Kim Dong Wan
Encyclopedia
Kim Dong Wan was born on 21 November 1979. He is a South Korean entertainer, known as a member of six-member boy band
Shinhwa
. He has since 2002 has been making a name for himself as an actor, with roles 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, although since the release of his debut album he says that now he prefers singing more. From Shinhwa, Kim is the fourth member to go solo, following Lee Min Woo
, Shin Hye Sung
, and Jun Jin
.
, he began singing bigger parts on Shinhwa's 7th album, Brand New
. One song from the album, "Liar", actually only has Kim as the vocalist, along with Eric Mun
as the rapper. 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
for giving generous donations for flood
victims in 2006.
On April 16, 2007, Kim appeared as a guest on MC Mong
's "Pleasure and Pain" radio show. When asked about an incident early in his career where he injured his nose, he confessed that he in fact had plastic surgery
to change its shape.
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 contribute to the album as well, with Lee Min Woo writing, composing and arranging the song "My Love," and with 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 genre in music like American R&B and bubblegum pop
, Kim said he wanted his album to be more J-pop
influenced, having redone a song by Glay and 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, allowing it to rank 19th 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, Shinhwa bandmate, Eric and Heritage.
Kim enlisted for mandatory military service
in November at an army training camp in Gongju
, Chungcheongnam-do
He was discharged on 17 December 2010, after serving 24 months as an administrative worker at the Seodaemun-gu
District Office.
He has since played the lead role of Hedwig in theatrical musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch
at Sang Sang Art Hall in Seoul.
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
Shinhwa
Shinhwa
Shinhwa is a popular South Korean boy band and hip hop group. The group has six members , and debuted on March 24, 1998. It has enjoyed massive success alongside the likes of Sechs Kies, g.o.d., Turbo , Fin. K.L., H.O.T. and S.E.S...
. He has since 2002 has been making a name for himself as an actor, with roles 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, although since the release of his debut album he says that now he prefers singing more. From Shinhwa, Kim is the fourth member to go solo, following Lee Min Woo
Lee Min Woo
Lee Min Woo , mononymously credited as M as a solo artist, was born on 28 July 1979. He is a South Korean entertainer, known as a member of six-member boy band Shinhwa. Lee was the fourth member picked for the group. As part of Shinhwa, he has recorded nine studio albums as a vocalist and a rapper...
, Shin Hye Sung
Shin Hye Sung
Shin Hye Sung was born Jung Pil Kyo on 27 November 1979. He is a South Korean singer, known as the lead vocalist of six-member boy band Shinhwa. His stage name "Hye Sung" means comet. His English name is Steve Jung...
, and Jun Jin
Jun Jin
Jun Jin was born Park Choong Jae on 19 August 1980. is a South Korean 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 started singing small parts in 2002; the release of Shinhwa's 5th album...
.
Debut with Shinhwa
Kim made his debut in 1998 as a vocalist in the boy band Shinhwa. Although he is not lead vocalistLead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, he began singing bigger parts on Shinhwa's 7th album, Brand New
Brand New (Shinhwa album)
Brand New was Shinhwa's 7th album, as well as their first album with Good Entertainment. With four singles, Brand New, Angel, Crazy, and Oh, Shinhwa heavily promoted the album, going on tours as well as performing on various stages. Debuting at #3, Brand New made its way to #2 and then dropped to...
. One song from the album, "Liar", actually only has Kim as the vocalist, along with Eric Mun
Eric Mun
Eric Mun Jung Hyuk, , mononymously credited as Eric, was born on 16 February 1979. He is a South Korean entertainer, known as the leader and rapper of six-member boy band Shinhwa and his lead roles in Korean dramas The Phoenix and Super Rookie.-Career:Eric attended John Burroughs Middle School...
as the rapper. 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
Japanese media
The communications media of 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 the capital contribution from existing radio networks at that time...
for giving generous donations for flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
victims in 2006.
On April 16, 2007, Kim appeared as a guest on MC Mong
MC Mong
MC Mong is a South Korean hip hop artist who is known for his comic disposition and his upbeat songs. He graduated from Dong-Ah Broadcasting College. MC Mong has collaborated with many well known artists, including Kim Tae Woo from G.o.d., Ock Ju-hyun, Ivy, Crown J, Lena Park, Park Hyo Shin, SG...
's "Pleasure and Pain" radio show. When asked about an incident early in his career where he injured his nose, he confessed that he in fact had plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
to change its shape.
Solo artist
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
, Kim said he wanted his album to be more J-pop
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
influenced, having redone a song by Glay and 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, allowing it to rank 19th 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, Shinhwa bandmate, Eric and Heritage.
Kim enlisted for mandatory military service
Conscription in South Korea
Conscription, or mandatory military service or compulsory national service, is legislated in South Korea, with military service stated as one of the Four Constitutional Duties for all citizens...
in November at an army training camp in Gongju
Gongju
Gongju , also spelt Kongju, is a city in South Chungcheong province, South Korea. It is located at .- 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...
, Chungcheongnam-do
Chungcheongnam-do
Chungcheongnam-do or Chungnam is a province in the west of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the south-western half of the former Chungcheong Province and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, thereafter becoming part of South Korea...
He was discharged on 17 December 2010, after serving 24 months as an administrative worker at the Seodaemun-gu
Seodaemun-gu
Seodaemun-gu is a gu located in northwestern Seoul, South Korea. The name derives from Seodaemun, meaning literally "Great West Gate", which was once located in the district...
District Office.
He has since played the lead role of Hedwig in theatrical musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a rock musical about a fictional rock and roll band fronted by an East German transgender singer. The text is by John Cameron Mitchell, and the music and lyrics are by Stephen Trask. The musical premiered in 1998 and has been performed throughout the world in hundreds...
at Sang Sang Art Hall in Seoul.
Single
| Single # | Single Information | Track Listing |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Title: Promise
|
|
Studio
| Album # | Album Information | Track Listing |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Title: Kimdongwan Is
|
|
| 2nd |
Title: The Secret; Between Us
|
|
Compilation
| Album # | Album Information | Track Listing |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | Title: Kim Dongwan Japan Premium Best
|
|
TV dramas
- 2001 - New Nonstop
- 2002 - Children of Heaven
- 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
- 2007 - The One I Love, aka The Person That I Love or I Will Not Love
- 2011 - Acme (Life of Lee Youk-Sa, the Poet who Embraced Epoch)
Films
- 2002 - Emergency Act 19Emergency Act 19Emergency Act 19 is a satirical 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 world. It is notable for the numerous K-pop stars that make appearances in the film...
- cameo with Shinhwa - 2004 - Spin Kick, aka Taekwon Boys
Music videos
- 2005 Shinhwa MV - “Brand New”
- 2005 Shinhwa MV – “Crazy”
- 2006 Shinhwa MV – “Once in a Lifetime”
- 2006 Shinhwa MV – “Throw my fist”
- 2006 Shinhwa MV - “This Is The Sun In Our Hearts”
- 2006 SG Wannabe MV – “Partner for life” and “Slow”
- 2006 Self - “Handkerchief”
- 2008 Shinhwa MV – “RUN”
- 2008 Self - “The Secret”
- 2008 Self - "Can't Forget"
TV Show
- 2003 Yoon Do-Hyun's Love Letter “Lately” - KBSKBSKorean Broadcasting System is the biggest of four major Korean television networks.- Structure :KBS is a 'public organization' that, by law, receives public funding from the Korean Government but is independently managed. As mentioned on the Korean Constitution, the president of KBS is...
- 2004 Yoon Do-Hyun's Love Letter “Cigarette Shop Girl” - KBSKBSKorean Broadcasting System is the biggest of four major Korean television networks.- Structure :KBS is a 'public organization' that, by law, receives public funding from the Korean Government but is independently managed. As mentioned on the Korean Constitution, the president of KBS is...
- 2005 Public Relations - Officer of JeonJu International Film Festival
- 2005 Love LetterLove Letter (variety show)Real Romance Love Letter was a South Korean television game show broadcast from 16 October 2004 to 28 October 2006 for three seasons. It was part of the line-up of programme for Real Situation Saturday which was broadcast from 8 November 2003 to 5 January 2007 on SBS network.The programme was...
(ep 1 to 14) - SBS - 2005 X-ManX-Man (TV series)X-Man was a popular South Korean game show which ran from November 8, 2003 to April 8, 2007 on SBS. Its popularity peaked in 2004, but a decline in ratings led to its cancellation...
- SBS - 2006 Heroine 6
- 2006 New X-ManX-Man (TV series)X-Man was a popular South Korean game show which ran from November 8, 2003 to April 8, 2007 on SBS. Its popularity peaked in 2004, but a decline in ratings led to its cancellation...
- SBS - 2008 Family Outing (Guest ep 1 & 2) - SBS
- July 2006 Infinity Challenge - Quiz Challenge with Shinhwa (Season 4 Episode 11 & 12) - MBCMunhwa Broadcasting CorporationMunhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
MC
- 2000–2002: DJ for Ten Ten Club
- 2003–2005: Host for SBS Inkigayo
- 2006: Host for SBS I Love My Teacher Day Concert
Awards
| Year | Awards | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Blue Dragon Film Awards Blue Dragon Film Awards The Blue Dragon Film Awards is an annual awards ceremony that is presented annually by Sports Chosun for excellence in film in South Korea.... |
Best Actor | Spin Kick | ||
| 2005 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Actor | A Farewell to Sorrow | ||
| Best Couple | |||||
| 2007 | SBS Inkigayo | Mutizen Award | "Handkerchief" | ||
External links
Kim Dong-wan - Official website Shinhwa - Official website- Kim Dong-wan at HanCinema