Biography
- Name: Ryoo Seung-bum
- Date of birth: August 9, 1980
- Place of birth: Asan, South Chungcheong Province, South Korea
- Nationality: Korean
- Instruction: Daedong Commercial High School (abandoned)
- Marital status: Married, 1 daughter
- Height: 175cm
- Religion: Protestant
Facts, Dating, and Personal Life
Ryoo Seung-bum was born into a family of mother, father and older brother, who is director Ryoo Seung-wan.
He was born in Asan, Southern Chungcheong Province, but moved to Seoul in elementary school and then moved again to a small town in Southern Chungcheong Province called Onyang when the actor was in middle school. He then returned to Seoul again for high school, but ended up dropping out before graduating. According to the actor, he struggled to find motivation to study, but he can easily immerse himself in acting, hence his career path.
Ryoo Seung-bum started dating famous actress Gong Hyo-jin in 2002 after they starred together in “Wonderful Days.” According to Naver, their relationship was once ridiculed due to Ryu Seung Bum’s appearance and his lower level of fame compared to Gong Hyo Jin. Despite the criticism, the couple stood side by side during events, traveled together and supported each other on film sets. The relationship between the two recently became a hot topic again after actor Lee Yi-kyung mentioned his ex, Jung In-sun, at the 2024 SEOULCON APAN STAR AWARDS.
However, after 10 years of dating, the couple decided to separate, and Gong Hyo-jin later admitted that she feared that her ex-boyfriend would feel hurt by rumors linking her romantically to her male co-stars.
In 2020, Ryoo Seung-bum married a Slovakian non-celebrity, who is 10 years younger than him and reportedly worked as a painter in France. They have a daughter born in 2020.
Meanwhile, Gong Hyo-jin later dated Lee Jin-wook in 2014, before marrying singer-songwriter Kevin Oh in 2022.
Career
Since his older brother Ryoo Seung-wan was an aspiring director, he shot 4 low-budget short films with himself, Ryoo Seung-bum, and several friends between 1996 and 1999. These short films were later re-edited and combined, marking Ryoo The Seung-wan’s directorial debut with “Die Bad” in 2000 immediately became a cult hit. It also earned Ryoo Seung-bum the title of Best New Actor at the Grand Bell Awards.
SBS played a vital role in turning Ryoo Seung-bum into a “shining star” by boldly casting him in the lead role of “Wonderful Days,” alongside Ji Sung, Park Sun Young and Gong Hyo Jin. The series, which explores the lifestyle of Korean youth influenced by Americanization in the early 1980s, shows Ryoo Seung-bum as a rebellious and arrogant young man who, when faced with a worldly and experienced woman, transforms into a naive individual but courageous, willing to face danger to bring joy back into his life.
In the initial episodes, viewers were reluctant to support Ryoo Seung-bum, but as the series progressed, he became more and more convincing. Beating Ji Sung, Ryoo Seung-bum won the Best New Actor for TV at the 2001 SBS Drama Awards. This marked a turning point in his career.
In 2002, Ryoo Seung-bum joined the cast of the gangster/heist film “No Blood No Tears” starring Jeon Do-yeon and Jung Jae-young, which proved to be a critical and box office disappointment. Despite this stumble, however, the actor began to move away from his brother’s directorial fame to make a name for himself, with roles in the omnibus film “No Comment” and Park Chan-wook’s popular film “Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance.” .
Inspired by Ryoo Seung-bum in “Conduct Zero,” a new trend emerged in South Korea: the fascination with actors who were not conventionally handsome but had a unique charm that attracted audiences, such as MC Mong and Bong Dae-kyu .
In 2004, Ryoo Seung-bum returned to television in “Sunlight Pours Down“ was a significant surprise, given that the actor has distanced himself from the TV series for years. The drama was ultimately unsuccessful, and the actor decided to focus exclusively on big screen roles later in his career.
In 2005, Ryoo Seung-bum achieved notable critical success with “Crying Fist,” in which actor and co-star Choi Min-sik trained in boxing, didn’t use stunt doubles and traded real punches. This performance solidified Ryoo Seung-bum’s reputation as one of the best actors of his generation and the country as a whole.
After a brief venture into commercial projects, Ryoo Seung-bum returned to film noir through the film “Bloody Tie”, which led him to win Best Actor at the Golden Cinematography Awards and Baeksang Arts Awards.
Since then, Ryoo Seung-bum has demonstrated his acting prowess through various other successful projects, including 2010’s “The Unjust,” “Perfect Number” and “The Berlin File.”
After “The Berlin File,” however, the actor took a break, claiming he no longer wanted an “overly commercialized product.” He then traveled throughout Europe and lived in Paris for 3 years where he worked as a model.
Eventually, the actor returned to acting in 2015 with a starring role in “Intimate Enemiesbe,” followed by “Human, Space, Time and Human” and “Tazza: One Eyed Jack.”
In March 2023 he signed with Y One Entertainment
Furthermore, since 2007, the actor has also worked as an in-demand DJ under the name “DJ Ryoo”.
