- This is a Korean name; the family name is Won.
| Won Bin | |
|---|---|
 Won Bin at the press conference of Mother on April 27, 2009. |
|
| Born | Kim Do-jin (김도진) November 10, 1977 Jeongseon, Gangwon-do, South Korea |
| Occupation | Actor, Model |
| Years active | 1997 – present |
| Official website | |
| Korean name | |
|---|---|
| Hangul | 원빈 |
| Hanja | 元斌 |
| Revised Romanization | Won Bin |
| McCune–Reischauer | Wŏn Pin |
| Birth name | |
| Hangul | 김도진 |
| Hanja | 金道振 |
| Revised Romanization | Kim Do-jin |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim To-jin |
Won Bin (born November 10, 1977 as Kim Do-jin in Jeongseon, Gangwon-do, South Korea) is a Korean actor and model. He is a popular actor and is well-known throughout East & Southeast Asia.
Contents |
Early life
Won Bin was born and raised in a hamlet in the north of Jeongseon in Gangwon-do, South Korea. He is the youngest of five siblings, with one older brother and three older sisters. His father used to work in a mine and his mother worked in the farm (both retired now). Like other kids living in mountaineous regions, Won Bin spent most of his time playing around with friends in the mountains and rivers, and came back home at sunset with black and dusty face. But Won Bin was more quiet than other boys. His shy and introspective character hasn't changed even after he grew up.[1]
Though he is not talkative or outgoing but he is good in sports. He learnt Taekwondo and achieved the grade of Black Belt level 3.[2] When he was a teenager, he initially planned to become a car mechanic because he liked car racing and motorcycling. He entered a mechanical high school and studied car mechanic and auto repair.
In November 1995, a cable TV station recruited new actors and Won Bin's application was accepted. At that time he was in his last semester of his high school years. He started to take acting classes at the TV station and appeared in several dramas. In December 1995, he signed contract with a talent agency and continued to take acting classes arranged by the agency.
Career
Won Bin made his screen debut with a supporting role in 1997 in drama Propose. His role in Ready Go! (1998) helped hone his acting chops. After Ready Go!, he took a break and entered a college called Paekche Institute of the Arts in 1998 to take acting classes. In 1999, he came back to the screen with a lead role in drama Kwangki from which he was recognized as a promising young actor and a teen heartthrob.
He made his big breakthrough in 2000 with drama Kkokji and Autumn Fairy Tale. His role as a rebellious youngest son in Kkokji proved his acting potential and his role in the widely successful drama Autumn Fairy Tale landed him on the A-list for Korean performers. Autumn Fairy Tale gained wide popularity in Asia and he became one of the most popular Korean actors in Korea and Asia as well. In 2002, Won Bin became the first Korean actor to get wide popularity in Japan through the first Japan and Korea joint production drama Friends.
He's also had roles in several popular movies, including Guns & Talks and My Brother, but it is his portrayal of the sensitive younger brother in the blockbuster war movie Taegukgi (aka Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War) (2004) that has truly cemented his fame in the international realm. With the success of the critically acclaimed Taegukgi, recognition of his acting skills has reached an ever-wider international audience. Taegukgi is the best selling movie in South Korea in 2004 with 11.75 million admissions.[3]
His career was interrupted by his mandatory service to the South Korean Army. After graduated from the Graduate School of Arts in Yong-In University in 2005, Won Bin started his military duty in November 2005 and stationed at the Korean Demilitarized Zone, a position for which he volunteered.[4][5][6] On June 2, 2006, the military officially confirmed Won Bin's discharge.[7] The decision was made by the military when Won Bin sustained injury to his ACL. He had undergone surgery and was officially discharged on June 7, 2006.[8] After the surgery, he had gone through rehabilitation program for more than one year to recover from the injury.
Won Bin was appointed as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador of the Korean Committee on September 6, 2007. He has participated in various programs and charity events in Korea for UNICEF from that time on, and has appeared in several promotional videos.
In April 2008, Won Bin finally confirmed that his comeback project would be Mother directed by Bong Joon-ho. Filming started in September 2008 and finished in February 2009. The film was selected to compete in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. Won Bin walked the red carpet at the film's world premiere on May 16, 2009 in the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.[9] Won Bin will start filming his new movie "This Man" in December 2009.
Filmography
Films
- 2001: Guns & Talks
- 2004: Taegukgi (aka: Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War)
- 2004: My Brother
- 2009: Mother
- 2010: This Man
TV Drama
- 1997: Propose
- 1998: Ready Go!
- 1999: Kwangki
- 2000: Small Station
- 2000: Kkokji
- 2000: Autumn in My Heart (aka: Autumn Fairy Tale)
- 2002: Friends
Awards and nominations
Winners
- 1999: KBS Drama Acting Awards - Best Newcomer for Kwangki
- 2000: KBS Drama Acting Awards - Excellence in Acting for Kkokji and Autumn in My Heart
- 2000: 37th PaekSang Arts Awards - Best Newcomer for Kkokji and Autumn in My Heart
- 2002: BVLGARI Brilliant Dreams Award (Japan)[10]
- 2004: 12th Chunsa Film Art Awards - Best New Actor for Taegukgi
- 2004: 27th Golden Cinema Festival - Best Newcomer for Taegukgi
Nomination
- 2004: 3rd Korean Film Awards - nominated Best Actor for My Brother
Magazine recognition
- 2002: Voted as the "April 2002 Most Beautiful Man" by MostBeautifulMan.com. The first Asian celebrity to win in this monthly poll.[11]
- 2004: Chosen as one of the eight "Coolest Guy Celebrity" in the readers' survey of 9 international ELLEgirl magazines.[12]
- 2005: Voted #1 "Favorite Asian Star" (2005) in the readers' survey by Japanese magazine "CanCam".
- 2005: Voted #1 "Favorite Asian Star" (2005) in the readers' survey by Japanese magazine "an.an".[13]
- 2006: Voted #1 "Favorite Asian Star" (2006) in the readers' survey by Japanese magazine "an.an".
- 2007: Voted #1 "Favorite Asian Star" (2007) in the readers' survey by Japanese magazine "an.an".
Model work
TV commercials
- 1999: 018 Telecom [14]
- 2000: French Cafe, Dong Yang Life Insurance [14]
- 2001: KTF 'Magic N' Cell Phone, Dong Yang Life Insurance, Hite Beer, Namyang French Cafe, Dean Clau Eau de Toilette, Nadri Cosmetic, Haitai Sexy Potato Chips, Lotte 'Atlas' Chocolate [14]
- 2002: Woori Bank, Baskin Robbins 31 Ice-cream, Namyang French Cafe, Dean Clau Eau de Toilette & men's skin-care products [14]
- 2003: Woori Bank, Baskin Robbins 31 Ice-cream, Namyang French Cafe [14]
- 2004: Woori Bank, LG Cyon Cell Phone, Missha make-up product [15]
- 2005: Woori Bank, LG Cyon Cell Phone, Missha make-up product, FORVAL I.T./Telecom (Japan) [15]
- 2008: Nintendo Wii Video Game, Maxim T.O.P Espresso [16]
- 2009: Maxim T.O.P Espresso [16]
Fashion brand spokesmodels
- 1999: Clride, Yell
- 2000: Clride, Jambangee
- 2001: Jambangee, Ziozia [14]
- 2002: Ziozia, GIA, Visaruno of Marui 0101 Dept Store (Japan) [14]
- 2003: GIA, C.O.A.X., Visaruno of Marui 0101 Dept Store (Japan) [14]
- 2004: Omphalos, Ziozia [15]
- 2005: Ziozia
- 2008: Ziozia [16]
Charity work
As UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Won Bin has participated in various programs and charity events.
- 2007.09.06 - Appointed as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.[17]
- 2007.10.03 - Attended the International Peace Marathon Festival in Seoul to raise fund for UNICEF.
- 2007.11.26 - Attended a charity fashion show to raise fund for UNICEF.[18]
- 2008.02.28 - Attended the "Clean meals, Happy sharing" campaign sponsored by UNICEF and Hanwha Resort.[19]
- 2008.04.23 - Promoting UNICEF T-shirt to raise fund.[20]
- 2008.05.06 - Won Bin's official fanclub held event to raise fund and made donation to UNICEF.[21]
- 2008.06.24 - Promoting the Awoo Doll campaign.[22]
- 2008.08.20 - Raised fund through photo project with Louis Vuitton and GQ Korea.[23]
- 2008.11.27 - Promoting UNICEF Jumper to raise fund.[24]
- 2008.12.22 - Visited an orphanage in Seoul and presented the children there with Christmas gifts.[25]
- 2009.04.04-13 - Visited Gambia for UNICEF, visited relief center, hospital and schools.[26][27]
Books
- 2000: "dream in HEAVEN" photo essays (released in Dec 2000 in Korea, and Mar 2002 in Japan) - 100 pages photo essays with photos taken in Bali, Indonesia and Korea.
- 2002: "WWW-Wonbin Wide pinup Web" photo essays (released in Sep 2002 in Japan) - 40 pages photo essays.
- 2005: "28 Day 'n Year Won Bin" Premium Box Set - DVD & photo essays (released in Feb 2005 in Japan) - It includes a 60-minute DVD and 144 pages of photos and sincere essays written by Won Bin revolving around his private life and his photo session trip to the Czech Republic, Japan and Korea, as well as collector's gifts.
- 2006: "BINUS" DVD (released in Mar 2006 in Japan) - To show his gratitude to his fans for their years of support, Won Bin has recorded this candid, personal DVD (60 minutes) to be shared just between him and us, the fans - hence the title BINUS (BINUS is the name of his official fanclub), before fulfilling his mandatory military service. It includes revealing footage and private life, with Won Bin re-visiting many places in his hometown to share with his fans his background and childhood memories.
- 2006: "Dear Wonbin" photo essays (released in May 2006 in Japan) - A photo essays with some drawings by Won Bin. It's designed like a diary book for his fans to write diaries.
References
- ^ "Won Bin - A story behind the success". Sports Seoul, Sep, 2000. http://wonbin.yuku.com/topic/848. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "YouTube: Won Bin shows his Taekwondo skill". Korea TV show, 2000. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yY24VNUDZSo. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
- ^ "Taegukgi draws 10 million audience". HanCinema, Mar 16, 2004. http://www.hancinema.net/korean-movie-news_857.php. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "Won Bin heads for frontline army post". Xinhua News Agency, Jan 10, 2006. http://news3.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-01/10/content_4031451.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "Actor Won Bin Performs Military Duties at DMZ". HanCinema, Feb 10, 2006. http://www.hancinema.net/actor-won-bin-performs-military-duties-at-dmz-5231.html. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "Actor Won Bin Reports for DMZ Duty". Dong-a Ilbo, Feb 11, 2006. http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=050000&biid=2006021173328. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "Star Discharged After Brief Stint With Frontline Unit". The Chosun Ilbo, Jun 2, 2006. http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200606/200606020023.html. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "Injured Star Discharged from Military Service". The Chosun Ilbo, Jun 7, 2006. http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200606/200606070011.html. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "YouTube: Movie "Mother" at Cannes Film Festival". CJ Entertainment/Barunson Ent., June 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtLohcXMT0U. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
- ^ "YouTube: Won Bin receiving the BVLGARI Brilliant Dreams Award". MBC report, May 2002. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8TuP4cXBsE. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "April 2002 Most Beautiful Man - Won Bin". MostBeautifulMan.com, April 2002. http://www.mostbeautifulman.com/actors/wonbin/bio.shtml. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "Korean Actor Won Bin Added to Elle Girl's Coolest List". The Chosun Ilbo, Oct 5, 2004. http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200410/200410060007.html. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "Won Bin voted favorite Asian star". Xinhua News Agency, Apr 18, 2005. http://news3.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/18/content_2844730.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "YouTube: Won Bin Commercials 1999-2003". YouTube playlist. http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=31EAE225C8AE8E19. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ a b c "YouTube: Won Bin Commercials 2004-2005". YouTube playlist. http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D4FCA4A79D189913. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ a b c "YouTube: Won Bin Commercials 2008-2009". YouTube playlist. http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=E72D6C4854604234. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "YouTube: Won Bin appointed as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador". Yonhap report, Sep 6, 2007. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgpJdwl6G8Q. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "YouTube: Won Bin attended charity fashion show". YTN Star News, Nov 26, 2007. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL9ddPrx3jc. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "Won Bin participated in UNICEF campaign (Chinese news)". Tom.com report, Feb 29, 2008. http://ent.tom.com/2008-02-29/0PGL/12141874.html. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "Won Bin promoting UNICEF T-shirt". UNICEF Korea, May 2008. http://www.unicef.or.kr/event/20080423/2008C1_camp.html. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "Won Bin's fanclub donates to UNICEF (Korean news)". Newsis report, May 6, 2008. http://media.daum.net/entertain/others/view.html?cateid=100030&newsid=20080506161610523&cp=newsis. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "YouTube: Won Bin promoting the Awoo Doll campaign". UNICEF Korea, Jun 24, 2008. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw422EHK4Ss. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "Won Bin Joins Vuitton, GQ in Charity Project". The Chosun Ilbo, Aug 20, 2008. http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200808/200808200024.html. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "YouTube: Won Bin promoting UNICEF Jumper". UNICEF Korea, Nov 2008. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wZ8dQtyv44. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "Won Bin Warms Children With Gifts This Festive Season". Hanfever.com, Dec 23, 2008. http://www.hanfever.com/2008/12/23/won-bin-warms-children-with-gifts-this-festive-season/. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "Won Bin visits Gambia for UNICEF". Dramabeans.com, Apr 15, 2009. http://www.dramabeans.com/2009/04/won-bin-visits-gambia-for-unicef/. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
- ^ "Won Bin, the Philanthropist". AllKpop.com, Apr 26, 2009. http://www.allkpop.com/index.php/full_story/won_bin_the_philanthropist/. Retrieved 2009-09-06.
External links
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