You probably remember the tears. If you watched the 2022 K-drama sensation Twenty-Five Twenty-One, you definitely remember the bittersweet ache of a first love that didn't just fade—it collided with the harsh reality of adulthood. While everyone was busy debating the ending or swooning over Nam Joo-hyuk, there was this specific energy coming from the younger cast. Specifically, Twenty-Five Twenty-One Choi Min-young played a role that felt so grounded, it almost hurt.
Choi Min-young played Baek Yi-hyun. He was the younger brother of the male lead, Baek Yi-jin. On the surface, he was just "the kid brother." But if you look closer, his character was the walking personification of the financial ruin that kickstarted the entire plot.
He wasn't just there for filler. He was the stakes.
The Weight of Being Baek Yi-hyun
Most people forget that the IMF crisis in the show wasn't just a backdrop for fencing matches. It was a family killer. Choi Min-young had to portray a teenager whose entire world—wealth, stability, even his relationship with his sibling—was stripped away overnight.
It’s a lot for a young actor.
Honestly, his performance was incredibly subtle. You’ve got this kid who goes from being a spoiled little brother to someone who has to hide from debt collectors. In one of the most heartbreaking scenes, he’s basically being harassed by grown men because of his father’s "sins." Choi Min-young didn't play it with over-the-top dramatics. He played it with a sort of stunned, quiet terror that felt painfully real to anyone who has ever seen a family fall apart.
Who Exactly is Choi Min-young?
If you feel like you’ve seen him somewhere else, you’re right. But it might not be where you think. Before he was the younger Baek brother, he was a prolific child actor.
He’s been around.
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Since his debut in 2014, he’s popped up in massive hits like Strong Girl Bong-soon, Mr. Sunshine, and Itaewon Class. Usually, he plays the younger version of the main lead. It’s a specific niche in the Korean industry. You have to look like the star, but you also have to be able to carry the emotional heavy lifting of a "tragic backstory" in just one or two episodes.
In Twenty-Five Twenty-One, Choi Min-young finally got a bit more room to breathe. He wasn't just a flashback. He was a recurring emotional anchor.
Breaking into the West with XO, Kitty
Success in K-dramas is one thing, but Choi Min-young did something many of his peers haven't. He jumped ship to Hollywood. Well, Netflix Hollywood.
He landed the lead role of Dae in the To All the Boys I've Loved Before spin-off, XO, Kitty.
It was a massive shift. Going from the period-accurate, heavy emotional atmosphere of Twenty-Five Twenty-One to a bright, Americanized teen rom-com is whiplash-inducing. But it showed his range. In the K-drama, he was the vulnerable, suffering brother. In the US production, he was the romantic lead.
That transition is actually quite rare for male actors who start in the "younger version" pipeline in Seoul.
Why His Performance in Twenty-Five Twenty-One Still Hits
Let's get back to the 1998 vibes.
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The chemistry between Nam Joo-hyuk and Choi Min-young felt like a real brotherhood. There’s this scene where Yi-jin tells his brother that he’ll protect him, no matter what. Yi-hyun’s reaction—that mix of guilt and relief—is what made the audience root for Yi-jin’s success. We weren't just rooting for him to get the girl; we were rooting for him to fix his brother's life.
Choi Min-young’s portrayal reminded us that while the leads were falling in love, the rest of the world was just trying to survive.
People often talk about the "Blue" aesthetic of the show. The youth. The running. The sweat. But Yi-hyun’s scenes were often darker, set in cramped rooms or shadowy hallways. He represented the "Twenty-One" part of the title's maturity before he was even twenty.
Beyond the Screen: A Career Evolution
If you're following his trajectory, it’s clear he’s moving away from the "supporting little brother" roles. His time in the Twenty-Five Twenty-One cast was basically his graduation ceremony.
He’s part of a new generation of Korean actors who are truly bilingual and globally mobile. He isn't just waiting for the next big SBS drama. He’s auditioning in LA and Seoul simultaneously. That’s a power move.
- Fact: He actually began his career in musical theater.
- Context: This is why his vocal control and facial expressions are so precise even when he doesn't have many lines.
- Recent Work: His role as Dae-heon in the film Dream Palace showed a much grittier side than anything we saw in his Netflix appearances.
What Most Fans Miss About His Role
There is a specific narrative parallel in Twenty-Five Twenty-One that centers on Yi-hyun.
He is the mirror to Kim Min-chae (Hee-do’s daughter in the present day). Both characters are looking back at their family’s legacy through different lenses. While Min-chae reads the diaries to understand her mother, Yi-hyun lived through the collapse of the "Baek Empire" in real-time.
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He is the bridge between the glory days and the struggle.
Without Choi Min-young’s performance, Yi-jin’s motivation can sometimes feel a bit abstract. Like, yeah, he’s poor now, we get it. But when you see the fear in his little brother's eyes, the stakes become visceral. It changes from a "career struggle" to a "survival struggle."
Actionable Takeaways for K-Drama Fans
If you want to truly appreciate what Choi Min-young brought to the table, there are a few things you should do next time you rewatch or dive into his filmography.
First, go back and watch Episode 4. Pay attention to the way he interacts with the creditors. It’s a masterclass in "acting with your eyes." He says almost nothing, but you can feel the shame radiating off him.
Second, if you've only seen him in XO, Kitty, you owe it to yourself to see his "Korean-style" acting. It’s a completely different discipline. The pacing is slower, the emotions are more internalized, and the dialogue is often subtext-heavy.
Lastly, keep an eye on his upcoming projects in the independent film scene. He seems to be choosing roles that challenge the "pretty boy" image he cultivated in his early 20s.
Choi Min-young represents a specific shift in the industry. He's a veteran who is still technically a "rising star." By the time he was in Twenty-Five Twenty-One, he already had nearly a decade of experience under his belt. That’s why he didn't get overshadowed by the massive stars around him. He knew exactly how to hold his own.
To really see his growth, watch his performance in Twenty-Five Twenty-One back-to-back with his early work in Six Flying Dragons. The transformation from a child actor to a nuanced supporting player is pretty incredible. He’s no longer just "the kid." He’s a legitimate force in the Hallyu wave.
Next time you're scrolling through Netflix and you see that familiar face, remember that he was the heart of the Baek family's struggle. He was the reason Yi-jin had to grow up so fast. And honestly? He’s probably going to be one of the biggest names in the next five years.