Kim Young-woon (born January 17, 1985), better known by his stage name Kangin (lit. meaning: "strong benevolence"), is a South Korean singer and actor. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Super Junior. In July 2010, Kangin enlisted for mandatory military service and was discharged in April 2012.

Biography

2005: Debut with Super Junior

Kangin officially debut as part of 12-member 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.


2006-2009: Television and acting
After debut with Super Junior, Kangin became a regular on MBC variety show, Image Survival till February 2006. In 2006, Kangin also frequently acts as MC for SM artists such as DBSK and BoA fanmeeting and MC for EBS TV channel. In 2006 and 2007, he also goes on many variety show as guest and sometimes as a regular for a short time such as Love Triangle, KBS Star King, KBS Vitamin and MBC driving school with Leeteuk as regular. Active in television appearances and hosting, Kangin earns the highest salary in Super Junior.

Five days after Super Junior 05's debut performance, Kangin became the MC of Mnet's M!Countdown along with Leeteuk and Shindong. The trio stayed as the hosts throughout the remaining year until Kangin was replaced by Eunhyuk in mid-2006 due to his busy schedule for hosting EBS Reckless Radio and MBC's music program, Show! Music Core. Kangin left Reckless Radio in June 2007 to host MBC's Good Friend Radio with Cho Jungrin. In February 2007, he was placed in the trot-singing Super Junior-T. A year later, he became a member of Super Junior-H. In 2007, he made a guest appearance in the MBC drama Billie Jean, Look At Me. Kangin's silver-screen debut was in the Super Junior film Attack on the Pin-Up Boys, premiered on 26 July 2007. In 2008, Kangin was chosen to take the role of 'Kang Soo' in the Korean language film, Hello, Schoolgirl.

Kangin also became the television host for two of MBC's popular entertainment programs, Sunday Sunday Night Dong-An Club and Nothing is Impossible. For Mnet channel, Kangin starred in 'Band of Brothers 2008' with Heechul, Jay and Jungmo. For MTV channel, in 2008 kangin was a MC for 'Class Up'. In 2008, Kangin was one of 4 MCs for SBS 'Change' variety show. From September 9 to November 9, 2008, Kangin, along with band mate Heechul, debuted as musical actors through the musical, Xanadu. Xanadu was a 1980s musical film starring Gene Kelly and Olivia Newton-John. Xanadu has also been reproduced to a Broadway musical. Heechul and Kangin, along with Choi Sungwon, performed the same character, Sonny, according to their time slot, and auditions and casting picks will be chosen in a process through reality television.

In April 2008, Cho's hosting spot was replaced by Taeyeon. Kangin's last day of hosting the program was on April 19, 2009. From December 2008 to May 2009, Kangin and actress Lee Yoon-ji played as a low-income college couple for the popular MBC reality show We Got Married. This was the first MBC variety show kangin did as a regular after the crisis between MBC variety show producer and SM company regarding Kangin job as host in SBS Super Junior Exploration of Human Body in 2007. In 2009, Kangin with other few Super Junior members hosts television show for charity named 'Miracle'. Kangin was also cast to take the role of 'Hotae' for MBC's cable comedy drama, Romance Zero. With a total of sixteen episodes, the drama ended in late May 2009 with acceptable reviews and ratings.


2010-2011: Military service
On 5 July 2010, Kangin enlisted for his mandatory military service at the Nonsan military camp in Chungcheongnam-do Province, for five weeks of basic training followed by 20 months of active duty with the Republic of Korea Army. He was discharged on 16 April 2012 from the 56th army division in Namyangju-si in Gyeonggi-do. He was met by fellow Super Junior members and fans from Asia and shared his thoughts saying:




“

"This is something I’m feeling for the first time since being born, and more than feeling lighthearted and free right now, I think what’s more important is what’s ahead. I think that now is the time for myself to work so that the hurt that I have caused can have a chance to heal, The first thing I do every morning when I wake up is to look in the mirror. For 21 months, I continued to look at myself in the mirror.Not a real mirror, but I continued to evaluate myself. There were so many things to change for the better, and I realized that there were so many bad habits that I became accustomed to without even knowing it. I focused on changing those kinds of things to the best of my ability,"

”



2012-present: Return to Super Junior
In June, 2012, SM Entertainment announced that Kangin will rejoin Super Junior for the group's sixth album, Sexy, Free & Single which had released on July 1, 2012. This also mark the first time he has appeared with Super Junior in three years since October 2009. On 25 June his teaser photo was released showing a slim downed Kangin with a frosty look and a net-like veil over his head.