Famous actor Won Bin modeled for coffee advertisements, a gig typically reserved for top stars, for 16 years. His elegant appearance often makes people think he grew up in a wealthy family.
However, he was actually born in a remote mountain village in Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon Province. He spent his days playing in nature, catching fish by the river, and was always sun-tanned from being outdoors.
Surprisingly, as a child, he also earned pocket money by digging for herbs in the mountains and even catching and selling snakes, which has become a hot topic.
Won Bin, the youngest of 5 siblings, grew up in a family that faced financial difficulties. His father worked in a coal mine to provide for the family, covering school fees and living expenses.
After working in the mines for so long, his father suffered from the aftereffects of coal dust accumulating in his lungs. To repay his parents for their sacrifices, Won Bin left for Seoul at the age of 20.
How much did he eventually earn?
He made his successful debut in 1997 with the KBS2 drama “Propose” and even walked the runway for the late designer André Kim. He continued to gain popularity through various projects.
After rising to top star status through “Autumn in My Heart”, it was reported that he earned up to 800 million won (about 600,000 USD) per commercial appearance, astonishing many.
With the money he earned, in 2014, Won Bin bought an old house in Gangnam, Seoul, tore it down, and built a 3-story house with a basement floor for about 5 billion won (around 4 million USD).
It is known that he still lives there with his wife, actress Lee Na-young, and their son. As of 2019, the house’s value had risen to 7 billion won (around 5 million USD).
Additionally, a building he purchased in Seoul’s Seongdong District for 2.1 billion won (around 1.6 million USD) has since risen to 4.2 billion won, and another property in Gangnam, bought for 14.5 billion won (around 11 million USD), is now estimated to be worth over 30 billion won (around 23 million USD).
Won Bin, keeping his promise to repay his parents, also gifted them a luxurious 120-pyeong (around 4000 square feet) home, for which he even personally helped with the interior design, earning admiration.
Netizens reacted with comments such as, “I really want to see him again,” “His parents must be so proud,” and “It’s amazing that he even knows how to catch snakes.“
Source: Daum
