Leeteuk

Infobox Musical artist
Name = Leeteuk


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Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Park Jungsu
Alias = Leeteuk
Born = birth date and age|1983|7|1
Died =
Origin = Seoul, Republic of Korea
Instrument = Singing, beatboxing, piano, guitar
Voice_type = Tenor
Genre = K-pop, trot
Occupation = Singer, dancer, actor, television host, MC, DJ
Years_active = 2005–present
Label = SM Entertainment
Associated_acts = SMTown
Super Junior
Super Junior-T
Super Junior-Happy
URL =
Current_members =
Past_members =
Notable_instruments = Infobox Korean name
tablewidth=265
color=khaki
title=Stage name
hangul=이특
hanja=利特
rr=Iteuk
mr=I'tŭk
hangulborn=박정수
hanjaborn=朴正洙
rrborn=Bak Jeongsu
mrborn=Pak Chŏngsu Park Jungsu (born July 1, 1983), better known by his stage name Leeteuk, is a singer, entertainer, and the oldest member and leader of the Korean boy band Super Junior.

Pre-debut years

In 2000, Park was discovered by a talent scout in Myeongdong, South Korea. He was asked to audition for the "Starlight Casting System", which he soon signed a record contract with SM Entertainment that same year. Park made an extremely brief cameo appearance in the MBC Korean drama "All About Eve" in 2000 and was also a brief model for Pepsi. He was then recruited into a five-member boy band, O-Kay, along with future bandmate Donghae by his talent agency, but this idea was dropped.

Music career

2005–present: Super Junior

SM Entertainment's five-member boy band project dropped, and Park joined the company's other boy band project, Super Junior, along with Donghae and ten other trainees under the same company. Park thereafter wanted a stage name similar to Kangta, and thus chose the name Leeteuk, which denotes to "special". As the oldest member of the group, he was chosen to be the leader.

On November 6, 2005, Leeteuk as a part of Super Junior's first generation group, Super Junior 05, officially debuted on SBS's "Popular Songs" performing the group's first single "TWINS (Knock Out)." The group released their full studio album ("SuperJunior05 (TWINS)") a month later, and the album debuted as #3 on the monthly MIAK K-pop album charts.cite news | author= | title=Album Sales of December 2005 | date= | work=Recording Industry Association of Korea | pages=1 | url=http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/kpop_200512.htm | accessdate=2007-10-16 | language=Korean] As the group's second single, "Miracle", came to an end, his talent agency was about to recruit new members for the next Super Junior generation, Super Junior 06, with Leeteuk as the second generation leader. However, plans changed when the company added in a thirteenth member, Kyuhyun, and the company declared that future Super Junior generations were rumors. The group dropped the suffix "05" and became officially Super Junior. The new group hit big after they released their first CD single "U" the following summer in 2006, which became Super Junior's most successful single in the music charts.

In early 2007, SM Entertainment placed Leeteuk in a new six-piece subgroup of Super Junior, Super Junior-T. Different from Super Junior's usual urban music style, the group specializes in singing modernized versions of trot, an old style of Korean pop music. On February 25, 2007, Super Junior-T debuted on "Popular Songs" with their first single, "Rokuko". Super Junior-T released "Rokkugo" on February 23, 2007, and the single ultimately sold 45,998 units by the end of the year, ranking as the sixteenth best-selling record of the year and the first best-selling single of the year. [ko icon MIAK.or.kr. [http://www.miak.or.kr/stat/kpop_200712.htm] Retrieved January 24, 2008.] Super Junior-T ended subgroup activities in the end of the year and in September, Super Junior as a whole released their second official album, "Don't Don", which became the second best-selling album of the year.cite news | author= | title=Super Junior, SG Wananbe first and second place in 2007 album sales | date=2007-12-12 | work=Moneytoday | pages=1 | url=http://star.moneytoday.co.kr/view/stview.php?type=1&no=2007121213453100351 | accessdate=2007-12-12 | language=Korean] In the summer of 2008, Leeteuk returned as a member of Super Junior-Happy, the fourth official Super Junior sub-unit. Their first mini album, "Cooking? Cooking!" was released on June 5, 2008.

Television career

2005–present: Hosting

Since the debut of Super Junior, Leeteuk has been a regular MC for M.NET's "M!Countdown" along with Super Junior members Kang-in and Shindong. However, since late 2006, Eunhyuk replaced Kang-in's position. Due to Super Junior's concert tour schedules and preparations for the new album, Leeteuk, Shindong, and Eunhyuk decided to leave their MC seats, their last day on March 27, 2008. ko icon Newsen.com. [http://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=200803251204521002 Super Junior says goodbye to MC seats after two years and four months] March 25, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2008.] Along with Eunhyuk, Leeteuk is also the DJ for KBS's "Super Junior Kiss the Radio" since August 21, 2006. Starting December 2007, Leeteuk became the host of his own show, "Leeteuk's Love Fighter", a variety show of Leeteuk helping to solve troubled couples' problems.

2006–present: Acting

Leeteuk's first experience of acting was in early 2000, the same year he joined SM Entertainment. His cameo role was a moviegoer in "All About Eve".

Super Junior has made Leeteuk touch more into acting. His first major acting role was in "Mystery 6" (2006), a horror documentary starring the members of Super Junior. Following "Mystery 6", there were the miniseries "Super Junior Mini Drama" (2006) and "Super Junior Unbelievable Story" (2008). Leeteuk was originally going to take a larger part in Super Junior's first film, "Attack on the Pin-Up Boys" (2007), but due to his injury from the April 19 car accident, Leeteuk's role was canceled. However, he appeared in the end of the film's music video as the role of the panda, which was later confirmed that Ryeowook portrayed most of the panda in the film.

Notable events

April 19 car accident

Leeteuk became seriously injured in a car accident at the morning of April 19, 2007 when returning home after a recording of "Super Junior Kiss the Radio." Along with Leeteuk, fellow members Shindong, Eunhyuk, Kyuhyun, and two managers also became victims. Although Shindong and Eunhyuk suffered minor injuries, Leeteuk and Kyuhyun sustained more serious injuries, which required for the two be kept in the hospital for several more days. Leeteuk had glass shards embedded into his back and above his eyes and had a successful surgery of 170 stitches in removing most of them. [ko icon Newsen.com. [http://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?news_uid=131403&search=&searchstring=%B1%E8%C8%F1%C3%B6 SuJu's Leeteuk in critical condition, over 170 stitches] April 24, 2007. Retrieved August 12, 2007.] [zh icon Sina.com. [http://ent.sina.com.cn/s/j/2007-04-27/10071535871.html Super Junior car accident, Leeteuk has over 170 stitches on face] April 27, 2007. Retrieved August 12, 2007.] Leeteuk was discharged from the hospital on April 30, 2007. However, he may still need further surgeries to remove or minimize the scars. Due to Leeteuk's fast recovery, he was in time to do a last-minute performance in Super Junior's debut film, "Attack on the Pin-Up Boys" (2007), playing the panda mascot, who was originally played by Ryeowook.

Cyber controversy

Three months after the car accident on April 19, Leeteuk appeared as a guest on an episode of "School of Rock" on July 30, 2007. Leeteuk falsely stated that Korean figure skater, Kim Yu-Na refused his cyworld invitation. After the program aired, Leeteuk's fans posted over 7,000 comments on Kim's cyworld. Kim's fans counter-attacked Leeteuk's cyworld, posting hateful comments on his cyworld as well. A day later after the incident Kim publicly clarified that she never refused such an invitation. Ultimately, Leeteuk had to post an official apology for the incident and acknowledged that the refusal never occurred. Leeteuk explained that he wanted to make an interesting topic for the television program and did not expect such a negative consequence.en icon Asianbite.com. [http://www.asianbite.com/default.asp?Display=1004/ Fans of Super Junior Attack Again] July 31, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2007.] A hearing was held to discuss the incident on August 9, 2007. The panel held in August 2007 discussed that it is hard to know whether a guest on a show is telling the truth or not, since Leeteuk did not tell the story during a live broadcast. Since the show did not verify the story before it was aired, the show has to take responsibility for the incident to have occurred. Charges were not pressed against Leeteuk. [ko icon Naver.com. [http://news.naver.com/news/read.php?mode=LSD&office_id=001&article_id=0001722054&section_id=106&menu_id=106 Leeteuk's broadcast lie results] August 9, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2007.] Regardless of the clashes, both Kim and Leeteuk became closer and they continued to work together to endorse uniforms for "IVY Club". [en icon Allkpop.com. [http://www.allkpop.com/index.php/news_rumors_full/super_juniors_lee_teuk_think_before_you_speak/ Super Junior’s Lee Teuk: “Think Before You Speak”] Novembe 22, 2007. Retrieved December 12, 2007.]

Discography

Filmography

Film

Disc jockey

References

External links

* [http://www.smtown.com/ SM Entertainment Official Site]
* [http://www.super-junior.co.kr/ Super Junior Official Site]
* [http://www.avex.com.tw/superjunior/ Super Junior Official Avex Site] zh icon
* [http://superjunior-jp.net/ Super Junior Official Japanese Site] jp icon
* [http://t.super-junior.co.kr/ Super Junior-T Official Site]
* [http://superjunior-happy.iple.com/ Super Junior-Happy Official Site]
* [http://mnet.mnet.com/NProgram/fighter/?bidx=fighter Leeteuk Love Fighter Official Site] ko icon
* [http://www.kbs.co.kr/radio/coolfm/kiss/ KBS Super Junior Kiss The Radio Official Site] ko icon
* [http://www.mbcpro.co.kr/mbcproduction/program/program/eve/EVE_main.htm MBC "All About Eve" Official Site] ko icon