Ryeowook was discovered through the CMB Youth ChinChin Festival in 2004 and signed a contract with SM Entertainment soon afterwards after impressing judges with his singing talent. Trained in areas of singing, dancing, and acting, Ryeowook placed particular efforts into his vocal training and music composition. He plays piano, and play accompaniment for fellow members during their solo stages at their concerts.
Before Kyuhyun was added in 2006, Ryeowook was the last to join Super Junior several weeks before their official debut in 2005. Having undergone only two months of training, Ryeowook's late addition was rumored to be a replacement of a previous SM trainee that was supposed to debut as a member of Super Junior 05, the first generation of Super Junior.
[edit]2005: Debut with Super Junior
See also: Super Junior
Ryeowook officially debut as part of 12-member project group Super Junior 05 on 6 November 2005 on SBS's music programme Popular Songs, performing their first single, "Twins (Knock Out)".[3][4] Their debut album SuperJunior05 (Twins) was released a month later on 5 December 2005 and debuted at #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.[5]
In March 2006, SM Entertainment began to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation. However, plans changed and the company declared a halt in forming future Super Junior generations. Following the addition of thirteenth member Kyuhyun, the group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially credited as Super Junior.[6] The re-polished group's first CD single "U" was released on 7 June 2006, which was their most successful single until the release of "Sorry, Sorry" in March 2009.[7] In the fall of 2007, the group released their second official album, Don't Don, which became Super Junior's best-selling album and Korea's second best-selling album of the year.[8]
[edit]2006-2008: "U" Single, Sub-group, Acting, Don't Don, SJM
In late 2006, Ryeowook became a member of Super Junior's first subgroup, Super Junior-K.R.Y. The trio debuted on November 5, 2006 on KBS's Music Bank.[9] Ryeowook made his acting debut in 2007, in the film, Attack on the Pin-Up Boys, a high-school comedy/mystery film, in which he plays the eccentric vice president of the student council. .[10] He was nominated Best Supporting Actor and Best Comedic Performance at the Korean Movie Awards.
In April 2008, he was put into seven-member sub-group Super Junior-M, a Mandopop subgroup of Super Junior for the Chinese music industry. They debuted in China at the 8th Annual Music Chart Awards, simultaneously with the release of their first music video, "U" on 8 April 2008. This was followed by the release of the debut Chinese-language studio album, Me in selected provinces in China on 23 April and 2 May in Tawain.[11]
Ryeowook's first composition to be officially released was "Love U More", in the repackaged Sorry, Sorry Version C. He co-wrote the lyrics with fellow Super Junior member Sungmin. Ryeowook is also credited for musical arrangement in the liner notes of the album.
[edit]2009-2011: Sorry Sorry, Bonamana, Mr. Simple
Ryeowook is featured in K.Will's 2009 song "Dropping the Tears". He is also the first member of Super Junior to sing a solo track included in their album, "One Fine Spring Day" was released inBonamana.
Ryeowook made his musical theatre debut in Temptation of Wolves alongside Park Hyung Sik of ZE:A and Lim Jeong Hee. It ran from 14 July to 30 October 2011 at the COEX Artium.[12]
On 24 February 2012, Ryeowook graduated from Inha University with a major in theater and film studies.[13] On 16 and 23 June, following the footsteps of band mates Yesung and Kyuhyun, Ryeowook joined KBS's Immortal Song 2 with Sunggyu of Infinite, where singers render their own versions of songs from music legends and winners are selected by voting.[14] He took first place in the 11 August episode where singers Lee Sang-woo and Lee Sang-eun were guests.[15] He recorded his last episode on 16 August, which was broadcast on 25 August.[16]
[edit]2012-present: Comeback with Super Junior
In June 2012, Ryeowook reunited with his Super Junior band mates for their sixth studio album, Sexy, Free & Single for released on 4 July. On 23 June Ryeowook's teaser photo was released showing him with red hair and feathers. He also showed up on Saturday Night Live and star life theater along with Super Junior.
