Misplaced Pages

Latest revision as of 15:07, 20 November 2024

Bae Yong-joon
Waxwork of Bae Yong-joon
Born	(1972-08-29) August 29, 1972 (age 52) Mapo District, Seoul, South Korea
Occupation(s)	Actor, businessman
Years active	1994–2017
Spouse	Park Soo-jin ​(m. 2015)​
Children	2
Awards	Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit (2008)
Korean name
Hangul	배용준
Hanja	裵勇浚
Revised Romanization	Bae Yongjun
McCune–Reischauer	Pae Yongjun
Website	https://web.archive.org/web/20040701104520/http://www.byj.co.kr/
Signature

Bae Yong-joon (Korean: 배용준; Hanja: 裵勇浚; born August 29, 1972) is a South Korean businessman and former actor. He has starred in numerous television dramas, including, notably, Winter Sonata which became a major part of the Korean Wave. Bae retired from acting after 2007, but remains active as the chairman of management agency KeyEast.

Early life

Bae Yong-joon was born in Mapo District, Seoul. He entered Sungkyunkwan University in 2000 as a Film Studies major.

Career

Bae made his acting debut in 1994 in the Korean drama Salut D'Amour (lit. "Love Greeting"). The rookie actor quickly gained popularity, and a year later he won Best New Actor at the 1995 KBS Drama Awards for Our Sunny Days of Youth. Throughout the 1990s, Bae continued playing leading roles on television, in Papa (1996), First Love (1996) which reached a peak viewership rating of 65.8%, The Barefooted Youth (1998), and the Noh Hee-kyung-penned Did We Really Love? (1999). In Hotelier (2001), he played a mergers and acquisitions specialist about to takeover a hotel, but has a change of heart after falling in love with one of its employees (Bae would later reprise his role in a cameo in the 2007 Japanese remake of Hotelier).

But it was Yoon Seok-ho's Winter Sonata in 2002 that would transform Bae's career, and consequently the face of Korean dramas abroad. A melodrama about first love, lost memory and unknown family ties, Winter Sonata became an unprecedented success in Asia and more than 20 countries, particularly in Japan. Bae gained a tremendous fan base among Japanese middle-aged women, who dubbed him with the honorific nickname Yon-sama (ヨン様; cf. "Emperor Yon") and brought in US$2.3 billion in tourism and Winter Sonata merchandise sales.

In 2003, Bae was cast in his first major big-screen role in Untold Scandal (he had previously appeared in bit parts in two films in the 1990s). In contrast to his gentle, intellectual image, Bae played a conniving, sexually predatory nobleman in E J-yong's adaptation of Les Liaisons dangereuses set in 18th century Joseon. His performance received Best New Actor accolades from the Blue Dragon Film Awards and the Baeksang Arts Awards. He next published a photo book The Image: Volume 1 in 2004, which sold 10,000 copies.

Afterwards he worked with director Hur Jin-ho in April Snow (2005), about a stage lighting director who discovers his wife's infidelity when she becomes comatose after a near-fatal car accident with her lover. The film had a weak domestic run but due to Bae's star power, it set a new box office record for a Korean film in Japan with ¥2.72 billion.

Bae then entered the restaurant business, by establishing restaurants and cafes that capitalize on the well-being trend. He owns health food restaurant Gorilla in the Kitchen and high-end traditional Korean restaurant Gosire. As the most famous Korean actor in Japan, he became a proponent for Korean cuisine, and his Gosire lunchboxes (or bento) are sold in Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets. In 2006, Bae became one of Korea's wealthiest celebrities as the majority shareholder (34.6%) of management agency KeyEast (his stocks are valued at US$128 million as of May 2015). Most of the KeyEast executives, including president Bae Sung-woong, are Bae's former managers and have worked with him for more than ten years.

Bae made his much-anticipated return to television in 2007 in The Legend (also known as Taewangsasingi, lit. "The Four Guardian Gods of the King"). The big-budget period-fantasy epic was written by Song Ji-na and directed by Kim Jong-hak, and Bae played dual roles: Gwanggaeto, 19th ruler of the Goguryeo kingdom; and Hwanung, believed to be the son of God and founder of Gojoseon. He was paid ₩250 million (US$217,000) per episode, making him the highest paid Korean television actor of all time.

In 2009, Bae and Winter Sonata co-star Choi Ji-woo reunited as voice actors for the animated series Winter Sonata Anime, which aired in Japan. He also wrote a book of photo-essays A Journey in Search of Korea's Beauty, which promoted Korean traditional culture such as ceramics, liquor, hanbok, pansori, hanok, Hangul, kimchi-making, temple stays, museums and historical sites. It became a bestseller, and has been translated to Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese and English. A Journey in Search of Korea's Beauty was later turned into an eight-episode TV documentary that aired on MBC Life in 2011.

In 2009 and 2010, he was the star of D3 Publisher's Nintendo DS edutainment series Bae Yong-joon to Manabu Kankokugo DS ("Learn Korean with Bae Yong-joon"), consisting of three games: Bae Yong-joon to Manabu Kankokugo DS (beginner level), Bae Yong-joon to Manabu Kankokugo DS Date Hen (intermediate level), and Bae Yong-joon to Manabu Kankokugo DS Test Hen (advanced level).

Bae and KeyEast entered into a joint partnership with Park Jin-young and JYP Entertainment in 2009, which eventually produced Dream High (2011), a teen musical series that revolved around the lives of students attending a high school for the performing arts. As creative producer, Bae supervised the screenplay and production; he also appeared in a four-episode guest arc. The collaboration between KeyEast and JYPE, named Holym, lasted until 2013.

Personal life

He and actress Park Soo-jin announced their engagement in May 2015 and married on July 27, 2015 at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel. The couple only invited friends and relatives to the wedding and forbade attendance of the press media.

Filmography

Television series

Films

Music videos

Video games

Books

Awards and nominations

Listicles

See also

• Contemporary culture of South Korea
• Korean Wave

References

1. "Bae Yong-joon (배용준) Profile". Korea Tourism Organization. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
2. ^ "Actors and Actresses of Korean Cinema: Bae Yong-joon". Koreanfilm.org. Archived from the original on May 21, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
3. ^ Brasor, Philip (January 27, 2008). "Bae Yong Joon, superstar, how many hits have you had so far?". Japan Times. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
4. "Celebrity: A Hunk O' Love". Newsweek. May 2, 2004. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
5. Norimitsu, Onishi (November 23, 2004). "What's Korean for 'Real Man?' Ask a Japanese Woman". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 28, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
6. Sohn, Jie-ae (March 16, 2005). "S. Korean star sparks tourist boom". CNN. Archived from the original on May 19, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
7. "Bae Yong-joon Laments the Price of Fame". The Chosun Ilbo. May 24, 2006. Archived from the original on March 5, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
8. Salmon, Andrew (May 30, 2012). "Yonsama: Korean love god captures Japanese hearts". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
9. Kim, Soo-kyung (March 16, 2003). "Bae Yong-joon's Screen Debut – Notorious Playboy from Chosun Dynasty". The Dong-A Ilbo. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
10. "April Snow no Walk in The Park for Bae Yong-joon". The Chosun Ilbo. August 26, 2005. Archived from the original on March 5, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
11. Lee, Seung-jae (August 25, 2005). "I, Myself Am in Forbidden Love". The Dong-A Ilbo. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
12. "Yonsama Fever Rages on Amid Korea-Japan Chill". The Chosun Ilbo. March 17, 2005. Archived from the original on March 5, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
13. Lee, Min-a (August 24, 2005). "Romantic tale appeals, particularly to Japanese". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
14. "Yonsama Proves Japan's Biggest Crowd-Puller". The Chosun Ilbo. September 2, 2005. Archived from the original on March 5, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
15. "Yon-sama Fever Revived by Release of April Snow". The Chosun Ilbo. September 21, 2005. Archived from the original on March 5, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
16. ^ "Bae Yong-joon, Businessman Extraordinaire". The Chosun Ilbo. July 24, 2006. Archived from the original on March 5, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
17. Lee, Hyo-won (November 25, 2009). "Bae's Food Chain in Japan". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
18. Eun, Elizabeth (April 21, 2011). "Seoul's celebrity-owned restaurants". CNN. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
19. Genegabus, Jason (January 24, 2012). "Bae Yong Joon to open Waikiki café". Honolulu Pulse. Archived from the original on February 19, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
20. "Yonsama Lunchbox on Sale in Japan". The Korea Times. June 16, 2009. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
21. "Yonsama Effect Sends Firm's Share Price Soaring". The Chosun Ilbo. April 4, 2006. Archived from the original on March 5, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
22. "Top 10 stock billionaire celebrities". The Korea Herald. January 4, 2015. Archived from the original on May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
23. "YG Entertainment head tops list of stock-rich celebrities". The Korea Times. May 5, 2015. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
24. "Bae Yong-joon becomes the stock-richest celebrity". The Dong-A Ilbo. May 6, 2015. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
25. Sa, Eun-young (September 11, 2007). "Yonsamas Drama Hits TV Screens". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
26. Lee, Hyo-won (December 4, 2007). "TV Drama Taewangsasingi Goes to Japan". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on June 15, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
27. Park, Si-soo (June 26, 2013). "Who is the highest paid actor?". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
28. "A reunion in 7 years: Yonsama and Jiwoohime". Asiae. September 29, 2009. Archived from the original on February 21, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
29. "Stars reprise Winter Sonata roles for anime". Japan Times. September 30, 2009. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
30. "Bae Yong-joon, Choi Ji-woo reunite for Winter Sonata anime". Asiae. February 2, 2010. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
31. "Bae Yong-joon promotes book on Korean culture". Asiae. September 22, 2009. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
32. "Bae Yong-joon Dreams of Simple Farming Life". The Chosun Ilbo. September 23, 2009. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
33. Park, So-young; Seo, Ji-eun (October 1, 2009). "Bae Yong-joon wows them in Japan". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
34. "Bae Yong-joon Garners More Laurels with Book About Korea". The Chosun Ilbo. September 9, 2010. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
35. "Bae Yong-joon's Book About Korea Published in English". The Chosun Ilbo. December 4, 2010. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
36. "Bae Yong-joon's Photo Essay Nominated for Book of the Year in China". The Chosun Ilbo. January 11, 2011. Archived from the original on March 4, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
37. "Bae Yong-joon's Book to Be Filmed for Asia-Wide Distribution". The Chosun Ilbo. October 28, 2010. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
38. Park, Uliana (January 7, 2011). "Baes documentary on Korea eyes bigger audience". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
39. ^ "Learn Korean with Bae Yong Joon on Nintendo DS". Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
40. ^ "Bae Yong-joon promotes Korean learning with Nintendo DS". May 27, 2010. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
41. "ぺ・ヨンジュンと学ぶ韓国語DS【トップページ】". www.d3p.co.jp. Archived from the original on August 8, 2009.
42. "Bae Yong-joon & Park Jin-Young in Lucrative World Project". The Chosun Ilbo. January 2, 2009. Archived from the original on March 4, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
43. Song, Woong-ki (January 8, 2009). "JYP, Bae looking further ahead". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
44. Oh, Jean (December 28, 2010). "Dream High: Just a JYPE vehicle, or something more?". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
45. Han, Sang-hee (February 23, 2009). "Actor Bae May Appear in His Own Drama". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
46. Hong, Lucia (December 8, 2010). "Bae Yong-joon takes part in shoot for Dream High". Asiae. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
47. Seo, Ji-eun (September 6, 2011). "Bae Yong-joon fuels Dream in Japan". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
48. Lim, Jeong-yeo (July 27, 2015). "Bae Yong-joon is no longer a bachelor". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on July 29, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
49. "Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon marries Park Soo-jin". The Korea Times. July 27, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
50. "Bae Yong-joon Weds Actress in Private Ceremony". The Chosun Ilbo. July 28, 2015. Archived from the original on April 27, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
51. "ぱちんこ冬のソナタ パチってちょんまげ達人10 | ソフトウェアカタログ | プレイステーション® オフィシャルサイト". Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
52. "ぱちんこ冬のソナタ2 パチってちょんまげ達人15 | ソフトウェアカタログ | プレイステーション® オフィシャルサイト". Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
53. "ペ・ヨンジュンと学ぶ韓国語Ds". Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
54. "冬のソナタDs". Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
55. "ペ・ヨンジュンと学ぶ韓国語Ds デート編". Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
56. "ペ・ヨンジュンと学ぶ韓国語Ds テスト編". Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
57. Han, Sang-hee (October 19, 2008). "Bae Receives National Order of Culture Merit". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
58. Bae, Ji-sook (October 20, 2013). "Bae Yong-joon wins grand prize at Japan's hallyu awards". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
59. "Bae Yong-joon Still Adored by Japanese for Winter Sonata". The Chosun Ilbo. October 21, 2013. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
60. Kim, Peter (October 21, 2013). "Actor Bae wins top prize at Japan hallyu awards". The Korea Observer. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
61. "Celebrity List". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). February 23, 2010. Archived from the original on May 24, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021 – via Joins.
62. "Celebrity list 40". JoongAng Ilbo (in Korean). February 24, 2011. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021. Retrieved May 23, 2021 – via Joins.

External links

• Official website (in Korean)
• Bae Yong-joon on Instagram (in Korean)
• Bae Yong-joon at KeyEast (in Korean)
• Bae Yong-joon at HanCinema
• Bae Yong-joon at IMDb
• Bae Yong-joon at the Korean Movie Database

• Best New Actor for Blue Dragon Film Award winners
• South Korean male television actors
• South Korean male film actors
• South Korean male models
• Male actors from Seoul
• People from Mapo District
• Recipients of the Order of Cultural Merit (South Korea)
• 1972 births
• Living people
• Best New Actor Paeksang Arts Award (film) winners
• Models from Seoul