Kim Woo Bin is one of the most famous actors of Korea’s entertainment industry. He left an impression with his roles in many hit K-dramas such as ‘Uncontrollably Fond’ and ‘The Heirs’.
But at the peak of his career, he had to go on a long hiatus for an unwanted reason.
Kim Woo Bin’s battle against cancer
Kim Woo Bin was diagnosed with nasopharynx cancer when an important film project with his participation called ‘Wiretap‘ was just confirmed by the management agency. The news broke in the summer of 2017. His activities then came to a halt in the shock and worry of the public and fans.
In fact, it is rare for someone Kim Woo Bin’s age to be diagnosed with such a life-threatening illness. The actor noticed something unusual about his body and went to see the doctor. After doing the tests, he received unfortunate news. Nasopharyngeal cancer has a 5-year survival rate of about 70 to 90% in its early stages.
Kim Woo Bin immediately ceased his activities to start radiotherapy. At that time, actress Shin Min Ah – his girlfriend, and fans were a great motivation to help him win in this difficult battle. Korean media constantly reported that Shin Min Ah always accompanied Kim Woo Bin to the hospital for treatment. Later, Kim Woo Bin expressed his gratitude for his girlfriend for staying by his side and supporting him through such a difficult time of his life.
In July 2017, SidusHQ confirmed to media outlets that Kim Woo Bin’s first round of chemotherapy had been performed. He did not lose much hair but lost about 10 kg. At the end of December 2017, for the first time since Kim Woo Bin was diagnosed with cancer, he posted a letter via SNS to update fans about his gradually improving health condition.
Kim Woo Bin was exempted from military service
Through a statement released at the end of January 2018, the actor’s agency said that he received his military enlistment draft notice from the Military Manpower Administration not long after he finished his chemotherapy treatments. However, when Kim Woo Bin went in for another physical examination, he was judged as Grade 6 – unable to enlist.
In July 2018, the agency announced, “Even when cancer treatments are finished, it will take a long time for Kim Woo Bin to make a full recovery.”
Finally, after 2 and a half years of treatment, Kim Woo Bin was well enough to resume his activities on November 21, 2019. At the Blue Dragon Film Awards, fans were very happy to see their idol reappear as the host of the show.
On November 27, 2019, Kim Woo Bin held a fan meeting at SMTOWN Theater. The actor expressed his gratitude towards fans for waiting for him. In December 2019, Kim Woo Bin returned to the small screen through MBC’s special documentary “Humanimal“, which contains many humanistic values. In the film, he takes on the role of a storyteller.
The aura is back
2020 was a brilliantly successful year for Kim Woo Bin. In February 2020, Kim Woo Bin left his old management company to join AM Entertainment, which is also the management company of his girlfriend – Shin Min Ah. Right after that, Kim Woo Bin and Ryu Jun Yeol, Kim Tae Ri, Jo Woo Jin, Honey Lee and So Ji Sub participated in a project called ‘Alien’ – a sci-fi crime drama about aliens chimpanzees live in Korea.
Kim Woo Bin has returned to his activities, he has even done photoshoots and is busy with many other events. Despite the difficult time, he went through, Kim Woo Bin has returned in a completely healthy state. In early 2021, the management company announced that Kim Woo Bin was invited to participate in the drama ‘Delivery Knight‘, adapted from a webtoon of the same name. In the drama, Kim Woo Bin plays the role of a legendary delivery knight, living in a city suffering from severe air pollution.
In addition, Kim Woo Bin was also confirmed to participate in the drama Our Blues. This drama also gathers famous actors such as Lee Byung Hyun, Shin Min Ah, Cha Seung Won, Lee Jung Eun, Han Ji Min, and Uhm Jung Hwa. Our Blues is expected to have 20 episodes and will be released in 2022
For Korean audiences, Kim Woo Bin is not only a good actor, he is also an excellent model and host. The 31-year-old actor is also highly appreciated by experts with many noble awards.
