Timeline: How Ryu Jun-yeol kept silent amid his involvement with Han So-hee, Hyeri

(From left) Han So-hee, Ryu Jun-yeol and Hyeri. Images: Instagram/@xeesoxee, Instagram/@ryusdb, Instagram/@hyeri_0609

South Korean actor Ryu Jun-yeol was the talk of the town after his romantic involvement with Hyeri and Han So-hee, with the lattermost ending up in a swift breakup within two weeks after going public with their romance.

Ryu was previously in a long-term relationship with K-pop idol-turned-actress Hyeri after working together in the hit K-drama “Reply 1988” until their split was confirmed in 2023. And just like a tidal wave, the actor’s name appeared on multiple media outlets and social media after he and Han were confirmed to be dating.

This led to a wave of mixed reactions hounding Ryu and Han. Apart from this, Han and Hyeri gave their sides of the story regarding their involvement with Ryu, whereas the actor only spoke up once through his agency to confirm his relationship with the “Nevertheless” star.

After a wave of controversies, back-and-forth exchanges and a string of “messy” actions on social media, Ryu and Han eventually called it quits on March 30. But what’s left of the three actors’ entangled relationship are the pieces of their respective relationships—particularly Ryu’s silence throughout the controversies.

Here’s a complete timeline of how Ryu, Han and Hyeri’s involvement came into play.

August 2017: Jun-yeol and Hyeri confirmed to be dating

Ryu and Hyeri crossed paths after working together in the hit K-drama “Reply 1988,” where the actor starred as the second lead, Kim Jung-hwan, who harbored feelings for his childhood best friend.

Sung Deok-sun (Hyeri) ended up marrying Choi Taek (Park Bo-gum) who mustered up the courage to pursue her.

Despite not ending up together in the series, the actors were confirmed to be in a relationship in August 2017.

November 2023: Jun-yeol and Hyeri split

Hyeri and Ryu Jun-yeol. Image: Instagram/@hyeri_0609, @ryusdb

Ryu and Hyeri’s split was confirmed by their respective agencies C-JeS Studios and Creative Group ING in November. Both camps, however, remained mum on why they decided to end their eight-year romance.

November 2023: Jun-yeol and So-hee’s first hello

Ryu Jun-yeol’s photo exhibit. Image: Obtained from Korean forum Instiz

Rumors of Ryu and Han dating swirled in Korean forums after the latter was seen attending the actor’s photo exhibition named “A Wind Runs through It and Other Stories.”

Contrary to speculations of Ryu and Han’s “transit love,” Han clarified in a deleted Instagram Story on March 16, 2024, that the exhibition was where she and the actor first met. She also pointed out that she visited the public display in the company of a photographer friend.

“We indeed met through the exhibition, but I went there through a friend who’s a photographer to view the exhibition, and because I’d heard the news that we might be doing a project together, I wound up saying hello,” Han said via a Soompi translation.

The term “transit love” spawned in Korean forums throughout the controversy, referring to how they began to date right after Ryu’s split with Hyeri was confirmed. The term was made about the Korean dating show “EXchange” or “Transit Love.”

Start of 2024: Jun-yeol and So-hee develop feelings

Han So-hee and Ryu Jun-yeol. Image: Instagram/@xeesoxee, @ryusdb

In the same post, Han also revealed that she and Ryu started developing feelings in the “beginning of 2024” while saying that his split with Hyeri took place in “early 2023.”

“When we exchanged feelings for one another, it was already the beginning of 2024,” Han said. She also noted that she “kept going” with their romance after the “Reply 1988” stars’ breakup was reported in November 2023.

“Based on this fact, I confirmed my own feelings, and I kept going with the relationship,” she continued.

Hyeri would appear to agree with Han’s claims in a deleted Instagram post, saying she and Ryu indeed broke up in November 2023.

March 2024: Jun-yeol and So-hee in Hawaii

The beginning of March marked the start of Ryu and Han’s controversial relationship making headlines, after a netizen said in Japanese that they saw “two popular Korean actors” by the pool.

Without mentioning any names, “Reply 1988” and “Nevertheless” were tagged in the now-deleted post—which sent netizens speculating about their relationship.

Both camps, however, denied their romantic involvement, with C-Jes Studios saying Ryu was in Hawaii for “photography work,” while Han was on vacation with her close friends.

March 15-16, 2024: ‘Funny’ exchanges

Hours after Ryu and Han denied their romance, Hyeri intrigued netizens after sharing a cryptic Instagram Story of palm trees with the caption, “This is funny” in Korean on March 15. She also unfollowed the actor on the social media platform on the same day.

Image: Instagram/@hyeri_0609

This post, however, might have struck a chord with Han as she shared an Instagram Story of a dog holding a knife with the caption: “I don’t like people who have a significant other. I don’t lead them on while saying we’re just friends. I don’t take an interest in them.”

Han also stressed that she’s not one to “get in the way” of other relationships, before ending with the remark “This is funny too.”

Image: Instagram/@xeesoxee

March 16: So-hee confirms romance with Jun-yeol

Han, however, took down her cryptic Instagram Story and confirmed her relationship with Ryu in a lengthy blog post.

The actress also said her retort toward Hyeri was “pathetic and lame” while assuring that she would apologize to the latter for “behaving rudely.”

“I will apologize to [Hyeri] regarding this fact, and I sincerely apologize to you all for not reacting wisely,” she wrote. “Because I acted based on my emotions rather than rational thinking, I acknowledge that this is completely my fault, regardless of my reasons.”

March 16: So-hee and Jun-yeol’s agencies confirm their relationship

Han’s agency, 9ato Entertainment, and Ryu’s agency, C-Jes Studios, confirmed their relationship in separate statements.

March 16: So-hee shares her side of the story

On the same day, Han took her time to clarify her side of the story when Korean netizens swarmed her blog with comments regarding her romantic involvement with Ryu.

The actress reiterated that she didn’t get together with Ryu while he was dating Hyeri. At the same time, she pointed out that she was “very much at fault” in her apparent word war with the K-pop idol.

“I was trying to prove that we didn’t get together while he was still dating [Hyeri], but I think this was rude as well,” she said. “Rather than getting swept up in [what others were saying], I am very much at fault in this incident. Starting with my Instagram story, I think I made a small matter snowball into something big.”

March 18: 9ato Entertainment vows legal action

Two days after going public with Ryu, 9ato Entertainment announced it would take strong legal action against those spreading “malicious comments” against Han.

안녕하세요. 9아토 엔터테인먼트입니다. pic.twitter.com/FQtBt8q1X6

— 9atoent (@9atoent) March 18, 2024

“[Han So-hee] is experiencing a very difficult time emotionally due to speculative posts and malicious comments,” it said. “In relation to this, we will take strong action against those who write or circulate any malicious content that damages the reputation of our artist, regardless of the degree of its severity.”

March 18: Hyeri says sorry for her ‘impulsive emotions’

Hyeri shocked netizens after coming out with her side of the story involving Ryu, saying they made a pact to discuss their relationship after their breakup. This, according to her, led her to apologize for failing to consider the “ripple effects” of her actions.

“I think I failed to consider the ripple effects that each of my minor actions could have,” she said in a now-deleted post. “It was not a decision [Ryu and I] made in a short time, and even after the breakup news came out, we had a conversation about talking more [about our relationship],” she said.

The actress also vowed to be “more careful” with her actions.

March 18: Dispatch reveals photos of Jun-yeol and So-hee’s Hawaii vacation

On the same day, Korean media outlet Dispatch released photos of Ryu and Han’s vacation in Hawaii where it claimed that “neither of them had fun.” It alleged that Han was “more focused on her phone,” while Ryu opted to focus on eating.

Ryu Jun-yeol (left) and Han So-hee. Image: Obtained from Dispatch

In the same report, Dispatch reported that Ryu and Hyeri started to “grow distant” in June 2023, and the actor didn’t attend his ex-girlfriend’s birthday party.

March 29: So-hee calls out Hyeri, Jun-yeol’s silence

On March 29, So-hee emphasized that her relationship with Ryu didn’t overlap with Ryu in a now-deleted Instagram post while stating that “ridiculous comments” about how their romance began would be ignored.

The actress touched on Hyeri’s cryptic Instagram post as well, seemingly changing her tune about wanting to say sorry to the latter. She also claimed that she tried to reach out to the former K-pop idol but didn’t receive a response.

“What I don’t understand is that I want to ask [Hyeri] what was so funny about the fact that her ex got a new girlfriend,” she said. “Why did she transform the content of the text message, which was not for a reunion, into a text message full of lingering attachment?”

(From left) Han So-hee, Hyeri and Ryu Jun-yeol. Image: Instagram/@xeesoxee, @hyeri_0609, @ryusdb

In her post, Han then accused the “other person” of keeping silent throughout the ordeal—an apparent reference to Ryu.

“I am also frustrated about the fact that one person involved in this matter is maintaining silence,” she said. “In the end, what I am trying to say is that they were long broken up, but the news reports of their breakup did not go public until November. This is a fact, no matter what insiders from that company or my company say otherwise.”

March 30: Jun-yeol and So-hee break up

Ryu and Han’s relationship, however, didn’t last long as they parted ways on March 30. Their breakup was first reported by Korean media outlet EDaily before it was confirmed by 9ato Entertainment and C-Jes Studios hours later.

Both camps, however, have yet to reveal the cause of their split.