Cha Eun-woo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cha Eun-woo
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Cha in March 2025
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| Born |
Lee Dong-min
March 30, 1997 Gunpo, South Korea
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| Education | Sungkyunkwan University (Performing arts) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2014–present |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | Fantagio |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
이동민
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| RR | I Dongmin |
| MR | I Tongmin |
| Stage name | |
| Hangul |
차은우
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| RR | Cha Eunu |
| MR | Ch'a Ŭnu |
| Signature | |
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Lee Dong-min (Hangul: 이동민), known as Cha Eun-woo (Hangul: 차은우), is a South Korean singer and actor. He was born on March 30, 1997. He is a member of the popular South Korean boy band Astro. In 2024, he also started his solo music career with an album called Entity.
Cha Eun-woo began acting in 2014. He is well-known for his main roles in several TV shows. These include Gangnam Beauty (2018), Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung (2019), and True Beauty (2020–2021). He also starred in Island (2022–2023), A Good Day to Be a Dog (2023–2024), and Wonderful World (2024).
Contents
Early Life and School
Cha Eun-woo was born in Gunpo, South Korea. He has a younger brother. He went to Nungnae Elementary School, Suri Middle School, and Suri High School. In 2016, he graduated from Hanlim Multi Art School. He studied performing arts at Sungkyunkwan University.
Career Journey
Starting Out (2013–2015)
Cha Eun-woo was discovered by a talent scout at a festival when he was in middle school. He began his training during his first year of high school.
In 2014, he made his acting debut with a small part in the movie My Brilliant Life. Because of his role, he became a model for a Korean makeup brand called Shara Shara. In 2015, Cha was cast as the main actor in the web-drama To Be Continued.
Astro Debut and Growing Fame (2016–2022)
Cha Eun-woo officially joined the boy band Astro on February 23, 2016. Their first album was called Spring Up. He also appeared on TV shows like Law of the Jungle in New Caledonia. From 2016 to 2018, he was a host for the music show Show! Music Core. He also acted in the web drama My Romantic Some Recipe.
In 2017, Cha acted in the drama Hit the Top and the web drama Sweet Revenge. He also hosted the MBC Gayo Daejejeon music festival from 2017 to 2019. In 2018, he starred in the web drama Top Management. His first main role on TV was in the romantic comedy Gangnam Beauty. This show made him very popular. He was even named one of GQ Korea's "Men of the Year."
In 2019, Cha starred in the historical drama Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung. He played a royal prince who secretly wrote romance novels. He won awards for his acting and for "Best Couple" with his co-star. In April 2020, he joined the TV show Master in the House. He won the Rookie Award at the 2020 SBS Entertainment Awards for his work on the show. In December 2020, he starred in the drama True Beauty, based on a popular webtoon. He played a high school student in this romance drama.
In June 2021, he left Master in the House. He also released a song called "Don't Cry, My Love" for a comic soundtrack. In 2022, he recorded "Focus on Me" for another webtoon soundtrack. He then played a Navy officer in the film Decibel, which came out in November 2022. Later that year, he starred in the drama Island, playing an exorcist priest. On December 30, 2022, his agency, Fantagio, announced that he had renewed his contract with them.
Solo Work and Mainstream Success (2023–Present)
In 2023, Cha Eun-woo starred in the fantasy romance drama A Good Day to Be a Dog, which was based on a webtoon. He also released a remake of the song "Jealousy" for the show's soundtrack. On October 27, 2023, he became the first artist to receive the Global Icon Award at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. This award celebrates artists' global achievements. In December 2023, Fantagio announced his first solo fan concert tour, "Mystery Elevator," for 2024.
In 2024, Cha Eun-woo started his "Mystery Elevator" fan concert tour. On January 9, Fantagio confirmed he would debut as a solo artist. His solo album, Entity, was released on February 15, 2024. The album's main song was "Stay." He performed all the songs from his album for the first time at his Seoul concert. The tour included stops in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, and Indonesia. More concerts were added in Hong Kong, Brazil, and Mexico. An encore tour began in Japan in June 2024 and continued in South Korea in July 2024.
In August 2024, Cha was announced as a cast member for the new TV show Rented in Finland. He also released a digital song called "Hey Hello" with Peder Elias. In November 2024, he was cast in the Netflix comedy series The Wonderfools. He also featured on Lee Seung Gi's 20th anniversary album.
In 2025, Cha Eun-woo led the creation of a tribute song for his former Astro bandmate Moonbin. The song was released on April 19, 2025. He also took on a lead role in the film First Ride. In May 2025, he made a special appearance in IU's music video, "A Beautiful Person." On June 18, 2025, his first virtual reality (VR) concert, "CHA EUN-WOO VR CONCERT: MEMORIES," premiered in 21 cities worldwide. He also held solo fan meetings in Seoul and Japan in July 2025 before his military enlistment.
Other Activities
Brand Deals and Fashion
Cha Eun-woo has worked with many brands. In 2014, he modeled for the cosmetics brand Shara Shara. Over the years, he has been a model or ambassador for shoe brands, clothing brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Burberry, and food brands like Baskin-Robbins and Kellogg's Hershey Choco Crunch. He also worked with tech companies like LG Uplus and Samsung Electronics.
In 2023, he became a brand ambassador for Skechers shoes and Est Cola. He was also named an honorary ambassador for the '2023–2024 Visit Korea Year'. In 2024, he became an ambassador for Cornetto in Southeast Asia and Milo Thailand. He also worked with Sprite and Nescafé. In September 2024, he became the new face of Calvin Klein's Fall 2024 menswear collections. He also became a global ambassador for the luxury jewelry brand Chaumet and the fashion house Saint Laurent. In 2025, he became a model for Shinhan Financial Group's Shinhan Bank and the clothing brand Marithé et François Girbaud.
Helping Others
Since 2016, Cha Eun-woo has been involved in many charity activities. In 2016, he donated his handwriting to a Korean language app, with profits supporting a cultural exchange project. In 2018 and 2023, he took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge to help raise money for a hospital for ALS patients. He donated ₩10 million each time.
In April 2019, he donated ₩10 million to help victims of the Sokcho Fire. In November 2019, he donated ₩10 million to a scholarship fund at his university, which he continues to support with his earnings from advertising. In January 2020, he helped with a campaign where all money raised went to Save the Children Korea. In February 2020, he gave ₩30 million to help people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea. In 2022, he helped raise money for cancer patients and donated profits from his photo exhibition to help those in need.
More recently, in April 2023, he helped raise money in Thailand for sick children. In May 2023, he helped raise more funds for the Children's Hospital Foundation in Thailand. In October 2024, he took part in a breast cancer awareness event and donated personal items to a charity market. All proceeds from this market went to help children and young people in need. In March 2025, he made a large donation of ₩100 million through the Korean Red Cross to help with wildfire recovery efforts in South Korea. This money helped victims with relief supplies and shelter.
Influence and Recognition
Cha Eun-woo is a very influential person. In November 2018, GQ Korea named him one of their Men of the Year. In 2019, K-pop Radar called him the male "Hot Instagrammer."
In April 2021, he was ranked 17th on Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list. He was also the first male star to be on the cover of Harper's Bazaar Hong Kong in October 2021.
In 2022, when he became a model for Liberclassy clothing, the company's website traffic went up by 806%. He is one of the few Korean celebrities, after BTS and Blackpink, to have over 40 million followers on Instagram. He was also named the most influential man in fashion worldwide in 2022 by Lefty.
In February 2023, Forbes included him in their "30 Under 30" list. In December 2023, a survey by Gallup Korea ranked him 11th among TV actors.
In 2024, Forbes Korea Power Celebrity ranked him 11th, making him the highest-ranked actor on their list. He was also ranked third in Gallup Korea's "Favorite Actor in Last Decade" survey, being the youngest actor in the top 10. He was recognized as one of the "30 Most Inspiring People" by Elle Thailand. A South Korean poet and a Brazilian writer have even been inspired by him to create their own works. He was also the male model with the most TV advertising appearances in South Korea in 2024.
In 2025, the wax museum Madame Tussauds included him in their Hot 100 list. He ranked 10th in a survey of "Hallyu Star Actors," being the only actor in his 20s in the top 10.
Characters Inspired by Cha Eun-woo
Cha Eun-woo has inspired characters in Korean movies and TV shows. Yaongyi, the writer of the webtoon True Beauty, said she created the main male character, Lee Su-ho, with Cha Eun-woo in mind. Maggie Kang, the director of the Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters, also shared that Cha Eun-woo was one of the actors who inspired the character Jinu.
Personal Life
In 2021, Cha Eun-woo bought a luxury apartment in Cheongdam-dong.
Military Service
On May 9, 2025, Cha Eun-woo applied to join the military band of the Republic of Korea Army. He was accepted and is confirmed to start his military service on July 28, 2025.
Music Releases
Albums (Extended Plays)
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR |
JPN |
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| Entity | 2 | 15 |
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Songs (Singles)
As the Main Artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR DL |
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| "First Love" | 2022 | 66 | Drive to the Starry Road |
| "Stay" | 2024 | 7 | Entity |
Team-Up Songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR DL |
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| "Hey Hello" (with Peder Elias) |
2024 | 73 | non-album single |
| "Because You're My Woman" (with Lee Seung-gi) |
90 | With | |
| "—" means the song did not chart or was not released there. | |||
Soundtrack Songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOR |
US World |
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| "Rainbow Falling" | 2018 | — | — | Gangnam Beauty OST. Part 7 |
| "Together" | — | — | Top Management OST | |
| "Please Remember" (기억해줘요) | 2019 | — | — | Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung OST Part 6 |
| "Love So Fine" | 2021 | 165 | 13 | True Beauty OST Part 8 |
| "Don't Cry, My Love" | — | — | Under the Oak Tree OST | |
| "Focus On Me" | 2022 | — | — | The Villainess Is a Marionette OST |
| "Love Sailing" (항해) | — | — | Decibel OST | |
| "Jealousy" (질투) | 2023 | — | — | A Good Day to Be a Dog OST |
| "New Love Sailing (JamTune)" (항해) | 2024 | — | — | Decibel OST |
| "—" means the song did not chart or was not released there. | ||||
Other Songs That Charted
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOR DL |
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| "U&I" (너와 단둘이) | 2024 | 65 | Entity |
| "Fu*king Great Time" | 74 | ||
| "Where am I" | 71 | ||
| "You're the Best" | 73 |
Songwriting Contributions
All song credits are from the Korea Music Copyright Association's database.
| Title | Year | Artist | Album | Lyricist | Composer |
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| "You & Me (Thanks Aroha)" | 2017 | Astro | Winter Dream |  |
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| "By Your Side" (너의 뒤에서) | 2018 | Rise Up | |
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| "Together" | Himself | Top Management OST | |
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| "Merry-Go-Round (Christmas Edition)" | Astro | Non-album single | |
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| "Merry-Go-Round" | 2019 | All Light | |
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| "No, I Don't.." (아니 그래) | 2020 | Non-album single | |
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| "After Midnight" | 2021 | Switch On | |
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| "Don't Worry" | |
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| "First Love" | 2022 | Himself | Drive to the Starry Road | |
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| "Stay" | 2024 | Entity | |
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| "Fu*king Great Time" | |
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| "Where Am I" | |
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| "U&I" (너와단둘이) | |
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| "You're The Best" | |
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| "Memories" | |
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| "Moon" (꿈속의 문) | 2025 | Astro | Non-album single | |
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Videos
Music Videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) | Length | Ref. |
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| "Stay" | 2024 | Sky (Sunny Visual) | 4:21 | |
| "Where Am I" | 4:11 |
Acting Roles
Movies
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | My Brilliant Life | Healthy Ah-reum | ||
| 2022 | Decibel | Jeon Tae-ryong | Special appearance | |
| 2025 | Cha Eun-woo VR Concert: Memories | Himself | ||
| First Ride | Yeon-min |
TV Series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Hit the Top | MJ | ||
| 2018 | Gangnam Beauty | Do Kyung-seok | ||
| 2019 | Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung | Yi Rim (Prince Dowon) / Maehwa | ||
| 2020–2021 | True Beauty | Lee Su-ho | ||
| 2022–2023 | Island | John / Yohan / Kang Chan-hyuk | Part 1–2 | |
| 2023–2024 | A Good Day to Be a Dog | Jin Seo-won | ||
| 2024 | Wonderful World | Kwon Seon-yul | ||
| TBA | The Wonderfools | Lee Woon-jung |
Web Series
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
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| 2015 | To Be Continued | Himself | |
| 2016 | My Romantic Some Recipe | ||
| 2017 | Sweet Revenge | ||
| 2018 | Top Management | Woo Yeon-woo | |
| 2019 | Soul Plate | Angel Raviel |
TV Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Law of the Jungle in New Caledonia | Cast member | |
| 2020 | Handsome Tigers | ||
| 2020–2021 | Master in the House | ||
| 2024–2025 | Rented in Finland |
Web Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Dead If Shot | Cast member |
Hosting Gigs
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–2018 | Show! Music Core | with Kim Sae-ron, Lee Soo-min and Xiyeon | |
| 2017 | MBC Gayo Daejejeon | with Suho and YoonA | |
| 2018 | Dream Concert | with Yoon Shi-yoon and Seol In-ah | |
| MBC Gayo Daejejeon | with Noh Hong Chul, Minho and YoonA | ||
| 2019 | with Jang Sung-kyu and YoonA | ||
| 2020 | Dream Concert | with Eunhyuk and Lia | |
| KBS Song Festival | with Jung Yun-ho and Shin Ye-eun | ||
| SBS Entertainment Awards | with Shin Dong-yup and Lee Seung-gi | ||
| 2021 | Dream Concert | with Leeteuk and Kim Do-yeon | |
| Seoul International Drama Awards | with Park Eun-bin | ||
| KBS Song Festival | with Kim Seol-hyun and Rowoon | ||
| 2022 | SBS Gayo Daejeon | with Key and An Yu-jin | |
| 2024 | 38th Golden Disc Awards | with Sung Si-kyung | |
| 2025 | 39th Golden Disc Awards | with Sung Si-kyung and Moon Ga-young |
Music Video Appearances
| Year | Song Title | Artist | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Mysterious" | Hello Venus | |
| 2018 | "You're the Reason" | Urban Zakapa | |
| "As I wished" | |||
| 2020 | "Dreamy Alarm" | Lee Jin-ah | |
| 2025 | "A Beautiful Person" | IU |
Live Performances
Music Festivals
| Event | Date | City | Country | Venue | Performed song(s) | Ref. |
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| KROSS vol.1 – kpop masterz | 2 January 2023 | Nagoya | Japan | Nagoya Dome |
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| KCON Japan | 11 May 2024 | Tokyo | Japan | Zozo Marine Stadium |
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| Waterbomb | 5 July 2024 | Seoul | South Korea | KINTEX |
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Award Shows
| Event | Date | City | Country | Performed song(s) | Ref. |
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| MTV Video Music Awards Japan | 22 November 2023 | Yokohama | Japan |
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| 38th Golden Disc Awards | 6 January 2024 | Jakarta | Indonesia |
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TV Shows and Specials
| Event | Date | City | Country | Performed song(s) | Ref. |
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| The Seasons: Lee Hyo-ri's Red Carpet | 20 February 2024 | Seoul | South Korea |
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Awards and Honors
Awards and Nominations
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| APAN Music Awards | 2020 | Entertainer of the Year (Male) Award | Cha Eun-woo | Nominated | |
| APAN Star Awards | 2023 | Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Island | Nominated | |
| Best Couple Award (with Park Gyu-young) | A Good Day to Be a Dog | Nominated | |||
| 2024 | Best Entertainer Award | Cha Eun-woo | Nominated | ||
| Asia Artist Awards | 2018 | Rising Star Award | Gangnam Beauty | Won | |
| 2021 | Popularity Actor Award | Cha Eun-woo | Nominated | ||
| Emotive Actor Award | True Beauty | Won | |||
| Blue Dragon Ranking Awards | 2024 | Best Actor Award | A Good Day to Be a Dog | Won | |
| 2025 | Wonderful World | Won | |||
| Blue Dragon Series Awards | 2023 | Best New Actor Award | Island | Nominated | |
| Popularity Star Award | Cha Eun-woo | Won | |||
| Brand Customer Loyalty Awards | 2021 | Best Male Idol-Actor Award | Won | ||
| 2023 | Won | ||||
| 2024 | Male Actor Hot Trend Award | Won | |||
| 2025 | Male Advertising Model Award | Won | |||
| Brand of the Year Awards | 2021 | Actor of the Year (Idol) Award | Won | ||
| 2023 | Won | ||||
| 2025 | Male Advertising Model of the Year Award | Pending | |||
| Male Soloist of the Year Award (Vietnam) | Pending | ||||
| Fn New Trend Awards | 2025 | Hot Icon Award | Won | ||
| Indonesian Television Awards | 2018 | Special Award – Person of the Year | Won | ||
| iQiyi Entertainment Awards | Most Charming Actor Award | Gangnam Beauty | Won | ||
| Korea Drama Awards | 2018 | Best New Actor Award | Won | ||
| Hallyu Star Award | Won | ||||
| 2024 | Excellence Actor Award | Wonderful World | Nominated | ||
| Korea First Brand Awards | 2019 | Best Male Idol-Actor Award | Gangnam Beauty | Won | |
| Best Male Commercial Model Award | Cha Eun-woo | Won | |||
| 2024 | Best Male Idol-Actor Award (Vietnam) | A Good Day to Be a Dog | Won | ||
| MBC Drama Awards | 2019 | Excellence Award for an Actor in a Wednesday-Thursday Drama | Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung | Won | |
| Best Couple Award (with Shin Se-kyung) | Won | ||||
| 2023 | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | A Good Day to Be a Dog | Nominated | ||
| Best Couple Award (with Park Gyu-young) | Nominated | ||||
| 2024 | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Wonderful World | Nominated | ||
| MBC Entertainment Awards | 2016 | Rookie Award in Music / Talk Show – Male | Show! Music Core | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Rookie Award in Show / Sitcom – Male | Nominated | |||
| MTV Video Music Awards Japan | 2023 | Global Icon Award | Cha Eun-woo | Won | |
| MTN Broadcast Advertising Festival | 2017 | CF Male Star Award | Won | ||
| 2025 | Viewers Choice Award | Pending | |||
| SBS Entertainment Awards | 2020 | Rookie of the Year Award | Master in the House | Won | |
| Seoul International Drama Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Asian Star – Korean Actor | Wonderful World | Nominated | |
| Soompi Awards | 2019 | Breakout Actor Award | Gangnam Beauty | Won | |
| Best Idol Actor Award | Nominated | ||||
| Best Couple Award (with Im Soo-hyang) | Nominated | ||||
| Top Ten Awards | 2025 | Best Actor Award | Wonderful World | Won | |
| Yahoo! Asia Buzz Awards | 2018 | Most Searched Rookie Actor Award | Gangnam Beauty | Won |
National and Cultural Honors
| Country or organization | Award Ceremony | Year | Honor Or Award | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Korea | Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards | 2024 | Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendation | |
| Newsis K-Expo Cultural Awards | 2020 | Seoul Tourism Organization CEO Award |
Special Lists
| Publisher | Year | Listicle | Placement | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forbes | 2021 | Korea Power Celebrity 40 | 17th | |
| 2024 | 11th | |||
| 2025 | 12th | |||
| 2023 | 30 Under 30 | Placed | ||
| 2025 | Placed | |||
| Gallup Korea | 2023 | Gallup Korea's Television Actor of the Year | 11th | |
| 2024 | 8th | |||
| Gallup Korea's Film Actor of the Year | 18th | |||
| Madame Tussauds | 2025 | Hot 100 | Placed | |
| Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism | Hallyu Star | 10th |
See also
In Spanish: Cha Eun-woo para niños
