Lee Dong-min (; born March 30, 1997), known professionally as Cha Eun-woo (), is a South Korean singer, actor, and model under the label
Fantagio
Fantagio () is a South Korean entertainment company that operates as a record label, talent training and management agency, as well as movie and K-drama production company. The company was founded in September 2008 as N.O.A. Entertainment (stan ...
. He is a member of the South Korean
boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform Love song, love songs marketed towards girls and young ...
Astro
Astro may refer to:
Entertainment and media
* Astro (South Korean band), a South Korean boy band
* Astro (UB40) (1957–2021), member of the British reggae band UB40
* Astro (Chilean band), a Chilean indie rock band
* Astro (Japanese band), ...
.
Early life
Cha Eun-woo was born on March 30, 1997, in the city of
Gunpo
Gunpo (군포; ), formerly romanized as Kunp'o, is a small city in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province, located south of Seoul in the Seoul National Capital Area. It borders Anyang to the north, Uiwang to the east, and Ansan to the south and west, and ...
,
Gyeonggi Province
Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...
. He attended Suri Middle School and Suri High School before graduating from
Hanlim Multi Art School
Hanlim Multi Art School ( ko, 한림연예예술고등학교) is an arts high school located in Songpa District in Seoul, South Korea.
History
Hanlim School was founded on 3 March 1962, with Lee Hyeon-man being appointed school principal. In 20 ...
in 2016. He is currently attending
Sungkyunkwan University
Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU or simply ''Seongdae'', Hangul: 성균관대학교; Hanja: 成均館大學校) is a private comprehensive research university in South Korea. The institution traces its origins to the historic Sungkyunkwan, founde ...
, majoring in performing arts.
Career
2013–2015: Career beginnings
Cha debuted as an actor with a minor role in the film ''
My Brilliant Life
''My Brilliant Life'' () is a 2014 South Korean drama film starring Song Hye-kyo and Gang Dong-won. It was co-written and directed by E J-yong based on the 2011 novel ''My Palpitating Life'' by Kim Ae-ran.
''My Brilliant Life'' won the Third Plac ...
''.
He was the fourth trainee to be officially introduced with the Fantagio iTeen Photo Test Cut. In August 2015, Cha, along with the other members of
Astro
Astro may refer to:
Entertainment and media
* Astro (South Korean band), a South Korean boy band
* Astro (UB40) (1957–2021), member of the British reggae band UB40
* Astro (Chilean band), a Chilean indie rock band
* Astro (Japanese band), ...
, participated in the web-drama ''
To Be Continued
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...
''.
2016–present: Debut with Astro, solo activities and rising popularity
![Cha Eunwoo Marie Claire Korea 2020](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Cha_Eunwoo_Marie_Claire_Korea_2020.png)
Astro debuted on February 23, 2016, with the EP ''
Spring Up
''Spring Up'' is the debut Extended play, extended play by South Korean boy band Astro (South Korean band), Astro. The album was released digitally and physically on February 23, 2016 by Fantagio. The album contains five tracks with the lead sing ...
''. In August, Cha participated in the
Chuseok
''Chuseok'' (; , literally "autumn evening"), also known as ''Hangawi'' (Hangul: ; ; from archaic Korean for "the great middle (of autumn)"), is a major mid-autumn harvest festival and a three-day holiday in South Korea celebrated on the 15th ...
special variety show, ''Replies That Make Us Flutter''. In September, he participated in another Chuseok pilot program, ''Boomshakalaka''.
Cha was announced as a host of ''
Show! Music Core
''Show! Music Core'' (), or simply ''Music Core'' is a South Korean music television program broadcast by MBC. It airs live every Saturday at 15:30 (KST). The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform live on stage. ...
'' alongside
Kim Sae-ron
Kim or KIM may refer to:
Names
* Kim (given name)
* Kim (surname)
** Kim (Korean surname)
*** Kim family (disambiguation), several dynasties
**** Kim family (North Korea), the rulers of North Korea since Kim Il-sung in 1948
** Kim, Vietnamese f ...
,
Lee Soo-min and
Xiyeon
Park Jung-hyun ( ko, 박정현, born November 14, 2000), professionally known as Xiyeon, is a South Korean actress and singer. A former child actress and model, she trained under Pledis Entertainment for nine years before making her official deb ...
from 2016 to 2018.
In 2016, he also starred in the web drama ''My Romantic Some Recipe''.
In 2017, Cha was cast in the KBS2 drama ''
Hit the Top
''Hit the Top'' () is a South Korean television series starring Yoon Shi-yoon, Lee Se-young, Kim Min-jae and Cha Tae-hyun. The drama aired on KBS2, from June 2 to July 22, 2017, on Fridays and Saturdays at 23:00 ( KST) for 32 episodes.
''Hit t ...
''
and starred in the web drama ''
Sweet Revenge''.
In 2018, Cha starred in the web drama ''
Top Management''.
He was later cast in the JTBC romantic comedy series ''
Gangnam Beauty
''Gangnam Beauty'' () is a 2018 South Korean television series starring Im Soo-hyang, Cha Eun-woo, Jo Woo-ri and Kwak Dong-yeon. Based on the webtoon of the same name published in 2016 by Naver, it centers on the life of a college student who we ...
'', his first leading role on television.
He saw a rise in popularity after the series aired and was included in GQ Korea's "Men of the Year".
In 2019, Cha starred in the historical drama ''
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung
''Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series starring Shin Se-kyung, in the title role as a free-spirited female historian, and Cha Eun-woo, as a prince working underground as a romance novelist. It is also a ...
'' alongside
Shin Se-kyung
Shin Se-kyung (; born July 29, 1990) is a South Korean actress, singer and model. She started as a child actress and had her breakthrough in 2009 with the sitcom ''High Kick Through the Roof''. Since then she starred in the films ''Hindsight'' ...
, winning the Excellence Award for an Actor and Best Couple Award with Shin at the MBC Drama Awards. In December, he was announced as a cast member of the new variety show ''
Handsome Tigers
Handsome Tigers () is a South Korean basketball reality show program. It airs on SBS every Friday at 11:10 PM KST.
Overview
A real basketball entertainment program that surrounds former basketball legend Seo Jang-hoon, where celebrities who lov ...
'' alongside
Joy
The word joy refers to the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune, and is typically associated with feelings of intense, long lasting happiness.
Dictionary definitions
Dictionary definitions of joy typically include a sense of ...
,
Lee Sang-yoon
Lee Sang-yoon (; born August 15, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his starring roles in '' My Daughter Seo-young'' (2012), '' Angel Eyes'' (2014), ''Liar Game'' (2014), '' On the Way to the Airport'' (2016), '' Whisper'' (2017 ...
,
Yoo Seon-ho
Yoo Seon-ho (born January 28, 2002) is a South Korean singer, actor and model. He is best known as a contestant on the survival reality show ''Produce 101'' (season 2) and drama ''Under the Queen's Umbrella''. He is a cast member of the variety ...
, and
Seo Jang-hoon
Seo Jang-hoon (; born 3 June 1974) is a South Korean former professional basketball player, who is currently active as an entertainer and variety show star.
Early life
Seo attended Whimoon High School, known as one Seoul's high school basketball ...
.
In April 2020, Cha joined ''
Master in the House
''Master in the House'' (; abbreviated as ''Jipsabu'') is a South Korean television program that aired on SBS weekly on Sundays at 18:25 (KST) from December 31, 2017 until the conclusion of Season 1 on September 18, 2022 when the show went on hi ...
'' as a fixed cast member.
At the
2020 SBS Entertainment Awards
The ''2020 SBS Entertainment Awards'' () presented by Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), took place on December 19, 2020, at SBS Prism Tower in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It was hosted by Shin Dong-yup, Cha Eun-woo, Lee Seung-gi
Lee Seung ...
, he won the Rookie Award for his role on the show. In December 2020, he portrayed "perfect man" Lee Su-ho in the
tvN TVN may refer to:
* TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel
* Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster
* TVN (Indonesia), a former television station; predecessor of Rajawali Televisi
* TVN (Norway), or TVNorge, a comm ...
drama ''
True Beauty'' with
Moon Ga-young
Moon Ga-young (; born July 10, 1996) is a German-born South Korean actress. She is best known for her roles in ''Heartstrings'' (2011), ''EXO Next Door'' (2015), '' Tempted'' (2018), ''Welcome to Waikiki 2'' (2019), ''Find Me in Your Memory'' ...
, based on the webtoon of the same name.
In June 2021, Cha was cast in the upcoming film ''
Decibel
The decibel (symbol: dB) is a relative unit of measurement equal to one tenth of a bel (B). It expresses the ratio of two values of a power or root-power quantity on a logarithmic scale. Two signals whose levels differ by one decibel have a po ...
'' with
Kim Rae-won
Kim Rae-won (Korean: 김래원; born 19 March 1981) is a South Korean actor. He first rose to fame with his appearances in the 2003 romantic comedy series ''Cats on the Roof'', and movies such as ''My Little Bride'' (2004), ''Sunflower'' (2006), ...
,
Lee Jong-suk
Lee Jong-suk (, born 14 September 1989) is a South Korean actor and model. He debuted in 2005 as a runway model, becoming the youngest male model ever to participate in Seoul Fashion Week. Lee's breakthrough role was in ''School 2013'' (2012). ...
and
Lee Sang-hee. He subsequently left ''Master in the House''. Cha was also cast in the forthcoming
TVING
TVING () is a South Korean online streaming service operated by TVING Corporation, a joint venture of CJ E&M (CJ Group), Naver and JTBC. It is a platform that streams dramas, entertainment shows, exclusive television films and specials.
Histor ...
drama ''
Island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
'' alongside
Kim Nam-gil
Kim Nam-gil () is a South Korean actor, producer, director, singer and philanthropist. He is best known from leading roles in disaster blockbuster '' Pandora'' (2016); crime thriller ''Memoir of a Murderer '' (2017); adventure film '' The Pirate ...
,
Lee Da-hee
Lee Da-hee (born March 15, 1985) is a South Korean model and actress. Her breakout role was in the 2013 SBS courtroom drama ''I Can Hear Your Voice.'' She is also known for her role as Kang Sa-ra in '' The Beauty Inside'' (2018) and Cha Hyeon i ...
and
Sung Joon
Sung may refer to:
*Sung, Cambodia, commune in Samlout District, Battambang Province
*Singing (past participle of the verb "to sing")
Chinese history
*Song (state) (宋) (11th century BC – 286 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, a ...
, playing the role of an exorcist priest. Filming began in October with the aim of broadcast by the first half of 2022. On November 30, Cha released "Don't Cry, My Love", a ballad song featuring a piano performance, for the official soundtrack of the comic ''Under The Oak Tree''.
In 2022, Cha recorded "Focus on Me" for the soundtrack of the
Kakao webtoon
Kakao Webtoon (Hangul: 카카오 웹툰) is a webtoon platform operated by Kakao.
History
The service originally launched in 2003 by Daum, a popular web portal in Korea, as Daum Webtoon making it the first official webtoon platform in the worl ...
''The Villainess Is a Marionette'', released on February 22. On March 18, Cha tested positive for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
; as a result, Fantagio stated that his schedules were cancelled and he would focus on treatment and recovery. On September 5, he has been cast as the lead in the webtoon-based drama "A Good Day to be a Dog" a fantasy romance drama scheduled to start filming in October.
Other ventures
Endorsements
In February 2021, Cha became
Penshoppe
Penshoppe is a casual wear retail brand based in the Philippines. Established in 1986, Penshoppe is the flagship brand of Golden ABC, Inc., a fashion house based in the Philippines.
Brand history
Philippines
Established in Cebu in 1986, the bra ...
's international ambassador. In March, he was selected as the brand model for Noona Holdak Chicken. In May, Cha was chosen as a new model for clothing brand
O'Neill
The O'Neill dynasty (Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin, that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically the most prominent family of the Northern ...
. In July, Cha became a brand ambassador for
Burberry
Burberry is a British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry headquartered in London, England. It currently designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats (for which it is most famous), leather accessories, ...
. Cha was then chosen as Konvy's first presenter, as well as a model for Mackiss Company's Now We Are soju and the health functional food "perilla in the eyes". In August, Cha was selected as a model for Samhwa Foods, and the new muse of Dashu Perfume.
In January 2022, Cha became the muse for the hair styling brand Dashu. The next two months, he became as a new brand ambassador for Ms Glow, and Mister Potato. In April 2022, Cha modeled for contemporary men's clothing brand Liberclassy.
In June, Cha became a brand ambassador for
Dior Beauty, announced after attending
Jean-Michel Othoniel
Jean-Michel Othoniel (born 27 January 1964) is a French contemporary artist. He has worked in a variety of artistic media, including film, installation, photography and sculpture. In 2000 he designed a new entrance for the Palais Royal–Mus ...
's exhibition. In December, there was a post announcing Cha became a brand ambassador for
Dior
Christian Dior SE (), commonly known as Dior (stylized DIOR), is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house controlled and chaired by French businessman Bernard Arnault, who also heads LVMH, the world's largest luxury group. Dior itself holds ...
.
Philanthropy
In April 2019, Cha donated 10 million won to help support the victims of the
Sokcho Fire. In February 2020, It was revealed that Cha had donated 30 million won to help those affected by
COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
The COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case in South Korea was announced on 20 January 2020. The numbe ...
.
In June 2022, Cha participated as a special audio guide for the art exhibit of
Sir Michael Craig-Martin & even donate some proceeds for cancer patients at the national cancer center. In November 2022, it was announced that Cha will hold a photo exhibition at the end of the year and will donate all profits to help the underprivileged.
Impact and influence
In November 2018, Cha was included as one of GQ Korea's Men of the Year.
In 2019, he ranked seventh—with 44,178,474 points—in the Most Accumulated Points On Male Idol Brand Reputation. In the K-pop Radar Year-End Chart of 2019, Cha was named as the male "Hot Instagrammer".
In April 2021, Cha placed 17th on
''Forbes'' Korea Power Celebrity and sixth in the SNS category. In April 2022, after Cha was selected to represent contemporary men's clothing brand Liberclassy,
traffic to the company's mall increased by 806% in the first week of April from the previous week, and the brand also saw an increase in social media engagement. An official from Liberclassy said, "The Cha Eunwoo effect was seen as more than 70 million won in sales generated for pre-application alone".
Discography
Songwriting credits
''
All credits are listed under the Korea Music Copyright Association
The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) is a South Korean non-profit copyright collective for musical works, administering public performance and broadcasting rights, and mechanical recording and reproduction rights. Founded in 1964, it i ...
unless otherwise stated.''
Filmography
Film
Television series
Web series
Television show
Web shows
Hosting
Awards and nominations
Listicles
Notes
References
External links
Cha Eun-Wooon
Fantagio
Fantagio () is a South Korean entertainment company that operates as a record label, talent training and management agency, as well as movie and K-drama production company. The company was founded in September 2008 as N.O.A. Entertainment (stan ...
Cha Eun-wooon
IMDb
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
Cha Eun-wooat
HanCinema
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cha, Eun-woo
1997 births
Living people
Astro (South Korean band) members
South Korean male idols
People from Gunpo
Fantagio artists
South Korean male television actors
South Korean male models
K-pop singers
21st-century South Korean male singers
21st-century South Korean male actors
Hanlim Multi Art School alumni