The next Byeon Woo-seok? Acting rookie Lee Chae-min recalls anxiety over Bon Appetit, Your Majesty

SEOUL – Byeon Woo-seok, the breakout star of Lovely Runner (2024), has become a rising star in an era when the K-drama scene is increasingly dominated by a saturated A-list.

Once a B-list actor navigating the margins, the 33-year-old now represents the lightning-in-a-bottle phenomenon, a talent whose momentum can carry a series from domestic acclaim to global recognition almost overnight.

Into this narrative steps Lee Chae-min, the lead of Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, whose explosive popularity after his performance as a handsome yet exacting tyrant king has fuelled comparisons calling him the next Byeon.

The drama spins a layered premise. Ji-young (Yoona), a top chef transported back in time, must navigate the refined palate of Lee Heon (Lee), a Joseon-era king with a taste for perfection.

The series struck gold, peaking at a 20 per cent viewership rating to become tvN’s most-watched show in 2025 and claiming the title of the first non-Netflix original Korean drama to hit No. 1 globally on Netflix, according to FlixPatrol.

The role came to Lee under unusual circumstances.

South Korean actor Park Sung-hoon (The Glory, 2022 to 2023; Squid Game, 2021 to 2025) was originally slated to play the lead, but controversy erupted in 2024 when a pornographic Squid Game parody surfaced on his social media, forcing him to bow out.

Ten days before filming, Lee, who made his debut in 2021, was brought on board. Facing the role with virtually no preparation time, he admitted feeling the full weight of expectations.

“I had almost no time to prepare, but since it was a project with such an excellent director and senior actors I respect, I worried a lot about causing trouble as a rookie. Honestly, I even wondered, ‘Why did such an opportunity suddenly come to me?’” the 25-year-old South Korean actor said in an interview in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, on Sept 30.

“But since they saw me in such a positive light, I felt I had to give everything in return – to throw myself into it for the sake of the project without being a burden.”

Stepping into the shoes of seasoned actors and sharing scenes with global K-pop star Yoona, who is 10 years his senior, the actor said he initially wrestled with anxiety.

“At first, I was really anxious and lacked confidence. At that time, Yoona gave me courage. She told me, ‘You’re already doing well, just like Lee Heon’, and that gave me great strength. Honestly, working with her was really good,” he said.

He added: “When acting alongside her, I never thought about our age difference. At least while acting, I was fully focused on the character. To me, Yoona was someone I deeply respected who taught me a lot.”

The label of “the next Byeon” is both a compliment and a burden – and Lee knows it.

“It’s an honour, but I also feel a lot of pressure that comes with it. It made me think I need to show even better acting in my next project,” he said.

Looking forward, Lee envisions a career that spans the gamut: layered noirs, portrayals of high-powered chaebol figures and emotionally charged romances.

Yet, amid the relentless pace of stardom, he said he wants to preserve his identity.

“I don’t want to lose myself. In life, you face many situations and go through changes, but I want to keep the person I am inside from changing. Hearing that many different things might happen in the future makes me think that this is exactly the time when I need to hold on to myself even more,” he added. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK