Self-confidence obtained from diet

I spend a lot of time on sitting down. For this reason, I can easily gain weight compared to others. I was exactly like that when I was 21. I was originally fleshy at that time. As I joined many drinking parties and loved delivery food after becoming an adult, I naturally gained weight. I started losing weight because I felt sorry to my friends. Whenever using bars without elevator or visiting MT places without perfect facilities, I felt that the friends who carried me on their backs found it tougher than before. 
During the summer vacation of the second year, I succeeded in diet through extreme fast. After saving money from delivery food, I got hold of 300,000 won. I spent the money on clothing in shopping platform. 

One day, one of my close friends gave me a ticket of fashion show. On that day of fashion show, I tried to make myself look the best to participate in the event of fashion week. The genre was street fashion. Until the show began, I was waiting outside of plaza. I was the only one sitting in a wheelchair while other models were standing and posing for cameras. The soleness must be unique. On that day, more than 15 photographers took photos of me. The continuous sound of camera shutter seemed to be joyful rather than burdensome to me. 

Should I become a model?

At that time, I got to know that many models and photographers would work together on portfolio for mutually-free. The first snap shot was done with a high school photographer who wanted to apply for the Dept. of Photography. It was a sponsored snap shop of street fashion hooded t-shirt taken in Insa-dong street. Fortunately, the weather was beautiful. I immediately got close to the people who worked together, so the first work was left as a happy memory. As soon as I uploaded the photos received from the photographer on my SNS, the responses were successful as the first work. Most of all, the CEO of fashion brand who sponsored clothing was really satisfied with the photos. As the work photos got accumulated, my SNS became a portfolio as a ‘disabled model’. 

What about working as an actor as well?

I also received an offer of actor. It was a lead role of an episode ‘Cinephile’ in an omnibus film handling disabilities. Everything like the first shooting schedule I received, script, monitor that could be checked in real time, and slate for cut editing, seemed to be amazing. 
In case of YouTube advertisement by the Seoul Tourism Organization, the concept was barrier-free trip to Seoul with great accessibility in wheelchairs. Next to a staircase, there is a slope for wheelchairs or strollers while every building is equipped with toilet for the disabled. 
In the performance supervised by the Korea Disabled Artist Association performed in the Culture & Art Festival for the Disabled of last year, I acted the lead role, which was very popular. This performance was performed again in the ceremony for the day of persons with disabilities in April 2023, which was broadcasted live in the whole nation through KBS 1TV. 

I want to be a model who can make my own voice.

Recently, I like to pose in front of cameras. For this reason, all the jobs like model, actor, and entertainer seem to be attractive, but I want to concentrate more on model for now. As an opportunity for me to be able to pose in front of cameras, the media like clothing and photograph are more attractive to me. As I still need to introduce myself to more people, I tend to participate in every work if my schedule allows. But I reject the works that cast me because they simply need a disabled person. I want to be in works that need Kim Jongwook, instead of a disabled person. 

Kim Jongwook
Digital advertisement by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism 
Play  
‘Cinephile’ in a short film and etc.