Born in Mapo, Seoul, South Korea in 1941. After finishing college and spending some time as a TKD instructor for US military personnel in South Korea, Bobby Kim Woong-gyung took the opportunity to move to the US, where he opened a TKD studio in Washington DC in 1968.

During his time in the US, not only was he a US Air Force TKD instructor but he had contact with fellow Korean, Jhoon Rhee. It was through this relationship that he would come into contact with Bruce Lee Siu-lung, whom he met at a martial arts event held by Rhee in 1969.

It was Bobby's older brother, Kim Hak-gyung, who was already an established screenwriter back in Korea (who would later write the script for Bobby's 1985 movie Manchurian Warrior), that would help to establish Bobby's film career by bringing him to the attention of the Taechang Heung film company in 1974.

Taechang Heung were looking for the next Charles Han Yong-cheol, they wanted someone similar, i.e. a US based TKD expert but someone who looked a bit older. Not only did Bobby fit the description, but to their delight he also had a resemblance to US actor Charles Bronson, who was popular at the time, Bobby would often be referred to as the "Bronson Of Korea".

Taechang Heung wanted Bobby for a ten film contract, but he only signed up for five films. He returned to Korea and began work on his first movie, Richard Park Woo-sang's Mortal Battle (aka Kill The Ninja) release on 15th March 1975.

After his work in Korea ended he returned to the US and went on to work with Richard Park again as the latter had also emigrated to the US. They worked on such films as American Chinatown [1993] and K.K. Family List [1997]. He now lives in Denver, Colorado, USA.

J.J. Hayden [21-Apr-2022]