In 2009, the year he turned 20, he debuted as a model at Seoul Collection. In 2011, he made his acting debut in KBS2’s White Christmas. His name at the time was Kim Hyun-joong.
The breakthrough yearIn 2012, the year he turned 23, he became known for playing Kim Dong-hyub in SBS’s A Gentleman’s Dignity. That January he changed his name from Kim Hyun-joong to Kim Woo-bin, and in December he appeared in KBS2’s School 2013.
In 2013, he played Choi Young-do in SBS’s The Heirs. That year he also appeared in the film Friend: The Great Legacy and won a Top 10 Star Award at the SBS Drama Awards. The Con Artists, in which he appeared in 2014, drew 2.56 million admissions. Twenty, which opened in 2015, passed 3 million, and in July he confirmed his relationship with Shin Min-a.
In 2016, he appeared in Uncontrollably Fond, and Master passed 5 million admissions. In 2017, he was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer and focused on treatment.
In 2019, he returned to public events after two years and six months as a presenter at the Blue Dragon Film Awards, held a fan meeting and narrated the documentary Humanimal.
In 2021, he began filming Our Blues, returning to drama after five years. In 2022, the series aired and he appeared in the film Alienoid.
In 2023, he appeared in the Netflix series Black Knight. In 2024, Alienoid: Return to the Future opened and he appeared in the Netflix film Officer Black Belt. In 2025, he appeared in Netflix’s Genie, Make a Wish and married Shin Min-a after about 10 years together. In 2026, he was confirmed for tvN’s Gift.
Kim Woo-bin (born Jul 16, 1989) made his acting debut in KBS2’s White Christmas on Jan 30, 2011, the year he turned 22, and became known in 2012, the year he turned 23, for playing Kim Dong-hyub in SBS’s A Gentleman’s Dignity. He married Shin Min-a on Dec 20, 2025.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
Debuted as a model at Seoul Collection.
Source 01 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · Kim Woo-bin interview · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Etoday (Korean) · Kim Hyun-joong changes his name to Kim Woo-bin · opens in a new tab The year 2009 is from Maeil Business Newspaper and Etoday. Reports differ on the year; OhmyNews says he was working as a model from 2008.Made his acting debut as the red-haired Kang Mi-reu in an eight-episode series set in a high school in the mountains of Gangwon Province. His name at the time was Kim Hyun-joong.
Source 36 · Newsen (Korean) · White Christmas first broadcast · opens in a new tabSource 02 · TenAsia (Korean) · White Christmas premiere preview · opens in a new tabSource 03 · Etoday (Korean) · Kim Hyun-joong changes his name to Kim Woo-bin · opens in a new tabSource 01 · Maeil Business Newspaper (Korean) · Kim Woo-bin interview · opens in a new tabPlayed Gabri Rates, a bodyguard of the vampire prince Lee Jeong, with extraordinary hearing.
Source 03 · Etoday (Korean) · Kim Hyun-joong changes his name to Kim Woo-bin · opens in a new tabSource 23 · OhmyNews (Korean) · Our Blues first broadcast · opens in a new tab OhmyNews gives late 2011 for the appearance. The first broadcast date was not confirmed in news reports.It was reported that he had changed his name from Kim Hyun-joong to Kim Woo-bin and would begin acting in earnest.
Source 03 · Etoday (Korean) · Kim Hyun-joong changes his name to Kim Woo-bin · opens in a new tabBecame known for playing Kim Dong-hyub, a troubled student of Seo Yi-soo (Kim Ha-neul), in A Gentleman’s Dignity on SBS. On Aug. 4, a year after debut, he held his first fan meeting.
Played Park Heung-soo in School 2013 on KBS2. It opened at 8.0% in ratings and reached 15% by the finale.
Source 06 · Herald Muse (Korean) · School 2013 ends · opens in a new tabPlayed Choi Young-do in The Heirs on SBS. The first episode’s rating was 11.6%.
Source 07 · Nocut News (Korean) · The Heirs episode 1 ratings · opens in a new tabSource 23 · OhmyNews (Korean) · Our Blues first broadcast · opens in a new tabPlayed Sung-hoon, the son of Dong-su, and co-starred with Yu Oh-seong in Kwak Kyung-taek’s Friend: The Great Legacy. A report of Dec. 12, 2013 put its audience at 2.95 million.
Source 10 · TV Report (Korean) · Friend: The Great Legacy on VOD · opens in a new tabSource 11 · TV Daily (Korean) · Road Home release date · opens in a new tabSource 23 · OhmyNews (Korean) · Our Blues first broadcast · opens in a new tabWon a Top 10 Star Award for The Heirs. He also co-hosted the ceremony with Lee Hwi-jae and Lee Bo-young.
Source 12 · TV Report (Korean) · SBS Drama Awards Top 10 Stars · opens in a new tabAppeared with Lee Hyun-woo and Ko Chang-seok in Kim Hong-sun’s The Con Artists. It drew 2.56 million admissions in theaters.
Source 08 · Herald Business (Korean) · The Con Artists opens at Christmas · opens in a new tabSource 09 · Newsis (Korean) · The Con Artists tops VOD · opens in a new tabAppeared in Twenty with Lee Jun-ho and Kang Ha-neul. It passed 3 million admissions.
Source 13 · OBS TV (Korean) · Twenty opens in Hong Kong · opens in a new tabOfficially confirmed his relationship with Shin Min-a. The two grew close on an advertisement shoot and became a couple.
Source 14 · Metro Seoul (Korean) · Shin Min-a and Kim Woo-bin’s public relationship · opens in a new tab The date of the confirmation was not confirmed in news reports.Appeared in Uncontrollably Fond on KBS2 with Suzy. The first episode’s rating was 12.5%.
Source 16 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Pitfalls of pre-produced Uncontrollably Fond · opens in a new tabAppeared in Master with Lee Byung-hun and Gang Dong-won. It drew 393,000 people on its first day and passed 5 million on New Year’s Day, 12 days after opening.
Source 17 · Yonhap News Agency (Korean) · Master opening day · opens in a new tabSource 18 · Nocut News (Korean) · Master passes 5 million in the new year · opens in a new tabHis agency issued an official statement announcing a diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer and the start of radiation and drug treatment.
Source 15 · Sports Hankook (Korean) · Official statement on nasopharyngeal cancer diagnosis · opens in a new tabResumed activities after two years and six months by appearing as a presenter at the 40th Blue Dragon Film Awards.
Source 19 · Money Today (Korean) · Returns at the Blue Dragon Film Awards · opens in a new tabHeld the fan meeting “2019 Kim Woo-bin Thank You” after two years and seven months. All proceeds were to be used for children with cancer.
Source 21 · Global Economic (Korean) · 2019 fan meeting · opens in a new tabIt was reported that he would narrate Humanimal, a documentary for MBC’s anniversary. The first broadcast was announced for Jan. 6, 2020.
Source 20 · Newsis (Korean) · Humanimal return · opens in a new tabBegan filming writer Noh Hee-kyung’s Our Blues on Jeju Island. It was his return to drama after five years, since Uncontrollably Fond.
Source 22 · SPOTV News (Korean) · Our Blues begins filming · opens in a new tabOur Blues began airing. He played the ship captain Park Jeong-joon, and his partner Shin Min-a also appeared in it.
Source 23 · OhmyNews (Korean) · Our Blues first broadcast · opens in a new tabIn director Choi Dong-hoon’s Alienoid, played four roles as Guard, a robot chasing alien prisoners.
Source 24 · Joy News 24 (Korean) · Alienoid part 1 return · opens in a new tabPlayed the courier 5-8 in the Netflix series Black Knight, directed by Cho Ui-seok of Master.
Source 33 · JTBC (Korean) · Black Knight director Cho Ui-seok interview · opens in a new tabAttended the press conference for Alienoid: Return to the Future.
Source 25 · Newsen (Korean) · Alienoid part 2 press conference · opens in a new tabAlienoid: Return to the Future opened. It drew 94,448 people on its first day.
Source 26 · News1 (Korean) · Alienoid part 2 opening day · opens in a new tabPlayed Lee Jung-do, who becomes a martial arts officer, in the Netflix film Officer Black Belt. For the role he bleached his hair for the first time since debut and gained 8 kg.
Source 34 · JTBC (Korean) · Officer Black Belt release · opens in a new tabPlayed Genie, the spirit of a lamp awakened after about a thousand years, opposite Suzy in the Netflix series Genie, Make a Wish.
Source 35 · News1 (Korean) · Genie, Make a Wish release · opens in a new tabHis agency said that, after a long relationship, he and Shin Min-a had decided to become life partners.
Source 27 · Wikitree (Korean) · Marriage announced · opens in a new tabHeld his wedding with Shin Min-a at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, about 10 years after they confirmed their relationship in July 2015. That day, his agency said the couple had donated 300 million won in total.
Source 28 · Money Today (Korean) · Wedding date · opens in a new tabSource 27 · Wikitree (Korean) · Marriage announced · opens in a new tabSource 29 · Xports News (Korean) · Donation on the wedding day · opens in a new tabWill play Jung Min-yong, a former professional baseball pitching coach, in tvN’s Gift. His character takes over as manager of the nation’s worst high school baseball team. It is his first TV drama in four years, not counting streaming titles.
Source 30 · Sports World (Korean) · Gift to air in the second half · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 2009–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.
Film & TV · South Korea
Jul 16, 1989 —
Ages are counted from the birth year 1989: the year of the event minus 1989, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.09.29 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.