Yeon Woo-jin - South Korean Men, Career and Family

Yeon Woo-jin was born Kim Bong-hoe on July 5, 1984 in Gangneung, Gangwon-do, South Korea. He spent his early childhood with his parents in Gangneung.

After high school he studied Civil and Environmental Engineering from Sejong University, South Korea. He was however more interested in fashion and show business and started modelling under the stage name ‘Seo Ji-hoo’ while he was in college. He later changed his stage name to Yeon Woo-jin when he went on to act in television serials and films.

He first appeared as a model in the Seoul Fashion Week at the age of 23, when he was still in college. The following year he signed a contract and modelled for ‘Evisu’ brand of jeans. The advertisement campaign was a great success that paved the way for him to enter the South Korean film industry.

In 2009, he made his film debut in the coming of age movie ‘Just Friends’ which was based on adolescent youth and their confused state of mind. He was just the age to fit into the role and received positive reviews from film critiques for his acting skills that made him a youth idol in South Korea.

Yeon soon went on to act in television serials and appeared in the drama serial ‘All My Life’ as a teacher named Bang Woo-jin on MBC network. His next supporting role was that of a younger brother in the hit family drama ‘Ojakgyo Family’, aired on KBS2 during prime time on Saturdays and Sundays. His performance made him a household name in 2011. He also appeared in the short film titled ‘We Fly High’ the same year.

In his first lead role he plays the role of a young man who falls in love with the daughter of the man who murdered his brother in the serial titled ‘Just an Ordinary Love Story’.

He proved himself to be a versatile actor by taking on the role of a villain in the fantasy-romance serial titled ‘Arang and the Magistrate’ in 2012. He also played the role of a gangster rival in the melodrama ‘When a Man Falls in Love’. This was followed by his appearance in the episode ‘Missing You’ from the anthology film ‘Secret Love’

Yeon has been concentrating on comedy drama with his appearance as a plastic surgeon who is afraid of getting married in ‘Marriage, Not Dating’ and ‘Introvert Boss’, where he is an extremely shy CEO who is made to open up by one of his junior employee who takes a liking to him. He also acts as a vengeful office manager-cum-lawyer in ‘Divorce Lawyer in Love’, with co-star Jo Yeo-jeong.

Yeon Woo-jin appeared in ‘Tunnel 3D’ in 2014 closely followed with ‘Revivre’ in 2015. In 2016, he appeared in two movies ‘Seondal: The Man Who Sells the River’ and ‘Marital Harmony’.

He also plays the guitar and appeared in the music video ‘Falling in Love’ in a duet with Hwanhee in 2014.

He has appeared in the television serials ‘All My Love For You’ (2010 – 2011), ‘Ojakgyo Family’ (2011 – 2012), ‘When a Man Falls in Love’ (2013), ‘My Love from the Star’ (2013 – 2014), ‘Divorce Lawyer in Love’ (2015), ‘Another Oh Hae-young’ (2016) and ‘Queen for Seven Days’ (2017).

His films include ‘Just Friends’ (2009), ‘Tunnel 3D’ (2014), ‘Seondal: The Man Who Sells the River’ and ‘Marital Harmony’ (2016).

He has appeared in the music video ‘Falling in Love’ in 2014.

He won the Best Actor in a One-Act / Short Drama for his role in ‘Just an Ordinary Love Story’ at the KBS Drama Awards ceremony in 2012.

He was also nominated for Best New Actor and Excellence Award (Actor) for his roles in ‘Arang and the Magistrate’ and ‘When a Man Falls in Love’ respectively.

Though Yeon is known to get close to his co-stars on screen, he has not let his private life get mixed up with his profession. He has made public statements about his fellow actresses but has made it clear that he is in no hurry to get into a serious relationship for the time being.

He is close to his parents and was deeply grieved when his father passed away after a prolonged battle against stomach cancer in 2012. He had to take a short break from his shooting schedule in order to comfort his mother and settle his family affairs.

Yeon Woo-jin and actress Park Min Young have an excellent chemistry between them in the serial ‘Queen for 7 days’ which is about Queen Dangyeong of the Joseon Era, who is forced to give up her title and her lover within seven days of ascending to the throne.

When asked about his ideal type, he is known to have said that he likes girls with Asian features like co-star Jung Yoo Mi from the cast of the movie ‘Tunnel 3D’.

He sustained an injury to his right eye during the shooting of one of the action scenes of the KBS2 historical drama ‘Queen for 7 Days’ late at night.

As per reports in social media, his current status is single and he is considered as one of the most eligible bachelors in the South Korean television and film industry.