Yesung

Kim Jong-woon (born August 24, 1984), better known by his stage name Yesung, is a South Korean idol singerand occasional actor. He is one of the four lead vocalists of the boy band Super Junior. He was once a radio hostfor his own radio program, M.I.R.A.C.L.E for You, which ended its broadcast in September 2007. His stage name Yesung (藝聲 in Hanja) is translated to "art-like voice" and is derived from the phrase "예술가의 성대", meaning "vocal chords of an artist."

Career

Super Junior

On November 6, 2005, Yesung, officially debuted onSBS's music program Popular Songs as a member ofSuper Junior 05, the first generation of Super Junior. The group performed their first single "TWINS (Knock Out)" with an audience of about 500 fans. A full studio album was released a month later, which debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.

In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. The group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior. The re-polished group hit big after they released their first CD single "U" the following summer, which became Super Junior's most successful single in the music charts until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009.

During his career with Super Junior, Yesung was put into two subgroups, smaller groups that are branched off of the larger Super Junior group. In November 2006, Yesung was placed in Super Junior's first subgroup, Super Junior-K.R.Y, a group specializing in singing mournful, R&B ballads. Almost two years later, Yesung became a member of Super Junior-Happy. On May 10, 2008, Yesung was sent to the hospital after he collapsed from running 70 kilometers for a charity marathon. On August 8, Yesung was sent to the hospital again after falling from a 1.5m stage while rehearsing a performance for the KBS music program, Music Bank. The injury severed his old injuries from the neck and waist and Yesung was not treated out of the hospital until two days later.

Yesung alone contributed in the drama OST, Tazza, a highly rated drama which started on September 16, 2008. He sang Love Really Hurts. This ballad song has been consistently used during the drama itself. He has performed the song live several times, including in the 3rd Anniversary Party of Super Junior.

Last November 6, 2009, he replaced Jonghyun of SHINee in their Ring Ding Dong performance due to Jonghyun coming down with the swine flu.

Last March 31, 2010, Yesung contributed in the drama OST Cinderella's Sister, starring Moon Geun Young and Chun Jung Myun and started on March 31, 2010. He sang It Has To Be You. This song is a ballad that tells the story about a man who refused to look for another girl, except for the one he loved. Recently, during the epilogue of Super Junior's 2nd Asia Tour Concert, Super Show 2 Manila, he sang this song live on stage and asked his fans to support his new song. Then on June 4, 2010, Yesung performed solo for the first time on Music Bank (TV series) with his song, It Has To Be You, a highly rated song on the music chart on Music Bank.

Last December 29, 2010, the second part of the KBS drama President OST was released. Yesung, together with Luna of f(x), sang the song entitled Loving You. This song gained affection and support from public.

Last January 31, 2011, Yesung's third solo song, the new SBS drama, Paradise Ranch,, OST was released. The song is entitled Waiting For You and is a ballad that tells about a man who is adamant on waiting until the end of the world for his lover to return to him. The drama itself has been gaining attention due to the main cast members Lee Yeon Hee and DBSK’s Changmin. Yesung performed this song for the first time on the first K.R.Y Concert in Seoul, February 11, 2011.

Last July 14, 2011, his second duet with another female artist, namely Jang Hye Jin who is a Korean actress & singer, was released throughout Korea's digital charts. I Am Behind You is from the albumCooperation Part 1 . The song has a fantastic harmony & is mixed with the lyrics about the heart of a person who has an infatuation on someone.

Recently, last July 18, 2011, his latest solo was released. For One Day is an OST for the dramaWarrior Baek Dong soo . The song explores an emotional farewell from a lover & it touches the hearts of listeners with the meloncholy expressed in his voice.

Hosting

From September 2006 to September 2007, Yesung was a host for his own radio program,M.I.R.A.C.L.E for You, where members of Super Junior often appear as guests. However, before the radio show's first anniversary, Yesung had to end the program so he could concentrate on Super Junior's second album, Don't Don. The last air date for the radio show was September 8, 2007.

Last July 21, 2010, Yesung appeared together with band mate Leeteuk as MC's for MBC's new program, Love Pursuer. The show presents a Korean celebrity with the challenge of guessing who is their secret admirer. The show was a favorite amongst TV audiences.

Last September 4, 2010, Yesung was recruited as a new MC for MUZIT, a musical talk show alongside K.Will and veteran composer Yoo Youngsuk. The show showcases various musical talents from the Korean music industry.

Acting

Yesung's acting career began in the summer of 2007 with the release of Attack on the Pin-Up Boys, a high school comedy starring the whole of Super Junior. Yesung stars as the school's rock star who gets attacked by a mysterious force, which shoots him toward national stardom.

In 2009, Yesung was casted to play Jung Myungsoo in the musical South Korean Mountain Fortress, which will show from October 9 to November 4, 2009.

He was also performing in the musical Hong Gil Dong that was running from February 18 to April 18, alongside group mate Sungmin.

Then last October 2010, Yesung starred in the musical Spamalot as one of the male leads, Sir Galahad. The musical was shown from October 1 to December 28. It received good feed backs from musical audiences. Yesung stated that he is much more interested in musicals nowadays because it was a different challenge for him and looks forward to doing more musicals in the future.

Last June 2011, Yesung joined KBS' Immortal Song where Idol Stars render their own versions of old songs from Music Legends and winners are selected through voting. Yesung unfortunately lost in the first airing of the episode but then emerged as the winner of the third episode when he sang Boohwal's song "The More I Love You". He was supposed to join the show for a few more episodes, but due to Super Junior's schedule, their company had no choice but to pull him out.

Discography

Yesung was born in Cheonan, South Chungcheong, has a younger brother, Kim Jong-jin. At a young age, he has expressed interest in singing. In 1999, Yesung joined a broadcasted singing competition and won gold at the Chun-an Singing Competition. In 2001, Yesung's mother signed him up to audition for SM Entertainment's Starlight Casting System, a casting audition that selects artists to sign under the label. He impressed the judges with his "artistic voice", and signed under SM Entertainment that same year. In late 2004, Yesung was recruited into the large all-male rotational boy band Super Junior.

Filmography

Film

Date	Title	Role	Notes
July 26, 2007	Attack on the Pin-Up Boys (꽃미남 연쇄 테러 사건)	himself, as a rockstar	limited release in South Korea

Radio shows

Date	Title	Notes
September 19, 2006–September 8, 2007	"M.I.R.A.C.L.E for You"	ended the program before its 1st year anniversary
February 28, 2011–June 20, 2011	"Super Junior's Kiss the Radio"	together with Leeteuk and temporarily replaced Eunhyuk

MC Programs

Date	Title	Notes
June 25, 2009–2009	꼿미남 포차 (Flower Boys' Carriage)
July 21, 2010–March 2011	러브 추격자 (Love Pursuer)	with Leeteuk
September 4, 2010–2011	MUZIT

Musicals

Date	Title	Role	Notes
October 9–November 4, 2009	남한산숭 (South Korean Mountain Fortress)	정명수 (Jung Myungsoo)
February 18–April 18, 2010	홍길동 (Hong Gil Dong)	the strong charismatic persona of Hong Gil Dong	withSungmin
October 1, 2010–December 28, 2010	스팸어랏 (Spamalot)	Sir Galahad, the Dashingly Handsome

OST's

Date	Title	Drama	Notes
2007	사랑 참 아프다 (Love Really Hurts)	타짜 (Tazza)	this was his first ever solo & OST
2010	너 아니면 안돼 (It Has To Be You)	신데렐라 언니 (Cinderella's Sister)	2010's most popular OST
2010	너를 사랑하고 (Loving You)	프레지던트 (President)	a duet with f(x)'s Luna
2010	널 기다리며 (Waiting For You)	파라다이스 목장 (Paradise Ranch)
2011	그대뒤에 있습니다 (I Am Behind You)		a duet with singer Jang Hye Jin
2011	단 하루만 (One Day)	무사 백동수 (Warrior Baek Dongsoo)

Awards and Nominations

Year	Award	Nominated Work	Result
2010	BGM Cyworld: Hall of Fame	"It Has To Be You"	Won
2010	Cyworld Digital Music Awards: Song of the Month (April)	"It Has To Be You"	Won
2010	25th Golden Disk Awards: Digital Bonsang	"It Has To Be You"	Nominated
2010	25th Golden Disk Awards: Popularity Award	"It Has To Be You"	Nominated
2010	2nd Melon Music Awards : Special Song OST Award	"It Has To Be You"	Nominated
2011	Cyworld Digital Music Awards: Best OST Award	"It Has To Be You"	Won