The romantic involvement between Han So Hee and Ryu Jun Yeol remained as mere rumors until Hyeri, Jun Yeol’s ex-girlfriend, made a social media move, signaling a shift in their relationship dynamics. This sparked a flurry of online chatter and speculation.
According to Han So Hee’s response and a statement from C-Jes, Ryu Jun Yeol’s management company (as of March 16th), this sums up the entirety of the romantic affair between the two high-profile actors in the Korean entertainment industry.
In early 2023, Ryu Jun Yeol and Hyeri officially ended their relationship. On November 13th, 2023, news broke that Hyeri and Ryu Jun Yeol had parted ways, returning to being colleagues. They had publicly dated since being revealed by Dispatch in 2017. Their 7-year relationship, which began during their collaboration on “Reply 1988,” came to an end. Shortly after the news went public, both agencies confirmed the breakup.
On November 15th, 2023, Han So Hee and her sister attended an exhibition of Ryu Jun Yeol, introduced by a mutual friend. Han So Hee heard about a possible collaboration with Jun Yeol on a new film project, prompting her visit to greet him. At this point, there seemed to be no romantic involvement between them.
In early 2024, Ryu Jun Yeol and Han So Hee officially started dating.
On March 14th, 2024, a netizen claimed to have seen Ryu Jun Yeol and Han So Hee being affectionate at a hotel pool in Hawaii.
On the morning of March 15th, 2024, both Han So Hee’s and Ryu Jun Yeol’s management companies, 9ATO Entertainment and C-Jes Studio, respectively, responded to media inquiries, stating they couldn’t comment on the artists’ private lives.
Around 10 a.m. on March 15th, Hyeri, who was traveling in Thailand, posted an Instagram Story with the caption “How interesting.” About an hour later, she unfollowed her ex-boyfriend Ryu Jun Yeol’s social media account.
This triggered various rumors regarding the romantic relationship between the “Reply 1988” couple, with Han So Hee being viewed as the third party.
Shortly after, 9ATO responded to Edaily, stating that Han So Hee wasn’t in a relationship and was merely vacationing in Hawaii with a friend. However, netizens remained skeptical and dug up several Instagram photos to prove that Han So Hee and Ryu Jun Yeol were indeed dating.
Around 4 p.m. on March 15th, Han So Hee posted an Instagram Story stating she doesn’t intrude into others’ relationships. She ended with a statement similar to Hyeri’s, which was perceived as echoing Hyeri’s post.
On the morning of March 16th, Han So Hee posted a blog admitting to dating Ryu Jun Yeol, asserting she’s not a “home wrecker,” apologizing to Hyeri for her actions, and apologizing to fans. Han So Hee deleted the Story that said “How interesting.”
Less than an hour later, C-Jes Studio announced that Jun Yeol and Han So Hee have a good romantic relationship, affirming they started pursuing each other after Jun Yeol broke up with Hyeri, hoping the public wouldn’t spread baseless rumors that could harm the actors’ reputations.
Shortly after, netizens discovered that Han So Hee mentioned Ryu Jun Yeol broke up at the beginning of 2023, but the actor and Hyeri still posted a photo of their matching phone cases on November 10th, 2023, three days before the breakup news broke.
The love triangle between Hyeri, Ryu Jun Yeol, and Han So Hee has become a hot topic of discussion over the past two days, with developments leaving netizens stunned, likening it to a soap opera. Netizens are divided, with many taking sides and some suggesting to remain neutral, stating that only those involved truly understand the situation, and fans should focus on the actors’ works.
