Bae In-hyuk Biography 2026 | Official Life Story Preview & Review | Korean Actor

Bae In-hyuk (배인혁), born April 4, 1998, in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, has emerged as one of the most compelling young actors of his generation. From his early days in web dramas to his breakout performances in My Roommate Is a Gumiho, Cheer Up, and the historical hit The Story of Park's Marriage Contract, he has demonstrated remarkable range and emotional depth. With the 2026 tvN drama Our Universe currently airing, Bae In-hyuk's star continues to rise .

📋 Profile: Bae In-hyuk

🌟 Early Life: Independent from High School

📌 1998–2017: Growing Up in Jeonju

Bae In-hyuk was born on April 4, 1998, in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, South Korea. He has one younger brother, Bae Woo-hyuk, born in 2002 .

In a revealing 2025 interview, Bae opened up about his challenging adolescence. He stated, "I've been living on my own since the winter of my first year in high school—it's been 11 years now." To support himself during his high school years, he worked numerous part-time jobs, including at a Korean barbecue restaurant and running a café alone in Rodeo for over a year .

🎓 2018–2019: Education and Path to Acting

Despite the hardships, Bae remained focused on his dream of becoming an actor. He was accepted into the prestigious Seoul Institute of the Arts, where he majored in Acting and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree .

🎬 2019–2020: Debut and the "Web Drama Prince" Era

🎥 2019: First Steps

Bae made his acting debut in 2019 through the web film Love Buzz, starring alongside Choi Ji-hee and Lee Han-ik . Later that year, he quickly became a staple in the web drama scene, appearing in multiple popular series:

• When You Love Yourself 2 – as Ji-ho
• Triple Fling Season 2 – as Shin Jeong-woo
• Teacher, Would You Like to Date Me? – as Choi Jin-woo
• Kiss Scene in Yeonnamdong – as Han Yoon-woo, the mentor and love interest of Yoon Sol (Hong Seung-hee)

💫 2020: Rising Recognition

In 2020, Bae gained significant attention for his role as Park Dan-hee (Danny), a charismatic bartender, in the web drama XX . He also starred in Kiss Goblin as Ban-sook / Kim Geon-woo, a goblin who wants to become human .

That same year, Bae made his official small screen debut with a cameo in KBS2's Men Are Men and JTBC's Was It Love? . He joined the main cast of MBC's The Spies Who Loved Me as Kim Young-goo, earning him a nomination for Best New Actor at the 2020 MBC Drama Awards .

🌟 2021: The Breakthrough Year

2021 was a pivotal year for Bae In-hyuk. He starred in two back-to-back hit dramas that solidified his status as a rising star.

🦊 My Roommate Is a Gumiho (2021)

In tvN's My Roommate Is a Gumiho, he played Gye Sun-woo, a popular and intelligent college senior. His portrayal of the "cold on the outside, warm on the inside" character resonated with audiences and established him as a sought-after supporting actor .

💚 At a Distance, Spring Is Green (2021)

Simultaneously, Bae took on the role of Nam Soo-hyun in KBS2's At a Distance, Spring Is Green. He played a hardworking, perfectionistic student who appears to have everything but carries deep inner wounds. The role required emotional depth and subtlety, which Bae delivered with nuance .

Reflecting on this busy period, Bae shared that filming both dramas simultaneously was challenging but rewarding, as both characters pushed him to grow as an actor .

📈 2022: First Leading Role and Historic Cameo

⚖️ Why Her (2022)

In early 2022, Bae appeared in SBS's Why Her as Choi Yoon-sang, a law student with an unrequited love for the female lead, portrayed by Seo Hyun-jin .

📣 Cheer Up (2022)

October 2022 marked a major milestone: Bae landed his first leading role in SBS's campus mystery drama Cheer Up. He played Park Jung-woo, the captain of the university cheering squad "Theia." The role required him to balance mystery, romance, and youthful energy, and his performance was widely praised .

For his work in Cheer Up and Why Her, Bae won the Best New Actor award at the 2022 SBS Drama Awards, as well as the Best Supporting Team award for Cheer Up .

👑 Under the Queen's Umbrella (2022)

That same month, Bae made a special appearance in the hit historical drama Under the Queen's Umbrella as the Crown Prince (Grand Prince Sung-nam), the son of Queen Im Hwa-ryeong (Kim Hye-soo) .

Despite his character's early death in the drama, Bae's performance was so impactful that he ranked second on the actor hotness chart at the time of broadcast .

📜 2023–2024: Leading Man Status

🏛️ The Story of Park's Marriage Contract (2023–2024)

On June 24, 2023, Bae departed from his long-time agency UU Company and signed an exclusive contract with YY Entertainment .

He returned to the small screen with a powerful performance in MBC's The Story of Park's Marriage Contract (2023–2024), playing the dual role of Kang Tae-ha, a cold modern-day CEO with a hidden warmth. His chemistry with co-star Lee Se-young was widely praised .

For this role, Bae won the Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries at the 2023 MBC Drama Awards, and was also nominated for Best Couple with Lee Se-young .

In an interview about their contrasting personalities, Bae admitted he initially found Lee "difficult to approach," while Lee noted their MBTI and habits were "completely opposite" .

🏨 Check-in Hanyang (2024–2025)

From 2024 to 2025, Bae starred in Channel A's historical drama Check-in Hanyang, playing a challenging dual role as Prince Mu-yeong / Lee Eun, a nobleman who disguises himself as an employee at a Joseon-era inn .

The drama was a commercial success, achieving a peak rating of 4.2%, making it the highest-rated drama in Channel A's weekend history .

🌌 2026: 'Our Universe' and Current Projects

Bae is currently starring in the 2026 tvN drama Our Universe as Sun Tae-hyung, a free-spirited photographer who carries deep family pain. The drama follows two reluctant in-laws who are forced to live together and raise their young nephew. He stars opposite Roh Jeong-eui .

The drama premiered on February 4, 2026, and airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 10:40 p.m. KST on tvN. It is available internationally on Viki and Viu .

🎬 Upcoming Projects

Bae is also attached to the upcoming film project Similar (TBA) .

🎥 Filmography

🎞️ Film

📺 Television Series

💻 Web Series

🎤 Television Shows

🎵 Music Video Appearances

🎵 Discography

OST Singles

🏆 Awards and Nominations

💬 Personal Life and Trivia

• Independent since high school: Bae has been living on his own since the winter of his first year of high school, working various part-time jobs to support himself .
• Hobbies: He enjoys watching car reviews and videos while waiting on set. He also likes soccer, bowling, and golf, and often travels to Sokcho to watch the sunrise .
• Daily essentials: He always carries a wallet and lip balm in his bag .
• Pet: He has a dog named Choco, who occasionally appears on his official Instagram .
• MBTI: ENFP (The Campaigner)
• Journaling habit: He has kept a diary every day since middle school and strives to maintain this habit .
• Role models: He considers actors Hwang Jung-min and Lee Je-hoon as his career role models, aspiring to build a sustainable and diverse acting career .
• Look-alike: Fans often note his resemblance to Yoon Doo-joon of Highlight .
• Web drama prince: Before transitioning to television, he earned the nickname "Web Drama Prince" for his numerous leading roles in popular web series .
• Impactful cameo: Despite appearing for only a short time in Under the Queen's Umbrella, his performance as the Crown Prince ranked second on the actor hotness chart at the time of broadcast .

📌 Conclusion: The Rising Star

Bae In-hyuk's journey from an independent high school student working part-time jobs to a celebrated actor with multiple awards is a testament to his resilience, talent, and dedication. With a Baeksang nomination, multiple rookie and excellence awards, and a string of successful dramas behind him, he has firmly established himself as one of the most promising actors of his generation.

As he continues to take on diverse roles across genres—from romantic comedies to historical dramas—and with Our Universe currently airing in 2026, Bae In-hyuk's story is far from over. The best is yet to come.

📚 References

1. "Bae In-hyuk". Wikipedia (Spanish). Retrieved February 17, 2026.
2. "Bae In-hyuk". Wikipedia (English). Retrieved February 17, 2026.
3. "Bae In-hyuk". Plex. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
4. "Diễn viên Bae In Hyuk (1998): Tất Tần Tật Thông Tin Liên Quan". Giải Ngố. November 7, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
5. "Bae In Hyuk: 'Nam thần má lúm' và hành trình chinh phục màn ảnh thế hệ mới". MyTV. September 22, 2025. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
6. "Bae In-hyuk". Wikiwand. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
7. "Cheer Up (2022 TV series)". Wikipedia. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
8. "The Story of Park's Marriage Contract". Wikipedia. Retrieved February 17, 2026.

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Bae In-hyuk – From a Jeonju teenager working part-time jobs to a leading man on tvN. The journey continues with 'Our Universe' in 2026.