Kim Dong-wan (; born November 21, 1979) is a South Korean entertainer, known as a member of 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 ...
Shinhwa
Shinhwa () is a South Korean six-member boy band based in Seoul, composed of Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin, and Andy Lee. Launched by SM Entertainment on March 24, 1998, the group signed with Good Entertainment ...
. He has been acting since 2002, and has starred in television dramas such as ''A Farewell to Sorrow'' and ''Children of Heaven''. He has said that given the opportunity he would prefer a career in acting rather than as a singer, However, since the release of his debut album, he has stated that now he prefers singing more. From Shinhwa, Kim is the fourth member to go solo, following
Lee Min-woo
Lee Min-woo (hangul: 이민우; born July 28, 1979), also known mononymously credited as M as a solo artist, is a South Korean entertainer, known as a member of the South Korean boy band Shinhwa. Lee was the first Shinhwa member to debut a ...
,
Shin Hye-sung
Jung Pil-kyo (; born November 27, 1979) is a South Korean singer-songwriter. He is best known as a member of the South Korean boy group Shinhwa. The main vocalist of Shinhwa, he debuted as a solo artist in 2005 and has since released multiple ...
, and
Jun Jin
Park Choong-jae (; born August 19, 1980), known professionally as Jun Jin, is a South Korean singer, actor and entertainer, known as a member and rapper of six-member boy band Shinhwa. He debuted as a dancer and rapper in Shinhwa in 1998 but st ...
.
Early life
Kim was a child actor and starred in several dramas as a teenager but opted not to pursue acting as a career. He later joined
S.M. Entertainment
SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...
as a trainee after being "streetcasted". He was educated in
Whimoon High School
Whimoon High School () is a private high school in South Korea, located in Daechi-dong, Seoul. It is one of the oldest high schools in South Korea.
History
Whimoon High School traces its beginnings to the opening of ''Kwangsung-Euisuk'' in 19 ...
.
Career
1998: Debut with Shinhwa
Kim made his debut in 1998 as a vocalist in the boy band Shinhwa. Although he is not the
lead vocalist
The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of t ...
, he began singing bigger parts on Shinhwa's 7th album, ''
Brand New''. In one song from the album "Liar", Kim is the vocalist, and he is accompanied by
Eric Mun
Eric Mun (born Mun Jung-hyuk on February 16, 1979) is a South Korean rapper, songwriter and actor. He is a member and leader of the South Korean boy band Shinhwa. He is also well known for several dramas such as '' Phoenix'' (2004), ''Super R ...
's rapping. He also wrote, composed, and arranged a song on the album, titled "Set Free". Though he had branched out as a solo artist, he is part of Shinhwa and just released Shinhwa's 9th album.
Kim was one of several Korean celebrities praised by the
Japanese media
The mass media in Japan include numerous television and radio networks as well as newspapers and magazines in Japan. For the most part, television networks were established based on capital investments by existing radio networks. Variety shows, ...
for giving generous donations for
flood
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
victims in 2006.
On April 16, 2007, Kim appeared as a guest on
MC Mong
Shin Dong-hyun ( ko, 신동현; born September 4, 1979), better known by his stage name MC Mong ( ko, MC몽, links=no), is a South Korean hip hop recording artist, record producer, radio personality, actor and television personality who is kno ...
's "Pleasure and Pain" radio show. When asked about an incident early in his career where he injured his nose, he confessed that he had undergone
plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniofa ...
to change its shape.
2007: Solo debut
Kim released his debut solo album, ''Kimdongwan Is'', on July 5, 2007, which featured collaborations with his fellow Shinhwa members, including Lee Andy rapping in the song "Loving Summer", Shin Hye Sung singing a duet with Kim in "The One Left Alone", and Eric rapping in "My Love". The other members have contributed to the album as well, with Lee Min Woo writing, composing and arranging the song "My Love" and Jun Jin helping him with choreography. Kim expressed gratitude for their contributions, saying, "I’ve been working together with the group Shinhwa, thus there was a lot of pressure working on the solo album, but since the other members showed up and helped me with most of it, it has been a great big help for me". Kim's first single was the ballad, "Handkerchief", a song about a guy who consoles his girlfriend and wipes away her tears. Despite Shinhwa's musical genre being predominantly American
R&B and
bubblegum pop
Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is considered disposable, contrived, or marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States i ...
, Kim said he wanted his album to be more
J-pop
J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...
influenced, having redone a song by GLAY×EXILE in the album.
For the debut album, Kim also lost a lot of weight, saying that "it's not good for a ballad singer to have a muscular image. Someone singing ballads should have a lean, 'hungry-looking' image." His album sold over 25,000 copies in two days, with 41,490 copies sold by the end of 2007; it was ranked 19th in album sales for the year. In 2008, he released his 2nd solo album, ''The Secret; Between Us''. The album featured collaborations with
Tiffany of
SNSD,
Jade Valerie
Jade Valerie Villalon (born August 12, 1980), also known by her project and stage name Jade Valerie, is an American pop singer, songwriter, and actress. From 1999 to 2007, she was the vocalist and lyricist of Sweetbox, releasing five original al ...
, Shinhwa bandmate
Eric
The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization).
The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...
, and Heritage.
2008-2011: Military service and musical
Kim enlisted for
mandatory military service
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
in November 2008, at an army training camp in
Gongju
Gongju ([]; Gongju-si) is a city in South Chungcheong province, South Korea.
History
Gongju was formerly named Ungjin and was the capital of Baekje from AD 475 to 538. In this period, Baekje was under threat from Goguryeo. Goguryeo had overrun ...
,
Chungcheongnam-do
South Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청남도, ''Chungcheongnam-do''), also known as Chungnam, is a province of South Korea. South Chungcheong has a population of 2,059,871 (2014) and has a geographic area of 8,204 km2 (3,168 sq mi) located in ...
He was discharged on 17 December 2010, after serving 24 months as an administrative worker at the
Seodaemun-gu
Seodaemun District (, "Great West Gate") is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea.
Seodaemun has a population of 313,814 (2010) and has a geographic area of 17.61 km2 (6.8 sq mi), and is divided into 14 '' dong'' (administrative neigh ...
District Office.
Upon being discharged Kim joined Shinhwa bandmate
Shin Hye-sung
Jung Pil-kyo (; born November 27, 1979) is a South Korean singer-songwriter. He is best known as a member of the South Korean boy group Shinhwa. The main vocalist of Shinhwa, he debuted as a solo artist in 2005 and has since released multiple ...
at Liveworks Company and has since played the lead role of Hedwig in theatrical musical ''
Hedwig and the Angry Inch'' at Sang Sang Art Hall in Seoul. In August 2011, Kim played the role of Korean independence activist, Lee Youk-sa in
MBC two-part special drama, ''The Peak'', also known as ''Life of Lee Youk-Sa, the Poet who Embraced Epoch''. It was broadcast on Korea's
Liberation Day
Liberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an independence day. Liberation marks the date of either a revolution, as in Cuba, the fall of a dictatorship, as in Portugal, or the end of an oc ...
, 15 August 2011. Lee Youk-sa was a poet during the
Japanese Colonial Period who died in prison at the age of 40, leaving behind a collection of some 40 works of poetry.
2012: Shinhwa comeback and acting
In March 2012, Kim reunited with his Shinhwa bandmates for their comeback after four years, under the management of 'Shinhwa Company'. It is a joint venture agency for members to perform as a group, of which Eric and Lee Min-woo are co-CEOs and the remaining members are shareholders. The Company manages the group as a whole, whilst members' individual activities are managed by their respective agencies. The group released their tenth studio album ''
The Return'' on 23 March 2012, launched their comeback concerts ''
2012 Shinhwa Grand Tour: The Return'' throughout Asia and their first exclusive variety program ''
Shinhwa Broadcast
''Shinhwa Broadcast'' () is a South Korean variety television programme broadcast on general service cable channel JTBC. It is hosted by six-member boy band Shinhwa: Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan (up until April 2013), Shin Hye-sung, Jun Ji ...
'' premiered on 17 March 2012 on cable channel
JTBC
JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTBC ...
.
In July, Kim co-starred with
Kim Myung-min
Kim Myung-min (, born October 8, 1972) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the television series '' Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-shin'' (2004), '' White Tower'' (2007), ''Beethoven Virus'' (2008), ''Six Flying Dragons'' ...
and
Lee Ha-nui
Lee Hanee (; born March 2, 1983), also known as Honey Lee, is a South Korean actress, model, classical musician as well as beauty pageant titleholder where she represented her country at Miss Universe 2007. She has acted in several films and te ...
in thriller ''
Deranged'' as Jae-pil, a detective agonized with guilt for squandering his brother's money in the stock market. In August, Kim was cast as the title role of Kim Tae-pyung in
KBS' daily drama, ''
Cheer Up, Mr. Kim!
''Cheer Up, Mr. Kim!'' () is a 2012-2013 South Korean Korean drama, television series that aired on KBS1 from November 5, 2012 to April 26, 2013 on Mondays to Fridays at 20:25 for 124 episodes. It starred Kim Dong-wan in the title role of Mr. Kim, ...
'', about a male domestic cleaner and housekeeper, the guardian of three, later four, children, none of whom are his own. The series premiered in November and marked Kim's first television drama since ''Good Bye, Sadness'' in 2005. At the 2012
KBS Drama Awards
The KBS Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony presented by the Korean Broadcasting System
The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean te ...
, Kim received the ''Best Actor in Daily Drama'' award for his portrayal of Mr Kim.
2015: Philanthropy
In April 2015, after the earthquake in Nepal, Kim was reported to have donated
₩
The won sign , is a currency symbol. It represents the South Korean won, the North Korean won and, unofficially, the old Korean won.
Appearance
Its appearance is "W" (the first letter of "Won") with a horizontal strike going through the cent ...
36,000,000 (equivalent to approximately $33,660
USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
) towards the relief fund.
Discography
Studio albums
Mini albums
Compilation albums
Singles
Video albums
Filmography
Television dramas
* 2001 – ''
Nonstop''
* 2002 – ''Children of Heaven'' KBS
* 2005 – "Magic Power Alcohol" – ''MBC Best Theater'' (Episode #610)
* 2005 – ''
Beating Heart''
* 2005 – ''A Farewell to Sorrow'', aka ''A Farewell to Tears'' or ''Goodbye Sadness'' KBS
* 2007 – ''The One I Love'', aka ''The Person That I Love'' or ''I Will Not Love''
* 2011 – ''The Peak'' (aka ''Life of
Lee Yuksa
Yi Won-rok (May 18, 1904 – January 16, 1944), better known by his pen name Yi Yuksa, was a Korean poet and independence activist. As one of his country's most famous poets, he and his works symbolize the spirit of the anti-Japanese resis ...
, the Poet who Embraced Epoch'')
* 2012 – ''
Cheer Up, Mr. Kim!
''Cheer Up, Mr. Kim!'' () is a 2012-2013 South Korean Korean drama, television series that aired on KBS1 from November 5, 2012 to April 26, 2013 on Mondays to Fridays at 20:25 for 124 episodes. It starred Kim Dong-wan in the title role of Mr. Kim, ...
'' (KBS)
* 2016 - ''
Moorim School: Saga of the Brave'' (Episodes 10 & 11)
* 2017 - ''
Drama Stage
''Drama Stage'' () is a South Korean weekly television program that features ten one-act dramas, which is similar to KBS2's ''Drama Special''. The short plays were created by writers selected from the ''O'PEN Drama Storyteller Exhibition''. O'PEN ...
'' – ''
The Picnic Day'' (
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 ...
one-act drama)
* 2019 - ''
I Hate Going to Work'' (KBS2)
Film
* 2002 – ''
Emergency Act 19
''Emergency Act 19'' () is a satire, satirical List of South Korean films of 2002, 2002 South Korean film about a government act that prohibits popular music, passed in response to a number of musicians being elected to government elsewhere in the ...
'' – cameo with Shinhwa
* 2004 – ''Spin Kick'', aka ''Taekwon Boys''
* 2012 – ''
Deranged'' - as Jae-pil, an investigator and younger brother of Jae-hyuk, played by
Kim Myung-min
Kim Myung-min (, born October 8, 1972) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the television series '' Immortal Admiral Yi Sun-shin'' (2004), '' White Tower'' (2007), ''Beethoven Virus'' (2008), ''Six Flying Dragons'' ...
* 2015 – ''Springtime Fantasy''
* 2015 – ''
Glory Day''
* 2015 – ''The Megalomaniac''
* 2021 – ''A Long Day''
* 2022 – ''B Cut'' - as Seung Hyun
* 2022 – ''The Clown: The Singer'' as Fallen Yangban
Variety shows
* 2003 Yoon Do-Hyun's Love Letter ''“Lately”'' –
KBS
* 2004 Yoon Do-Hyun's Love Letter ''“Cigarette Shop Girl”'' – KBS
* 2005 ''Public Relations'' – Officer of JeonJu International Film Festival
* 2005 ''
Love Letter
A love letter is an expression of love in written form. However delivered, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation and description of feelings.
History
One of the oldest references to a l ...
'' (ep 1 to 14) –
SBS
* 2005 ''
X-Man
Nathaniel Grey (X-Man) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the X-Men. Created by writer Jeph Loeb and artist Steve Skroce, the character first appeared in ''X-Man'' ...
'' – SBS
* 2006 ''Heroine 6''
* 2006 ''
New X-Man'' – SBS
* 2012 - 2013 ''
Shinhwa Broadcast
''Shinhwa Broadcast'' () is a South Korean variety television programme broadcast on general service cable channel JTBC. It is hosted by six-member boy band Shinhwa: Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan (up until April 2013), Shin Hye-sung, Jun Ji ...
'' (ep 1 - 49) - JTBC
* 2015 ''
I Live Alone'' (ep 99 - 150) -
MBC
* 2015 King of Mask Singer ''Contestant with the stage name "Holding the End of the Night" (Episode 29-30)'' - MBC
* 2018 ''
Worldwide Correspondence'' - TVN
* 2018 ''
Battle Trip
''Battle Trip'' () is a South Korean television entertainment program, distributed and syndicated by KBS.
Season 1 was aired starting 16 April 2016 and ended on 3 April 2020 with 177 episodes and 4 special episodes. The program starred Kim So ...
'' - KBS
* 2018 ''
2 Days & 1 Night'' - (ep 705 - 706) - KBS
* 2021 ''Chosun Panstar'' - MBN (judge)
MC
* 2000–2002: DJ for ''Ten Ten Club''
* 2003–2005: Host for SBS ''
Inkigayo
''Inkigayo'' ( ko, 인기가요; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who p ...
''
* 2006: Host for SBS ''I Love My Teacher Day'' Concert
* 2018: Host for Worldwide Correspondence of TVN
Theater
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
*https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNwjaN9w8W2RnZqbE4A0UcA ( in Korean)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Dong-wan
1979 births
Living people
Male actors from Seoul
Shinhwa members
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male television actors
South Korean male singers
South Korean male idols
South Korean J-pop singers
South Korean pop singers
CI Entertainment artists
Singers from Seoul
Whimoon High School alumni