Kim Dongwan's History
- told by a fan -
Text & Image: Tatiana
21 november 1979, Kim Dongwan has born. South Korean, only child, a loved child with a standard childhood, as many kids in his time. If it wasn't for a small thing in his life: that small little kid that used to dress traditional costumes was to become part of one of the biggest sensations South Korean music ever saw, and a fully recognized talented artist. He was to become a legend.
Kim Dongwan started his career with Shinhwa in 1998. He was only 19 years old, and he was found by a H.O.T. producer. H.O.T. was one of the most famous boybands in Korea at that time, and Kim Dongwan was found on the streets, carrying a huge teddy bear. At first, he didn't think it was really serious because he didn't think the producer was telling the truth. And his musical career was to become reality through a male group, formed with two friends, MC Mong and In Chang. But the group, which would be called BOB, wasn't more than an idea and never happened. Facing this frustration, Kim Dongwan decided to talk to the producer before, who left a business card with him.
Since then he competed with other boys and was selected to be part of the pop idol group which would be a huge part of musical history of South Korea, the Shinhwa. The other members were Eric Mun, Andy Lee and Shin Hyesung, who were born in USA, and Park Junjin and Lee Minwoo.
Shinwa was born, and the debut was in 24 march 1998, with the first album named Hae Gyul Sa (The Solver). Together, Shinhwa released several albums, special compilations and participated with other artists. During this time Shinhwa won important awards as the best group and album daesang, and in 2008 Shinhwa became the most longevity South Korean boyband.
Almost all Shinhwa members had their solo careers, doing solo works during a few of Shinhwa pauses. However. Kim Dongwan, one of the most important singers in the group (that was originally made to have 3 rappers and 3 singers, Kim Dongwan being considered the 3rd singer), always had a fully collective attitude and didn't fly solo at the beginning, even if he was having more and more significant parts in Shinhwa albums during the years.
What Kim Dongwan did during Shinhwa pauses was to dedicate to the acting career, as his fellow Eric Mun. He acted in dramas as Goodbye Sadness (also known as A Farewell to Sorrow) and the Best Theater, further his part in a movie as main role, Spinkick (Taekowndo Boys).
His parts in TV dramas was many times praised, but the movie, Spinkick wasn't very successful, what made Kim Dongwan very saddened. He even started smoking again because of the stress caused by the movie. Gladly, he already permanently abandoned this bad habit.
In 2007, however, he decided to start his musical solo career and released a full solo album, Kim Dongwan Is. This album's release - which was a few months delayed - caused a small shock among the fans, who were expecting for a small single, as it usually happens. But the album, with full 12 songs, mostly new releases, and several special fetures, topped the charts as Hanteo Chart and Hottracks, following in the first position for a several days.
At the same time he was recording his first album, Kim Dongwan was part - also as main character - of SBS new TV drama, The Person I Love. The drama, with a very dense and complicated story, didn't have a good response from the audience and was ended 10 episodes before. Again, Kim Dongwan tasted disappointment with the acting career, but he was coming stronger than ever with his musical talent.
In the beginning of 2008 Kim Dongwan joined Shinhwa in the recordings of their 9th album, Shinhwa 10th Aniversary Edition, and the group gathered the fans in two last concerts in South Korea, to celebrate their 10th anniversary. Shinhwa was, then, officially ending his activities for a non determined time, because of the military enlistment of the members. It was set to Eric, Dongwan and Minwoo to enlist in 2008.
Not so long after it, less than 1 year after the release of his first album and a lot of performances, Kim Dongwan presented us his second album, The Secret; Between Us. The album had 14 unreleased tracks in a very unique musical style, with almost no feature or duet. A success and fully satisfied fans. Because of his new album activities, Kim Dongwan delayed his enlistment - which was set to april, 2008 - until november, when, a few days before his 30 years old, he joined the military service in GongJu training center.
THE SHINHWA TIMES
From third singer to witty guy – his evolution inside Shinhwa
Kim Dongwan joined Shinhwa as their third singer. His participation was less than Shin Hyesung and Lee Minwoo. He wasn't a rapper, but he didn't have the same amount of lines to sing as the other two. It was this way in the first album, The Solver, and in the second, T.O.P.
Still, Kim Dongwan's group profile was more like a rebel, having a very interesting participation in the song Yo!. Several performances of this song had a Kim Dongwan with a heavy makeup, spunky hair and a crazy version of a cute and handsome boy.
Shinhwa didn't have a great success with the first two albums. The Solver couldn't even be considered a success, and T.O.P. was just an average album. The third album, Only One, came to show what was to happen: Shinhwa had potential to be huge, and the ascension was unavoidable. The fourth album sealed the group success, and Kim Dongwan was slowly making his own space in the group: bigger participations in the songs and more visibility. During this period, he started to show as individual, inclusive having a long successful time as DJ in the radio show 1010 club.
It was in Shinhwa's 7th album - which is considered the biggest Shinhwa album ever - that Kim Dongwan showed entirely his potential. He set his place as the great singer he is, including in this album a track that's fully sang by him, with Eric making the rap (the song Liar) and a track composed by him, Set Free.
The eight album, State of the Art, only sealed what was already visible, having Kim Dongwan not as a third or second singer anymore, but showing him in a "friendly competition" with Shin Hyesung as the most beautiful voice in Shinhwa. Despite it, Shinhwa's 9th album, The Shinhwa 10th Anniversary Edition, brought only a few participations of Kim Dongwan in the songs, making a lot of people to think if it wasn't a waste of his great talent.
KIM DONGWAN, THE SOLO SINGER
It was in 2003 when Shinhwa members first decided to fly solo. The movement was started by Lee Minwoo and followed by Shin Hyesung and Park Junjin. It happened because the group ended the contract with SM Entertainment and signed with a new company, GOOD Entertainment, causing a hiatus of activities. Kim Dongwan didn1t attempted to a solo career: he was part of Shinhwa. But it didn't stop him to have his acting career in dramas and a movie.
In 2003 he performed in Yoo Do Hyun Love Letter with the song Lately (originally recorded by Stevie Wonder), an acclaimed performance and considered one of the fans favorites. Among these few TV performances and solo stages in Shinhwa concerts, Kim Dongwan only sang in group.
But in 2007 it changed. Kim Dongwan decided to release a solo album, and was against the most optimistic expectations affiliating to a small and inexpressive company to release a full tracks album. Because of suspected misunderstandings with Shinhwa's company, GOOD Entertaiment, and his free spirit - no, Kim Dongwan doesn't sell his soul to sell music, H2 Entertainment came as the company which would produce the so expected solo album. And Kim Dongwan Is raised brightly after months of painful records and a few months delay. The album has 12 tracks, mostly unreleased, and it wasn't expected the way it comes. The fans were waiting for a single, as his fellow Junjin releae, to prepare the public for a bigger fly.
The album was successful. Kim Dongwan Is topped Hottracks and Hanteo chards for days, and Kim Dongwan won the Inkigayo Multizen Award with his song Sonsukeon. The success was also visible with the release of the repack edition, in october, 2007, bringing two differente tracks and gifts. The unreleased Listen... for Shinhwachango was composed by Kim Dongwan, to his fans.
2008 was a very full year for Kim Dongwan, because he was involved in Shinhwa's 9th album recordings, his 2nd solo album recordings, the Shinhwa's 10th anniversary concerts and his enlistment. With so many activities at same time, Kim Dongwan suffered. He even collapsed during a TV show recording and had to be suddenly admitted in the hospital.
His second album was delayed as the first one. The release was firstly announced to early in 2008, but it just happened in may. The surprise was even bigger than before: Kim Dongwan managed to reunite a versatile music repertory, representing his unique style. With 14 tracks, The Secret; Between Us wasn't like the first album in almost anything. The second work was much more like Kim Dongwan's voice, there aren't many duets or features, the songs are variated and you can find to the traditional ballads to the grand beat. The title track, The Secret, is an electronic beat and put Kim Dongwan to dance on stage. And the fans to scream in the audience.
The repack edition was released in july, 2008, being followed by a Showcase in 23.07, only for guests and the press. The Showcase was to show a unknown side of Kim Dongwan: his real talent to sing, with a live band and the structure to a big concert.
It was more a preparation for a huge thing: his first solo concert. All Shinhwa members, but Eric, had their solo concerts. Kim Dongwan, despite his two albums and his great talent, didn't attempt to that yet. And it was everything set to happen in 20 and 21 of september. The Promise, the concert. It took place in Ewha Women University, in Seoul, and reunited fans worldwide. Two days of magic and dream that would be never forgotten.
Everything was so close to the end, then. It was the feeling. The day of his enlistment was set to november, 17, and it was announced like that. Kim Dongwan was in a hurry, because he would still release his last single, with the same name of his concert, Promise. With only 2 tracks, Promise came to the fans as a bitter goodbye, filled with melancholy and pain. The intro has Kim Dongwan speaking, saying his goodbye, asking to everyone to take care and live their lives. The song Can’t Forget is a piano-voice ballad, in which musical clip Kim Dongwan is shown having his military hair cut. If it expected to make the fans crying, it definitely achieved its goal.
Since november, 17, when more than 200 fans went to the Gonju Training Center to say goodbye to Kim Dongwan, he is far from the spotlights. He must wait to the end of his military service to come back, and it's like going to be for 26 months. But he didn't lose his contact with his fans, and Kim Dongwan is still talking to us by his new blog, orebox.
KIM DONGWAN, THE ACTOR
As an actor, Kim Dongwan started in TV very early. He acted in dramas since the beginning, and everybody could see him very young in Children of Heaven (2002). Before that, he could be seen in the special Nonstop, 2001.
His acting career stabilished in 2004-05. In 2004 he acted as main role in a movie, Spinkick. The movie, which is also known as Taekwondo Boys, has a simple story: Problematic students of a South Korean school have to join the Taekowndo team to not being expelled. The movie shows the students in the various situations and their improvement as people and athletes.
Despite Kim Dongwan's good performance and the expectations, Spinkick wasn't successful. The tickets selling wasn't good and Kim Dongwan didn't feel comfortable with that. He revealed being under a terrible stress, which culminated with him smoking again. And a lot of fans feared the movie failure removed Kim Dongwan os his acting career.
But in 2005 new roles brought Kim Dongwan back, this time rocking the audience. He starred KBS' drama Goodbye Sadness (A Farewell to Sorrow) and that time it was a sensation. In the same year, Kim Dongwan also participated of 2 episodes of the drama series Best Theatre, starring the episode 610, Magic Power Alcohol and also joined the MBC serie Beating Heart as supporting cast.
Most feedback given to his acting career was positive, what encouraged Kim Dongwan to keep it going. Shinhwa activities, mainly in 2006, prevented him to join anything untill 2007, when he was preparing his first solo album and particpated of main role in the SBS The Person I Love.
Even with 2006 being a year in which Kim Dongwan didn't have any big job as actor, he had a participation in the anthological music clips of the South Korean group SG Wannabe, Partners for Life and Slow. The music videos are a sequence, and they tell a story that was most suitable for an entire drama, having Kim Dongwan in the role of a kidnapper that falls in love with the girl he kidnaps. A tragic and beautiful love story. Slow has a fully Shakespearean ending and can wrap tears from a unaware audience.
The drama The Person I Love debuted early in 2007, and even with a big production, the drama didn't raise good audience. The story was too complex, and the viewers could get lost in the plot. Kim Dongwan's character was different of his preview roles, showing a bitter and confused person.
Because of the poor audience, SBS decided to end the drama 10 episodes before. It wasn't a good movement, because a lot of netizens objected badly. First because the plot was already difficult to catch, the premature ending would let it incomplete. Second, the audience felt disrespected. Again, Kim Dongwan faced the difficulties of the acting career. His acting had positive feedback, but the drama's story didn't.
Kim Dongwan then decided to wait. 2008 was a very difficult year, because he would be recording his second album, Shinhwa's 9th album, would gather concerts in group and solo, would prepare a goodbye single and would have to enlist. A lot of work and he wouldn't have time to dedicate himself fully to acting. In a few interviews he said that he intended to improve his technique and choose more challenging roles. But these challenges he would face only after his enlistment, when he could get back his career.
CURIOSITIES, FACTS, WEIRD STUFFS.
Kim Dongwan has his features as any human being. His fellows shows his weird stuffs and we can see a few curiosities about him.
Kim Dongwan's home
A decoration magazine published photos of Kim Dongwan's home. The photos are awesome, and show how the place seems to be clean and stylish. The funniest things: his hats and his very coloful and decorative shirts!
Goguma
Kim Dongwan has a dog called Goguma. The name means Sweet Potato. It's a brown Poodle and it seems to be as sweet as his name.
Goguma, or Guma, as it's also called, showed up several times in Kim Dongwan's diary, TV Shows (as Manwon Happiness) and was part of the special edition for the Korean VOGUE, with famous pets. A true celebrity!
The mirror king
Kim Dongwan loves mirrors. Wherever he is, if there is a glass or mirror he will be found in front of it fixing his hair or just checking his visual. He has such a huge fascination for mirrors, and the extra DVD for the Summer Story Festival has a "joke" callking him the mirror king.
Height
Kim Dongwan doesn't like his height. He thinks he's too short and he would like to be taller. Once, during a TV show, he even confessed that the subject "height" made him constrained and nervous. Several times he told he would like to be taller, with longer arms and legs.
He's the second shorter member in Shinhwa, with 1,76m.
Diary
Talkative and a dedicated idol, Kim Dongwan likes to keep a diary to communicate with the fans. His first diary started a long time ago and he still has a blog to tell us his adventures.
The most famous of his diaries was NOVEMBER 21 {http://november21.co.kr}, started just after he signs with H2 Entertainment to release his solo works. The pots just vanished; they were deleted after an incident with fans hurt him very deeply. Then NOVEMBER 21 was gone after a good time of nice posts.
After the enlistment and the military duty - he enlisted in 17, november, 2009 and accomplished 20 days of military training - the fans didn't know if he would reopen NOVEMBER 21, that was definitely close before it. But Kim Dongwan decided it would be too "cruel' to cut this contact that endured for more than 2 years, and opened another communication channel, a Naver blog, under the nickname “oreobox” {http://memolog.blog.naver.com/oreobox}
Healthy boy
Kim Dongwan is very healthy. He shows it often. He works out since Shinhwa started and always had a very good shaped body. He likes to jogging and to eat good and healthy food. Still, Kim Dongwan likes to be well informed about diseases and other similar stuffs, reading everything he can about health maintenance.
During the recordings of his first album, however, Kim Dongwan showed up a very slim figure, different of what the fans were accustomed. Asked about it, he told he lost weight for two reasons: he was doing a lot of aerobic exercises because of his voice and he thought that a ballad singer shouldn't have a very muscular image.
PAGE TO BE CONSTANTLY UPDATED. NOT FINISHED YET.