Who here hasn’t heard of Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)? After all, the Korean drama was a smash hit and became one of the highest-rated dramas in South Korean cable television history. And even though the show has concluded, Extraordinary Attorney Woo still remains a buzz-worthy topic among K-drama lovers. Actress Park Eun-bin plays the main character Woo Young-woo, an autistic lawyer celebrated for her emotional intelligence and memory. Ahead, we’re giving the spotlight to the actress behind the role to find out why Park Eun-bin is truly unique.
Park Eun-bin’s first brush with the entertainment industry was when she was only five years old. Her debut was as a child model for the Pippy-Pippi children’s clothing catalogue before starring in White Nights 3.98 (1998) which featured actors such as Lee Byung-hun and Lee Jung-jae.
Her journey as a child star was never easy though, “I had to go to school and work at the same time, so I had no time to relax. I never really went out or broke the rules to have fun. That was a little difficult for me at the time.” However, she chose the path herself and “that’s why I had to do everything I could to succeed.”
Many of us would find it difficult to forget her compelling performance as the adept autistic layer Woo Young-woo. However, Park Eun-bin revealed that she was initially hesitant to take on the role. “I was very cautious and afraid that I might create prejudice. I kept wondering ‘Is it OK for me to act this and that?’ Then I found the answer that rather than thinking about acting, I needed to understand how I feel about it first. I added Eun-bin’s sincerity to Young-woo’s sincerity.”
She later worked hard to prepare for the iconic role, which included learning more about autism from a professor. “I didn’t want to imitate the character [as perceived] through the media. In particular, there are four diagnostic criteria for people with autism spectrum disorder and I studied them.”
Since her acting career started in 1998, Park Eun-bin has racked up over 40 acting credits just in television alone. Her first lead role was in the 2012 fantasy romance Operation Proposal opposite Yoo Seung-ho. Since then, Park Eun-bin has clinched multiple acting nominations and awards for her works such as Do You Like Brahms? (2020) and The King’s Affection (2021).
Besides acting, Park Eun-bin has also released two singles. They are both official soundtracks, the first is Story of Little Love for Operation Proposal (2012) and The Blue Night of Jeju Island for Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022).
For three months in 2002, Park Eun-bin became a fixed cast in the Korean comedy show Gag Concert. Her segment, titled Sudaman or “talkative man”, featured her asking Sudaman questions and he would take a long-winded approach to answer her. Watch the 10-year-old’s performance above.
Park Eun-bin once shared that she has the rare Rh-negative A (i.e. A-) blood type, which accounts for only 0.3 percent of the total population in Korea. As a result, the actress has been cautious of her health and safety and takes extra care as it will be difficult for her to find blood transfusions should the need arises.
Park Eun-bin is book smart too. She graduated from Sogang University with a double degree in Psychology and Journalism and Broadcasting. She was undergoing the program while working full-time as an actress too.
There aren’t many people who have crossed the 38th parallel successfully and safely. In 2002, Park Eun-bin was the first civilian to do so as she crossed the demilitarised zone (DMZ) at a ceremony to mark the reopening of a railway line that originally connected the two Koreas. Park Eun-bin added on the Korean variety show Happy Together that her life was in danger as there was a risk of stepping on landmines that hadn’t been cleared.
Park Eun-bin used to take violin and piano lessons when she was younger, but she lost touch with them as she grew older. But to lend authenticity to her role in Do You Like Brahms? (2020) the actress picked up the violin again and spent three months re-learning the instrument in order to deliver a compelling performance in the drama.
We’re used to seeing celebs carrying various luxury handbags with them. But for Park Eun-bin, her bag of choice is a children’s backpack complete with wheels. In a video where she shared what was in her bag, she chose the bag in order to store everything she needs without burdening others. She also chose the design because of its pink floral pink and the fact that the wheels would light up. Find out what she keeps inside by watching the video above.