This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2006)

Kim Young-woon (Hangul: 김영운, Hanja: 金永雲) was born on 17 January 1985, mononymously credited by his stage name Kangin. He is a South Korean singer, actor, MC, presenter, and a member of the boy band Super Junior. His name 'Kangin' (Hanja: 强仁) means strong benevolence, was given to him to complement his personality. In July 2010, he enlisted for mandatory military service and was discharged in April 2012.^[1]

Biography[link]

2005: Debut with Super Junior[link]

Kangin officially debut as part of 12-member project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Popular Songs, performing their first single, "TWINS (Knock Out)".^[2][3] Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.^[4]

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. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior.^[5] The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009.^[6]

2006-2009: Television and acting[link]

After debut with Super Junior, Kangin became a regular on MBC variety show, Image Survival till February 2006. In 2006, Kangin also frequently acts as MC for SM artists such as DBSK and BoA fanmeeting and MC for EBS TV channel. In 2006 and 2007, he also goes on many variety show as guest and sometimes as a regular for a short time such as Love Triangle, KBS Star King, KBS Vitamin and MBC driving school with leetuk as regular. Active in television appearances and hosting, Kangin earns the highest salary in Super Junior.^[7]

Five days after Super Junior 05's debut performance, Kangin became the MC of Mnet's M!Countdown along with Leeteuk and Shindong. The trio stayed as the hosts throughout the remaining year until Kangin was replaced by Eunhyuk in mid 2006 due to his busy schedule for hosting EBS Reckless Radio and MBC's music program, Show! Music Core. Kangin left Reckless Radio in June 2007 to host MBC's Good Friend Radio with Cho Jungrin. In February 2007, he was placed in the trot-singing Super Junior-T. A year later, he became a member of Super Junior-Happy. In 2007, he made a guest appearance in the MBC drama Billie Jean, Look At Me. Kangin's silver-screen debut was in the Super Junior film Attack on the Pin-Up Boys, premiered in summer 2007.^[8] In 2008, Kangin was chosen to take the role of 'Kang Soo' in the Korean language film, Hello, Schoolgirl.^[9]

Kangin also became the television host for two of MBC's popular entertainment programs, Sunday Sunday Night Dong-An Club and Nothing is Impossible. For Mnet channel, Kangin starred in 'Band of Brothers 2008' with Heechul, Jay and Jungmo. For MTV channel, in 2008 kangin was a MC for 'Class Up'. In 2008, Kangin was one of 4 MCs for SBS 'Change' variety show. From September 9 to November 9, 2008, Kangin, along with band mate Heechul, debuted as musical actors through the musical, Xanadu. Xanadu was a 1980's musical film starring Gene Kelly and Olivia Newton John. Xanadu has also been reproduced to a Broadway musical. Heechul and Kangin, along with Choi Sungwon, performed the same character, Sonny, according to their time slot, and auditions and casting picks will be chosen in a process through reality television.^[10]

In April 2008, Cho's hosting spot was replaced by Taeyeon. Kangin's last day of hosting the program was on April 19, 2009.^[11] From December 2008 to May 2009, Kangin and actress Lee Yoon Ji played as a low-income college couple for the popular MBC reality show We Got Married. This was the first MBC variety show kangin did as a regular after the crisis between MBC variety show producer and SM company regarding Kangin job as host in SBS Super Junior Exploration of Human Body in 2007. In 2009, Kangin with other few Super Junior members hosts television show for charity named 'Miracle'. Kangin was also cast to take the role of 'Hotae' for MBC's cable comedy drama, Romance Zero. With a total of sixteen episodes, the drama ended in late May 2009 with acceptable reviews and ratings.

2010-present: Military service[link]

On 5 July 2010, Kangin enlisted for his mandatory military service at the Nonsan military camp in Chungcheongnam-do Province, for five weeks of basic training followed by 20 months of active duty with the Republic of Korea Army.^[12] He was discharged on 16 April 2012 from the 56th army division in Namyangju-si in Gyeonggi-do.^[13] Following his discharged from the army, Kangin was met by other Super Junior members and fans from Asia upon his discharge. Kangin share thoughts saying:

Since being discharged, Kangin is to return back as member of Super Junior with new determination as SM Entertainment is reported to have internally accepted Kangin’s return as a fact and have begun the necessary preparation work.^[16] A month after Kangin's discharge, he explained how happy he was to have a fan like such he met to recognize him in a disguise. He said, "While very well disguised, a young 10 year old girl ran to me with her eyes tearing up & asked me, Are you Kangin? I nodded, and she hugged me while saying to me, You're my favorite K-pop member! She explained to me that her name was Stephanie, and she comes from the state of California with her father to visit her grandfather."

Controversies[link]

MBC conflict[link]

A time-slot dispute occurred between SM Entertainment and MBC when SM insisted to have Kangin stay on SBS's Explorers of the Human Body instead of MBC's Sunday Sunday Night Dong-An Club, in which Kangin was a regular host. MBC decided to temporarily ban Super Junior from appearing in any future performances on MBC.^[17] Kangin was replaced by T.O.P of Big Bang as the MC of Show! Music Core. Kangin could also no longer host MBC variety shows Nothing is Impossible and Sunday Sunday Night Dong-An Club until the conflict was resolved.^[18] MBC also demanded to receive an apology from SM Entertainment if SM artists should continue to perform on shows hosted by the channel. After Kangin left Nothing is Impossible and Sunday Sunday Night Dong-An Club, both shows cancelled due to low ratings, though Kangin's departure had nothing to do with this, as ratings were already low. Kangin's radio program with MBC, Good Friend Radio, however, continues to air since it was not related to his work conflict.^[17] A week later, MBC announced that they invited Super Junior to film an exclusive MBC segment, "Giving Children a New Life" despite their previous decision to ban Super Junior. The entertainment director for MBC claimed that the ban on Super Junior was never official, but just a decision made by the programs' producers.^[19]

Assault case[link]

On September 16, 2009, Kangin was arrested for his involvement in a fight between two men that took place outside of a bar in Nonhyeon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. An eye-witness reported that two men entered a room where Kangin and his friend were present and began arguing heatedly.^[20] Kangin left the bar, but the two men followed him outside and began displaying acts of violence. Another witness reported that Kangin tried to stop the fight.^[21] A nearby surveillance camera caught the brawl, and it was immediately reported to the police.^[22] Kangin was brought into interrogation to aid investigation along with four other suspects. One of the suspects insisted that Kangin assaulted him,^[23] but it was later proven that Kangin only reacted for self-defense.^[24]

Kangin was dropped from being the main model of Andre Kim's fashion show as a result.^[25] After Kangin's appearance in Super Junior's Super Show 2 concert in Hong Kong, all of Kangin's future schedules became temporarily postponed.^[26]

DUI hit-and-run[link]

On October 16, 2009 around 3am, Kangin collided into a parked taxi that held three passengers and left the scene of the accident. Six hours later, Kangin turned himself in to the police at 9am. He was recorded to have a blood alcohol content of 0.082% when he arrived at the station. It was recorded as being a hit-and-run despite Kangin turning himself in later.^[27] Then he failed to show up at the Seoul Gangnam Police Station at 2pm on the same day for further investigation and had to be called in the following day.^[28]

SM Entertainment and Kangin released an official public apology shortly after. All of Kangin's activities were canceled by SM Entertainment until the end of the year due to Kangin's actions. A month later Kangin made an appearance in a new clothing company, SPAO's website. Netizens were enraged due to SM Entertainment's declaration of the suspension of Kangin's activities. It was later found out that the photos were taken prior to Kangin's DUI accident.^[29] On 13 January 2010, Kangin was summarily indicted for drunk driving hit-and-run and fined ₩8 million by the Seoul Central District Court.^[30]

Discography[link]

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

Television series[link]

Music videos[link]

• 2007: "Flight Girl" – Magolpy

Hosting programs[link]

Radio host[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]