Won Bin was born and raised in Jeongseon CountyinGangwon Province, South Korea. He is the fifth and youngest child, with one brother and three sisters. His father was formerly employed in a mine and his mother worked on a farm; both of his parents are now retired. As was common for other children living in mountainous regions, Won Bin spent most of his time playing around with friends in the mountains and rivers, and later explained: "I came back home most nights at sunset with a black and dusty face." He was frequently shy, introspective, and quiet, character traits that would continue to follow him throughout adulthood.[12] While not talkative or outgoing, he excelled at athletics. Won Bin started taekwondo lessons and now holds a black belt. As a young boy, he initially planned to become a car mechanic due to his interest in car racing and motorcycling. Won Bin graduated from a mechanical high school, where he studied car repair and mechanics.
In November 1995, a cable television station was looking to recruit and hire new actors; Won Bin applied and was accepted in his last semester of high school. He started to take acting classes at the station's headquarters and appeared in several dramas. The following month, Won Bin signed an acting contract with a talent agency.
Won Bin made his screen debut with a supporting role in the 1997 drama film Propose. His performance in Ready Go! (1998) helped hone his acting skills. 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, Won Bin returned to the screen with a lead role in drama Kwangki from which he was recognized as a promising young actor and a teen heartthrob.
His big breakthrough came in 2000 with the drama Tough Guy's Love (Kkokji) and Autumn in My Heart. His role as a rebellious youngest son in Kkokji proved his acting potential and his performance in the critically-lauded drama landed him on the A-list for Korean performers. Autumn in My Heart 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 was involved in the first South Korea and Japan joint production drama Friends.
Won Bin also had roles in a number of popular films, including Guns & Talks and My Brother, but it was his portrayal of the sensitive younger brother in the blockbuster war film Taegukgi (2004) that showcased his acting abilities for an overseas audience and cemented his stardom internationally. Taegukgi was the best-selling film in South Korea in 2004 with 11.75 million tickets sold.
His career was interrupted by his mandatory service in the South Korean Army. After graduating from the Graduate School of Arts in Yong-In University in 2005, Won Bin started his military duty in November 2005 and was stationed at the Korean Demilitarized Zone, a position for which he volunteered.[13][14] On June 2, 2006, the military officially confirmed that Won Bin would no longer be active.[15] The decision was made by the military when Won Bin sustained injury to his ACL. He underwent surgery and was officially discharged on June 7, 2006.[16] After the surgery, he went through rehabilitation for more than a year to recover from the injury.
Won Bin was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador of the Korean Committee[17] on September 6, 2007. He has participated in various programs and charity events in Korea for UNICEF since then, and has appeared in several promotional videos.
In April 2008, Won Bin confirmed that his next film 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. This was followed by the 2010 film The Man from Nowhere, his final film appearance to date.[18][19]
In July 2013, news broke that Won Bin and actress Lee Na-young were in a relationship. The two got to know each other when Lee joined the same agency as Won in August 2011. The pair started dating a year later in August 2012.[20] Won Bin married Lee on May 30, 2015, in a small, private ceremony in Won Bin's hometown of Jeongseon, Gangwon Province.[21][22][23][24] A press release from their agency Eden 9 in August 2015 announced that the couple were expecting their first child.[25][26]
2005: 28 Day 'n Year Won Bin Premium Box Set - DVD & photobook - 60-minute DVD and 144 pages of photos with sincere essays written by Won Bin revolving around his private life and his photo session trip to South Korea, Czech Republic, and Japan as well as collector's gifts.
2006: BINUS DVD - 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 photobook - Designed like a diary book, with drawings by Won Bin.
2010: I Love You Private DVD & Photobook - 105-minute DVD and photobook, filmed in Ireland
Many entertainers in South Korea see Won Bin as one of the best examples of a good looking man.
He was mentioned in the lyrics of Ladies' Code's single Kiss Kiss, composed by Super Changddai. The lyrics said,『난 오늘밤 꿈에서 난 원빈 오빠가 나타나 줄 텐데』(Tonight, in my dreams, Won Bin oppa will appear).[29] Members of the South Korean boy group iKON had also mentioned him on several of their songs. Bobby said in the lyrics of his rap verse on Masta Wu's single Come Here,『실력이 외모면 난 방탄 유리 앞에 원빈.』(If skill equals to looks, I'm Won Bin in front of a bulletproof glass.)[30] Won Bin's character in The Man from Nowhere was referenced by Krystal Jung in the 2013 drama The Heirs, as well as by iKON's B.I in the lyrics of his song with co-member Bobby, Anthem wherein he said,『날고 기어도 다 씹어 먹어줄게 Call me 아저씨.』(We'll chew you up like raw meat, call me ahjusshi.)[31] In the 2015 Korean drama Kill Me, Heal Me, the character of Park Seo-joon, Oh Ri-on, told Secretary Ahn that the elusive Writer Omega's looks were rumored to be "on the Won Bin level." In 2016 drama Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Kim Go-eun's character mentioned Won Bin when Lee Dong-wook's character asked for "a male name that women love".[32]
^고현정 ‘올해를 빛낸 탤런트’ 1위 뽑혀 [Go Hyun-jung, 'Talent that shined this year' ranked 1st]. Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). December 27, 2010. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
^"이리오너라 (B.I&BOBBY)". m.app.melon.com (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2019-07-18. Retrieved 2019-07-18.
^Jeon Won-won (December 17, 2016). "[夜TV] 박보검vs원빈…'도깨비' 이동욱, 저승사자가 갖게될 이름은?" [[夜TV] Park Bo-gum vs Won Bin... 'Goblin' Lee Dong-wook, what name will the grim reaper have?]. My Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 7, 2022 – via Naver.
