Born and raised in Busan, Wooyoung enjoyed dancing from a young age but was forced to hide his interest from his father, who had strongly disapproved of his ambitions to become a dancer due to the lack of job stability.

In 2007, he secretly applied for JYP Entertainment's first open audition and uploaded clips himself dancing on the website mgoon, an early domestic predecessor of YouTube.

[4] He was one of thirteen male trainees chosen to participate in Hot Blooded Men, a survival program that would eventually form the groups 2AM and 2PM.

On June 9, 2014, Wooyoung released two duets: "Two Hands Clasped" with Park Se-young,[11][unreliable source?]

On March 4, 2015, he made his solo debut in Japan with the single R.O.S.E, preceded by a tour of concerts in Tokyo, Osaka, and Aichi in February.

In 2017, he released two extended plays in Japan: Party Shots in April and Mada boku wa... in October.

Wooyoung, along with fellow 2PM member Taecyeon, hosted SBS's music show Inkigayo from July 2009[15][unreliable source?]

[18] Wooyoung debuted as an actor in the 2011 KBS drama series Dream High, in which he played the role of Jason, a Korean-American.

After his drama debut in Dream High, Wooyoung expressed a desire to continue acting while maintaining a musical career.

A representative for JYP Entertainment noted the future opportunities, saying "We're planning to continue Wooyoung's acting career when he receives another great project.

He was worried before Dream High began filming and often wondered whether he'd be able to act, but we believe that he's gained a lot of confidence since then.

In September 2011, Wooyoung and Dream High co-star Suzy made a cameo appearance in the KBS Drama Special Human Casino.

"[23] Wooyoung trained actress Kim Gyu-ri for her performance on MBC's Dancing With the Stars in July 2011.