It was 6:00 a.m. He was supposed to be sleeping since it was Sunday. His mother hates it when he falls asleep during the Mass. He didn't understand why he has to go to church even though they are not in Seoul. His father didn't go. In fact, Dad was already out at the barn, feeding the pigs. That's where he wanted to be too: with the pigs, smelling of sweat and excrement. He couldn't sleep just thinking about it.

He could hear his mom preparing breakfast. Soon, she would take the food to the men working outside. He was going to sneak out and come back before his mom returned.... He got up to change ...

"Oppa, what are you doing?"
Oh, no... "Shhhh! Be quiet! Mom will hear us!"
"Where are you going?"

He sighed. Why do they have to share the same room anyway? He is 10 years her senior, for goodness sake, and they didn't share the same room in Seoul. But he know well that bribing her wouldn't work.

"I'm going to the field. If you want to come with me, you better dress up quickly. And don't make any noise."

After making sure mom was not around, they sneak outside. Once outside, they started running. His sister was calling him, but what the heck... He ran faster, breathing the chilling air of autumn. To avoid the barn, he went up the low hill. From time to time, he turned back to make sure his sister was around. She could be annoying, but nothing could spoil the happiness he feels every time he is on the top: like a bird, looking at the sights below. He feels as happy as he is holding a new-born piggy. He feels like one with nature.

Coming back from his "escapade", he searched around for his sister. However, he couldn't see her anywhere. He called her, but there was no answer. He didn't want any adults to hear him, so he stopped. He ran down the hill, looking for her... There, on top of a huge rock, he saw his sister, sleeping under a tree. She looked so innocent, just like a little angel.

Relieved, he tried waking her up but she wouldn't. He was getting upset, realizing that mom would be back soon. With much effort, he carried her on his back and started running, thinking to himself she's grown so heavy that he has almost tripped. He slowed down, out of breath, saying to himself he still has some time to kill. He could hear his sister talking in her sleep, murmuring, "Oppa please... it hurts..." Oh, no! She was dreaming about "that incident"!

After covering her with a blanket, he smuggled inside on his own, pretending to be asleep, just before his mom come back. His sister continued to mumble nonsense. Wow, how could she sleep so well? But somehow, he didn't realize how tired he is himself. Soon, he took the time machine and travelled back into the land of dreams. All the scenes passed through his mind at a very fast pace, not making much sense. There were all incidents that had happened before his 6th birthday, things he would have forgotten, if his family has not been constanly reminded him.

One day, curious to know how many chick-peas could fit into her sister's nose, he'd convinced her to let him try it. But after the first chick-pea went inside her nose, he couldn't take it out. Somehow, he convinced her not to tell their parents, promising that he would take it out in the morning. She listened to him back then. The problem was that she woke up in the morning crying and with a swollen nose. He has been horrified then, to the big amusement of the doctor...

In another incident, he was watching TV and learned that adults often went to the cash registers and told them, "I'll pay you later." Finding this very insightful, he went inside his favourite store, grabbed some chips and candies and cried, to the astonishment of the store-owner, "I'll pay you later." Mother found this out on her way home, and he learn a good lesson that day. Another day, he saw a toy he longed for the longest time displayed outside the toy store. So, he took it. Knowing his mom was home, he left the toy outside, entered, and after some time he screamed that someone knocked at the door. After opening the door, he told his mother that somebody had just left that toy outside... but he couldn't have fooled her. He had a very memorable beating that day!

Since then, he has some kind of "allergy" towards lying. Right now, even in his sleep, he wonders if he is lying again...

Born in Seoul on August 29th, 1972, he has a normal childhood. His mother is a housewife and a very devoted Catholic. His father worked at a company and always taught him that he is the head of the family. He is a very curious little boy, who is always intrigued at how things are made, breaking up toys in order to re-make it, and asking adults questions they couldn't answer. Still, he wouldn't speak to strangers. And how he hated when someone pulled his cheeks and tried "talking cute" to him! He feels like kicking them!

He has taken a few piano lessons before entering elementary school, but his father made him take up "Tae Kwon Do" instead, saying that piano was for girls. "A man must be tough." Well, his father has sent him to do many other kind of sports which he isn't too thrilled about. He would rather stay at home... He loved to be by himself, reading or even solving hard puzzles.

When he is in 3rd grade at the elementary school, his father had moved to the countryside to open a pigs-barn. The rest of the family visit him every weekend. As the boy is an introvert, he loves it there. But this barn didn't do too well. It went bankrupt by the time he is in 6th grade, forcing the entire family to sell the house and move, switching schools. At the new school, he has gotten into no little fights...

When he was in middle school, he enjoyed studying. He feels each homework like a game, and he is thrilled each time he solves a problem. Sometimes, he would stay up all night doing that. Thus, teachers liked him, but his introverted nature prevailed.

Things changed after he entered High School. He had a crush on a girl who studied at the same library. Instead of studying, he would furtively gaze at her and write "secret letters" and imagined being with her... But before he took the courage to approach her, she disappeared. He never learned her first name. Feeling himself a fool and a coward, he realized being a bookworm was of no help for him. Putting studies aside, he started to "hang out".

He has fooled around during his High School years. Playing sports and even skipping classes periodically, hanging out with peers the adults would not approve of. Acting tough was "cool" too, and he found girls liked that. By his Senior year, he has stolen his first kiss, ready to enter the adult world. But behind that "cool" mask, still lingered his shyness that has always hunt him.

Ever since the bankruptcy, his father has aged fast. Since then, they have not been able to recover financially. As he was graduating from High School, and being the only son, he feels the responsibility of the family upon himself. He applied for the Department of Architecture in Hanyang University, but his years of "fooling around" paid its toll, and he failed. A year later, after staying at a Temple several months in order to study, he tried for law school, but failed again. His mother prayed the rosary daily, mostly worrying for her son. His sister entered music school and is doing her duty as a good daughter. He knows he has to stop being the source of anxiety at home, but by then, he feels studying is not for him. He wanted to do too many things in life. Although his parents couldn't understand him, he feels he should make his own decision.

Then, he has worked in many different places, from being a factory worker to a street peddler. People usually has the wrong impression of him at first, thinking he wouldn't last at the job since he looked too "sheltered". But he is very stubborn and stayed longer than even he wanted... Usually though, the work place would close down, ending in failure. But the greatest reason why he would move on is - he is not satisfied. There should be more in life than this!
That's when he decided to become an actor. Why not? He wanted to do many things in life and what better way can he achieve that than becoming an actor? But deep inside, he knows he isn't too excited about that world. In fact, he is afraid, knowing he didn't like to be under the spotlight, knowing he still feels uncomfortable in large group meetings. But he wants to succeed in life. He wants to earn money and respect. He wants to stop being a burden to his family. After counting and balancing the factors, he decided to "take charge of his destiny."

It took him almost 2 years to get his first role in a TV drama. He was very unprepared for this role, being cast 2 days before the filming started. It came to him so very unexpectedly, he couldn't believe it at first: he was the main character. There was some deliberation going on among the producers and other judges on the day of the audition, but Jeon PD's voice prevailed: He wanted Bae Yong Jun to be Kim Young Min. On that day, the producer Jeon Gi Sang has finally met Bae Yong Jun... and the extraordinary legend is about to begin...

***Explanation:
The above is the combination the numerous articles I've read plus my own interpretation =) I have tried to be as factual as possible. Thus, I didn't "invent" any names I weren't aware of. I would like everyone to contribute and help me in this quest. If you know of anything I have written that contradicts with the truth, please feel free to post it or e-mail to me at lovepriscillausa@aol.com. (If you know the source, that would be even better. Sometimes, I couldn't remember the source either...) One thing I didn't include was his love life. I feel that's too personal (might just mention the little incidents he himself talked about). Thank you. Hope you enjoy it!!!

Reference:
From Korean-drama-forum: "Bae Yong Jun - Biography"
From Star Story (written by BYJ):#3, #4 & 5 (first paragraph) (English translation: #3, #4 & #5 (first paragraph))