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Birthday Spotlights
On Sunday (23/4) actor Jo Byeong Gyu turned 27 years old according to international calculations. So, the WowKeren team made a special presentation to thoroughly review his life. Let's find out here.

The Birthday Spotlight rubric is back to greet you on Saturday afternoon this week. Highlighting the age of actor Jo Byeong Gyu, who is 27 years old according to international reckoning, the WowKeren team decided to thoroughly review his life.

The name Byeong Gyu is known to have started to attract attention for his neat acting in the popular JTBC drama "SKY Castle". Furthermore, he is believed to be the main character in several drama projects.

Come on, take a peek at the career journey and personal life of the actor who started as a supporting actor before finally becoming what he is now. The story before debut until the project is completed will be answered here. (wk/alpha)

1. Pre-debut

YouTube

Byeong Gyu was born on April 23, 1996. He had never thought about working as an actor like he is now. When he was little, Byeong Gyu dreamed of becoming a soccer player.

Byeong Gyu's dream made him go to New Zealand to study soccer. He lived for 1 year abroad and returned to South Korea. Byeong Gyu felt that his physique was unable to keep up with the training at that time.

This handsome actor lived a difficult life when he first found a new dream as an actor. Starting from being opposed by their parents to having to stay at a friend's house in Seoul. He has also lived in roof and basement or underground houses which are known as inappropriate places to live.

Not giving up, Byeong Gyu took hundreds of auditions to become an actor. In order to make driving easier, he also saved money from teaching tutoring to buy a car. Furthermore, he also attended Seoul Institute of the Arts which was in line with his dream of becoming an actor.

2. Debut

KBS/Theqoo

While in college, Byeong Gyu managed to achieve his dream of becoming an actor. He debuted through the popular KBS drama "Who Are You: School 2015", starring Kim So Hyun, Nam Joo Hyuk, and Yook Sungjae BTOB.

The actor under the auspices of HB Entertainment plays a character with the same name as his real name, Byeong Gyu. Even though he is only a supporting actor, he is often seen remembering his role as a classmate of Kim So Hyun cs.

After one year, the web film starring Byeong Gyu namely "Secret" was aired. She was quite active in starring in several web films from 2016 to 2018. Then, the film "Fantasy of the Girls" became her official film debut.

Since his official debut, every year Byeong Gyu always appears on the screen for starring in a series of dramas. However, early in his career he was almost always in a supporting role. Some of the popular dramas he starred in while still a rookie were "The K2" starring Ji Chang Wook and YoonA Girls' Generation to "Hello, My Twenties! 2" Park Eun Bin's project.

3. Career Peak

JTBC/SBS/OCN

The JTBC drama "SKY Castle" can be said to be a turning point in Byeong Gyu's life. He is considered to play the character Cha Ki Joon very well. Byeong Gyu also has great chemistry with his twin figure Kim Dong Hee who plays Cha Seo Joon and other actors like Kim Hye Yoon also reap praise.

The popularity of "SKY Castle" has a high rating, making it more and more often invited to a series of variety shows. Byeong Gyu's acting skills are also considered promising, especially since he is still quite young.

In late 2019 to early 2020, Byeong Gyu returned to starring in the popular SBS drama "Stove League" with Nam Goong Min, Park Eun Bin, to Oh Jung Se. His acting as Dream Baseball Club Manager, Han Jae Hee won him the Best New Actor at the 2020 SBS Drama Awards.

Byeong Gyu's acting as the main character in the drama adaptation of the OCN webtun "The Uncanny Counter" which aired in 2020 was also praised extraordinary. Chemistry with Kim Sejeong, Oh Jun Sang, until Yum Hye Ran is called perfect.

4. Love Life

The Fact

Right after "SKY Castle" ended, Byeong Gyu was caught on a date with his co-star, Kim Bo Ra. Their love affair is quite surprising considering that Byeong Gyu is said to be compatible with Kim Hye Yoon.

The Fact revealed photos of Byeong Gyu and Bo Ra's date on the street. Apart from that, the two of them also seem to have a couple item.

Byeong Gyu and Bo Ra were exposed on a date at a shopping center on February 8. A week later, the two parked in Gangnam. This is only 1 day after they vacationed with the cast of "SKY Castle" in Thailand.

Byeong Gyu's agency confirmed that the actor was Bo Ra's lover at that time. The two reportedly started dating in early February.
However, Byeong Gyu and Bo Ra's love affair did not last long. About a year and a half later, the actor and actress broke up. Romance both called foundered naturally because the relationship stretched.

5. Controversy

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Last February 2021, Byeong Gyu became one of the South Korean celebrities who was dragged into bullying. He was said to be a bully during school and there were even several alleged victims who spoke at once.

Byeong Gyu was revealed to have bullied his friends while studying in New Zealand including verbal and physical abuse, being forced to pay for food, destroying schoolwork, smoking, and dating. The alleged victim also proved that he was an alumni with Byeong Gyu at Westlake Boys High School.

HB Entertainment as the agency firmly denied the rumors that dragged the actor. The agency also took matters to the law in order to protect Byeong Gyu.

Byeong Gyu personally also denied the news that he was the perpetrator of school violence. During the investigation by the authorities, the actor born in 1996 was said to have received an apology letter. However, thanks to this rumor, Byeong Gyu disappeared for a long time in the acting world.

6. Future Projects

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Even though he disappeared for a long time, Byeong Gyu continues to pursue his career in acting amidst the issue of bullying. He became the main character in the feature film "Even If I Die Once Again" (translation title).

In this film, Byeong Gyu collided with iKON's JUNE (Koo Junhoe). "Even If I Die Once Again" has finished filming for quite a while but it is not certain when it will be released.

Furthermore, Byeong Gyu has been confirmed to return to "The Uncanny Counter" season 2 or "The Uncanny Counter Season 2: Counter Punch" which will air this year. He and the rest of the main cast return for this fantasy drama about exterminating the demon.

In addition, Byeong Gyu also starred in the drama "History of Losers" (literal title). This romantic comedy drama shows the sad side that is inherent in humans and the various thrilling moments that come with various forms of love. This Byeong Gyu project is also expected to air this year considering that it has been filming since mid-2022.

Last April, this popular actor was also confirmed to be the main character in the big screen film "Paradise". This film tells about Kang Jin Hyuk (Jo Byeong Gyu), an A-list actor who suddenly gets caught up in a drug-related incident one day. Details on the release of "Paradise" have not been confirmed considering that casting has just started.