Heechul from Super Junior: how singer put troubles behind him to become one of K-pop’s biggest stars
- Despite false starts with boy bands Four Seasons and TraxX, Heechul never lost faith and debuted in 2005 as a member of Super Junior
- Not even a broken leg in a 2006 car accident and, most recently, being targeted by internet trolls, can dim his enthusiasm
From the rigorous training to the intense public scrutiny, the challenges of K-pop fame almost forced one of the scene’s most beloved stars to give up early in his career.
Luckily for fans around the world, Heechul overcame these early bumps in the road to become one of the most distinguished and well-liked stars in the industry. Learn more about the Super Junior star’s journey.
His early life
Kim Hee-chul was born in July, 1983, in Hoengseong in South Korea’s Gangwon province, the younger of two children.
However, both supported his dream of a career in the entertainment industry and backed his attempt at stardom all the way.
After being inspired by watching Gangnam Style singer Psy perform on television, a teenage Heechul attended auditions held by K-pop company SM Entertainment and was taken on as a trainee by the growing K-pop company.
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During his pre-debut years, the future star was considered as a member of a group called Four Seasons, which was cancelled when members Jaejoong and Yunho made their debut with the boy band TVXQ in 2003.
Heechul also trained as a singer for the rock group TraxX, but clashed with company staff over their plans for him to join the group.
He actually left the company and returned home to Gangwon at one point, but – with encouragement from his fellow artists – he returned to training and eventually debuted in 2005 as a member of Super Junior.
His role in Super Junior
In Super Junior, Heechul is a vocalist and rapper, and has written lyrics to several of the group’s hit singles, including 2005’s Show Me Your Love and the trilingual Lo Siento from 2018.
Heechul also is a member of Super Junior subunit Super Junior-T, the “T” standing for trot, which made them the first idol act to embrace the traditional Korean pop music to reach both a younger and older fan demographic.
While Heechul is a key Super Junior member, you may not always see him on stage. In 2006, he was involved in a car accident that left him with a broken leg, forcing him to undergo surgery and have iron rods inserted into his left leg. More than a decade later, he still receives treatment and can no longer dance intensely on stage.
Still, Heechul does his best to support his band, typically taking part in music videos and album photo shoots and can occasionally perform less intricate choreography.
His solo career
Soon after Super Junior’s debut, Heechul’s activities expanded beyond music. His first acting role was in the teen drama Sharp in 2005. The same year saw him make his first variety-show appearance, which helped him break into radio, TV hosting and score major modelling jobs.
Heechul has acted in several TV series, with his role in the highly rated 2007 Korean drama Golden Bride earning wide public recognition. His film debut also came in 2007 in Attack on the Pin-Up Boys, and he lent his voice to the Korean version of the Alvin and the Chipmunks animated remake. In 2008, he entered musicals via a production of Xanadu.
Heechul’s work has crossed international borders. His 2009 drama Loving You a Thousand Times marked the first time a Korean drama was exported to Bulgaria.
In 2011, he officially entered the China market with a role in the Chinese drama Melody of Youth, and later hosted the Korean-Chinese programme With You All the Way in 2015.
The multifaceted star’s solo music career kicked off with the 2009 single First Star, which was included on the soundtrack to Melody of Youth, and grew to include a rock duo M&D with TraxX’s Jungmo, as well as his official K-pop solo debut via the 2019 ballad Old Movie.
His image
Now 15 years in the industry, Heechul is praised as an ideal “idol” who has seen few scandals, and has unwavering speaking skills and a witty, outlandish personality that all have come to be adored by the Korean public.
These traits have led him to be considered one of the best MCs among South Korean idols. After joining the cast of talk show Radio Star in 2010, Heechul was considered to be part of the “next generation of entertainment” by local press.
He has continued to be a top TV star, and was honoured with an award for excellence at the SBS Entertainment Awards in 2019.
Heechul’s high expectations of himself almost saw him quit entertainment entirely when his voice cracked onstage during an early Super Junior performance in 2005 and he received vicious criticism from fans.
In his own words
With success in so many areas, Heechul has admitted he considered leaving the boy band that introduced him to the world.
“I once wanted to leave the team to become an actor,” he admitted during an interview in 2009, before realising that the teamwork and kindness shown by his band mates was something that would keep him there forever.
“But I have to be loyal to the members who treat me so well – Super Junior is my eternal home. I want to live happily singing with the group, acting, doing MC work, and being active in many different areas.”
