Biography
Who is Hwang In-yeop?
Early life and education
Hwang In-yeop was born in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. He is the oldest sibling in his family and has a younger brother who works as a musician and producer. During his formative years, Hwang lived in Davao City, Philippines. While residing there for high school and college, he used the English name Ryan Leon. He finished his secondary education at the Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International School.
Later, he pursued higher education at the Philippine Women's University. He graduated from this institution with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, specifically focusing on fashion design. Before he officially entered the entertainment industry, Hwang completed his mandatory military service in South Korea. He also possesses athletic training in various martial arts. His skills include a 3rd dan black belt in Taekwondo, as well as proficiency in Kendo and Hapkido.
Modeling and initial acting
Hwang began his professional entertainment career in 2017 working as a runway model. Early in his modeling path, he was associated with YG KPlus, which is a management firm under YG Entertainment. He transitioned into acting the following year. In 2018, Hwang secured his first screen role in the Naver TV web series Why. Following this debut, he signed a contract with the talent agency KeyEast, a subsidiary of the larger SM Entertainment group.
By 2019, his acting portfolio continued to grow. He performed as Seo Kyo-won in the web drama Freshman. During that same year, he appeared in his first television production, a supporting role for the historical series The Tale of Nokdu, which aired on KBS2.
Career highlights and television success
The year 2020 marked a turning point for Hwang In-yeop when he appeared in the JTBC fantasy show 18 Again. This series was a remake of the 2009 American film 17 Again, and Hwang played the school character Goo Ja-sung. Shortly after, he landed a prominent secondary lead role in the romantic-comedy series True Beauty. This drama was based on a popular webtoon of the same name. Beyond acting, he contributed his vocals to the soundtrack of the show with the song titled It Starts Today. He also appeared in an independent short film called Swimming Bird.
In 2021, he joined the cast of the Netflix fantasy musical series The Sound of Magic, which reached global audiences the following year. He again participated in the soundtrack, singing the track I Mean It. His work continued with a lead role in the mystery legal drama Why Her, which premiered in 2022 on SBS.
Recent projects and agency history
Hwang In-yeop continued to take on major roles in subsequent years. In 2023, he was cast as Kim San-ha for the drama Family by Choice, a Korean adaptation of the Chinese series Go Ahead. This project aired on JTBC and various streaming platforms in 2024. Throughout this period, he managed his professional representation through several agencies. In 2021, Keyeast announced he had signed with the Japanese firm Stream Media Corporation.
By early 2024, reports confirmed he had signed an exclusive contract with KN Studio. Later in 2024, JTBC confirmed his special appearance as the character Heo In-gang in the drama Dear X. Also, in late 2025, a Japanese agency known as J Harmony assumed operations for his official X account.
Birthday and age
Hwang In-yeop was born on January 19, 1991, which makes Hwang 35 years old today. That birthday falls under the Capricorn sign. Hwang shares the date with 27 other famous people.
Explore more
