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Cha Eun-woo
240301 Cha Eun-woo.jpg
Cha in March 2024
Born
Lee Dong-min

(1997-03-30) March 30, 1997 (age 27)
Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea
Education Sungkyunkwan University (Performing arts)
Occupation
  • Singer
  • actor
Years active 2014–present
Musical career
Genres
Instruments Vocals
Labels Fantagio
Korean name
Hangul
이동민
Hanja
李東敏
Revised Romanization I Dongmin
McCune–Reischauer I Tongmin
Stage name
Hangul
차은우
Hanja
車銀優
Revised Romanization Cha Eunu
McCune–Reischauer Ch'a Ŭnu
Signature
Signature of Cha

Lee Dong-min (Hangul: 이동민; born March 30, 1997), known professionally as Cha Eun-woo (Hangul: 차은우), is a South Korean singer and actor under the label Fantagio. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Astro, and he debuted as a solo artist with the extended play (EP) Entity on February 15, 2024. Cha made his acting debut in the film My Brilliant Life (2014) and is best known for his roles in Gangnam Beauty (2018), Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019), True Beauty (2020–2021), Island (2022–2023), A Good Day to Be a Dog (2023–2024), and Wonderful World (2024).

Early life and education

Cha was born on March 30, 1997, in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. He has a younger brother.

Cha attended Nungnae Elementary School, Suri Middle School, and Suri High School before graduating from Hanlim Multi Art School in 2016, focusing in broadcasting and entertainment. He studied at Sungkyunkwan University, majoring in performing arts in the theater department.

Career

2013–2015: Career beginnings

During a festival, a talent scout waited for him at his middle school and offered to cast him. Cha's training started during his first year of high school. He debuted as an actor in 2014 with a minor role in the film My Brilliant Life, starring Gang Dong-won and Song Hye-kyo. Due to his impact in the film, Cha as the rookie actor Lee Dong-min, was selected as model for Korean cosmetics brand Shara Shara. He was the fourth trainee to be officially introduced with the Fantagio iTeen Photo Test Cut. In August 2015, Cha was cast as the lead in the web-drama To Be Continued with Kim Sae-ron.

2016–2022: Debut with Astro, solo activities and rising popularity

Cha debuted in Astro on February 23, 2016, with the EP Spring Up. In May, Cha was announced as one of the cast members of SBS reality-documentary show Law of the Jungle in New Caledonia. In August, Cha participated in the Chuseok special variety show, Replies That Make Us Flutter. In September, he participated in another Chuseok pilot program, Boomshakalaka. Cha was announced as a host of Show! Music Core alongside Kim Sae-ron, Lee Soo-min and Xiyeon from 2016 to 2018. In 2016, he also starred in the web drama My Romantic Some Recipe.

170924 푸드트럭이벤트
Cha in 2017

In 2017, Cha was cast in the KBS2 drama Hit the Top and starred in the web drama Sweet Revenge. Cha was announced as a host of MBC Gayo Daejejeon from 2017 to 2019.

In 2018, Cha starred in the web drama Top Management. He was later cast in the JTBC romantic comedy series Gangnam Beauty, his first leading role on television. He saw a rise in popularity after the series aired and was included in GQ Korea's "Men of the Year".

In 2019, Cha starred in the historical drama Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung alongside Shin Se-kyung. He played the role of a royal prince who became a romance novelist, and won the Excellence Award for an Actor and Best Couple Award with Shin at the MBC Drama Awards. In December, he was announced as a cast member of the new variety show Handsome Tigers alongside Joy, Lee Sang-yoon, Yoo Seon-ho, and Seo Jang-hoon.

Cha Eunwoo Marie Claire Korea 2020 3
Cha in 2020

In April 2020, Cha joined SBS television show Master in the House as a fixed cast member. At the 2020 SBS Entertainment Awards, he won the Rookie Award for his role on the show. In December 2020, he starred in the tvN coming-of-age romance drama True Beauty based on the webtoon of the same name, playing a high school student alongside Moon Ga-young.

In June 2021, he left Master in the House. In November 2021, Cha released "Don't Cry, My Love", a ballad song featuring a piano performance, for the official soundtrack of the comic Under The Oak Tree.

In 2022, Cha recorded the remake of "Focus on Me" for the soundtrack of the Kakao webtoon The Villainess Is a Marionette, released on February 22. He then played the role of a Navy officer in Hwang In-ho's urban terror action film Decibel which was released in November 2022. Later that year he starred in TVING drama Island alongside Kim Nam-gil, Lee Da-hee and Sung Joon, playing the role of an exorcist priest. On December 30, Fantagio released an official statement stating that Cha had decided to renew his contract with the agency.

2023–present: Focus on solo career and global popularity

In 2023, Cha starred in the webtoon-based fantasy romance drama A Good Day to Be a Dog. On June 1, Cha was confirmed for Wonderful World led by veteran actress Kim Nam-joo with premiere scheduled for the first half of 2024. On October 18, Cha released the remake of "Jealousy", which was originally sung by Yoo Seung-beom, for the official soundtrack of the drama A Good Day to Be a Dog. On October 27, Cha became the first artist to receive the Global Icon Award at MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2023, a special award given to honor the achievements of global activities as an artist. On December 8, Fantagio announced that Cha will be having his first ever fan concert "Mystery Elevator" in 2024.

In 2024, Cha would embark on the Just One 10 Minutes "Mystery Elevator", his first solo fan concert. On January 9, Fantagio confirmed Cha would debut as soloist and was preparing for his solo album that was released by the first half of 2024. He performed all songs included in his album for the first time at the Seoul fan concert. On February 15, Cha's extended play Entity was released, containing the lead single "Stay". The music video features him and American actress India Eisley. His Just One 10 Minutes fan concert began on February 17 in South Korea, including tours to Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, as well as Indonesia. On February 19, the music video of the EP, "Where Am I" was released. On March 27, it was announced that three more concerts were added in Hongkong, Brazil and Mexico between April 26 and June 5. On April 25, due to demand, a second show was added in Mexico at Arena CDMX on June 4. On May 16, the encore fan concert tour Just One 10 Minutes "Mystery Elevator Encore". It will begin in Japan at K-Arena Yokohama on June 29 and 30. Cha is scheduled to reunite with the audience in South Korea at SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium on July 6. On August 8, Cha was announced as one of the cast members of tvN's new variety show Finland Village Life along with Lee Je-hoon, Lee Dong-hwi, and Kwak Dong-yeon. On August 27, Cha announced that he will be releasing a digital single "Hey Hello" in collaboration with Peder Elias on August 30. The song was first revealed at his encore solo fan concert last month where Elias appeared as guest. On November 1, Cha was cast in the Netflix superpower comedy series The Wonderfools alongside Park Eun-bin, in which he plays a socially awkward civic servant from Seoul.

Other ventures

Fashion and endorsements

Cha Eunwoo Marie Claire Korea 2020
Cha for Marie Claire Korea in 2020

As the rookie actor Lee Dong-min, Cha was selected as model for Korean cosmetics brand Shara Shara in 2014.

In January 2017, Cha was chosen as exclusive model for the shoe brand Bluemountain Korea. In February, Cha become a muse for the American luxury clothing brand Tommy Hilfiger, and was chosen as a model for the French outdoor clothing brand Lafuma. In April, he was selected as the model for Clearteen, a dermatological line from the South Korean pharmaceutical company Handok. In May, Cha become a model for the ice cream brand Baskin-Robbins. In June, Cha was chosen as model for Lotte Water Park. In August, he was selected as a brand model for POLHAM. In October, Cha was chosen as an advertising model for Nongshim pretzel.

In January 2018, Cha was selected as the model for Aritaum's Angel Kiss Tint, from the South Korean beauty and cosmetics brand Amorepacific. In July, Cha was chosen as new TV commercial model for "EyeBon", an eye care product line by Dong-A Pharmaceutical. In October, Cha was chosen as the first muse for the street fashion brand BMS (Be My Self). Additionally, Cha was chosen as the model for the South Korean e-commerce platform 11street, and became the muse for Atelier Cologne, and was named the brand model for Kellogg's Hershey Choco Crunch cereal. In December, Cha became the model for Goobne Chicken.

In January 2019, Cha was selected as a model for the American luggage brand Samsonite's Red line. In March, he was announced as the brand model for LG Uplus' 5G, participated as The Star's voice model for the mobile service "Celeb Alarm" in collaboration with Samsung Electronics, and became the muse for American footwear and sports brand K-Swiss. In June, Cha was appointed as a new model for Samsung Card. In August, Cha was selected as the new presenter for Thai brand Wuttisak's Magic collection, and as a model for beauty brand Liz K. In October, he became the new face of beauty device company Unix Electronics.

In January 2020, Cha became a brand ambassador for South Korean cosmeceutical brand BRTC (Bio Remedies Therapeutic Cosmetics) in China. In February, Cha was appointed an official model for Australian/New Zealand multinational brand sportswear brand 2XU. In December, he was named the global face of Filipino beauty and health brand Frontrow.

In June 2021, Cha was chosen as the model for Dong-A Pharmaceutical's derma cosmetics brand, Fation. In February, Cha became Penshoppe's international ambassador. In March, he was selected as the brand model for Noona Holdak Chicken. In May, Cha was chosen as a new model for clothing brand O'Neill. In July, Cha became a brand ambassador for the British luxury fashion house Burberry, was chosen as the first Konvy's presenter, as well as a model for Mackiss Company's Now We Are soju, and for Nunen Chazuki under the Korean premium eye health brand '2.0 Recipe'. In August, Cha was selected as a model for Samhwa Foods, and the new muse of Dashu Perfume.

In January 2022, Cha became the muse for the hair styling brand Dashu. The next two months, he became as a new brand ambassador for Ms Glow, and Mister Potato. In April 2022, Cha was selected as a model for contemporary men's clothing brand Liberclassy. In June, Cha became a brand ambassador for Dior Beauty, announced after attending Jean-Michel Othoniel's exhibition. In December, Cha was officially announced as a brand ambassador for Dior.

In January 2023, Cha became a regional brand ambassador for the American multinational footwear and apparel brand Skechers, this partnership covers seven key Asia-Pacific markets for Skechers: Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. In February, Cha and actress Han So-hee were selected as CF models together for global clothing brand Giordano. Cha launches the global campaign 2023 New Liens collection Liens Evidence. In March, Cha became a brand ambassador for Est Cola. Cha became a brand ambassador for Dunkin' Philippines. In May, Cha has been appointed as honorary ambassador for the '2023–2024 Visit Korea Year', participated in the launching ceremony of the 'K-Tourism Cooperation Group' along with First Lady Kim Keon-hee and Chairperson Lee Boo-jin. In June, Cha also became a brand ambassador for Skechers in Indonesia, and was selected as a brand ambassador for Subway. In August, Cha has been selected as a brand model for Chung Jungwon Home:ings. Cha has been selected as the new brand ambassador for outdoor brand The North Face. In October, Cha has been selected as the new brand ambassador for Ricola. Cha is also announced as the face of the insurance company Hanwha Life.

In January 2024, Cha became a brand ambassador for Cornetto in Southeast Asia. In February, Cha has been selected as the new brand ambassador for Milo Thailand. In March, Cha has been selected as a brand model for Sprite. In August, Cha has been selected as the new brand ambassador for Nescafé in Hong Kong and Macau. Cha was also announced as the new brand ambassador Healthcare robot company Bodyfriend. In September, Cha was selected as the new face of the global campaign for Calvin Klein's Fall 2024 menswear collections, including the Calvin Klein Studio line. He has also been announced as the brand model for LG Uplus' AX. Cha becomes the global ambassador for the French luxury jewellery and watch house Chaumet, and was chosen as an ambassador for the French luxury fashion house Saint Laurent. In October, Cha became a brand ambassador for the American luxury brand Calvin Klein. He has been selected as the exclusive brand model for Norang Tongdak chicken.

Philanthropy

In October 2016, Cha donated his handwriting to the Korean language learning app Danbi, where 100% of the profits generated by Danbi were donated on behalf to the Korea Foundation for International Cultural Exchange's Hangul ODA (Official Development Assistance) project.

In June 2018, Cha participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge to raise awareness and funds for Korea's first ALS nursing hospital.

In April 2019, Cha donated 10 million to help support the victims of the Sokcho Fire, and in November, he donated ₩10 million to the "Junior Love Academic Support Fund", which provides scholarships to students at Sungkyunkwan University.

In January 2020, Cha collaborated in G-Market Global Shop's "Give Love" campaign where all proceeds were donated to Save the Children Korea's "School Me" project. In February, it was revealed that Cha had donated ₩30 million to help those affected by COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea.

In June 2022, Cha participated as a special audio guide for the art exhibit of Sir Michael Craig-Martin and donated some proceeds for cancer patients at the National Cancer Center. In November, it was announced that Cha will hold a photo exhibition at the end of the year and will donate all profits to help the underprivileged.

In April 2023, Cha donated a hat for an auction, with the proceeds going to the "Little Miracle" project in Thailand, which supports the care of critically ill children, raising a total of ฿400,000. In May, he helped raise funds through the KonnecThai, donating ฿514,902 to the Children's Hospital Foundation in Thailand. In July, Cha donated 10 million for the Ice Bucket Challenge campaign.

In October 2024, Cha participated in the "Love Your W" breast cancer awareness campaign and the charity event organized by W Korea. He also donated personal items to "WeAJa Sharing Market 2024", South Korea's largest charity event, with all proceeds going to support underprivileged children and youth, as well as vulnerable groups affected by the climate crisis.

Impact and influence

In November 2018, Cha was included as one of GQ Korea's Men of the Year. In the K-pop Radar Year-End Chart of 2019, Cha was named as the male "Hot Instagrammer".

In April 2021, Cha placed 17th on Forbes Korea Power Celebrity and sixth in the SNS category. In October, Cha becomes the first male star to grace the cover of Harper's Bazaar Hong Kong.

In April 2022, after Cha was selected to represent contemporary men's clothing brand Liberclassy, traffic to the company's mall increased by 806% in the first week of April from the previous week, and the brand also saw an increase in social media engagement. An official from Liberclassy said, "The Cha Eunwoo effect was seen as more than 70 million won in sales generated for pre-application alone". In December, Cha became the most followed Korean actor on Instagram with 31.4 million followers, surpassing Lee Min-ho, and is the only Korean celebrity after BTS and Blackpink members to reach the milestone of 40 million followers on Instagram as of 2024.

In February 2023, Cha placed on Forbes 30 Under 30. In October 2023, survey conducted by JoyNews24, Cha was included as one of entertainment industry power people in South Korea. In December 2023, survey conducted by Gallup Korea, Cha ranked as the 11th on Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year.

In April 2024, Cha placed 11th on Forbes Korea Power Celebrity, being the highest-ranked actor on the list, and fourth in the SNS category. In June 2024, Cha ranked third in Gallup Korea's Favorite Actor in Last Decade (2004–2024), tying with veteran actress Kim Nam-joo. He is also the top choice among teenagers and the actor with the shortest career among the top 10. In August 2024, Cha ranked first in Gallup Korea's "StarNews 20th Anniversary" survey as the Most Anticipated Next-Generation Actor. In September 2024, he ranked second in Gallup Korea's "StarNews 20th Anniversary" survey as the Most Anticipated Idol-Actor on the Big Screen, and he is the youngest artist on the list. In November, Cha was chosen as one of the "30 Most Inspiring People" in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Elle Thailand.

Discography

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected chart positions and sales
Title Details Peak chart positions Sales
KOR
JPN
Entity 2 15
  • KOR: 217,295
  • JPN: 4,450

Singles

As lead artist

List of singles, showing year released, selected chart positions, and name of the album
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
KOR
DL
"First Love" 2022 66 Drive to the Starry Road
"Stay" 2024 7 Entity

Collaborations

List of collaborations, showing year released, selected chart positions, and name of the album
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
KOR
DL
"Hey Hello"
(with Peder Elias)
2024 73 non-album single

Soundtrack appearances

List of soundtrack appearances, showing year released, selected chart positions, and name of the album
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
KOR
US World
"Rainbow Falling" 2018 Gangnam Beauty OST. Part 7
"Together" Top Management OST
"Please Remember" (기억해줘요) 2019 Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung OST Part 6
"Love So Fine" 2021 165 13 True Beauty OST Part 8
"Don't Cry, My Love" Under the Oak Tree OST
"Focus On Me" 2022 The Villainess Is a Marionette OST
"Love Sailing" (항해) Decibel OST
"Jealousy" (질투) 2023 A Good Day to Be a Dog OST
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory

Other charted songs

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
KOR
DL
"U&I" (너와 단둘이) 2024 65 Entity
"Fu*king Great Time" 74
"Where am I" 71
"You're the Best" 73

Songwriting credits

All song credits are adapted from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database unless stated otherwise.

Title Year Artist Album Lyricist Composer
"You & Me (Thanks Aroha)" 2017 Astro Winter Dream Yes No
"By Your Side" (너의 뒤에서) 2018 Rise Up Yes No
"Together" Himself Top Management OST Yes No
"Merry-Go-Round (Christmas Edition)" Astro Non-album single Yes No
"Merry-Go-Round" 2019 All Light Yes No
"No, I Don't.." (아니 그래) 2020 Non-album single Yes No
"After Midnight" 2021 Switch On Yes No
"Don't Worry" Yes Yes
"First Love" 2022 Himself Drive to the Starry Road Yes No
"Stay" 2024 Entity Yes No
"Fu*king Great Time" Yes No
"Where Am I" Yes No
"U&I" (너와단둘이) Yes No
"You're The Best" Yes No
"Memories" Yes No

Videography

Music videos

Title Year Director(s) Length Ref.
"Stay" 2024 Sky (Sunny Visual) 4:21
"Where Am I" 4:11

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2014 My Brilliant Life healthy Ah-reum Cameo
2022 Decibel Jeon Tae-ryong

Television series

Year Title Role Ref.
2017 Hit the Top MJ
2018 Gangnam Beauty Do Kyung-seok
2019 Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung Yi Rim (Prince Dowon) / Maehwa
2020–2021 True Beauty Lee Su-ho
2023–2024 A Good Day to Be a Dog Jin Seo-won
2024 Wonderful World Kwon Seon-yul

Web series

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2015 To Be Continued Himself
2016 My Romantic Some Recipe
2017 Sweet Revenge
2018 Top Management Woo Yeon-woo
2019 Soul Plate Angel Raviel
2022–2023 Island John / Yohan / Kang Chan-hyuk Part 1–2
2025 The Wonderfools Lee Woon-jung

Television shows

Year Title Role Ref.
2016 Law of the Jungle in New Caledonia Cast member
2020 Handsome Tigers
2020–2021 Master in the House
2024 Finland Village Life

Web show

Year Title Role Ref.
2018 Dead If Shot Cast member

Hosting

Year Title Notes Ref.
2016–2018 Show! Music Core with Kim Sae-ron, Lee Soo-min and Xiyeon
2017 MBC Gayo Daejejeon with Suho and YoonA
2018 Dream Concert with Yoon Shi-yoon and Seol In-ah
MBC Gayo Daejejeon with Noh Hong Chul, Minho and YoonA
2019 with Jang Sung-kyu and YoonA
2020 Dream Concert with Eunhyuk and Lia
KBS Song Festival with Jung Yun-ho and Shin Ye-eun
SBS Entertainment Awards with Shin Dong-yup and Lee Seung-gi
2021 Dream Concert with Leeteuk and Kim Do-yeon
Seoul International Drama Awards with Park Eun-bin
KBS Song Festival with Kim Seol-hyun and Rowoon
2022 SBS Gayo Daejeon with Key and An Yu-jin
2024 38th Golden Disc Awards with Sung Si-kyung
2025 39th Golden Disc Awards with Sung Si-kyung and Moon Ga-young

Music video appearances

Year Song Title Artist Ref.
2017 "Mysterious" Hello Venus
2018 "You're the Reason" Urban Zakapa
"As I wished"
2020 "Dreamy Alarm" Lee Jin-ah
2024 "Hey Hello" Peder Elias

Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
APAN Music Awards 2020 Entertainer of the Year – Male Cha Eun-woo Nominated
APAN Star Awards 2023 Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Island Nominated
Asia Artist Awards 2018 Rising Star Award Gangnam Beauty Won
2021 Popularity Award - Actor Cha Eun-woo Nominated
Emotive Award - Actor True Beauty Won
2022 Popularity Award - Actor Cha Eun-woo Nominated
Blue Dragon Series Awards 2023 Best New Actor Island Nominated
Popularity Star Award Cha Eun-woo Won
Blue Dragon Awards 2024 Best Actor (Half Year) Won
Brand Customer Loyalty Awards 2021 Best Male Idol-Actor Won
2023 Best Male Idol-Actor Won
2024 Hot Trend Male Actor Won
Brand of the Year Awards 2021 Male Actor of the Year (Idol) Won
2023 Male Actor of the Year (Idol) Won
Indonesian Television Awards 2018 Special Award – Person of the Year Won
iQiyi Entertainment Awards 2019 Most Charming Actor Gangnam Beauty Won
Korea Drama Awards 2018 Best New Actor Won
Hallyu Star Award Won
2024 Excellence Actor Award Wonderful World Nominated
Global Star Award Nominated
Hot Star Award (Male) Nominated
Korea First Brand Awards 2019 Best Male Idol-Actor Award Gangnam Beauty Won
Male Commercial Model Award Cha Eun-woo Won
2024 Best Male Idol-Actor Award (Vietnam) A Good Day to Be a Dog Won
MBC Drama Awards 2019 Excellence Award for an Actor in a Wednesday-Thursday Drama Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung Won
Best Couple Award (with Shin Se-kyung) Won
2023 Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries A Good Day to Be a Dog Nominated
Best Couple Award (with Park Gyu-young) Nominated
MBC Entertainment Awards 2016 Rookie Award in Music / Talk Show – Male Show! Music Core Nominated
2017 Rookie Award in Show / Sitcom – Male Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2023 Global Icon Award Cha Eun-woo Won
MTN Broadcast Advertising Festival 2017 CF Male Star Award Won
SBS Entertainment Awards 2020 Rookie Award Master in the House Won
Seoul International Drama Awards 2024 Outstanding Asian Star - Korean Actor Wonderful World Nominated
Soompi Awards 2019 Breakout Actor Cha Eun-woo Won
Yahoo! Asia Buzz Awards 2018 Most Searched Rookie Actor Gangnam Beauty Won

State and cultural honors

Name of country or organization, year given, and name of honor
Country or organization Award Ceremony Year Honor Or Award Ref.
South Korea Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards 2024 Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendation
Newsis K-Expo Cultural Awards 2020 Seoul Tourism Organization CEO Award

Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement
Publisher Year Listicle Placement Ref.
Forbes 2021 Korea Power Celebrity 40 17th
2024 11th
2023 30 Under 30 5th
Gallup Korea Gallup Korea's Actor of the Year 11th

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Cha Eun-woo para niños

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