One of the most selective actors in the Korean entertainment industry, he has starred in only five films to date, Guns & Talks, Taegukgi, My Brother, Mother and The Man from Nowhere.

[10][11] Won Bin was born and raised in Jeongseon County in Gangwon Province, South Korea.

[citation needed] In November 1995, a cable television station was looking to recruit and hire new actors; Won Bin applied and was accepted in his last semester of high school.

[citation needed] Won Bin made his screen debut with a supporting role in the 1997 drama film Propose.

In 1999, Won Bin returned to the screen with a lead role in drama Kwangki from which he was recognized as a promising young actor and a teen heartthrob.

In 2002, Won Bin was involved in the first South Korean and Japanese joint production drama Friends.

Won Bin also had roles in several popular films, including Guns & Talks and My Brother, but it was his portrayal of the sensitive younger brother in the blockbuster war film Taegukgi (2004) that showcased his acting abilities for an overseas audience and cemented his stardom internationally.

[25][26] In 2001, Won Bin became an exclusive model for Nadri Cosmetics, participating in a commercial video alongside korean singer Park Ji-yoon.

Bobby said in the lyrics of his rap verse on Masta Wu's single Come Here, "실력이 외모면 난 방탄 유리 앞에 원빈."

)[35] Won Bin's character in The Man from Nowhere was referenced by Krystal Jung in the 2013 drama The Heirs, as well as by iKON's B.I in the lyrics of his song with co-member Bobby, Anthem wherein he said, "날고 기어도 다 씹어 먹어줄게 Call me 아저씨."

)[36] In the 2015 Korean drama Kill Me, Heal Me, the character of Park Seo-joon, Oh Ri-on, told Secretary Ahn that the elusive Writer Omega's looks were rumored to be "on the Won Bin level."