Lee Jong-suk (, born 14 September 1989) is a South Korean actor and model. He debuted in 2005 as a runway model, becoming the youngest male model ever to participate in Seoul Fashion Week. Lee's breakthrough role was in ''
School 2013
''School 2013'' () is a 2012 South Korean television series starring Jang Nara, Choi Daniel, Lee Jong-suk, Park Se-young and Kim Woo-bin. The teen drama depicts the struggles and dilemmas that modern-day Korean youth face, such as bullying, stude ...
'' (2012). He is also well known for his roles in ''
I Can Hear Your Voice
''I Can Hear Your Voice'' () is a 2013 South Korean television series starring Lee Bo-young, Lee Jong-suk, Yoon Sang-hyun, and Lee Da-hee. It aired on SBS from June 5 to August 1, 2013, on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 18 episodes.
Or ...
'' (2013), ''
Doctor Stranger
''Doctor Stranger'' () is a 2014 South Korean television series starring Lee Jong-suk, Jin Se-yeon, Park Hae-jin and Kang So-Ra. It aired on SBS from May 5 to July 8, 2014 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 KST (UTC+9) for 20 episodes.
Synopsis ...
'' (2014), ''
Pinocchio
Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...
'' (2014), ''
W'' (2016), ''
While You Were Sleeping'' (2017), ''
Romance Is a Bonus Book
''Romance Is a Bonus Book'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series starring Lee Na-young and Lee Jong-suk. It aired from January 26 to March 17, 2019 on tvN.
Synopsis
Cha Eun-ho is a successful author and a chief editor at a book publishing ...
'' (2019), and ''
Big Mouth'' (2022).
Education
Lee majored in Professional Motion Pictures and Art at
Konkuk University
Konkuk University () is a South Korean private university founded in 1946. The university was founded based on three virtues: sincerity, fidelity, and righteousness.
Konkuk University gives comprehensive education in agricultural and life scien ...
and graduated from the university in 2016.
Career
2005–2010: Beginnings
At 15, Lee began his modelling career at the
Seoul Collection walkway in 2005, making him the youngest male model to debut in the Seoul Collection program at Seoul Fashion Week. Since then, he has walked in a number of fashion shows.
Lee trained as an idol group member for three months, and had signed on with an agency to debut. However, he quit after the agency broke their promise of debuting him as an actor. He took part in a selection for actors at
SBS TV station when he was in middle school.
In 2010, Lee made his official acting debut in the South Korean TV series ''
Prosecutor Princess
''Prosecutor Princess'' () is a 2010 South Korean television series starring Kim So-yeon, Park Si-hoo, Han Jung-soo and Choi Song-hyun. It aired on SBS from March 31 to May 20, 2010 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 16 episodes.
Plot
Afte ...
''. He also made his big-screen debut in the horror movie ''Ghost''.
2011–2013: Rising popularity and breakthrough
Lee started to gain recognition following his supporting role in the hit drama ''
Secret Garden'' where he played a talented young composer with a surly attitude and a forbidden crush on the second male lead.
In 2011, he appeared in
MBC's sitcom ''
High Kick Season 3'' where he gained further popularity.
Lee also co-starred in the film ''
R2B: Return to Base'' in 2012, a loose remake of the critically acclaimed 1986 film ''
Top Gun
''Top Gun'' is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by an a ...
''.
![Lee Jong-suk at the 2013 Vogue Fashion's Night Out03](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Lee_Jong-suk_at_the_2013_Vogue_Fashion%27s_Night_Out03.jpg)
Lee's breakout role came as a high school student in the teen drama ''
School 2013
''School 2013'' () is a 2012 South Korean television series starring Jang Nara, Choi Daniel, Lee Jong-suk, Park Se-young and Kim Woo-bin. The teen drama depicts the struggles and dilemmas that modern-day Korean youth face, such as bullying, stude ...
''.
He received his first acting award for the role at the 2012
KBS Drama Awards
The KBS Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony presented by the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) for outstanding achievements in Korean dramas aired on its network. It is held annually on 31 December. The highest honor of the ceremony is the "Gra ...
under the category Best New Actor.
He also ranked fifth according to a survey entitled 'Actors Who Lit Up 2013' by
Gallup Korea
Gallup Korea () or Gallup Korea Research Institute () is a South Korean research company. Founded by Park Moo-ik in 1974, the company became a member of Gallup International Association in 1997. It is best known for conducting public surveys on ...
.
Following the success of ''School 2013'', Lee starred in the critically acclaimed drama series ''
I Can Hear Your Voice
''I Can Hear Your Voice'' () is a 2013 South Korean television series starring Lee Bo-young, Lee Jong-suk, Yoon Sang-hyun, and Lee Da-hee. It aired on SBS from June 5 to August 1, 2013, on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 18 episodes.
Or ...
'' with
Lee Bo-young
Lee Bo-young (; born January 12, 1979) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for starring in the television dramas ''My Daughter Seo-young'' (2012), ''I Can Hear Your Voice'' (2013), ''Whisper'' (2017), ''Mother'' (2018), ''When My Love ...
. He played Park Soo-ha, an intelligent young man who can read minds.
Originally slated for 16 episodes, the drama was extended by two episodes due to its successful ratings. He received the Excellence Award in the male category at the
Korea Drama Awards
The Korea Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony for excellence in television in South Korea. It was established in 2007, and is held annually in October in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province as the official main event of the annual Korea Drama Fe ...
for his performance.
Lee then starred in the sports film ''
No Breathing'' and had a supporting role in the box office hit ''
The Face Reader
''The Face Reader'' (; lit. "Physiognomy") is a 2013 South Korean film starring Song Kang-ho as the son of a disgraced noble family who goes around Joseon and a ''gwansang'' expert. He is able to assess the personality, mental state and habits of ...
''.
2014–present: Mainstream popularity
![160718 한효주 이종석 W 제작발표회 (3)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/160718_%ED%95%9C%ED%9A%A8%EC%A3%BC_%EC%9D%B4%EC%A2%85%EC%84%9D_W_%EC%A0%9C%EC%9E%91%EB%B0%9C%ED%91%9C%ED%9A%8C_%283%29.jpg)
In 2014, he starred in teen romantic comedy ''
Hot Young Bloods
''Hot Young Bloods'' (; lit. ''Blood Boiling Youth'') is a 2014 South Korean teen film, teen romantic comedy film that depicts the loves, rivalries, and friendships between four high school students in Hongseong County, South Chungcheong Province ...
'', playing a cheesy womanizer.
Lee then starred in hit medical drama ''
Doctor Stranger
''Doctor Stranger'' () is a 2014 South Korean television series starring Lee Jong-suk, Jin Se-yeon, Park Hae-jin and Kang So-Ra. It aired on SBS from May 5 to July 8, 2014 on Mondays and Tuesdays at 21:55 KST (UTC+9) for 20 episodes.
Synopsis ...
'', playing a North Korean defector who works as a doctor in South Korea.
The drama was a success in China, gaining 400 million views.
Lee next starred in ''
Pinocchio
Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...
'' opposite actress
Park Shin-hye
Park Shin-hye (, born February 18, 1990) is a South Korean actress and singer. She gained recognition as a child on TV shows such as ''Stairway to Heaven'' (2003), and ''Tree of Heaven'' (2006). Later on, she would achieve further success when ...
, and played the protagonist Choi Dal-po, a first year reporter at a broadcasting company who struggles with the idea of justice and truth in a world where everyone wants to hide the facts.
''Pinocchio'' was another hit, with a reported revenue of 6.2 billion won (US$5.62 million) for broadcasting rights in just one year.
Lee's performances in the dramas ''Doctor Stranger'' and ''Pinocchio'' earned him acting accolades, including the Male Top Excellence Award at the
8th Korea Drama Awards
The 8th Korea Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony for excellence in television in South Korea. It was held at the Gyeongnam Culture and Art Center in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province on October 9, 2015. The nominees were chosen from Korean drama ...
.
He also became the youngest actor to win the Best Actor award at the 27th
Grimae Awards
Grimae Awards is an awards ceremony held annually by the Korean Television Producers Association since 1993. The award aims to promote the development of innovative visuals due to the phenomenon of media convergence both inside and outside th ...
, chosen by television cinematographers.
Lee then embarked on an Asia fan-meeting tour, and released a photobook titled ''2014-2015 Asia Tour Story ~With~'', comprising photos taken of Lee's meetings with fans in seven Asian cities during the nine-month tour. Lee was also cast in his first Chinese drama entitled ''Jade Lovers'' alongside actress
Zheng Shuang. The drama, filmed in Shanghai, is described as a fantasy romance series set in the 1930s.
Due to Lee's success in China, a wax figure of him went on display in Hong Kong's
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds (, ) is a wax museum founded in 1835 by French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud in London, spawning similar museums in major cities around the world. While it used to be spelled as "Madame Tussaud's"; the apostrophe is no longer us ...
, which the actor unveiled himself in a ceremony.
In December 2015, Lee left his previous agency
Wellmade Yedang
Imagine Asia (; formerly known Wellmade Yedang), is a South Korean entertainment company established in 1976. The company operates as a talent agency, television production company, event management, concert production company, and music publishi ...
and signed an exclusive contract with
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production compa ...
on 10 May 2016.
In July 2016, Lee returned to the Korean small screen with
MBC's fantasy thriller ''
W'' alongside
Han Hyo-joo
Han Hyo-joo (Korean: 한효주; born February 22, 1987) is a South Korean film and television actress, model and singer. She is best known for her leading roles in television series such as ''Heaven & Earth'' (2007), '' Iljimae'' (2008), ''Brill ...
.
The drama topped popularity charts in Korea and Lee won the ''Daesang'' (Grand Prize) at the year-end
MBC Drama Awards
The MBC Drama Awards () is an awards ceremony presented by Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) for outstanding achievements in Korean dramas aired on its network. It is held annually in December.
Unlike its counterparts in KBS and SBS, MBC ...
.
The same year, he co-starred in the promotional web drama ''
First Seven Kisses
''7 First Kisses'' () is a South Korean promotional web series produced for Lotte Duty Free Shop. It aired online through Naver TV Cast and YouTube every Monday and Thursday at 10:00 ( KST) from December 5, 2016, to January 5, 2017.
Synopsis
Mi ...
'' for Lotte Duty Free.
In 2017, Lee starred in the crime film
''VIP'', marking his first lead role as a villain.
Lee then starred in the supernatural-procedural drama
''While You Were Sleeping'' alongside
Bae Suzy
Bae Su-ji (; born October 10, 1994), better known as Bae Suzy, is a South Korean singer, actress and model. She was a member of the girl group Miss A under JYP Entertainment. She made her debut as an actress with television series ''Dream High ...
in September.
In July of the same year, Lee was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for Korean tourism by the Korea Tourism Organization. The organization also released promotional videos featuring the actor, titled "8 Episodes of Korea", which focused on tourist spots in 10 different regions including
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Jeju and
Gyeongju
Gyeongju ( ko, 경주, ), historically known as ''Seorabeol'' ( ko, 서라벌, ), is a coastal city in the far southeastern corner of North Gyeongsang Province in South Korea. It is the second largest city by area in the province after Andong, ...
.
In 2018, Lee was cast in the three-episode drama ''
The Hymn of Death
''The Hymn of Death'' () is a 2018 South Korean television miniseries based on true events, starring Lee Jong-suk and Shin Hye-sun. It aired on SBS from November 27 to December 4, 2018, and is available on Netflix worldwide.
Synopsis
The ser ...
'', a remake of the 1991 film ''
Death Song''.
Lee signed with new management agency YNK Entertainment once his contract with
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production compa ...
ended on 31 March 2018,
but terminated his contract five months later. and established his own agency "A-man Project".
[
In 2019, he starred in his first romantic comedy drama '']Romance Is a Bonus Book
''Romance Is a Bonus Book'' () is a 2019 South Korean television series starring Lee Na-young and Lee Jong-suk. It aired from January 26 to March 17, 2019 on tvN.
Synopsis
Cha Eun-ho is a successful author and a chief editor at a book publishing ...
'' alongside Lee Na-young
Lee Na-young (born February 22, 1979) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading roles in TV Series ''Ruler of Your Own World'' (2002), ''Ireland'' (2004) and ''Romance Is a Bonus Book'' (2019) and film '' Someone Special'' (20 ...
.
In 2021, after finishing his military duty, he made a comeback with a cameo in '' The Witch : Part 2. The Other One''. Lee later confirmed for the official film ''Decibel'' alongside Kim Rae-won
Kim Rae-won (Korean: 김래원; born 19 March 1981) is a South Korean actor. He first rose to fame with his appearances in the 2003 romantic comedy series ''Cats on the Roof'', and movies such as ''My Little Bride'' (2004), ''Sunflower'' (2006), ...
, Lee Sang-hee
General (Ret.) Lee Sang-hee (born 1945), ROKA, was the 32nd Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and the 41st Republic of Korea Minister of National Defense.
General Lee graduated from the Republic of Ko ...
, and Cha Eun-woo
Lee Dong-min (; born March 30, 1997), known professionally as Cha Eun-woo (), is a South Korean singer, actor, and model under the label Fantagio. He is a member of the South Korean boy band Astro.
Early life
Cha Eun-woo was born on March 30, ...
. This will be the second time Lee will appear as the villain in a movie. With ''VIP'' being the first movie he is the villain. Later in September 2021, Lee confirmed the MBC drama '' Big Mouth'' with Im Yoon-ah
Im Yoon-ah (; born May 30, 1990), known mononymously as Yoona, is a South Korean singer and actress. After training for five years, she debuted as a member of girl group Girls' Generation (and later its subgroup Girls' Generation-Oh!GG) in Augu ...
, coming back three years after his discharge from the military. It will air in 2022.
In 2022, Lee held a fan meeting 'RE, JONG SUK' at the Blue Square Mastercard Hall in Seoul on 12 September.
Personal life
Lee is best friends with fellow model-actor and ''School 2013'' co-star Kim Woo-bin
Kim Woo-bin (born Kim Hyun-joong on July 16, 1989) is a South Korean actor and model. He began his career as a runway model and made his acting debut in the television drama '' White Christmas''. He subsequently gained attention in '' A Gentlema ...
, whom he has known since their modeling days.
He was the owner of the dining cafe, 89Mansion. The cafe closed permanently on September 14, 2020 due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Relationship
On 31 December 2022, Lee's agency confirmed his relationship with singer-actress IU. The agency on IU's side also confirmed the couple's relationship, which started four months prior to the official announcement.
Military enlistment
Lee began his mandatory military service
Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
on 8 March 2019. Lee was deemed unfit to enlist as an active duty soldier as a result of going through a car accident when he was 16 and torn his anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are also called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation ...
. Therefore, he was confirmed to work as a public service officer, and was expected to be discharged on 31 December 2020.
He was finally discharged on 2 January 2021.
Philanthropy
On 7 March 2022, Lee donated 100 million won to th
Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association
to help the victims of the massive wildfire that started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk and spread to Samcheok
Samcheok () is a city in Gangwon-do, South Korea.
History
Ancient age & Three Kingdom
* It was called "Siljikguk or Siljikgokguk"
* 102 under the rule of Silla ( Pasa 23rd)
* 468 under the rule of Goguryeo (Jangsu 56th)
* 505 The name changed t ...
, Gangwon.
Filmography
Discography
Soundtrack appearances
Awards and nominations
State honors
Listicles
Notes
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Jong-suk
1989 births
Living people
South Korean male models
South Korean male television actors
South Korean male film actors
South Korean male web series actors
21st-century South Korean male actors
Konkuk University alumni
People from Suwon