Kim Woo Bin on What it Takes to Continue Showing Up

It could have been just another day of celebrity appearances at the opening of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s new boutique in ION Orchard, Singapore, where the star everyone has been waiting for strolls in, waves to the crowd full of screaming fans, before standing at the photo wall to pose. That’s the typical choreography.

However, this time, as the media gets ready to inch their bodies forward, stretch their hands as far as possible and zoom in on the celebrity’s face, everyone suddenly pauses. South Korean actor Kim Woo Bin has made a little detour to personally greet his fans and sign autographs after walking in. Not just one or two, but enough for the media to stand down while he covers roughly half the perimeter of the fan zone accessible to him. At one point, he even picks up a piece of paper that a fan has accidentally dropped before handing it back.

At the media pit, within earshot, I hear someone say, “Yes, he requested to say hi to his fans first.” Such gestures, though nothing new, are also not something you necessarily expect from every celebrity. A certain distance is usually maintained between the star and the crowd, particularly at appearances as tightly scheduled as this. Kim, however, seems to be in no particular hurry to get through it.

He continues his appearance as per usual, moving on to photocalls, vox pops and interviews for the next hour. He has gathered a sizeable crowd but dare I say, it is one of the most organised crowds I’ve witnessed for a celebrity appearance, no doubt due to the fact that a star’s attitude and behaviour can influence the fans. There was excitement for sure, but almost none of the chaos you might expect when a Korean star of his stature arrives in Singapore.

If that sounds like a long day for Kim, it was only a small part of his schedule. He had arrived in Singapore the night before, hit the gym in the morning, sat through hair and makeup, and walked into our photoshoot exactly two and a half hours before his public appearance. In less than two hours, Kim had wrapped the cover shoot — probably one of the fastest shoots we have ever completed. The same night, he left Singapore.

What stood out, beyond the obvious efficiency, was how punctual and professional he remained throughout. Interestingly, this sense of discipline seems to come with a little more perspective these days. “While I used to be more focused on the outcome, I’ve come to realise that the process is just as important,” he says. These days, he tries to enjoy the process more and value the time he gets to spend with the people he works with.

Kim is a familiar name to anyone who has followed Korean drama for some time. When you see a star in real life, you might think they look the same, but sometimes they are less than what you expect or somehow more — more ethereal, more handsome. For him, it’s the latter. Seeing him for the first time in person, he is quite something. Standing 188cm tall, with a broad-shouldered, athletic physique, bulked-up arms and long legs, his physicality explains how he started his career as a runway fashion model in 2008, before making the transition into an actor.

Whether he is making public appearances or off duty, his polished appearance always seems effortless, something he attributes to his mother. “She has a great sense of style. I’ve also always been interested in fashion myself, so I keep up with new collections and study them. I really enjoy that process.” Fashion is something he admittedly has fun with, and his style has evolved with him over the years. “What I wear at a given time reflects what I’m into at that moment. It’s a way to express my taste and who I am. Lately, vintage pieces have been drawing my attention, and I find a lot of enjoyment in exploring them,” says Kim.

Perhaps that ease extends beyond what he wears. He has the physicality and presence of a traditional Korean leading man, but none of the aloofness you might expect to come with it. If anything, he seems genuinely interested in the people around him. That sense of warmth and consideration also comes through maybe because of how Kim sees masculinity today. When asked how his idea of masculinity has changed, he says that he once saw it as something more “edged and rugged”. Now, he finds having “softness and a certain roundness” to be more masculine, something he associates with having a greater sense of understanding and consideration for others.

Longtime Korean drama aficionados would know Kim as Choi Young-do in The Heirs in 2013, playing the wealthy “bad boy” school bully that turned him into a major hallyu star, right at the height of the Korean Wave. Then, in 2016, came his first leading role in a drama, Uncontrollably Fond, where he played a top star who discovers he has a terminal illness.

Shortly after, in May 2017, Kim stepped away from acting following his diagnosis with nasopharyngeal cancer, beginning a two-and-a-half-year hiatus to focus on his health.

Kim returned to television with Our Blues, playing a devoted ship captain who returns to Jeju and reconnects with his first love. He followed that with Black Knight, playing a legendary delivery driver navigating a dystopian Korea where oxygen is a luxury, before taking on his first romantic comedy in Genie, Make a Wish, playing a genie who gets stuck in the modern world after being awakened from a centuries-long slumber.

And then, there was the personal chapter that made his name once again flood social media — wedding his longtime partner and fellow South Korean actress Shin Min-Ah on 20 December 2025. The two had dated for 10.5 years before tying the knot.

Away from acting, Kim was also a familiar face on variety shows, where his intimidating, serious public image was revealed to be quite different from his actual personality. Longtime fans will remember him from Running Man, South Korea’s iconic variety show, where a very different Kim emerged: shy, competitive, goofy, surprisingly clumsy and, above all, candid. It was a side of him that fans have long known and loved, and one that seems to have remained unchanged.

For all the polished images that come with being one of South Korea’s most recognisable leading men, every now and then, you get a glimpse of the real Kim. At the fifth Blue Dragon Series Awards in July 2026, his wife Shin was presenting the Grand Prize when his former Running Man co-star Lee Kwang-Soo loudly cheered for her. Kim, sitting beside him, laughed and tried to quiet Lee down. The camera then caught Kim looking rather shy as Shin presented the award.

It was more Lee being deliberately loud and embarrassing Kim, while Kim tried to stop him, which made it even more real and funny, and very much in line with the side of Kim that fans have always known. There is something endearing about that moment: just two friends being boys. And perhaps, in the midst of all that silliness, a little reminder of just how much Kim is still very much in awe of Shin’s beauty. Understandably so, as she is the goddess of her generation.

Admittedly, Kim himself says that people would probably be surprised to find out that he is actually much more talkative than they might expect. And perhaps that is exactly the Kim that has always been there, just one who doesn’t necessarily make it onto the screen.

Despite his many years in showbusiness, Kim is far from complacent about his acting skills. He still works very hard to stay where he is, in pursuit of excellence. “I work on my vocalisation, diction and study my scripts on a daily basis. I believe those routines are part of what I do and help me to be better at what I do. I also exercise regularly, not so much to build muscle, but to stay in shape so I can keep enjoying what I do,” says Kim, who is currently filming a new drama Gift. Slated to launch towards the end of this year, Kim plays a baseball coach of the nation’s worst high school baseball team.

Perhaps that is what happens when you have already been through enough to know that there is more to life than constantly chasing the next thing. Kim worked hard from a young age, built the career he wanted, and then had to step away from it when life threw him a curveball. Five years later, he came back and picked up where he left off. Only now, 18 years later, there seems to be a different perspective behind it all. He still works hard, takes his craft seriously and shows up looking every bit the star that he is.

“I think every experience has shaped and made me who I am today. Whenever I look back on something with regret, I remind myself that I wouldn’t be where I am without having gone through it. Even those regrets are part of the journey. I try to focus on the present,” says Kim.

That humility has also shown itself away from the cameras in the form of generosityto those who are less fortunate. For years, Kim has quietly donated to children and families in need, and this includes making regular contributions to Seoul Asan Medical Center and providing support for paediatric cancer patients — a gesture made public only after a patient’s family posted about it. He has also given to disaster relief efforts and most notably, donated 300 million won on his wedding day to various organisations. There has rarely been much fanfare around these gestures, but perhaps, that is the point.

Perhaps that is the Kim we are meeting now. Not the boyish model who made his way onto the runway, or the breakout actor who became a hallyu star, but the veteran who has been through enough to know what it takes to stay at the top. His career may have been interrupted, but he has come back, and come back stronger than ever. At this point, he does not need to prove much, or impress anyone. He is still working, still evolving, still at his peak.

Photography Nelson Chong
Editorial Director Jumius Wong
Creative Director Jenine Oh
Styling Kim Sea Jun
Hair Styling Parkha / Orare
Creative Producer Rena Kok
Photography Assistants Bernard Chong, Suan and Carl Lim
Styling Assistant Kevin Tew
Fashion Ralph Lauren
Watch Jaegar-LeCoultre
Cover Star Kim Woo Bin