Hwang In-youp

In this Korean name, the family name is Hwang.

Hwang In-youp (Korean: 황인엽; born January 19, 1991) is a South Korean actor and model.^[2] He began his career in modeling industry before making his screen debut with a main role in the web series Why (2018).^[3] He is known for his roles in 18 Again (2020), True Beauty (2020–2021), the Netflix original series The Sound of Magic (2022), Why Her (2022), and Family by Choice (2024).^[4]

Hwang In-youp
Hwang in October 2024
Born	(1991-01-19) January 19, 1991 (age 34) Uijeongbu, South Korea
Other names	Ryan Leon
Education	Philippine Women's University (BFA)[1]
Occupations	Actor model
Years active	2017–present
Agents	KeyEast (Korea) Stream Media Corporation [ja] (Japan) KN Studio
Height	185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Korean name
Hangul	황인엽
Hanja	黃寅燁
Revised Romanization	Hwang Inyeop
McCune–Reischauer	Hwang Inyŏp
Signature

Early life and education

Hwang In-youp was born in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, on January 19, 1991.^[5] He is the oldest son; his brother, who is three years younger, is a producer and singer-songwriter who goes by the name Inof.^[6] Hwang lived in Davao City, Philippines, during his high school and college years, going by the English name Ryan Leon. He graduated from high school at the Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International School, and later graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in fashion design at the Philippine Women's University (formerly Philippine Women's College).^[7][8][9]

Career

2017–2019: Modelling and acting debut

Hwang entered the entertainment industry in 2017 as a runway model.^[10] Reports state that he was once under YG KPlus, a model management company owned by YG Entertainment.^[11][12]

In 2018, he made his acting debut in the Naver TV web series Why.^[13] He later signed a contract with the South Korean agency KeyEast, a subsidiary of SM Entertainment.^[14][15]

In 2019, he played Seo Kyo-won in the web series Freshman, and made his television debut with supporting role in the KBS2 historical television series The Tale of Nokdu.^[16][17]

2020–present: Rising popularity

Hwang in 2021

In 2020, Hwang gained recognition for his performance in the JTBC fantasy series 18 Again, a remake of the 2009 American film 17 Again.^[18] He played Goo Ja-sung, a school bully and the counterpart character of Stan, who was portrayed by Hunter Parrish in the original film.

Hwang participed in the 2020 drama tvN romantic-comedy series True Beauty, based on the on-going Webtoon of the same name.^[19] He portrayed Han Seo-jun, a secondary lead character. He contributed to the soundtrack of the series with the song "It Starts Today" (오늘부터 시작인걸).

Hwang also appeared in the independent short film Swimming Bird alongside Lee Ji-ah, which the film won at the 1st GwangMyeong Film Festival.^[20][21]

In 2021, Hwang was cast in the fantasy musical series The Sound of Magic, which was released globally on Netflix in May 2022.^[22] He is also contributed to the soundtrack of the series with the song "I Mean It" (진지해 지금). On April 23, 2021, Keyeast announced that Hwang had signed a contract with Japan's agency Stream Media Corporation.^[23] Later, Hwang confirmed to star in the SBS mystery legal drama Why Her which premiered in June 2022 marking his first lead role on a terrestrial TV station.^[24] On July 3, 2021, Hwang held his first global contact fan meeting to communicate with his fans around the world titled "2021 HWANG IN YOUP Ontact Fan Meeting [Magazine H: Hi-High Vol.1]" via Olleh TV for local streaming and MyMusicTaste for the global audiences.^[25]

In 2022, Hwang's agency announced that he would be holding the 2022 "HWANG IN YOUP 1st Fan Meeting Tour" starting in South Korea. He has held fan meetings in five countries, including Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand.^[26]

On January 2, 2024, it was reported that Hwang had signed an exclusive contract with KN Studio.^[27]

Personal life

Hwang had completed mandatory military service before beginning a career in modelling.^{[28][unreliable source?]}

He has training in various martial arts such as Taekwondo (where he is a 3rd dan black belt), Hapkido and Kendo (or Kumdo as it is known in South Korea).^{[29][unreliable source?][30]}

Discography

Soundtrack appearances

Title	Year	Album	Ref.
"It Starts Today" (오늘부터 시작인걸)	2021	True Beauty OST	[31]
"I Mean It" (진지해 지금)	2022	The Sound of Magic OST	[32][33]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes	Ref.
2020	Swimming Bird	In-guk	Short film	[34]

Television series

Year	Title	Role	Ref.
2019	The Tale of Nokdu	Park Dan-ho	[17]
2020	18 Again	Goo Ja-sung	[18]
2020–2021	True Beauty	Han Seo-jun	[19]
2022	Why Her	Gong Chan / Kim Dong-gu	[35]
2024	Family by Choice	Kim San-ha	[36]
2025	Dear X	Heo In-gang	[37]

Web series

Year	Title	Role	Ref.
2018	Why	Gi Jae-young	[13]
2019	Freshman	Seo Kyo-won	[16]
2022	The Sound of Magic	Na Il-Deung	[38][39]

Web shows

Year	Title	Role	Ref.
2022	Young Actors' Retreat	Cast member	[40]

Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination

Award ceremony	Year	Category	Nominee / Work	Result	Ref.
Brand Customer Loyalty Award	2021	Best Male Rookie Actor	Hwang In-youp	Won	[41]
SBS Drama Awards	2022	Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Genre/Fantasy Drama	Why Her	Nominated	[42]
		Best Supporting Team		Nominated	[43]