryu Sun-jae, from the fictional band Eclipse.
Apparently, Eclipse idol Ryu Sun-jae was caught taking a stroll with a mysterious woman at night under the same umbrella. A screenshot of South Korean news articles was shared on the internet forum of Theqoo with the following title:
“Eclipse ‘Ryu Sun-jae’ holds an umbrella with a mysterious woman, a scene of love fleeing in the night…” (as translated by Koreaboo)
Lovely Runner's K-pop team Eclipse issues notice on X to suspend group activities due to Ryu Sun-jae's actions
The fictional K-pop group in which Ryu Sun-jae is a vocalist took a step further in continuing the joke. They created an account on X (@ECLIPSE_STEAM) and posted an entire paragraph. In the post, they expressed disappointment in Ryu Sun-jae's public actions and claimed to suspend group activities for a day.
Trending
"Hello. This is the Eclipse sound recording team. After today's concert, there was a lot of talk after seeing the photo posted by member Baek In-hyuk. There were reports from fans that member Ryu Seon-jae went to a hotel with a woman without participating in the after-party.
"Because member Ryu Seon-jae has brought great disappointment to the team and fans, we would like to suspend all team activities for one day. sorry. _Uploaded by the Eclipse music studio." (as auto-translated by X)
According to Nielsen Korea, episode 8 of Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon's time-traveling series had a 4.1% national rating. The broadcasting network tvN's Lovely Runner has held the top rank among continuing Monday-Tuesday dramas after shattering its weekday popularity benchmark on April 29, 2024, with an average countrywide viewership rating of 4.5%.
The romantic comedy antics of the beloved on-screen duo persist in dominating the Monday-Tuesday drama schedule. The particular news of the K-pop idol being caught walking with a mysterious woman, which further sparked dating rumors, was inspired by the image from a scene in episode 8 of Lovely Runner in which the two are sprinting with an umbrella to the car.
Additionally, Kim Hye-yoon's character, Lim Sol, is the "mystery" lady in the satirical news article published on April 29. Internet users followed the entire narrative in the comments section after the tweet and video were posted on the Korean site Theqoo.
The situation added to the show's ongoing popularity and unexpectedly became a successful marketing gig as it trended on several South Korean online forums.
More about Lovely Runner episode 8
Lovely Runner chronicles the adventures of Im Sol, a devoted admirer of the K-pop idol Ryu Sun-jae. Sun-jae's music provides comfort to Sol, a once-promising film director whose aspirations were dashed when an accident left her crippled. However, tragedy strikes the two again as Sun-jae's untimely death leaves Sol (Kim Hye-yoon) devastated.
Nevertheless, destiny has other plans, and the story takes a whole new turn when Sol wakes up in a classroom 15 years ago, way before Sun-jae's death. Perceiving this as an opportunity from the almighty, Sol commits to altering their destinies and embarks on a mission to save Sun-jae.
Episode 8, which debuted on April 29, had several touching moments for fans. The lead couple got back together and spent time together at Ryu Sun-jae's house, where Im Sol discovered Sun-jae's unwavering love for her over 15 years despite him becoming a K-pop idol.
However, the good times end abruptly as episode 8 wraps up with Ryu Sun-jae being attacked in his hotel room by the same person who abducted Sol years ago.
Lovely Runner first aired on April 8 on tvN and scored a viewership rating of 3.176% in Seoul and 3.073% across South Korea. Since episode 3, which was released on April 15, the show has topped the ratings chart and has maintained its position ever since, with an average of 4.5% viewership and the highest score of 5.259% on episode 8.
Based on a webtoon titled Tomorrow's Best, Lovely Runner will air episodes 9 and 10 on May 6 and 7, respectively, at 8.50 pm KST. Episodes 11 and 12 will premiere on May 13 and 14. The show is available to stream on TVING in South Korea, Vidio in Indonesia, and U-Next in Japan. Furthermore, fans can stream on platforms such as Viki and Viu in selected regions.
