Ryu took a brief hiatus from acting and moved to the United States of America, living in Los Angeles for several months from mid-2019 to early 2020, going by his English name Anthony. He attended the University of California, Los Angeles for a study abroad programme. Apart from his studies, he did photography work and learned vlogging in his spare time. He established a mini vlog-series on YouTube, titled ‘Ryu Jun Yeol’s: Reportage’ (), which covered his life in Los Angeles. In November 2020, Ryu held his first photo exhibition in Seoul, titled "Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood", which showcased the photos he took while living abroad.
