Lovely Runner is a South Korean television series that aired from April 8 to May 28, 2024, on tvN. The show stars Byeon Woo-seok as Ryu Sun-jae, a celebrity and singer, and Kim Hye-yoon as Im Sol, a young woman who time-travels to her teenage years to prevent Sun-jae’s death. The series is currently available for streaming on platforms such as TVING, U-Next, Vidio, Viki, and Viu in selected regions.
At the beginning of the Korean drama Lovely Runner, Im Sol finds herself in the hospital, questioning whether life is worth living. While there, she phones a radio station and speaks to Ryu Sun-Jae, a popular pop group member, who encourages her to keep going and not give up.
His words inspire Im Sol, and she becomes a huge fan of the groups Sun-jae is part of. However, in a tragic twist, Sun-jae, despite his success, is deeply unhappy with his life and ultimately takes his own life, leaving Im Sol devastated. But she gets the chance to go back in time and save him from his fate.
Lovely Runner is an emotional drama about second chances and first loves. While it includes familiar themes like time travel and high school romance, it stands out with Im Sol and Sun-Jae both complex and likable characters.
Sun Jae and Im Sol deal with important issues like identity, love, and regret, which makes their stories relatable. The time travel aspect is more than just a plot twist; it helps them heal from their struggles.
How Many Episodes of Lovely Runner Are There in Total?
There are 16 episodes of Lovely Runner in total.
The top-rated episode according to IMDB is Season 1 episode 8. In this episode, Sol and Sun Jae meet again at Hangang Bridge. Worried about parting ways, Sol persuades Sun Jae to stay the night, which leads them to recognize their deep feelings for each other. However, an unexpected event leaves Sol shaken and upset.
The least favorite episode according to fans is Season 1 Episode 1 – While it doesn’t feature the most interesting scenes, it sets up Im Sol and Sun Jae’s story.
Interesting behind-the-scenes facts about the series:
We all fell for the plot twists and cute romantic scenes in Lovely Runner, particularly when finding out that Sun Jae fell for Im Sol first. But there are plenty of incredible behind-the-scenes facts from the show like did you know that all the songs by ECLIPSE, were sung by Byeon WooSeok and that he even took singing lessons before performing on stage?
If that doesn’t make you love Byeon WooSeok more, I don’t know what will!
Wooseok also took swimming lessons for three months for his role. Talk about dedication!
Lovely Runner is a favorite among K-drama fans, but imagine if it had never been made. That was almost the case. The production was delayed by three years, partly because of challenges with casting. Many actors turned down the role of Ryu Sun Jae, making it difficult to move forward with the series.
That included actor Ahn Hyo-seop who was one of the few actors who initially turned down the role of Ryu Sun-Jae.
As well as his role in Lovely Runner, Byeon Woo-seok has starred in a variety of movies and television series.
His films include:
20th Century Girl (2022)
Soulmate (2023)
Television Series:
Record of Youth (2020)
Moonshine (2021–2022)
Strong Girl Nam-soon (2023)
The 21st Grand Prince’s Wife (2025)