Kim Byung-man (born July 29, 1975) is a South Korean

comedian A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and entertaining events or situations while the person or a ...

, best known for his slapstick and acrobatic stunts as a ''Master'' in ''

Gag Concert ''Gag Concert'' ( ko, 개그콘서트) was a South Korean sketch-comedy television show more commonly known as ''Gag Con'' ( ko, 개콘). It began airing on September 4, 1999 and aired its last episode on June 26, 2020, making it South Korea's ...

'', and survival skills in ''

Law of the Jungle "The law of the jungle" (also called jungle law) is an expression that has come to describe a scenario where "anything goes". The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defines the Law of the Jungle as "''the code of survival in jungle life'', now usual ...

'' as he acts as the Chief of the show. In November 2015, he entered a new program on SBS titled 'Shaolin Clenched Fists', where Kim Byung-man and a group of other celebrities visit the

Shaolin Monastery Shaolin Monastery (少林寺 ''Shàolínsì''), also known as Shaolin Temple, is a renowned monastic institution recognized as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Shaolin Kung Fu. It is located at the foot of Wuru Peak of the So ...

to learn the traditional martial arts from Shaolin Masters.

Biography

Kim was born into a poor family with an older sister and two younger sisters in

Jeonju Jeonju () is the 16th largest city in South Korea and the capital of North Jeolla Province. It is both urban and rural due to the closeness of Wanju County which almost entirely surrounds Jeonju (Wanju County has many residents who work in Jeonju) ...

Wanju Wanju County (''Wanju-gun'') is a county in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It almost entirely surrounds Jeonju. This county should not be confused with Wonju, in Gangwon-do. History ○ Mahan Baekje Kingdom Wansanju 16th year of King Gyeon ...

North Jeolla Province North Jeolla Province (; ''Jeollabuk-do''), also known as Jeonbuk, is a province of South Korea. North Jeolla has a population of 1,869,711 (2015) and has a geographic area of 8,067 km2 (3,115 sq mi) located in the Honam region in the southwest ...

. His father was an alcoholic, because of his bad luck in business. This caused his family to be in chronic debt. His mother tried to make a little money working at odd jobs, such as working at a restaurant. Kim also tried to help raise money for the family by doing

manual labor Manual labour (in Commonwealth English, manual labor in American English) or manual work is physical work done by humans, in contrast to labour by machines and working animals. It is most literally work done with the hands (the word ''manual'' ...

. Wanting to be a comedian, he left his home and moved to

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

to go to an apartment with other aspiring comedians. After three failed auditions on KBS and four on MBC, he was finally accepted by KBS in 2002. He starred in Gag concert on the Master show as a Master, his most famous role, in which he performs difficult tasks, showcasing his ability to acquire new skills quickly. Kim made his first appearance in the movie called "Gift" (선물) in 2002. He was also the runner-up on Kim Yuna's Kiss and Cry where famous entertainers learn how to figure skate from professionals. Up till 2012 he was signed under ''Castle J Entertainment'', and on 19 September, it was announced that he has signed exclusive contracts with

SM C&C SM Culture & Contents ( ko, 에스엠컬처앤콘텐츠; SM C&C) is a South Korean advertising, production, travel and talent company under SM Studios, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SM Entertainment. The company operates as a talent agency, televi ...

, a subsidiary of

SM 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 ...

, along with

Lee Soo Geun Lee Soo-geun (; born February 10, 1975) is a South Korean comedian who has worked on a number of comedy shows on South Korean television. He began his career as a comedian on KBS ''Gag Concert'', and is under the management of SM Culture & Con ...

Personal life

In May 2022, Kim's mother died in a flood and a private funeral was planned.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Television shows

Awards and nominations

State honors

Listicles

Notes

References

External links

*
Kim Byung-man Fan Cafe
at Daum
Kim Byung-man
at S.M. Culture & Contents * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Byung-man 1975 births Living people South Korean comedians South Korean male television actors South Korean male film actors Gag Concert Konkuk University alumni Best Variety Performer Male Paeksang Arts Award (television) winners