Actor Nam Joo Hyuk has added another popular K-drama to his filmography with the success of tvN's romantic comedy series "Twenty Five Twenty One," which the cable channel has been airing since Feb. 12.

Nam plays the show’s male lead Baek Yi-jin alongside the female lead, played by Kim Tae-ri.

According to data analytics company Nielsen Korea, the eighth episode of “Twenty Five Twenty One” aired on March 6 recorded a local viewership rating of 10.9 percent. A two-digit number for ratings is considered an important milestone of a television show’s success in Korea, especially on a cable channel.

Set in the late 1990s, “Twenty Five Twenty One” portrays the dreams and romance of youths while they also go through major events of the time period, such as the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Depicting and weaving historical events of the era into the plot has earned the series praise, as well as evoking nostalgia for the times. As a result, the series is appealing to a wide range of age groups — not only young viewers, but also middle-aged Korean viewers who were in their 20s in the 1990s.

At 28 years old, Nam has built an impressive filmography of hit television series and established himself as a K-drama heartthrob. He initially debuted as a fashion model in 2013. In 2014, he became known to the public after starring in the music videos for “200%” and “Give Love,” songs by popular K-pop duo AKMU.

Nam made his official acting debut via a supporting role in the tvN series “The Mermaid” (2014). He then landed his first lead role in KBS’s coming-of-age teen drama “Who Are You: School 2015” (2015), in which he portrayed a high school student named Han Yi-an, who experiences growing pains such as a crush on a schoolmate and injuries affecting his swimming career.

He solidified his stardom after appearing as a regular member on JTBC’s entertainment program “Welcome Back to School” (2014-2015), which showed celebrities attend high school with actual teenage students for three days. The actor has been a frequent guest or recurring member in many more entertainment shows.

Nam went on to star in popular series including tvN’s “Cheese in The Trap” (2016), SBS’s “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” (2016), MBC’s “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Ju” (2016-17), tvN’s “Bride of the Water God (2017), JTBC’s “Dazzling” (2019), Netflix’s “The School Nurse Files” (2020) and tvN’s “Start-Up” (2020).

On the silver screen, Nam has played lead roles in films such as the historical war film “The Great Battle” (2018) and romance film “Josée” (2020). He will star in “Remember,” a movie slated to hit theaters some time in 2022.

“Twenty Five Twenty One” airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9:10 p.m. and is scheduled to air its final episode in April. The series is also available to stream on Netflix and Tving.

Nam Joo Hyuk

Date of birth: Feb. 22, 1994
Zodiac sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Yeongdo District, Busan
Debut: October 2013 as a fashion model
Agency: Management Soop

Actor Nam Joo Hyuk debuted in 2013 as a fashion model and appeared in the music videos of K-pop duo AKMU in 2014. He officially debuted as an actor via a supporting role in the tvN series “The Mermaid” (2014), then landed his first lead role in KBS’s coming-of-age teen drama “Who Are You: School 2015” (2015). Nam has starred in popular K-dramas including tvN’s “Cheese in The Trap” (2016), SBS’s “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo” (2016), MBC’s “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Ju” (2016-17), tvN’s “Bride of the Water God (2017), Netflix’s “The School Nurse Files” (2020) and tvN’s “Start-Up (2020). He is currently playing the male lead in tvN’s romantic comedy series “Twenty Five Twenty One.” Nam has also appeared in films “The Great Battle” (2018) and “Josée” (2020), and will star in the movie “Remember” slated to hit theaters within 2022.

This information was confirmed by Management Soop on March 10, 2022.

BY HALEY YANG [yang.hyunjoo@joongang.co.kr]