Won Bin

Kim Do-jin (Korean: 김도진; born November 10, 1977), known professionally as Won Bin (원빈), is a South Korean actor. He first gained wide popularity in 2000 after starring in the television series Autumn in My Heart. One of the most selective actors in the Korean entertainment industry, he has starred in only five films to date: Guns & Talks (2001), Taegukgi (2004), My Brother (2004), Mother (2009), and The Man from Nowhere (2010). He was Gallup Korea's Film Actor of the Year in 2010 and 2011.

Won was born on November 10, 1977, in Jeongseon County, Gangwon Province, South Korea. He is the fifth and youngest child, with one brother and three sisters. His father was employed in a mine, and his mother worked on a farm. Like other children living in mountainous areas, Won spent most of his time playing with friends in the mountains and rivers. He was often shy, introspective, and quiet—traits that would follow him into adulthood. Although not talkative or outgoing, he excelled in sports. Won began taking taekwondo lessons and holds a black belt. He graduated from Chuncheon Mech Tech High School and initially planned to become a car mechanic due to his interest in car racing and motorcycling.

In November 1995, a cable television network was looking for new actors; Won applied and was accepted in his last semester of high school. He played bit parts on cable television, where he was noticed by fashion designer André Kim, who invited him to appear in his fashion show. Afterward, Won signed with a talent agency and decided to adopt the stage name "Won Bin".

Won's official acting debut is considered to be the 1997 television series Propose, in which he played a supporting role. He then starred in the series Ready Go! (1998) and Kwangki (1999). In 1998, Won graduated from the Broadcasting and Entertainment Department at Paekche Institute of the Arts.

Won had his big breakthrough in 2000. He played the rebellious youngest son in the critically acclaimed drama Tough Guy's Love (Kkokji). However, it was Autumn in My Heart that brought him widespread recognition not only in Korea but throughout Asia. The series became widely popular outside of Korea, ushering in the cultural phenomenon known as the "Korean Wave". Vogue Korea called Won "the original flower boy" and "the original Hallyu star".

In 2001, Won graduated from the Department of Theater at Yong In University. In 2002, he appeared in the series Friends, the first South Korean–Japanese co-production. That same year, he enrolled in the master's program at the Department of Film, the Graduate School of Arts, Yong In University.

Won's first major success on the big screen was the war drama Taegukgi, in which he played a sensitive younger brother who was forcibly drafted into the South Korean army at the start of the Korean War. Taegukgi became the highest-grossing film in South Korea in 2004, selling 11.75 million tickets. Won also starred in such popular films as Guns & Talks (2001) and My Brother (2004).

In November 2005, Won enlisted for mandatory military service. He was stationed in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, a position for which he volunteered. On June 2, 2006, the military officially confirmed that Won would no longer be active. The decision was made by the military when Won sustained injury to his ACL. He underwent surgery and was officially discharged on June 7, 2006. Rehabilitation from the injury took more than a year.