Choi Hyun-wook Proves His Presence in 'The Boy at the Back Row'… Ranks 2nd in Cast Buzzworthiness

Actor Choi Hyun-wook has proven with numbers that he has moved beyond being a rising star to becoming an actor viewers can trust.

According to the TV-OTT drama and non-drama buzzworthiness survey for the fourth week of June released by Good Data Corporation's FUNdex on June 30, Choi Hyun-wook ranked second in the cast category. At the same time, the Netflix series 'The Boy at the Back Row,' in which he stars, took first place in the TV-OTT series buzzworthiness category.

During the same period, actor So Ji-sub of the SBS drama 'Manager Kim' ranked first in cast buzzworthiness, while Choi Min-sik of 'The Boy at the Back Row' and Lee Jun-young of the JTBC drama 'New Employee Chairman Kang' ranked third and fourth, respectively.

'The Boy at the Back Row' is a suspense drama that depicts the story of 'Heo Mun-o' (played by Choi Min-sik), a failed writer and professor of Korean literature, who discovers the genius of 'Lee Kang' (played by Choi Hyun-wook), a boy sitting in the very last row of his lecture hall, and becomes obsessed with his writing.

In the series, Choi Hyun-wook plays the role of Lee Kang, a university student who always sits in the back of the lecture hall and observes the world with a cold, analytical gaze, effectively controlling the tension of the drama. As a key figure who gradually causes cracks in the life of Heo Mun-o, played by veteran actor Choi Min-sik, he appears innocent on the surface but deepens the mystery as the episodes progress, exuding an ambiguous aura that hides his true intentions.

Choi Hyun-wook, who has been synonymous with refreshing and energetic youth roles, is receiving praise from viewers for discovering a new side of himself by showcasing a cold and static acting style in this work.

Since his debut, Choi Hyun-wook has shown explosive growth by continuously building his filmography, starting with 'Twenty-Five Twenty-One' (2022), followed by 'Weak Hero Class 1' (2022), 'D.P. Season 2' (2023), 'Twinkling Watermelon' (2023), 'Hi Cookie' (2023), and 'He Is the Black Dragon' which aired last year (2025). This project, 'The Boy at the Back Row,' has once again served as a stage to prove the limits of his acting spectrum.

(Photo: Netflix)

Reported by Kang Sun-ae

(SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kang Sun-ae)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.