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Kim Hee-chul
Heechul Matching Survival.png
Heechul in June 2019
Born (1983-07-10) July 10, 1983 (age 42)
Hoengseong County, Gangwon Province, South Korea
Alma mater Sangji University
Occupation Singer, songwriter, presenter, model, actor, radio host, director
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • drums
Years active 2005–present
Labels
  • SM
  • Label SJ
Korean name
Hangul
김희철
Hanja
金希澈
RR Gim Huicheol
MR Kim Hŭich'ŏl
Signature
Heechul Sign.png

Kim Hee-chul (Hangul: 김희철; born July 10, 1983), known simply as Heechul, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, TV host, and actor. He is a member of the popular K-pop group Super Junior. Heechul has also been part of Super Junior's subgroup Super Junior-T and project groups like Universe Cowards with Min Kyung-hoon and Woojoo Jjokkomi with Lee Soo-geun. He was also in the pop rock duo Kim Heechul & Kim Jungmo.

Heechul started acting in 2005 in the teen drama Sharp 2. He then began hosting radio shows and music programs. In 2006, after his debut with Super Junior, Heechul was in a car accident that injured his left leg. This made it hard for him to do Super Junior's tough dance routines. Since then, he has mostly focused on singing for the group. In 2009, he released his first solo song, "First Star," for a drama soundtrack. He has also written lyrics for Super Junior and other artists. Heechul officially debuted as a solo singer in 2019 with the song "Old Movie."

Heechul became a regular on the TV show Radio Star in 2010, winning an award for "Best Newcomer." He became even more famous as a TV host after appearing on Knowing Bros in 2015 and Weekly Idol in 2016. Since 2019, he has been a regular on reality shows like My Little Old Boy and Delicious Rendezvous, earning several awards for his work.

Life and Career

Early Life and First Steps (1983–2005)

Kim Hee-chul was born in Hoengseong County, Gangwon Province, on July 10, 1983. He has an older sister. Heechul studied English tourism translation and later informatics in college.

In 2002, after seeing singer Psy on TV, Heechul looked for entertainment companies. He found out about SM Entertainment's auditions. He moved to Seoul and, despite getting lost, was allowed to audition because of his good looks. He sang the Korean national anthem and passed. He signed with SM Entertainment in November 2002 and began training in singing, acting, dancing, and hosting.

He was first part of a four-member group called Four Seasons. This group didn't work out, and Heechul later almost debuted with the band TraxX. However, he had disagreements with the company and went back home. With encouragement from friends, he returned to SM. He then joined other trainees to form Super Junior 05, which was the first version of Super Junior.

His first acting role was in the drama Sharp in 2005. He also appeared on the variety show Heroine 6 that year. Heechul also hosted a music show and appeared in his first TV ads for Lotte's Pepero.

Super Junior Debut and Early Activities (2005–2010)

Heechul officially debuted with the 12-member group Super Junior 05 on November 6, 2005. They performed their first song, "Twins (Knock Out)". In 2006, the group added a 13th member, Kyuhyun, and changed their name to just Super Junior. Their song "U" was very popular.

Besides Super Junior, Heechul acted in several TV shows. He had a main role in Rainbow Romance in 2005. He also appeared in Bad Family (2006) and Golden Bride (2007), which helped him gain more fans. Heechul also voiced a character in the Korean version of the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks. He was a radio DJ and co-hosted the music show Inkigayo.

In February 2007, Heechul joined Super Junior's trot music subgroup, Super Junior-T. Their first song, "Rokuko", quickly became number one. This was also his first performance after recovering from his car accident.

Heechul acted in the musical Xanadu in 2008. He also hosted TV shows like 8 vs 1. In 2009, he starred in the drama Loving You a Thousand Times. His first solo song, "First Star," was released as part of the drama's soundtrack. He returned to being a radio DJ in 2010 and became a host for the talk show Radio Star, where he won an award for new TV hosts.

M&D, Military Service, and Return (2011–2015)

150715 희철
Heechul at a press conference in July 2015

In 2011, Heechul formed a project group called M&D with Jungmo from TraxX. They released their first song, "Close Ur Mouth." Heechul wrote the lyrics and directed the music video.

Heechul completed his mandatory military service from September 1, 2011, to August 30, 2013. He worked as a public service worker. During this time, he also hosted an internet radio show.

After his military service, Heechul returned to TV on the debate show Ssulzun in 2013. Super Junior also released their Japanese song "Blue World" in December 2013, which was Heechul's first song with the group after his return. In 2014, he appeared on the reality show We Got Married: Global Edition and the drama Flower Grandpa Investigation Unit.

In 2015, Heechul became a host and cast member on many TV shows, including Wednesday Food Talk, A Style For You, and Knowing Bros. M&D also released their first album, Cottage Industry, with the song "I Wish."

Knowing Bros and New Projects (2016–2018)

11월 9일 채널A '싱데렐라' 제작발표회 현장
Heechul at a press conference in 2016

In 2016, Heechul became a temporary host for Weekly Idol. He also released a song called "Narcissus" with Wheein for SM Station. M&D changed their name to Kim Heechul & Kim Jungmo and released another album, Goody Bag, with the song "Ulsanbawi."

In late 2016, Heechul and Buzz member Min Kyung-hoon formed a duo called Universe Cowards. They released the song "Sweet Dream", which became a huge hit, reaching number one on the music charts. It also won the "Best Rock Song" award in 2017. Heechul also worked with the rock band Eve on the song "Melody."

Heechul's career as a TV host really took off after his appearances on Knowing Bros and Weekly Idol. He started getting more hosting roles on shows like Phantom Singer and Singderella. He continued hosting many popular shows in 2017, including Life Bar and Idol School.

In 2018, Heechul was part of Super Junior's own TV show Super TV. Universe Cowards released another song, "Falling Blossoms", which also won "Best Rock Song" in 2018.

Solo Music and TV Star (2019–Present)

Heechul's first solo digital song, "Old Movie," came out on April 24, 2019. It topped music charts in seven countries. He also held his first solo talk show event, which sold out very quickly. Heechul became a regular cast member on many shows, including My Little Old Boy and Delicious Rendezvous. He also appeared in the 2019 film Hello, My Cat. He won the "Person of the Year" award at the 2019 COSMO Glam Night. Heechul and Lee Soo-geun formed the project group Woojoo Jjokkomi and released a cover of "White Winter." He won an Excellence award at the 2019 SBS Entertainment Awards for his TV work.

In 2020, Heechul continued his TV career on shows like Love of 7.7 Billion and 20th Century Hit Song. He was nominated for "Best Male Variety Performer" at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards. He also won the "Top Excellence Award" at the 2020 SBS Entertainment Awards.

In 2021, he became the main host of shows like Friends and Long Live Independence. He also appeared in Steel Troops. His web drama Recipe for Youth was released in March 2021. In December 2021, Heechul and the My Little Old Boy team won the Grand Prize (Daesang) at the 2021 SBS Entertainment Awards.

From 2022 to 2023, Heechul appeared in several web shows and became a new host for Boss in the Mirror. He also hosted a visual radio show.

Other Activities

Helping Others

Heechul has given money to help people affected by disasters, like the Goseong Fire in 2019. He also donated money from a flea market to help children in Nepal. In March 2020, he donated all his earnings from a TV ad to COVID-19 relief. He also donated profits from another ad to a project for children. In March 2022, he donated 100 million Korean Won to help victims of a large wildfire. In July 2023, he donated 100 million Korean Won to a foundation that works to prevent school violence.

Since 2007, Heechul has been a goodwill ambassador for blood donation with Super Junior. He has also supported campaigns to raise awareness about organ donation and anti-smoking. In 2023, he became a public relations ambassador for The Blue Tree Foundation, an organization against school violence.

Endorsements

Heechul has promoted many different brands. His first solo endorsement was for Lotte's Pepero in 2005. After becoming more famous on Knowing Bros, he got more endorsement offers. He has promoted brands like G-Market, Mistral, Pelicana Chicken, and Dyson. In 2021, he helped launch an eco-friendly toothbrush and toothpaste. In 2022, he and Im Yoon-ah became models for a game called Ragnarok Online Mobile.

Heechul has also been an ambassador for his hometown, Hoengseong County, and for the 1st Seoul Comic-Con 2017. He was also an honorary tourism ambassador for Hoengseong beef in Hong Kong. In 2021, he was appointed as a public relations ambassador for Wonju.

Gaming: League of Legends

Heechul is a big fan of the video game League of Legends, which is very popular in South Korea. He is a high-level player. He has appeared as a special commentator and guest player on TV shows about the game. In 2015, he played in a special match against professional gamers.

In 2016, he attended the League of Legends Pro League 5th Anniversary in China and played in a celebrity showmatch. He also commented on the LoL World Championship. In November 2016, Heechul played in SM Entertainment's 2016 SM Super Idol League with other celebrities and fans.

In June 2020, Heechul became part of a group that invested in a sports business team for League of Legends Champions Korea. He and other celebrities became directors, sharing ideas on how to build the team's brand and connect with fans.

YouTube Channel

Heechul started his YouTube channel, "HEEtube 김희철," on November 18, 2018. He held his first live gaming stream in December 2018. He received a silver play button from YouTube in April 2019 for having over 100,000 subscribers.

Personal Life

Car Accident and Recovery

On August 10, 2006, Heechul was in a car accident while traveling back to Seoul. His car's tires had a problem. Heechul broke his left leg and needed surgery to insert metal rods. He also had other injuries, including a cut on his tongue.

He was told to rest for twelve weeks. He left the hospital in September 2006 but continued to get treatment. He had another surgery in October to remove some of the metal rods. He briefly returned to work in a cast and wheelchair. He made his full comeback performance in November 2006. The remaining rods in his leg were removed in 2008.

Impact of the Accident

Heechul still receives treatment for his leg. Because of the injury, he can no longer perform Super Junior's difficult dance routines on stage. He often appears for only parts of songs or focuses on singing. He performed regularly until 2017, despite his leg condition. In March 2018, it was announced that he would not participate in dance performances for Super Junior's album Replay, but would still be part of other promotions. He later decided not to participate in performances for the group's mini-album One More Time to focus on his health.

In August 2019, his agency confirmed that Heechul would not perform on stage for Super Junior's ninth album Time Slip or the Super Show 8 concert. However, he would still be included in the album and appear in Super Junior's TV shows. In March 2020, the agency clarified that even if he can't perform on stage, he still records for Super Junior albums and participates in photoshoots and music video filming. In January 2025, Heechul shared that he has a disability related to his leg injury.

Discography

Singles

As Lead Artist

Title Year Album
"옛날 사람 (Old Movie)" 2019 Non-album single

Collaborations

Title Year Peak chart positions Sales Album
KOR
Gaon
Hot
"The Way An Idol Breaks Up"
(with. Krystal Jung)
2010 N/A Super Junior The 3rd Asia Tour Concert Album:
Super Show 3
"Breakups Are So Like Me"
(with. Kim Jang-hoon)
2011 33 55 KOR: 418,554+ Non-album single
"Sweet Dream"
(with. Min Kyung-hoon)
2016 1 * KOR: 938,837+ SM Station Season 1
"Charm of Life"
(with. Shindong, Eunhyuk, and Solar)
2017 N/A SM Station Season 2
"Falling Blossoms"
(with. Min Kyung-hoon)
2018 15 14 Non-album single
"White Winter"
(with. Lee Soo-geun)
2019 SM Station X 4 LOVEs for Winter
"Hanryang"
(with. Min Kyung Hoon, feat. BIBI, and Prod. DinDin)
2020 190 72 Non-album single
"SsakSsakYi"
(with. Knowing Bros Casts)
2021 Knowing Brother's Children's Song Project
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.
"*" denotes the chart did not exist at that time.

Promotional Singles

Title Year Peak chart positions Sales Album
KOR Gaon
"You Are A Miracle"
(featuring Various Artists)
2013 32
  • KOR: 53,496+
Non-album single
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that region.

As Featured Artist

Title Year Album Ref.
"Barbie Girl"
(Jessica featuring Heechul)
2010 Girls' Generation 1st Asia Tour: Into the New World
"King Wang Zzang"
(Defconn featuring Heechul)
King Wang Zzang
"Melody"
(Eve featuring Heechul)
2016 Romantic Show

Soundtrack

Title Year Album Ref.
"Can It Be Love?"
(Kim Hyung-joong [ko] featuring Cast of Rainbow Romance)
2006 Rainbow Romance OST
"A Family"
(Go Hyun Wook featuring Cast of Bad Family)
Bad Family OST
"Don't Walk Away"
(with. Kim Seong-gi, Hong Ji Min, Kim Hee-won)
2008 Xanadu OST
"First Star" 2009 Loving You a Thousand Times OST

Music Credits

Filmography

List of Present Programs

Title Year Role Notes Ref.
Knowing Bros 2015–present Cast member
My Little Old Boy 2019–present Episodes 153–present
20th Century Hit Song 2020–present Host

Awards and Honors

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Kim Hee-chul para niños

  • Super Junior discography
  • Super Junior filmography
  • List of awards and nominations received by Super Junior
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