02/07/2025
🌟Choi Seung-hyun (T.O.P)
* Birth Name: Choi Seung-hyun
* Known Professionally As: T.O.P
* Born: November 4, 1987, in Songpa District, Seoul, South Korea.
✨️ Family Background: He is the great-nephew of pioneering Korean abstract artist Kim Whanki, and grew up with exposure to art through his family.
✨️ Early Life & Interests: He became interested in hip hop at a young age and was a "neighborhood friend" from middle school with fellow future BigBang member Kwon Ji-yong (G-Dragon), with whom he often danced and rapped. He performed as an underground rapper before joining YG Entertainment.
✨️ Musical Career:
* Debuted as the lead rapper of the boy band BigBang in 2006.
* Given the stage name T.O.P (meaning "the peak") by senior YG artist Seven.
* Also part of the sub-unit GD & TOP.
* Has composing, producing, or writing credits on over 60 known songs.
✨️ Acting Career:
* Made acting debut in 2007 in the TV series I Am Sam, followed by Iris (2009) and the TV movie Nineteen (2009).
* Made film debut with 71: Into the Fire (2010), earning him Best New Actor awards at the 2010 Blue Dragon Film Awards and the 2011 Baeksang Arts Awards.
* Other notable works include Commitment (2013), Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014), and Squid Game Season 2 (2024), where he portrayed Choi Su-bong, also known as "Thanos."
* He prefers to use his stage name when acting, believing it reflects his professional side, but is often billed with his real name with his stage name in parentheses.
✨️ Other Interests: He is known for his hobby of collecting Be@rbrick figures and is noted for supporting emerging artists and collecting contemporary artworks. He also owns a wine business.
✨️ Awards: Amassed over 135 awards across his career.
🌟Im Si-wan
* Birth Name: Im Woong-jae (He legally changed his name to Im Si-wan before his debut.)
* Known Professionally As: Siwan
* Born: December 1, 1988, in Busan, South Korea.
✨️ Education: Attended Busan Gudeok High School, Pusan National University, University of East Broadcasting Arts, and is currently studying at Woosong Information College. He initially tried a mechanical engineering major at Pusan National University.
✨️ Musical Career:
✨️ Recruited by Star Empire as a trainee while attending the Chin Chin Song Festival in Busan.
✨️ Trained for three years as part of a nine-member group called "Children of Empire," which began guerrilla performances in 2009, when he adopted the stage name "Siwan."
✨️ Debuted on January 7, 2010, with the group ZE:A and its sub-group ZE:A Five. ZE:A is known for its dance-pop, pop, and electropop sound.
* Instruments include vocals, guitar, and violin.
✨️ Acting Career:
* His acting career began in 2012 when he joined the cast of Moon Embracing the Sun, playing the young version of Heo Yeom, which propelled him to widespread recognition.
* Best known for starring in the film The Attorney (2013) and the television series Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014), both of which were successful. The Attorney earned him Best New Actor prizes from the Max Movie Awards and Marie Claire Film Awards.
✨️ Gained international recognition for his role in Squid Game Seasons 2 and 3 (2024-2025), where he portrayed Lee Myung-gi (Player 333).
✨️ Other notable films and series include Hell Is Other People, Run On, The Merciless, Boyhood, and Emergency Declaration.
✨️ Military Service: Began mandatory military service in 2017 and was discharged in 2019. He was chosen to be an assistant instructor for new recruits due to his good performance.