Seok Hayan

"If we knew more about the dungeons, it’d be safer for everyone!"

Seok Hayan, also known as Doctor White, is a researcher famous as an expert on dungeon and Awakened people studies, responsible for discovering the laws governing the formation of dungeons.

Appearance
Seok Hayan is a young woman in her twenties with pale skin, long and straight black hair, and dark brown eyes. She wears large, rounded glasses. She tends to dress casually, wearing dresses and fashionable sandals, and even sometimes adds a whimsical touch, such as the pineapple earrings she wore in her first appearance. She has a nice voice to listen to, much like her uncle Seok Simyeong.

When conducting official business, she dresses in a more subdued fashion, often donning a labcoat.

Personality
Seok Hayan is more easygoing and lighthearted than her uncle. She is a friendly person, easily charming people. Talented with her words, she's an excellent teacher and good at phrasing things in a manner that's easy to understand. She's particularly intelligent, with the potential to become a professor despite her young age. Much like her uncle, Seok Hayan can be obsessive and stubborn when chasing her passions, repeatedly nagging people to help her or work with her on her research.

History
Seok Hayan was born to Seok Simyeong's sibling, part of a rich, upper-class family, and recognized as a genius at a young age. She majored in statistics in college and specialized in studying dungeons and Awakened people, eventually earning the name "Doctor White" (her name, Hayan, literally meaning "white" in Korean). She was qualified enough to be a professor, and she hoped to establish a department for Awakening/dungeon research.

Original timeline, pre-regression
Lacking enough data for her research on dungeons, Seok Hayan traveled overseas to the United States of America and joined the research group Dungeon Persons. With the added data from international dungeons, she helped discover the calculations allowing predictions of a dungeon's environment and monsters. She also played a significant part in discovering the laws governing dungeon formation; 7 years after the dungeons first appeared, these laws were refined enough to predict where dungeons would appear in the future, though the information was kept secret by the USA government.

Synopsis
After the regression, Seok Hayan came to Haeyeon Guild to see Han Yoojin, who her uncle had told her had great knowledge about dungeons and Awakening. In the novel, though she also intended to meet Han Yoojin, her primary motive for coming to Haeyeon was to meet the Dokkaebi. Seok Hayan met Yoojin (as well as Bak Yerim and Yoo Myeongwoo) in her role as the temporary instructor for novice Hunter theory classes, and proceeded to give an excellent lecture; though he complimented her teaching ability, she noted that he'd seemed displeased at certain points being wrong, and proceeded to quiz him about his thoughts.

In the novel, after the class dispersed, they kept talking until they were interrupted by the Dokkaebi's sudden arrival. Terrified at their spooky appearance, Seok Hayan fainted, and was taken to Haeyeon's infirmary. Han Yoojin was at her bedside when she awoke, and they continued their discussion, with Yoojin refusing to join her lab, offering to sponsor her studies and provide her with data instead. She eagerly accepted, agreeing to split profits of the research 50:50 with Yoojin. After the construction of the kiseungsu rearing facility was completed, she brought her research team and set up a lab inside the building. Ever since, she's been studying the laws behind the formation of dungeons, using the data on international dungeons provided by Yoojin and the Dokkaebi. She occasionally gives reports of her team's progress to Yoojin.

In the webtoon, Yoojin managed to distract Seok Hayan by directing her to answer Yerim's questions. She was happy to explain the usual income level of S-ranks and the types of flora and fauna found inside dungeons.

Seok Simyeong
Though the Seok family is said to be generally distant from each other, Seok Hayan seems to be close to her uncle. She gets along well with him, discussing dungeon and Awakening theory on an equal level, and there is a sense of trust between them, with Seok Simyeong openly telling her his thoughts and concerns about Han Yoojin. Seok Hayan is keen on making sure her uncle's reputation isn't blackened, quickly assuring anyone who finds out about their relationship that he didn't pull any strings to help her achieve her current position.

Han Yoojin
Though Seok Hayan is greatly fascinated by Han Yoojin, her interest appears purely academic in nature; she's intrigued by his advanced knowledge of dungeons and Awakened people, and excited by how his beliefs and theories align with her own, repeatedly asking him to join her research team. Though dispirited by his claim of being more interested in researching monsters, she nevertheless treats him as an equal and takes his advice seriously, listening when he suggests starting research on dungeon formation.

Trivia

 * Seok Hayan is bad at drawing.