EPEX's Baekseung Steps Into Acting With tvN Drama After Viral 'ECHO' Moment

EPEX, the boy group that debuted in 2022, is watching one of its members turn heads on visuals alone. Baekseung has become a growing point of interest for K-pop fans, and the buzz is spilling well past the group's core fandom.

On the 22nd, Baekseung appeared in a new episode of the variety series "Sunggan Ppojjak, Sesange Ireon Idoli," released through the SBS KPOP YouTube channel. The episode, titled "Sageori-ui Misonyeon," dropped him in the middle of a busy street in full gyaru-boy makeup.

Even under the heavy styling, Baekseung's face pulled focus from both the production crew and passersby. He also leaned into his oddball side, joking that his own face on the camera monitor was funny to look at, and at one point greeting a live abalone. The mix landed as charming rather than staged.

Lately, Baekseung has been generating attention almost entirely on looks, which is unusual for a male idol from a smaller agency. Within EPEX's official fandom Zenith, and among K-pop fans more broadly, he has picked up the nickname "male Recennes," a nod to how striking fans find his visuals.

The momentum tracks with the group's most recent release. EPEX's seventh EP, "Sohwa : Epilogue," dropped last month, and the title track "ECHO" has been spreading through short-form clips on social media. Baekseung's face cam from SBS "Inkigayo" has passed 170,000 views on YouTube, with Korean fans leaving comments like "That face and he's 187 cm?" and "Found a gem."

A more recent "ECHO" challenge video pushed his numbers even higher, drawing 4.22 million views. The clip, filmed with BOYNEXTDOOR's Leehan, also sparked some debate online, as a portion of fans criticized Leehan's on-camera attitude.

Baekseung is also stepping into acting. He is set to appear in the new tvN Monday-Tuesday drama "The Office Bias" as Taeo, a member of the fictional idol group D.N.X. With his "ECHO" promotions wrapped, he is moving between variety and drama work, and fans are curious to see how far the range will stretch.

EPEX is also rolling out an international run. The group's fourth solo concert tour, "ECHO," continues August 21 in Tokyo and September 12 in Taipei. Before that, the group holds its first local solo fan meeting in Guangzhou, China, on the 26th of this month, titled "Echo of Youth." On August 8, the group will also attend the "2026 Weibo Night of Cultural Exchange" in Bangkok.

For a group still building name recognition outside its home fandom, that stretch of activity is a real test. Baekseung's rise gives EPEX a rare kind of lift, the kind small-agency acts usually have to wait years for.