Kim was born in Seoul, and grew up in Tokyo, Japan until he was seven years old before returning to South Korea.[2] His father worked as a journalist and was transferred to Japan as a foreign correspondent.[3] He started out performing in a band, and began modelling at age 17.[citation needed] Due to the time he spent in Japan, he can speak fluent Japanese.[4]
Career
2002–2011: Career beginnings and breakthrough
In 2002, Kim debuted as the member of an indie band in the MBC drama Ruler of Your Own World.[5] After this first role, he concentrated on his modeling career for 5 years.[6] In 2007, he auditioned for and won the role of No Sun-ki in the 2007 hit drama series Coffee Prince.[7] The role shot him to fame in both South Korea and several Asian countries.[8] He later appeared in the 2008 drama The Kingdom of The Winds,[9] and served as the ambassador of goodwill for the 9th Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF) in May 2008.[10]
Kim then starred in his first film, Antique, based on the manga Antique Bakery, which was invited to the 59th Berlin International Film Festival.[11] He played a gay chef working at a bakery.[12] He won the Best New Actor award at the 16th Korean Entertainment Awards. In October 2009, he formed a modern rock band named Walrus, where he served as guitarist and vocal. The name of the group came from the Beatles single "I am the Walrus".[13]
Kim got his first leading role in Bee TV's South Korean-Japanese drama Give Me Your Memory: Pygmalion's Love, which aired in March 2010.[14] The same year, he starred in the melodrama television series Bad Guy,[15][16][17] and featured in the romantic comedy series Marry Me, Mary!.[18]
Before enlisting to military service in 2011, he played in rock musical, Hedwig And the Angry Inch, from May 14 until June 19, 2011.[19]
In 2015, Kim was cast for the lead role in the fantasy comedy film Plank Constant, playing a script writer with weird sexual fantasies.[22][23]
The following year, Kim took on the role of a Japanese nobleman who marries Son Ye-jin's character Princess Deokhye in the period film The Last Princess.[24] The same year, Kim took a leading role in the film Two Rooms, Two Nights as a popular movie director who tries to maintain secretive romantic relationships with both: his current girl friend and ex-girl friend.[25][26]
2017–present: Rising popularity
In January 2017, Kim starred in romance film Another way, playing the role of a police officer who finds Seo Yea-ji's character online and forms a suicide pact.[27] He then played the antagonist in OCN's hit thriller drama Voice, earning acclaim for his performance as a serial killer.[28] In July the same year, Kim was cast as in the romance drama Temperature of Love, playing a rich businessman.[29]
In 2018, Kim was cast in the musical Amadeus in triple casting, alongside Jo Jung-suk and Kim Sung-kyu.[30] Kim's Japanese film Butterfly Sleep was released in Japan in May 2018.[31][32] The same year, he was cast in OCN's supernatural thriller The Guest.[33][34]
In 2019, Kim was cast as the main lead in the romantic comedy drama Her Private Life alongside Park Min-young.[35] The show marks Kim's first time as a primary lead in a romantic comedy.
In 2020, Kim created "My Margiela", a 5-episode video series on the Belgian fashion designer Martin Margiela.[36]
In 2022, Kim stars alongside Krystal Jung in KBS2 television series Crazy Love, playing a maths instructor and CEO of a top math institute.[37]
Personal life
In May 2011, along with fashion models Jang Yoon-ju, Ji Hyun-jung, Han Hye-jin and Song Kyung-ah, he co-authored Top Model, a book based on their experiences in the industry.[38] He then enlisted for mandatory military service on July 5, 2011 for 21 months of active duty after five weeks of basic military training.[39] In June 2015, Kim signed an exclusive contract with management agency Better ENT.[40] In June 2017, he left Better ENT and signed with new management agency Management SOOP.[41]
^ ab"'와플선기' 김재욱, '바람의 나라'서 첫 사극 도전" ['Waffle Sunki' Kim Jae-wook's first historical drama challenge in 'Land of the Wind']. 10Asia (in Korean). September 8, 2008.
^ ab"김재욱 김준, 韓日합작 드라마 공동주연 발탁" [Kim Jae-wook and Kim Jun selected as co-host of the Korean-Japanese joint drama]. Star News (in Korean). February 24, 2010.
^ abKim Byung-Kwan (February 14, 2014). "'감격시대' 김재욱, 갑작스러운 하차 "불가피한 사정"" [Kim Jae-wook, "Suddenly getting off" "Inevitable circumstances"]. ENews (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
^ abHee Sul Hee (July 27, 2017). "'사랑의 온도' 측 "김재욱·조보아 합류 확정, 시너지 기대" [공식]" ['Temperature of love' side "Kim Jae-wook, Jo Boa Confirm Confirmation, Synergy Expectation" [Official]]. My Daily (in Korean).
^Sung Keun Yoon (June 5, 2015). "김재욱, 소속사 새 둥지..송승헌·채정안과 한솥밥" ['Kim Jae Wook, the new agency nest ... Chae Jung Ahn, Song Seung Hun and hansotbap']. Star News (in Korean).
^Ji Min-kyung (June 9, 2017). "김재욱, 매니지먼트 숲과 전속계약...공유와 한솥밥" [[Official position] Kim Jae-wook, exclusive contract with Management Forest ...]. OSEN (in Korean).
^Kang Min-kyung (August 4, 2023). "[공식] 서인국·박소담→이도현·오정세…'이재, 곧 죽습니다' 출연 확정" [[Official] Seo In-guk · Park So-dam → Lee Do-hyun · Oh Jeong-se... 'Lee Jae, I'll Die Soon' Appearance Confirmed] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Retrieved August 4, 2023 – via Naver.
^Lee Min-ji (September 20, 2023). "넷플릭스 '탄금' 이재욱-조보아→엄지원 김재욱 캐스팅 확정 [공식]" [Netflix's 'Tangeum' Lee Jae-wook and Jo Bo-ah → Eom Ji-won and Kim Jae-wook casting confirmed [Official]] (in Korean). Newsen. Retrieved September 20, 2023 – via Naver.
^"창작뮤지컬 차지연·구원영 출연…3월 개막" [Appeared in the creative musical Chae-yeon and Gu Won-young... Opening in March]. www.themusical.co.kr (in Korean). January 10, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
^"뮤지컬 '파과', 킬러 '조각'은 차지연·구원…신성록·김재욱 출연" [The musical 'Paghwa', Killer 'Scleave' is Chae-yeon and Gu-won... Starring Shin Sung-rok and Kim Jae-wook]. 뉴시스 (in Korean). March 2, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
