Lee Jin-wook (

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

: 이진욱; born September 16, 1981) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading role in the romance series '' Glass Castle'', the time-traveling series ''

Nine 9 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 9 or nine may also refer to: Dates * AD 9, the ninth year of the AD era * 9 BC, the ninth year before the AD era * 9, numerical symbol for the month of September Places * Nine, Portugal, a parish in the ...

'' (2013), romance series '' The Time We Were Not in Love'' and ''

I Need Romance 2012 ''I Need Romance 2012'' () is a 2012 South Korean romantic comedy television drama, starring Jung Yu-mi, Lee Jin-wook and Kim Ji-seok. The series follows the everyday lives of work, love and friendship of thirty-something women and men in Seoul. ...

,'' crime thriller series ''

Voice The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production in ...

'' (seasons 2–3)'','' a Netflix apocalyptic horror series ''

Sweet Home Sweet Home or Sweethome may refer to: Places in the United States * Sweet Home, Arkansas * Sweet Home Central School District in Amherst and Tonawanda, New York ** Sweet Home High School (Amherst, New York), a New York State public high school * ...

'' and a supporting role in the comedy film ''

Miss Granny ''Miss Granny'' (; lit. "Suspicious Girl") is a 2014 South Korean comedy-drama film directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. Na Moon-hee stars as a woman in her 70s who magically finds herself in the body of her 20-year-old self (Shim Eun-kyung) after having ...

.''

Career

2000–2009: Education and career beginnings

Lee Jin-wook studied Environmental Engineering at

Cheongju University Cheongju University is a private university located in Cheongju City, the capital of North Chungcheong province, South Korea. Academics Undergraduate studies at the university are divided among eight colleges: Economics & Business Administration ...

and made a switch for acting. He began his career in the entertainment industry modelling in commercials. His first minor acting roles consist of ''General Hospital The Movie : A Thousand Days'' and the 2004 South Korean film ''

Once Upon a Time in High School ''Once Upon a Time in High School: The Spirit of Jeet Kune Do'' ( ko, 말죽거리 잔혹사) is a 2004 South Korean drama film. The background of the film is set in a high school in South Korea, 1978. The original Korean title literally means "c ...

'' starring

Kwon Sang-woo Kwon Sang-woo (in Korean: 권상우, ''Kweon Sang-u''; born August 5, 1976) is a South Korean actor. He rose to stardom in 2003 with the romantic comedy film ''My Tutor Friend'' and the melodrama series ''Stairway to Heaven''. Career Kwon Sang- ...

Ahn Nae-sang Ahn Nae-sang (born December 25, 1964) is a South Korean actor. He began his career on the stage, and in 1994 made his film debut in the Bong Joon-ho short film ''Baeksekin'' ("White Man" or "White-collar worker"), followed by Jang Sun-woo's ''B ...

Joo Jin-mo Joo Jin-mo (born Park Jin-tae on 26 September 1974), is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his leading roles in the films '' Happy End'' (1999) in which he won Grand Bell Awards for Best Supporting Actor, ''200 Pounds Beauty'' (2006), ...

, and Seo Dong-won. Lee landed his first television acting role in the TV Movie, ''Bad Girl,'' in 2004 and later scored other roles in the television dramas ''

Alone in Love ''Alone in Love'' (; lit. ''Love Generation'') is a 2006 South Korean television series starring Kam Woo-sung, Son Ye-jin, Gong Hyung-jin and Lee Ha-na. It is based on the Japanese novel by Hisashi Nozawa, which was published in 1996 and won t ...

'', '' Someday'', '' Smile Again'', and ''

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...

'' starring

Uhm Tae-woong Uhm Tae-woong (born April 5, 1974) is a South Korean actor. He made his acting debut in 1998, but initially struggled to emerge from under the shadow of his older sister, popular singer-actress Uhm Jung-hwa. After several years of small roles an ...

. In 2006, Lee starred in the South Korean film ''

A Dirty Carnival ''A Dirty Carnival'' (; lit: ''The Mean Street'') is a 2006 South Korean neo-noir action film directed by Yoo Ha. It is Yoo Ha's fourth feature film, his previous work being the 2004 drama ''Once Upon a Time in High School''. The film was released ...

''. Lee achieved commercial success and Hallyu star status after his portrayal as the second male lead in the television series ''

Air City ''Air City'' () is a 2007 South Korean television drama starring Lee Jung-jae, Choi Ji-woo, Lee Jin-wook and Moon Jung-hee. It aired on MBC from May 19 to June 8, 2007, on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:40 ( KST) for 16 episodes. The series revolv ...

'' where he went on to date his co-star

Choi Ji-woo Choi Ji-woo (born Choi Mi-hyang on June 11, 1975) is a South Korean actress. Considered one of South Korea's most beautiful women, she has received critical acclaim for her work in a wide range of melodramas, most notably '' Beautiful Days'' (2 ...

for three years. Lee continued to land lead roles playing the president's son in ''Formidable Rivals'', a plastic surgeon in the series ''Before and After'', and a newly married

chaebol A chaebol (, ; ) is a large industrial South Korean conglomerate run and controlled by an individual or family. A chaebol often consists of multiple diversified affiliates, controlled by a person or group whose power over the group often exc ...

in '' Glass Castle''. He also made a cameo in '' The Road Home''.

2009–2016: Military enlistment and further success

Lee then served his two-year

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 ...

from May 6, 2009, to March 7, 2011, at the Defense Media Agency of the

Ministry of National Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

. After his military discharge in 2011, Lee starred in his comeback project, '' Myung-wol the Spy'' where he played a

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

n agent. He then went on to star in the romantic comedy drama ''

'' alongside Jung Yu-mi. Lee then landed his most high-profile role yet as a TV anchor named Park Sun-woo in the time-traveling romance ''

'' alongside

Jo Yoon-hee Jo Yoon-hee (born October 13, 1982) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for starring in the television dramas ''My Husband Got a Family'' (2012) and '' Nine'' (2013). Personal life She is originally from Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do, ...

. After receiving positive reception from his role in ''Nine,'' Lee starred in a cinematic film for the first time in 7 years in the 2014 comedy ''

.'' He then proceeded to land his first major big-screen role in the 2014 action film '' The Target'', a

remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...

of the 2010 French action movie ''

Point Blank Point-blank range is any distance over which a certain firearm can hit a target without the need to compensate for bullet drop, and can be adjusted over a wide range of distances by sighting in the firearm. If the bullet leaves the barrel paral ...

''. After that, Lee then reunited with the writer and director of ''Nine'' in the television series ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...

'', a

period drama A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romance film, romances, adventure f ...

set during the

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

era where he played

Crown Prince Sohyeon Crown Prince Sohyeon (소현세자, 昭顯世子, 5 February 1612 – 21 May 1645) was the first son of King Injo of Joseon Dynasty. Sohyeon was a hostage in the Manchu court at Shenyang, by the terms of the peace treaty concluded after War ...

. He continued to star in big-screen films, fantasy romantic comedy '' The Beauty Inside'' and the time-travel romance crime ''

Time Renegade ''Time Renegades'' () is a South Korean romantic thriller film directed by Kwak Jae-yong. It was released in South Korea by CJ Entertainment on April 13, 2016. Plot On January 1, 1983, high school teacher Ji-hwan (Jo Jeong-seok) meets a robber a ...

''. Lee's appearance in ''The Beauty Inside'' as Woo-jin garnered headline attention in South Korea at the time of its cinematic release as the scene unveiling him as one of Woo-jin's reincarnations left all female audience members in the theatre exclaiming in awe of his appearance. In South Korean pop culture, it is considered one of the top legendary character unveilings in South Korean cinema. He then returned to the small screen with the South Korean remake of the

Taiwanese drama Taiwanese drama (, also known as T.W. drama) refer to dramatic programming of television programming extended stories usually dramatizing relationships through the general range of ten to forty one-hour episodes. They are produced in Taiwan and hav ...

'' In Time with You,'' '' The Time We Were Not in Love'' alongside

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 ...

. In 2016, Lee starred in the crime drama, ''

Goodbye Mr. Black ''Goodbye Mr. Black'' () is a 2016 South Korean television series based on the manhwa of the same title, created with The Count of Monte Cristo motif, written by and published in 1983. It aired on MBC on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 ( KST) ...

'', based on the manga of the same name.

2017–present: Transition in leading roles and reinvention

In 2017, Lee was cast in three films; indie films ''

A Tiger in Winter ''A Tiger in Winter'' () is a 2017 South Korean comedy drama film written and directed by Lee Kwang-kuk and starring Lee Jin-wook and Go Hyun-jung. It made its world premiere in the Korean Cinema Today at the 22nd Busan International Film Festival ...

'' and ''Road to Utah''; and romance thriller ''

High Society High society, sometimes simply society, is the behavior and lifestyle of people with the highest levels of wealth and social status. It includes their related affiliations, social events and practices. Upscale social clubs were open to men based ...

''. In 2018, Lee returned to the small screen with successful crime dramas ''

Return Return may refer to: In business, economics, and finance * Return on investment (ROI), the financial gain after an expense. * Rate of return, the financial term for the profit or loss derived from an investment * Tax return, a blank document or t ...

'', and '' Voice season 2''. The premiere of the second season of Voice set the record for the highest premiere viewership rating for an OCN original drama series. The second season of Voice continued on from the success of the first season, even exceeding first season ratings despite its shorter run. Due to its major success, Voice was picked up for a third season with Lee reprising his role as Do Kang-woo. The third season of Voice continued to be just as successful as the second season. In 2019, Lee signed an exclusive contract with BH Entertainment which houses many other top high-profile South Korean actors. In 2020, Lee starred in Netflix original series ''

'', a webtoon-based drama about a secluded teen who lives cooped up in his room, scarred from memories of school violence, and experiences creepy events after moving to an apartment following the loss of his family. It premiered on Netflix Korea on December 18, 2020. On March 17, 2021, tvN released the full main cast for the drama, '' Bulgasal: Immortal Souls,'' a fantasy drama that revolves around two characters. The first is a woman who has gone through several reincarnations over the course of 600 years and remembers all of her past lives, and the second is a man who has lived for over 600 years as a bulgasal—a mythical creature that feeds off human blood and is cursed with immortality. Lee starred as Dan Hwal, who used to be human 600 years ago, but turns into a bulgasal during the Joseon dynasty while working as a military official and completing a mission to erase the remnants of the previous dynasty. This drama aired from December 18, 2021 to February 6, 2022 on tvN and was also available for streaming on

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 ...

. On April 22, 2021,

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 ...

and

TVING TVING () is a South Korean online streaming service operated by TVING Corporation, a joint venture of CJ E&M (CJ Group), Naver and JTBC. It is a platform that streams dramas, entertainment shows, exclusive television films and specials. Histor ...

revealed the full star-studded cast for the film, ''

A Year-End Medley ''A Year-End Medley'' ( lit.: Happy New Year) is a 2021 South Korean romantic comedy film directed by Kwak Jae-yong and features an ensemble cast led by Han Ji-min, Lee Dong-wook, Kang Ha-neul and Im Yoon-ah. The film depicts the story of clie ...

''. The film centers around various people who come to Hotel Emrose, each with stories of their own, building new relationships. ''

'' is directed by

Kwak Jae-yong Kwak Jae-yong (born 22 May 1959) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter. He studied physics at Kyung Hee University. He achieved success with his debut film '' Watercolor Painting in a Rainy Day'' in 1989, but the failure of his next ...

with notable works such as ''

My Sassy Girl ''My Sassy Girl'' ( ko, 엽기적인 그녀, Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo, That Bizarre Girl) is a 2001 South Korean romantic comedy film directed by Kwak Jae-yong, starring Jun Ji-hyun and Cha Tae-hyun. The film is based on a true story told in a series ...

'' and '' The Classic,'' and produced by Hive Media Corp. of ''

Inside Men ''Inside Men'' is a British television drama series, consisting of four episodes, transmitted from 2 to 23 February 2012 on BBC One. The series was filmed in Bristol between June and August 2011, with filming taking place over a 10-week perio ...

'', ''

The Man Standing Next ''The Man Standing Next'' () is a 2020 South Korean political drama film directed by Woo Min-ho. Based on an original novel of the same title, the film stars Lee Byung-hun, Lee Sung-min, Kwak Do-won, and Lee Hee-joon as the high ranking offici ...

'', and '' Deliver Us from Evil''. Lee starred as Lee Jin-Ho, a plastic surgeon who appears at the hotel’s lounge every Saturday night awaiting his fateful love. Filming began on April 19, 2021 and the film was released in theaters and through

on December 29, 2021. On December 8, 2021, it was revealed that Lee would take on the role of Seo Joon-hyung in the KakaoTV original web drama, '

Welcome to Wedding Hell ''Welcome to Wedding Hell'' () is a 2022 South Korean streaming television series directed by Song Je-young and Seo Joo-wan, and starring Lee Jin-wook, Lee Yeon-hee, Yoon Yoo-sun and Kil Yong-woo. This KakaoTV original series is a 12 episodes ...

', alongside Lee Yeon-hee. '

' explores a couple in their thirties preparing for marriage who come to terms with the true realities of marriage during the preparations for their wedding. Lee's character, Joon-hyung, is described as a pure-hearted, idealistic groom-to-be, which causes concerns in his soon-to-be wife, Kim Na-eun (played by Lee Yeon-hee), who is a described as a realist. This marks Lee's first role in a romantic comedy since 2015 in ' The Time We Were Not in Love'. The web drama aired from May 23 to June 15, 2022 on streaming services, KakaoTV and

. On June 15, 2022,

confirmed that Lee would reprise his role as Sang Wook in seasons 2 and 3 of '

'. On October 18, 2022, OSEN News reports that Lee will make a special appearance on upcoming Netflix Original, 'The Girl Downstairs' alongside with

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 ...

and

Yang Se-jong Yang Se-jong (born December 23, 1992) is a South Korean actor and model. Yang became well known when he starred as a young chef in the 2017 romance drama '' Temperature of Love'' which won him three Best New Actor awards at the SBS Drama Awards, ...

Personal life

Relationships

After starring together in the 2007 South Korean television series,

, Lee went on to date his co-star

for three years from 2009 to 2011. The pair cited excessive public and media attention as one of the reasons for their split. In May 2014, Lee was spotted out several times with actress

Gong Hyo-jin Gong Hyo-jin (born April 4, 1980) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her leading role in the film '' Crush and Blush'' (2008), as well as for her popular television series '' Sang Doo! Let's Go to School'' (2003), ''Thank You'' (20 ...

and it was later confirmed by both their agencies that the pair were dating. However, three months after the confirmation of their dating news, it was revealed that the pair had broken-up.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Web series

Variety show

Music video

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* *
LEE JIN WOOK
at BH Entertainment * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Jin-wook People from Cheongju 21st-century South Korean male actors South Korean male television actors South Korean male film actors South Korean male models 1981 births Living people Cheongju University alumni