Yim Si-wan

Biography

Yim Si-wan (Korean: 임시완; born Yim Woong-jae, December 1, 1988) is a South Korean singer and actor. He debuted as a member of the South Korean boy group ZE:A and its sub-group ZE:A Five. As an actor, he is known for starring in the film The Attorney (2013) as well as the television series Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014) and Run On (2020). He gained international recognition for his role in the second and third seasons of Squid Game (2024–2025).

Early life and education

Yim Si-wan was born Yim Woong-jae on December 1, 1988, in Busan, South Korea. He attended Busan Gudeok High School, Pusan National University, University of East Broadcasting Arts, and is currently studying at Woosong Information College. He legally changed his name to the current name before his debut.

2009–2010: Debut with ZE:A

While Yim was attending the Chin Chin Song Festival in Busan, Star Empire recruited him as a trainee. He joined a nine-member group called "Children of Empire", where he trained for three years. In 2009, the group started doing guerrilla performances around the country, when he adopted the stage name "Siwan". On January 7, 2010, the group debuted with their EP, Nativity under the name ZE:A. He is also a member of the sub-unit, ZE:A-Five.

2012–2023: Venture into acting and recognition

Yim joined the cast of the historical drama Moon Embracing the Sun (2012), playing the young version of Heo Yeom. The series surpassed 40% ratings and gained "national drama" status, launching Yim to fame. Later that year, he was cast in the revenge drama Man from the Equator. This was followed by the sitcom Standby (2012) and Drama Special Waiting for Love (2013).
In 2013, he starred in the courtroom drama film The Attorney, playing a young student activist detained and tortured by the police on accusations of being a communist sympathizer. The film was a critical and commercial success, selling more than 11 million tickets to become the 8th best-selling Korean film of all time. He won Best New Actor at the Max Movie Awards and the Marie Claire Film Festival.

Yim returned to television in 2014 and starred in two drama series. In Triangle, he played the youngest of three brothers separated at childhood, who grew up in a cold chaebol household. While in the webtoon adaptation and cable hit drama Misaeng: Incomplete Life, he reprised his role in Incomplete Life: Prequel as a former baduk player who learns to adapt to Korean corporate culture. Misaeng: Incomplete Life was a commercial hit, recorded high viewership ratings with a peak of 8.4%; and was dubbed a "cultural phenomenon". Yim won the Excellence Award in acting at the 4th APAN Star Awards for his performance, as well as Best New Actor awards at the 9th Cable TV Broadcasting Awards and the 51st Baeksang Arts Awards.
Yim then took on his first big-screen leading role in the war drama film A Melody to Remember (2016), playing a good-hearted soldier who is hoping for a miracle even in a desperate situation. He was also cast in the Chinese-South Korean web drama My Catman alongside Chae Soo-bin and Kim Myung-soo.
In a departure from his usual "nice guy" roles, Yim plays a cunning conman in the crime caper movie One Line (2017). He deviated even farther from his clean-cut image in The Merciless (2017), a crime action film where he played an undercover cop who works for a drug-smuggling ring. Yim was invited to the Cannes Film Festival for the first time. The same year, Yim starred in the historical melodrama The King in Love, playing an ambitious crown prince.
In 2019, Yim was cast in the thriller drama Hell Is Other People, based on the webtoon of the same name. This marks his first project after enlistment. The same year, he was cast in the period sports film Boston 1947. In 2020, he was also cast in the disaster film Emergency Declaration. It was invited to the out of competition section of the 74th Cannes Film Festival to be held from 6 to July 17, 2021 and had its world premiere on July 16. It was slated to release theatrically in January 2022, but due to a new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic its release was delayed. It was finally released theatrically in South Korea on August 3, 2022 Yim's acting performance as the bioterrorist on the airplane earnings praise by critics and audience. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 59th Baeksang Arts Awards, 43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards, 58th Grand Bell Awards, 16th Asian Film Awards and won at the 31st Buil Film Awards and Korean Film Producers Association Awards. He also received Buldak Rising Star Award at the London Asian Film Festival.
In 2020, Yim starred in JTBC's romance drama Run On. He also recorded the song "Me and You" for the soundtrack of the series; it was the first time in four years since he had participated in a series' soundtrack. He participated not only in singing but also in writing the lyrics.

In 2022, Yim starred in the Wavve's thriller drama Tracer, which flew under many Korean drama fans' radars when it was released that year. In it, he portrays Hwang Dong-joo, a shameless and harsh former accountant who works for the Korean tax collection services in the government, specifically in the National Tax Service. Yim was nominated for Best Actor at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards, 8th APAN Star Awards, 1st Blue Dragon Series Awards, 13th Korea Drama Awards, Asia Contents Awards and 2022 MBC Drama Awards. He also appeared in the ENA drama Summer Strike.
In 2023, Yim held a fan concert called Yim Si Wan 2023 'Why I Am in Seoul' on February 11. It was revealed that he was cast for the second and third seasons of the hit Netflix series Squid Game. He then starred in the Coupang Play's teen comedy drama Boyhood. He played the role of Jang Byeong-tae, a loner who was mistaken for Buyeo Iljjang on the first day of school. He was nominated for Best Actor at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards.

2025–present: Return to music and new management

On October 13, 2025, it was officially announced that Yim would make his debut as a soloist under SMart, which is an affiliate label of SM Entertainment, marking his return to music. In November 2025, he signed under The Black Label.

Military service

On July 11, 2017, Yim officially began his mandatory military service. He was chosen to be an assistant instructor at the division's recruit training battalion due to his good performance. Yim fulfilled his mandatory military service as an active-duty soldier in the 25th Infantry Division of the Republic of Korea Army from July 11, 2017, until his discharge on March 27, 2019.

Endorsements

On October 30, 2023, Narwal a smart robot vacuum cleaner company announced that Yim would be their brand ambassador, who has the image of a sincere and strict child, as its model for its first campaign advertisement with the message "Narwal who understands me". On April 12, 2024, Nongshim announced that they have selected Yim as the new model for Baeksan mountain bottled water and will launch a new advertisement. A Nongshim official said they chose him because his healthy and lively image goes well with the dynamism of Baeksan, a Yongcheon water from Paektu Mountain that rises on its own and he is an actor who is widely loved by various generations.

Ambassadorship

2012 Honorary Ambassador of Korea Tourism Organization
2012 Brand Ambassador of Tissot Swatch Group Korea
2012 Brand Ambassador of Pret-a-Porter Busan (Busan Fashion Week)
2012 Honorary Ambassador of Woosong University of Informatics
2013 Brand Youth Ambassador of Gyeonggi Province
2014 High Ambassador of Korea International Trade Association
2014 Brand Ambassador of FinTech Financial Technology Group Inc
2023 PR Ambassador for the 2024 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Busan

Philanthropy

On March 4, 2022, Yim donated ₩20 million to the Embassy of Ukraine, Seoul to help Ukrainian victims of Russian invasion, he also booked a 4-bed dormitory in Kiiwu (Kyiv) for about a month, from March 7 to April 4 to help Ukrainian war victims. On August 10, 2022, Yim donated ₩20 million to help those affected by the 2022 South Korea floods through the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association. On February 8, 2023, Yim donated ₩10 million to help 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes through Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association. On July 17, 2023, Yim donated ₩30 million to help those affected by the 2023 South Korea floods through to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association.
On November 3, 2023, Yim donated ₩10 million to build Korea's first Lou Gehrig nursing hospital. He participated in the 2023 Chuncheon Marathon held in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do on the 29th of last month and completed the 10 km course in 45 minutes and 21 seconds. He also joined Sean's pledge to donate ₩1000 per meter and gave ₩10 million to the Seungil Hope Foundation. This donation would be used to build Korea's first Lou Gehrig Care Hospital.