Won Bin, a renowned South Korean actor, was born on November 10, 1977, in Jeongseon County, Gangwon Province, South Korea. He is the youngest of five siblings, consisting of two older brothers and two older sisters. Growing up in Jeongseon County, Won Bin initially had plans to become a car mechanic, but his life took a dramatic turn when he entered an audition for cable TV company Je-il Broadcasting in 1996 and won.
Won Bin made his television debut on the KBS Super Sunday variety show "Our Story" in 1996. His acting career then gained momentum with his appearance in the KBS drama series "Propose", where he played a character on the short end of a one-sided love affair. His popularity surged further with his roles in MBC's "Ready, Go!" and KBS's "Kwangki", both youth-oriented dramas. His portrayal of a character in the 2000 KBS weekend drama "Tough Guy's Love" added to his fan base.
Won Bin's breakthrough role came with his portrayal of Tae-seok in KBS's "Autumn in my Heart", where his famous line "Eolmamyeon Doae?" (How Much?) became a widely imitated slogan among his fans. He then made his film debut in the 2001 movie "Guns and Talks" (Killerdeului suda). Three years later, Won Bin starred in the action/war blockbuster "Taegukgi", which remains one of the highest-grossing films in South Korea.
Won Bin's acting career was put on hold when he enlisted for his two-year mandatory military service in November 2005. However, he was discharged early in June 2006 due to an ACL injury to his knee and underwent a year of rehabilitation. Won Bin resumed his acting career in 2009 with Joon-ho Bong's highly anticipated film "Mother", where he played Do-jun, a young man with limited mental capacity accused of murder. The film premiered at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and opened at number one at the South Korean box office on May 28, 2009.
