Cha Seung-won, from model to top star

"List of Names" mentionedCha Seung-won's past.

Cha Seung-woncame third in place of a list of stars who made their own fortunes.

Cha Seung-wonbecame a celebrity to overcome poverty. He became a model at an audition that he accompanied his friend to. However, the modeling job wasn't enough to make a living. He had become the breadwinner at a young age, and for 3 years of his honeymoon period, the couple lived in an underground room full of humidity.

In an interview,Cha Seung-wonsaid, "I didn't have the financial luxury to try anything. I studied fashion in a shabby book store". Then the IMF hit after he became a top model soCha Seung-wondecided to become an actor. He settled as an actor in movies and dramas and now he's even famous for a TV show. He's currently modeling for 13 clothing brands and now earns over 10 billion won a year.