IU's Thoughtful Support for Byeon Woo-seok Draws Attention

Actor Byeon Woo-seok (변우석) recently shared photos of a support coffee truck sent by singer-actress IU (아이유), publicly acknowledging her thoughtful gesture. The two developed a close friendship while co-starring in the drama “The Grand Lady of the 21st Century” and have continued to support each other's projects even after filming wrapped, drawing renewed attention to their bond.

On September 9, Byeon Woo-seok posted several photos on social media, showcasing the various support trucks he received on the set of his new Netflix series, “Solo Leveling.” The images captured numerous coffee and snack trucks sent by fans and friends to cheer him on. Byeon Woo-seok posed with drinks and snacks from the trucks, expressing his gratitude with red heart emojis and other emoticons.

Among the many, the support truck from IU garnered the most attention. Byeon Woo-seok not only shared photos of the truck but also directly tagged IU’s social media account in his post, adding a smiling emoji to personally acknowledge his friend’s warm gesture.

In fact, a coffee truck vendor had already revealed on September 2 that IU had specially prepared a support truck for Byeon Woo-seok and the “Solo Leveling” production team. According to the vendor, IU even ordered the “World Superstar Set” to cheer on Byeon Woo-seok during his filming.

The support banners prepared by IU were also full of clever wordplay, becoming a hot topic among netizens. She crafted a Korean acrostic poem using Byeon Woo-seok’s name, writing, “Byeon Woo-seok, elegant level, master.” For his character, Sung Jin-woo (성진우), she wrote playful phrases like “Sung Jin-woo, sincerely, elegantly.”

Additionally, IU wrote on the banner, “Let’s level up together… Anyway, fighting to the ‘Solo Leveling’ team!” This cleverly referenced the “leveling up” concept in the series, sending her best wishes for Byeon Woo-seok’s new project and earning praise from netizens for her thoughtfulness.

Beyond mutual support on set, the two have also been known to exchange birthday gifts. IU recently updated her social media after approximately three months, following controversies related to “The Grand Lady of the 21st Century,” news of her breakup with Lee Jong-suk (이종석), and health concerns. She shared 20 recent photos, much to the delight and surprise of her many fans.

Among the birthday photos shared by IU, a lavish purple cake particularly caught the eye. While many fans initially admired its exquisite design, netizens later discovered that the cake was a birthday gift from Byeon Woo-seok. This revelation warmed the hearts of many fans.

Notably, IU has always loved the color purple, so the cake was specially themed in purple and adorned with a crown, perfectly suiting her preferences. According to Korean media reports, the bakery that made the cake had initially mistakenly tagged Byeon Woo-seok’s account in a social media post before quickly deleting it, inadvertently revealing the gift-giver’s identity. At the time, many netizens commented that the cake’s design showed how well Byeon Woo-seok understood IU and how much care he put into preparing the gift.

Byeon Woo-seok and IU played the lead roles in the MBC drama “The Grand Lady of the 21st Century,” which concluded in May this year. Their on-screen chemistry and synergy received widespread praise. Even after the drama’s completion, the two continue to support each other’s acting careers, drawing attention to their deep friendship.

Meanwhile, Byeon Woo-seok is currently in the midst of filming the new Netflix series “Solo Leveling.” The drama is adapted from the popular web novel and webtoon of the same name, telling the story of Sung Jin-woo, the weakest E-rank hunter, who awakens during a near-death crisis and subsequently grows into the strongest hunter. Byeon Woo-seok will star as the male lead, Sung Jin-woo.