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Lee Seung-gi (; born January 13, 1987) is a South Korean singer, actor, host, and entertainer. He has numerous hit songs as a singer such as "Because You're My Woman", "Will You Marry Me", "Return" and "The Ordinary Man". He has garnered further recognition as an actor and rose to popularity in parts of Asia with leading roles in popular dramas such as '' Brilliant Legacy'' (2009), ''
My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho ''My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho'' (; also known as ''My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox'') is a 2010 South Korean romantic comedy television series starring Lee Seung-gi and Shin Min-a. It aired on SBS from August 11 to September 30, 2010 on Wednesda ...
'' (2010), ''
The King 2 Hearts ''The King 2 Hearts'' () is a 2012 South Korean television series, starring Ha Ji-won and Lee Seung-gi in the leading roles. It is about a South Korean crown prince who falls in love with a North Korean special agent. The series aired on MBC fr ...
'' (2012), '' Gu Family Book'' (2013), ''
You're All Surrounded ''You're All Surrounded'' () is a 2014 South Korean television series starring Lee Seung-gi, Cha Seung-won, Go Ara, Ahn Jae-hyun, Park Jung-min, Oh Yoon-ah, and Sung Ji-ru. It aired on SBS from May 7 to July 17, 2014, on Wednesdays and Thursday ...
'' (2014), ''
A Korean Odyssey ''A Korean Odyssey'' () is a South Korean fantasy television series starring Lee Seung-gi, Cha Seung-won, Oh Yeon-seo, Lee Hong-gi, and Jang Gwang. Written by the Hong sisters, the drama is a modern spin-off of the Chinese classic 16th-century no ...
'' (2017–2018), ''
Vagabond Vagrancy is the condition of homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants (also known as bums, vagabonds, rogues, tramps or drifters) usually live in poverty and support themselves by begging, scavenging, petty theft, temporar ...
'' (2019), and '' Mouse'' (2021). He was a member of the first season of weekend variety show '' 1 Night 2 Days'' from November 2007 to February 2012, and the
host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County People *Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman * Michel Host ...
of talk show '' Strong Heart'' from October 2009 to April 2012. Lee Seung Gi's success as a singer, actor and host earned him the title "Triple Threat" entertainer. He was first included in ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'' Korea Power Celebrity list in 2010 placing seventh, subsequently ranking fourth in 2011 and sixth in 2012, 2015 and 2022. The success of his television dramas in parts of Asia established him as a top Hallyu star. He is also listed as one of the highest paid Korean celebrities of 2021. In 2021, Lee has been selected as one of the 200 actors (100 males and 100 females) to feature in the Korean actors 200 campaign, run by the Korean Film Council (KOFIC). This methodical project's aim is to select actors that best represent the present and future of Korean film and introducing them to film people overseas.


Early life and education

Lee Seung-gi was born on January 13, 1987, in
Banghak-dong Banghak-dong is a '' dong'', neighbourhood of Dobong-gu in Seoul, South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Kore ...
,
Dobong District Dobong District (도봉구, ''Dobong-gu'') is one of the 25 districts of Seoul, South Korea. Dobong has a population of 348,625 (2010) and has a geographic area of 20.8 km2 (8 sq mi), and is divided into four '' dong'') (neighborhoods). The dist ...
,
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. His family consists of his parents and younger sister. During his elementary and middle school days, Lee was considered a good student, he was an all rounder and performed equally well in sports, academics and arts and was the elected president of the student council throughout his school years. In school, he became well-versed in English, Japanese and Korean. Lee was also part of a band in his local high school, where he was the lead vocalist. Their band name was initially called Brain Hemorrhage to give a strong impression, but it was later changed to Natural. During his band’s last activity, he was scouted by singer Lee Sun-hee when she saw him perform in a small theater. Although Lee initially rejected the offer to concentrate on his studies, he later accepted it after his mother’s persuasion as Lee Sun-hee was her favorite singer. He trained for 2 years before making his singing debut at the age of 17. While busy in his career, Lee graduated from
Dongguk University Dongguk University (Korean: 동국대학교, Hanja: 東國大學校) is a private, coeducational university in South Korea, fundamentally based on Buddhism. Established in 1906 as Myeongjin School (명진학교; 明進學校) by Buddhist pioneers ...
obtaining his degree in International Trade and Commerce on February 20, 2009, and received a special achievement award during graduation. He then continued his studies obtaining two master's degrees, Marketing, Trade Theory as well as Finance and Cultural Contents at Dongguk Graduate School. He successfully received Child Psychiatry Counselling Certificate while he was doing '' Little Forest'' variety show.


Career


2004–present: As singer

Scouted by singer Lee Sun-hee, Lee Seung Gi trained for two years before debuting on June 5, 2004, at the age of 17. "Because You're My Girl", his debut song from his first album ''The Dream of a Moth'', became a popular ballad which created a 'liking older women' syndrome in South Korea. With this song, he won the Best Newcomer award in various music awards ceremonies in 2004, such as the
M.net KM Music Festival The MAMA Awards (formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ E&M. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes has been won by K-pop artists, although there are other As ...
and
Seoul Music Awards The Seoul Music Awards (; SMA) is a major South Korean music awards show presented by the newspaper ''Sports Seoul''. The award winners are selected based on a combination of criteria, including music sales, popular votes, and expert judges' op ...
. In 2007, he also won the Best Male Solo Artist award at the
M.net KM Music Festival The MAMA Awards (formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ E&M. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes has been won by K-pop artists, although there are other As ...
with his song White Lie from his third album ''Story of Separation''. He released a digital single titled Will You Marry Me in 2009, which became a hit in South Korea. With this single, he received the Digital Single Bonsang award in the 24th Golden Disc Awards. The same year, he released his fourth album ''Shadow'', which was a success and received 40,000 pre-order copies before its release. In 2010, he recorded a duet version of his 2007 song Smile Boy with South Korean figure skater
Kim Yuna Yuna Kim (; born September 5, 1990), also credited in eastern name order as Kim Yuna or Kim Yeon-a, is a retired South Korean competitive figure skater. She is the 2010 Olympic champion and 2014 Olympic silver medalist in ladies' singles, ...
, which became the official 2010 FIFA World Cup commercial song in South Korea. He also received the Digital Single Bonsang award for the second consecutive time at the 25th Golden Disc Awards with his song Love Taught Me To Drink. This was followed by the release of his fifth album, ''Tonight'' in 2011, a departure from his usual traditional ballads and encompasses more of a rock band-style sound and melodies. The title song Aren't We Friends instantly topped online music charts upon release. His other single, Era of Love also earned the No. 1 spot on that week's Billboard K-Pop Hot 100. On March 6, 2012, Seung Gi made his debut in Japan with the release of his first Japanese album ''Time for Love'' (also translated as ''Alone in Love'') and a single of the same title. Both the album and single ranked number one on the Oricon Daily Chart. To celebrate his success, Lee held a fanmeeting at Tokyo Dome City Hall. He held a concert at Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, on June 1, 2012, three months after his debut. Back in South Korea the same year, he released an EP titled ''Forest''. The title song Return set a record for being number one for six consecutive weeks on Billboard's
Korea K-Pop Hot 100 The K-pop Hot 100 is a music singles chart in South Korea, launched by ''Billboard'' in conjunction with ''Billboard'' Korea () on August 25, 2011. It is the second Asian ''Billboard'' chart after the Japan Hot 100. The chart used the same multime ...
. On June 10, 2015, he made his music comeback with his sixth album ''And...'' after a hiatus of two years and seven months. On January 21, 2016, his agency, Hook Entertainment, announced that he would be enlisting for his mandatory military service on February 1. As a gift to fans, he also released a new track on January 21 at noon, titled I Am Going to the Military. On March 3, 2016, his song Meet Someone Like Me was released. The single is the last song he recorded before joining the army, and was produced by
Psy Park Jae-sang (, ; born December 31, 1977), known professionally as Psy (stylized in all caps as PSY) (; ; ), is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Psy is known domestically for his humorous videos and stage per ...
. On November 15, 2020, he released a pre-released track titled The Ordinary Man (뻔한 남자), ahead of his anticipated seventh album ''The Project'', which was released on December 10, 2020. On June 21, 2022, his agency announced that Lee will be partnering with guitarist Lee Byung-ho from Captain Planet's songwriting team to release the project's theme song on July 1.


2004–present: As actor with pan-Asian fame

In 2004, Lee Seung-gi starred in MBC's sitcom '' Nonstop 5''. He then officially debuted as an actor in KBS's 2006 weekend drama ''The Infamous Chil Sisters''. He was then cast as the male lead in SBS's weekend drama '' Brilliant Legacy'' in 2009, co-starring
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 maintained its top spot in viewer ratings throughout its run, with its final episode attaining a viewer rating of 47.1%. The huge success boosted Lee's popularity as an actor and led to increased advertising offers for the actor. For his performance in the drama, he received the "Excellence in Acting" award, the "Top 10 Stars" award and the "Best Couple" award with
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 ...
at the 2009 SBS Drama Awards. This was followed by SBS's fantasy drama ''
My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox ''My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho'' (; also known as ''My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox'') is a 2010 South Korean romantic comedy television series starring Lee Seung-gi and Shin Min-a. It aired on SBS from August 11 to September 30, 2010 on Wednesda ...
'' in 2010, playing a university student who (despite strong discouragement from his grandfather) wants to drop out in order to pursue his dream of becoming an action movie star. His performance earned him his second "Excellence in Acting" award at the
2010 SBS Drama Awards The 2010 SBS Drama Awards () is a ceremony honoring the best performances in television on the SBS network for the year 2010. It took place on December 31, 2010, at the SBS Open Hall in Deungchon-dong, Seoul, and was hosted by Lee Beom-soo, Park ...
. He then starred in MBC's action drama ''
The King 2 Hearts ''The King 2 Hearts'' () is a 2012 South Korean television series, starring Ha Ji-won and Lee Seung-gi in the leading roles. It is about a South Korean crown prince who falls in love with a North Korean special agent. The series aired on MBC fr ...
'' (2012) with
Ha Ji-won Jeon Hae-rim (; born 28 June 1978), better known by her stage name Ha Ji-won () is a South Korean actress. She is best known for the historical dramas '' Damo'' (2003), '' Hwang Jini'' (2006), and '' Empress Ki'' (2013), as well as the melodra ...
, fantasy-historical drama '' Gu Family Book'' (2013) with Bae Suzy, and SBS's police drama ''
You're All Surrounded ''You're All Surrounded'' () is a 2014 South Korean television series starring Lee Seung-gi, Cha Seung-won, Go Ara, Ahn Jae-hyun, Park Jung-min, Oh Yoon-ah, and Sung Ji-ru. It aired on SBS from May 7 to July 17, 2014, on Wednesdays and Thursday ...
'' (2014). In 2015, Lee Seung Gi made his film debut with romantic comedy ''
Love Forecast ''Love Forecast'' (; lit. ''Today's Love'') is a 2015 South Korean romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Park Jin-pyo. Starring Lee Seung-gi and Moon Chae-won, the film depicts the relationship between men and women as being as delicate a ...
'' which co-stars
Moon Chae-won Moon Chae-won (; born November 13, 1986) is a South Korean actress. Moon first attracted attention in 2008 in her supporting role as a gisaeng in '' Painter of the Wind''. She was next cast in ''Brilliant Legacy'', one of the top-rated Korean d ...
. In July 2015, Lee was cast in the period comedy film ''
The Princess and the Matchmaker ''The Princess and the Matchmaker'' is a 2018 South Korean period romantic comedy-drama film directed by Hong Chang-pyo. The film stars Shim Eun-kyung, Lee Seung-gi, Kim Sang-kyung, Yeon Woo-jin, Kang Min-hyuk, Choi Woo-shik and Jo Bok-rae. ...
'' with Shim Eun-kyung, directed by ''
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 ...
'' director
Han Jae-rim Han Jae-rim (born July 14, 1975) is a South Korean film director. He directed '' Rules of Dating'' (2005), ''The Show Must Go On'' (2007), '' The Face Reader'' (2013), '' The King'' (2017), and '' Emergency Declaration'' (2021). Career Born in ...
. The film was released in 2018. In 2017, he was the lead actor in the fantasy drama ''
A Korean Odyssey ''A Korean Odyssey'' () is a South Korean fantasy television series starring Lee Seung-gi, Cha Seung-won, Oh Yeon-seo, Lee Hong-gi, and Jang Gwang. Written by the Hong sisters, the drama is a modern spin-off of the Chinese classic 16th-century no ...
'', written by the
Hong sisters Hong Jung-eun (born 1974) and Hong Mi-ran (born 1977), collectively known as the Hong sisters (), are South Korean television screenwriters currently managed by Studio Dragon. Together, they have written popular romantic-comedies, notably '' ...
. This marked his first project after enlistment. In 2019, he and Bae Suzy starred in the spy action drama ''
Vagabond Vagrancy is the condition of homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants (also known as bums, vagabonds, rogues, tramps or drifters) usually live in poverty and support themselves by begging, scavenging, petty theft, temporar ...
'' as their second drama together. With this drama, he received the Top Excellence Award in a Miniseries and the "Best Couple" award with Bae Suzy at the 2019 SBS Drama Awards. In 2021, Lee starred alongside
Lee Hee-joon Lee Hee-joon (born June 29, 1979) is a South Korean actor. Personal life Lee Hee-joon and model Lee Hye-jung confirmed their relationship in August 2015. They registered their marriage prior to the ceremony and had their private wedding ceremon ...
in the crime thriller '' Mouse'', playing the role of Jeong Ba-reum, which earned him the Grand Award (Daesang) for best actor in TV category at the 6th Asia Artist Awards. On April 7 2022, Lee was confirmed to appear in a KBS drama alongside
Lee Se-young Lee Se-young (; born December 20, 1992) is a South Korean actress. She debuted as a child actress in 1997 and was best known for her roles in '' Dae Jang Geum'' (2003), '' When I Turned Nine'' (2004), ''Lovely Rivals'' (2004), and ''The Wonder ...
titled ''
The Law Cafe ''The Law Cafe'' () is a South Korean television series starring Lee Seung-gi and Lee Se-young. It aired on KBS2 from September 5 to October 25, 2022, airing every Monday and Tuesday at 21:50 ( KST) for 16 episodes. Synopsis ''The Law Cafe'' t ...
, ''it is a healing romance drama about a former prosecutor now landlord and a former Miss Korea now lawyer, based on a popular web novel.


2007–present: As host and entertainer

Lee was a permanent cast member of the first season of '' 1 Night 2 Days'', a segment of KBS's weekend variety show ''
Happy Sunday ''Happy Sunday'' ( ko, 해피 선데이) is a Korean reality-variety show shown on the KBS2 network, which competes directly against MBC's '' Sunday Night'' and SBS's '' Good Sunday'' line-up. Although it has been broadcast since 2003, its line ...
'', from November 2007 to February 2012. Known by his nickname heodang, his appearance on the show shot him to fame in Korea and made him a household name. In 2008, he received the Best Popularity award in the KBS Entertainment Awards due to his popularity with audience in '' 1 Night 2 Days''. He also earned the Top Excellence Host award in the 2010 KBS Entertainment Awards and the Daesang award with the other cast members of the first season at the 2011 KBS Entertainment Awards. In October 2009, Lee took on a hosting role in SBS's Tuesday night talk show '' Strong Heart'' with
Kang Ho-dong Kang Ho-dong (born June 11, 1970) is a South Korean television host and comedian, who first became known to Koreans as one of the top Korean traditional wrestlers. In 2008, Kang Ho Dong became the first comedian in history to win the Baeksan ...
. It was recognized as the Best Program at the 2009 SBS Entertainment Awards and he was awarded the Netizens' Popularity award. He was again recognized for his role in the talk show and received the Top Excellence Host award for two consecutive years at the 2010 and 2011 SBS Entertainment Awards. In March 2012, Lee announced his departure from '' Strong Heart'' in order to focus on his singing career. He recorded his last episode on March 15, which was broadcast on April 3. Lee reunited with ''1 Night 2 Days'' cast members and PD
Na Young-seok Na Yeong-seok (, born April 15, 1976), often known by his nickname Na PD, is a South Korean television producer and director. Na is best known for producing the popular variety- reality shows '' 2 Days & 1 Night'', ''New Journey to the West'', ...
in the travel-reality show ''
New Journey to the West ''New Journey to the West'' () is a South Korean travel- reality show that airs on tvN. This program started broadcasting on September 4, 2015 and has currently aired for 8 Seasons. New Journey to the West's cast members are Kang Ho-dong, Le ...
'' in 2015. In 2017, he joined the cast of SBS variety show ''
Master in the House ''Master in the House'' (; abbreviated as ''Jipsabu'') is a South Korean television program that aired on SBS weekly on Sundays at 18:25 (KST) from December 31, 2017 until the conclusion of Season 1 on September 18, 2022 when the show went on hi ...
''. In 2018, he was chosen to be the MC of
Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
's reality/survival program, ''
Produce 48 ''Produce 48'' () was the third season of the South Korean reality competition series '' Produce 101''. It was a large-scale project in which the public "produces" a girl group by voting for members out of a pool of 96 contestants from South Ko ...
''. The same year, it was announced that he will join the second season of
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
's variety show ''
Busted! ''Busted!'' () is a South Korean streaming television program on Netflix starring Yoo Jae-suk, Ahn Jae-wook, Kim Jong-min, Lee Kwang-soo, Park Min-young, Oh Se-hun, Kim Se-jeong and Lee Seung-gi. It premiered on May 4, 2018, and concluded on Ja ...
''. At
2018 SBS Entertainment Awards The ''2018 SBS Entertainment Awards'' () presented by Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), took place on December 28, 2018 at SBS Prism Tower in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul. It was hosted by Park Soo-hong, Han Go-eun and Kim Jong-kook Kim Jong ...
, he won the Grand Prize (Daesang) for ''
Master in the House ''Master in the House'' (; abbreviated as ''Jipsabu'') is a South Korean television program that aired on SBS weekly on Sundays at 18:25 (KST) from December 31, 2017 until the conclusion of Season 1 on September 18, 2022 when the show went on hi ...
'', becoming the youngest entertainer to receive the award. In 2019, he joined the cast of '' Little Forest'' – a healing variety program designed as a home kids garden development project for children. The same year, he featured in the Netflix travel show '' Twogether'' alongside Taiwanese actor
Jasper Liu Jasper Liu Yi-hao (; born August 12, 1986) is a Taiwanese actor, model, and musician. Liu started out as a model before crossing over to acting and gaining recognition across Taiwan and other parts of Asia. Some of his notable works include '' M ...
. In 2020, he hosted
Friday Joy Package ''Friday Joy Package'' () is a South Korean television program that airs on tvN TVN may refer to: * TVN (Australian TV channel), a former horse racing channel * Televisión Nacional de Chile, a public broadcaster * TVN (Indonesia), a former tel ...
, Hometown Flex and a singing reality show
Sing Again Sing Again () is a South Korean television program that airs on JTBC starting November 16, 2020. Season 1 aired at 22:30 ( KST) on Monday. It was scheduled for a season 2 after garnering positive response from viewers. Season 2, starting on Dec ...
. In 2021, he rejoined the cast of
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
's variety show ''
Busted! ''Busted!'' () is a South Korean streaming television program on Netflix starring Yoo Jae-suk, Ahn Jae-wook, Kim Jong-min, Lee Kwang-soo, Park Min-young, Oh Se-hun, Kim Se-jeong and Lee Seung-gi. It premiered on May 4, 2018, and concluded on Ja ...
'' for a third season and also joined the SBS golf entertainment show '' Golf Battle: Birdie Buddies''. On July 24, Lee joined the reality program '' Loud'' as an MC and Special Agent, a unique position whose task is to provide the remaining contestants with warmth, guidance, and support as they prepare for the finale. On November 20, Lee featured in a
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
game variety show, ''
New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...
''. On December 6, he rejoined the hit reality TV show, ''
Sing Again Sing Again () is a South Korean television program that airs on JTBC starting November 16, 2020. Season 1 aired at 22:30 ( KST) on Monday. It was scheduled for a season 2 after garnering positive response from viewers. Season 2, starting on Dec ...
'', for a second season as its MC and Host. In the same year, he won the Baeksang Arts Award for Best Male Variety Performer for his work in ''
Busted! ''Busted!'' () is a South Korean streaming television program on Netflix starring Yoo Jae-suk, Ahn Jae-wook, Kim Jong-min, Lee Kwang-soo, Park Min-young, Oh Se-hun, Kim Se-jeong and Lee Seung-gi. It premiered on May 4, 2018, and concluded on Ja ...
, Twogether, Hometown Flex,
Sing Again Sing Again () is a South Korean television program that airs on JTBC starting November 16, 2020. Season 1 aired at 22:30 ( KST) on Monday. It was scheduled for a season 2 after garnering positive response from viewers. Season 2, starting on Dec ...
,and
Master in the House ''Master in the House'' (; abbreviated as ''Jipsabu'') is a South Korean television program that aired on SBS weekly on Sundays at 18:25 (KST) from December 31, 2017 until the conclusion of Season 1 on September 18, 2022 when the show went on hi ...
.'' In 2022, Lee hosted SBS new year special program ''
Circle House ''Circle House'' () is a South Korean television healing talk show that aired every Thursday at 21:00 ( KST) on SBS TV from February 24 to April 28, 2022. Overview ''Circle House'' is a new year special program by SBS, which premiered on Thur ...
'' – a 10-episode healing talk show that candidly shares the real concerns of the MZ generation in
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
and seeks solutions with applicants. In 2023, Lee hosted
JTBC JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTB ...
''
Peak Time Prime time or the peak time is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for a television show. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
'' - a show that will offer already-debuted K-pop idols whose activities were halted — whether due to Covid-19, agency issues, or rookie idols who want to step up to the spotlight — a second chance for success.


2021–present: As CEO and producer

On June 1, 2021, Lee Seung Gi established his own production company called Human Made. For one of its program, the company has prepared a performance exclusively for Moment House Japan which features a hybrid of documentary and live performance content. Lee took part in the production of the show as its executive producer starring Korean-American Rapper
Jessi Jessi may refer to: People * Jessi (musician) (born 1988), Korean-American rapper, singer, and songwriter * Gianluigi Jessi (born 1945), Italian basketball player * Jessi Alexander (born 1976), American country music artist * Jessi Colter (bor ...
. In March 2022, Lee released a Human Made original mini documentary series about food and music titled ''Human Table'' on the global platform
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
under the channel name HUMANMADE.


In the media

In South Korea, Lee Seung-gi has earned multiple nicknames such as Nation's Umchina (your mother's friend's brilliant son), Nation's Little Brother, Nation's Son-in-Law and Nation's Heodang (adorable klutz), an image he had earned from his appearance in the show, '' 1 Night 2 Days''. Lee's success as a singer, actor and host also earned him the titles "Triple Threat" entertainer, Emperor, and Prince of Ballad.Other nicknames given to him by the media include Human amulet and Weather fairy. In 2011 and 2012, he was one of the most in-demand and popular commercial models and celebrity endorsers. Throughout his career, he has endorsed a wide variety of products and services and had ranked high in the monthly endorser survey of the Korea Advertisers Association. On June 23, 2012, Lee was one of the torchbearers in the 2012 London Summer Olympics Torch Relay chosen by
Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...
. On October 30, 2012, he was appointed as the Honorary Online Ambassador of the nation's campaign by the National Election Commission of South Korea for a fair and clean presidential election. In 2021, he was dubbed by the media as the MC with “Sincerity and Empathy”, a name he earned from the
JTBC JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTB ...
's talent show,
Sing Again Sing Again () is a South Korean television program that airs on JTBC starting November 16, 2020. Season 1 aired at 22:30 ( KST) on Monday. It was scheduled for a season 2 after garnering positive response from viewers. Season 2, starting on Dec ...
. In March 2022, Lee was awarded the Presidential Citation as an exemplary taxpayer on the 56th Taxpayers' Day and was appointed public relations ambassador of 2022 for the National Tax Service.


Personal life


Mandatory Military service

On February 1, 2016, Lee Seung Gi began his 21-month
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 ...
as an active duty soldier, entering
Nonsan Nonsan () is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It is located at . The origin of Nonsan's geographical names is said to have come from the small garden " Nolmoe, " which rises in the middle of farming fields, where rice paddies ...
Army Recruit Training Center in
Chungcheongnam-do South Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청남도, ''Chungcheongnam-do''), also known as Chungnam, is a province of South Korea. South Chungcheong has a population of 2,059,871 (2014) and has a geographic area of 8,204 km2 (3,168 sq mi) located in ...
. After training there for five weeks and received the highest score in his training company, he was dispatched to his assigned role following the completion ceremony, where he was awarded the Honors citation. The citation is reportedly given to a total of four people by four companies, one each. He was formally discharged on October 31, 2017, from the military at Jeungpyeong County in North Chungcheong Province where he was a member of the 13th Special Forces Brigade Black Panther,
Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command The Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command (ROK-SWC; ko, 대한민국 육군 특수전사령부 or 특전사; Hanja: 大韓民國陸軍 特殊戰司令部), also known as the Republic of Korea Army Special Forces "Black Berets" (R.O.K. ...
serving as a
military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist commanders in their decisions. This aim is achieved by providing an assessment of data from a ...
specialist. It's reported that Lee Seung Gi had volunteered and completed trainings not required for enlisted soldiers and administrative soldiers, this includes parachute training, wherein he succeeded in a parachute descent drill conducted 730 meters above the ground, other trainings include
Krav Maga Krav Maga ( ; , ; ) is an Israeli martial art. Developed for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), it is derived from a combination of techniques used in aikido, judo, karate, boxing, and wrestling. It is known for its focus on real-world situation ...
level 1 and long distance march of 10 kilometers (about 6.21 miles), where he was in the top 10% of the 1000 marathoners,as part of the 'Black Panther' Brigade which was re-designated as the decapitation unit named 13th Special Mission Brigade on December 1, 2017, with the mission of assassinating North Korean leaders following tension with North Korea in the event a war broke out within the two nations. In October 2016, Lee hosted the military event, 14th Ground Forces Festival, as the goodwill ambassador. The event was co-hosted by Gyeryong City and the army, where visitors can experience and watch the Korean military culture.


Dispute with Hook Entertainment

On November 18, 2022, the dispute between Lee and his agency, Hook entertainment was revealed for the first time when Lee had sent a request for transparency of payments to Hook entertainment regarding settlements. Later, on November 21st, through an independent report by ''Dispatch'', it was revealed that Lee had not been properly settled for 18 years of music revenue and was even gas-lit by his agency since debut. On November 25, 2022, Hook Entertainment claimed that the debt relationship with Lee Seung-gi has been settled in 2021 when their contract was renewed and the unsettled music revenue is false. In response, Lee’s legal representative made another statement on November 28th to refute Hook Entertainment's claim and said Lee’s side never received any music settlement. They further added that the 2021 agreement between Lee and Hook Entertainment concerns 4.7 billion won in real estate investment in Hook Entertainment which they received from Lee in 2011 for the purchase of its building, but CEO Kwon of Hook did not keep her promises related to the investment. On December 1, 2022, Lee forwarded a notice to Hook Entertainment to terminate their exclusive contract citing Hook's violation of obligations due to unsettled revenue. According to the reports, Hook Entertainment has partially admitted to some earnings from Lee’s music distribution not being paid to the artist. As a result, Lee’s legal side has obtained evidence to sue Hook Entertainment for violation of management duties, and thus, the artist will be moving forward with the one-sided termination of his contract. On December 16, 2022, Hook announced that they had additionally paid the base payment of 1.3 billion KRW, the unpaid settlement amount of 2.9 billion KRW and the delay interest of 1.2 billion KRW, which total about 5.4 billion KRW to Lee Seung-gi. On the same day, Lee posted on Instagram and revealed that he would donate all of the money he received from the settlement to charity. In his letter, Lee writes that although he has received ₩5.4 billion KRW from Hook, the amount he was to receive was one-sidedly decided by the agency and that even now he wasn’t given a full accounting. As such, he will continue with the lawsuit. Lee officially filed a criminal lawsuit against Hook Entertainment’s CEO Kwon Jinyoung, as well as its former and current directors on December 22, 2022. It was also revealed in the legal statement that Hook’s CEO and directors had embezzled a portion of Lee’s advertising model fees, ten percent of his fees were thought to be for agency fees, but in truth, it was shared amongst themselves.


Other activities


Philanthropy

Lee Seung Gi has involved himself with various philanthropic activities. Since 2009, he had donated 1 million won weekly to families who appeared on KBS's “Field Report Companion,” for total of 100 million won. In addition to the donations, Lee Seung Gi also volunteered to personally seek out the families and help them. He had also participated in a charity fan signing event for world hunger relief. The event was held at Seoul Hongdae branch of Pizza Hut on October 28, 2012. In 2013, Lee donated 5.88 Tons of Rice to
Nowon-gu Gyonggi do District (Nowon-gu) is a residential district of Seoul, South Korea, located in the most northeastern part of the metropolitan city. It has the highest population density in Seoul, with 619,509 people living in the area of 35.44 k ...
, Seoul. According to
Nowon-gu Gyonggi do District (Nowon-gu) is a residential district of Seoul, South Korea, located in the most northeastern part of the metropolitan city. It has the highest population density in Seoul, with 619,509 people living in the area of 35.44 k ...
, the 5.88 tons of rice donated by Lee Seung Gi is enough to feed 50,000 children.
Nowon-gu Gyonggi do District (Nowon-gu) is a residential district of Seoul, South Korea, located in the most northeastern part of the metropolitan city. It has the highest population density in Seoul, with 619,509 people living in the area of 35.44 k ...
plans to distribute the rice to underprivileged groups in the area, including people receiving national basic livelihood security, lower-income families, and single-parent families. In 2014, Lee collaborated with
CJ E&M CJ E&M (Hangul: 씨제이이앤엠, an initialism for CJ Entertainment & Media) is a South Korean entertainment and mass media company created by CJ Group in 2011. As of July 2018, CJ E&M is a division of CJ ENM. History CJ E&M was established a ...
to provide assistance to an education contents donation event for low-income female students in the US. Lee was awarded the 2018 Korea Sharing Volunteer Award for the 100 M won donation to DongHaeng, volunteer work repairing House of Love, and talent donation to Severance Hospital. In 2019, Lee Seung Gi donated 100 million won to Severance hospital for rehab hospital patients’ medical expenses. The donation was used to support wheelchairs, prosthetic legs, prosthetic limbs, and posture aids to 23 children and adolescents with spinal cord injuries. He also participated in the ‘10,000-Won Happiness’ mobile donation. In 2020, to help with
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
prevention and aid underprivileged children in Korea, Lee Seung Gi has donated 100 million won to Good Neighbors, an international humanitarian and development NGO. In 2021, Lee Seung Gi, along with the cast of Golf Battle: Birdie Buddies, has been donating scholarship money for every birdie scored on the show. For his 35th birthday on January 13, 2022, Lee became the first charity fairy under the entertainment category on the celebrity ranking service, Best idol Celeb. Countless fans, including his fandom AIREN, joined forces and collected 61,105,486 votes, passed the charity fairy cut line of 55,555,555 votes, making Lee Seung Gi a charity fairy. A total of 500 thousand won is donated to the Miral Welfare Foundation under Lee Seung Gi's name, it will be used as a fund for the disabled isolated under
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. According to his agency on January 27, 2022, Lee had donated 100 million won to support the children and adolescents who are being treated at the Severance Rehabilitation Hospital. A cumulative of 200 million won sponsorship to the hospital as of Jan 2022. It is also reported that Lee's fan club AIREN also joined the sponsorship move and donated 10 million won to Severance Hospital to celebrate Lee's birthday in 2020. According to the reports, Lee stated:


Ambassadorship


Discography

* ''The Dream of a Moth'' (2004) * ''Crazy For U'' (2006) * ''Story of Separation'' (2007) * ''Shadow'' (2009) * ''Tonight'' (2011) * ''And...'' (2015) * ''The Project'' (2020)


Filmography


Awards and nominations

Since his debut in 2004, Lee has won various awards, including two
Baeksang Arts Awards The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, are awards for excellence in film, television and theatre in South Korea. The awards were first introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the Hankook Ilbo newspap ...
, three Golden Disc Awards, four
Asia Artist Awards Asia Artist Awards (; abbreviated AAA) is an awards ceremony organized by South Korea-based business newspaper ''Money Today'' and its global media brands StarNews and MTN. It honors outstanding achievements and international contributions of A ...
, four Mnet Asian Music Awards, five
Seoul Music Awards The Seoul Music Awards (; SMA) is a major South Korean music awards show presented by the newspaper ''Sports Seoul''. The award winners are selected based on a combination of criteria, including music sales, popular votes, and expert judges' op ...
, eight
SBS Drama Awards The SBS Drama Awards (), also known as SBS Awards Festival, is an awards ceremony presented annually by Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) for outstanding achievements in Korean dramas aired on its network. It is held annually on December 31. The hi ...
, and twelve SBS Entertainment Awards. Lee has also won five Bonsang Awards (Main Prize), including two from Golden Disc Awards, one from SBS Music Awards and two from
Seoul Music Awards The Seoul Music Awards (; SMA) is a major South Korean music awards show presented by the newspaper ''Sports Seoul''. The award winners are selected based on a combination of criteria, including music sales, popular votes, and expert judges' op ...
. Lee has received eight Daesang Awards (Grand Prize) nominations, winning three Daesangs, including one from
Asia Artist Awards Asia Artist Awards (; abbreviated AAA) is an awards ceremony organized by South Korea-based business newspaper ''Money Today'' and its global media brands StarNews and MTN. It honors outstanding achievements and international contributions of A ...
, one from KBS Entertainment Awards, and one from SBS Entertainment Awards. Additionally, Lee was honored at the 2014
Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards The Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards () is an annual South Korean government-run awards ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Korea Creative Content Agency. The ceremony, which was first held in 2010, "honor those ...
, held by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, for contributing to Korean culture and spreading Korean Wave, or hallyu. Lee was also selected as the male multi-entertainer of the year at the 2020 Brand of the Year Daesang Award.


References


External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Seung-gi 1987 births K-pop singers Living people South Korean pop singers People from Seoul South Korean male film actors South Korean male television actors Dongguk University alumni MAMA Award winners Melon Music Award winners 21st-century South Korean male singers South Korean male idols South Korean television presenters Best Variety Performer Male Paeksang Arts Award (television) winners