Following the news that actor Ryu Jun Yeol and actress/K-pop girl group Girl's Day member Hyeri's seven-year relationship is over, some online users are wondering if the couple parted ways a year ago.
On November 13, Ryu Jun Yeol and Hyeri confirmed their recent breakup; their agencies did not disclose when and how the breakup happened to keep their privacy.
Ryu Jun Yeol and Hyeri met while filming tvN's hit series 'Reply 1988' and made their relationship public in the summer of 2017.
Given the popularity of the series and since the couple has been together for seven years, fans were disappointed at their breakup, and some online users began searching for any past signs of their breakup.
One of the 'clues' online users found was how Ryu Jun Yeol reacted a year ago when Hyeri was mentioned during his appearance on a YouTube show.
In November 2022, Ryu Jun Yeol and actor Park Jung Min guested on cartoonist Lee Mal-nyeon's YouTube show.
As Lee Mal-nyeon told Ryu Jun Yeol, "You became a star after 'Reply 1988'. Everyone in Korea thought you were the perfect boyfriend.", the actor shut his eyes and lowered his head.
"Who was your character's love interest in the series?", Lee Mal-nyeon asked, and Park Jung Min answered instead of Ryu Jun Yeol, saying it was the character Hyeri played.
"Right. The love triangle between Hyeri, Ryu Jun Yeol, and Park Bo Gum's characters was a hot topic. There were intense discussions about who would end up with Hyeri's character.", Lee Mal-nyeon said.
As the conversation about 'Reply 1988' continued, Ryu Jun Yeol seemed distant, keeping his gaze down.
"Did Hyeri's character end up with 'Kim Jung-hwan' (Ryu Jun Yeol)?", Lee Mal-nyeon asked.
"No, she ended up with Park Bo Gum's character.", Ryu Jun Yeol replied, getting up from his seat and muttering, "I'll have some water."
He went to the back of the room and stayed there for a while, and his action caused a stir among the viewers in the live chat room.
Even when Park Jung Min found bottled water for Ryu Jun Yeol, he did not return to his seat until they talked about something else.
When this video from a year ago resurfaced, Ryu Jun Yeol's reaction to Hyeri's name in the video caught the eye of some, making them wonder if he and Hyeri had already broken up at that point.
(Credit= '침착맨' YouTube, 'reply_tvN' X)