Man Crush Monday: Choi Si Won (최시원) (Siwon of Super Junior & Super Junior-M)

Birthday: April 7, 1986

Most Likely Known For: Member of Kpop Boy Group Super Junior & Super Junior-M

Currently In: She Was Pretty

Career Info:

Siwon was scouted by a talent agent from SM Entertainment when he was 16 as he was waiting for friends in front of his high school. The agent recommended him to audition for the company’s Starlight Casting System. He auditioned without his parent’s approval; his parents were notified only after he passed the auditions. Although his parents allowed him to sign a contract with SM Entertainment, they did not give him any help because they wanted him to take responsibility for his actions.

He later moved into dormitories with fellow trainees and was trained in areas of singing, acting, and dancing. He was featured in a music video of The Grace’s Dana whilst he was being trained as a solo singer in 2003. A year after, Siwon made a brief appearance in short drama, Precious Family and again in 2005, KBS drama Eighteen, Twenty-Nine as young Kang Bong-man and played the supporting role of Park Sang-woo in drama Spring Waltz in 2006.

Not long after Siwon’s first television appearance, SM Entertainment released an announcement that he would officially debut as one of the twelve members in a boy band. A few months before the debut of Super Junior 05, Siwon made his first official media appearance with band mate Han Geng as one of the runway models in a fashion show by Bum Suk.

Siwon officially debut as part of 12-member rotational project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS’s music programme Popular Songs, performing their first single, “Twins (Knock Out)”. 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.

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. 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. In the fall of 2007, the group released their second official album, Don’t Don, which became Super Junior’s best-selling album and Korea’s second best-selling album of the year.

After his musical debut, he was cast in a large supporting role in the Hong Kong epic film A Battle of Wits as Prince Liang Shi, starring opposite Andy Lau. He promoted the movie throughout China with fellow cast members in November 2006. While the film received mixed reviews, Siwon garnered positive notices for his performance. He also received praises from co-star Lau, stating that Siwon is a wonderful actor and that he sets a good example for young Hong Kong actors.

In 2007 Siwon starred in the high school mystery/comedy film Attack on the Pin-Up Boys with other Super Junior members, released on 26 July. He played one of the lead roles as a controlling and severe class president who was one of the popular possible subjects of being attacked by mysterious forces. A few months later, Siwon was cast in mini-drama Legend of Hyang Dan in the lead role of Lee Mong-ryong.

In April 2008, Siwon was put into seven-member sub-group Super Junior-M, a Mandopop subgroup of Super Junior for the Chinese music industry. They debuted in China at the 8th Annual Music Chart Awards, simultaneously with the release of their first music video, “U” on 8 April 2008. This was followed by the release of the debut Chinese-language studio album, Me in selected provinces in China on 23 April and 2 May in Taiwan.

In January 2010, Siwon starred in SBS drama Oh! My Lady. It is a romantic comedy about a top star who finds himself living with his manager, a 35-year-old woman who is trying to earn money to get custody of her child. 

Siwon has also appeared in various catalogs and commercials. He modeled in the 3 March 2010 André Kim fashion show. He has been featured in notable magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Elle, High Cut, and Men’s Health, as well as modeling for brand names such as Armani, Lacoste, Gucci, Evisu, Burberry. Siwon also appeared in Korean brand Spao’s catalogues along with SNSD and other Super Junior members; and for the SK Telesys “Reaction” smart phone, as well as Acer products. He is also the main model for Mamonde, a cosmetic brand alongside Kwon Yuri of Girls’ Generation.

In April 2011, Siwon filmed Taiwanese drama Skip Beat! with Ivy Chen and fellow band member Donghae as the three main characters. It is a live-action adaptation of Japanese shōjo manga Skip Beat! by Yoshiki Nakamura. The filming took place in Taiwan and was broadcast in December 2011.

Siwon joined the cast of SBS drama Athena: Goddess of War, a spin-off of 2009 action drama Iris in June, as Agent Kim Jun-ho, a data analyst and rookie elite agent. This was followed by KBS drama Poseidon in August 2011. He was cast in the role of Kim Sun-woo, as part of Intelligence Investigation Team of the Maritime Police, with Lee Si-young. 

Siwon graduated from Inha University in February 2012 alongside fellow member Ryeowook. In June 2012, Siwon reunited with his Super Junior band mates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single for released on 4 July. On 26 June Siwon’s teaser photo was released showing him with long blonde hair under a dip-dyed hat that matches his green eyebrows. In September, Siwon is to return to television in SBS drama The King of Drama, based around Korean television production. He plays ‘Kang Hyun-min’, a top celebrity with a prickly personality, along with Kim Myung-min as production CEO and actressJung Ryeo-won. It aired at the conclusion of Faith.

On January 7, 2013, Super Junior-M released their second album, Break Down, along with the music video for the lead single of the same name. A press conference took place in Beijing on January 7, and they will promote the album in China.

In March 2014, Super Junior M had a comeback after one year and three months. They released their third EP Swing, where they all were shown as office workers. Though Siwon was featured in the MV and song, he did not participate in the promotional cycle as he was busy filming for his upcoming drama The Heirs. Siwon wrapped up filming and moved on to the next film. He will feature in the film Dragon Blade alongside with Jackie Chan and Adrien Brody. Siwon is also shooting for the film To the Fore where he will be acting alongside Eddie Peng as a cycling athlete.

In August, it was announced that Super Junior would release their 7th album, Mamacita where Leeteuk and Heechul would rejoin them, their first album after their military service. The MV for “Mamacita” was released August 28 and the album was released online a day later and in stores September 1.

On 2 September 2015, S.M. Entertainment announced that Choi Siwon will enlist as a conscripted policeman on 19 November 2015.