Lee Jong-suk

Education

Lee majored in Professional Motion Pictures and Art at Konkuk University 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. 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.

Lee's breakout role came as a high school student in the teen drama School 2013. He received his first acting award for the role at the 2012 KBS Drama Awards under the category Best New Actor. He also ranked fifth according to a survey entitled 'Actors Who Lit Up 2013' by Gallup Korea.

Following the success of School 2013, Lee starred in the critically acclaimed drama series I Can Hear Your Voice with Lee Bo-young. 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 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.

2014–2018: Mainstream popularity

In 2014, he starred in teen romantic comedy Hot Young Bloods, playing a cheesy womanizer. Lee then starred in hit medical drama Doctor Stranger, 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 opposite actress Park Shin-hye, 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. He also became the youngest actor to win the Best Actor award at the 27th Grimae Awards, 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, which the actor unveiled himself in a ceremony. In December 2015, Lee left his previous agency Wellmade Yedang and signed an exclusive contract with YG Entertainment on 10 May 2016.

In July 2016, Lee returned to the Korean small screen with MBC's fantasy thriller W alongside Han Hyo-joo. The drama topped popularity charts in Korea and Lee won the Daesang (Grand Prize) at the year-end MBC Drama Awards. The same year, he co-starred in the promotional web drama 7 First Kisses 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 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, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Jeju and Gyeongju.

In 2018, Lee was cast in the three-episode drama The Hymn of Death, a remake of the 1991 film Death Song. Lee signed with new management agency YNK Entertainment once his contract with YG Entertainment 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 alongside Lee Na-young.

2019–present: Military enlistment and comeback

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, Lee Sang-hee, and Cha Eun-woo. 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, coming back three years after his discharge from the military. It aired in 2022.

Personal life

Lee is best friends with fellow model-actor and School 2013 co-star Kim Woo-bin, whom he has known since their modeling days. He was the owner of the dining cafe, 89Mansion. The cafe closed permanently on 14 September 2020 due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lee is confirmed to be in a relationship with singer-actress IU.

Military enlistment

Lee began his mandatory military service on 8 March 2019. Lee was deemed unfit to enlist as an active duty soldier as a result of suffering a car accident when he was 16 and tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. Therefore, he was confirmed to work as a public service officer, and was expected to be discharged on 31 December 2020. He was discharged on 2 January 2021.

Philanthropy

On 7 March 2022, Lee donated 100 million won to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association to help the victims of the massive wildfire that started in Uljin, Gyeongbuk and spread to Samcheok, Gangwon.

Filmography

Main article: Lee Jong-suk filmography

Selected filmography

• School 2013 (2012)
• I Can Hear Your Voice (2013)
• Pinocchio (2014)
• W (2016)
• While You Were Sleeping (2017)
• Romance Is a Bonus Book (2019)
• Big Mouth (2022)
• Law and the City (2025)

Discography

Soundtrack appearances

Awards and nominations

State honors

Listicles

Notes

References

References

1. (3 October 2017). "'Height 186cm' Lee Jong-seok's Daily Look from the model turned into a university Hunan brother (Photo 14)". Insight.
2. Kim, Ji-young. (21 February 2016). "Lee Jong-suk graduates Konkuk Univ.". [[The Korea Herald.
3. (21 March 2014). "Models rushing to small screen". [[The Korea Times]].
4. (28 May 2014). "Lee Jong-suk emerging as new Asian star". [[The Korea Times]].
5. (2 September 2012). "Lee Jong Seok Says He Can't Call Himself an Actor Yet". enewsWorld.
6. link. [[Nate (web portal). Nate]]. (1 February 2011)
7. (7 December 2010). "[INTERVIEW] Actor Lee Jong-suk".
8. (7 January 2011). "Actor Lee Jong-suk's Song Picks".
9. link. [[iMBC]]
10. (29 March 2012). "Lee Jong Seok Says 'High Kick 3' was the Jewel of His Life". enewsWorld.
11. (2 September 2012). "[Interview Part I] The Pretty Boy Lee Jong Seok Takes a Turn with 'R2B'". enewsWorld.
12. Ho, Stewart. (29 October 2012). "Lee Jong Seok, Kim Woo Bin, Park Se Young, 5dolls' Hyoyoung Cast as Main Students for ''School 5''". enewsWorld.
13. (27 November 2012). "Lee Jong-suk Unveils Still-shots from KBS "School 2013"".
14. (1 January 2013). "Big Winners of 2012 Announced at Drama Awards Ceremonies of Major Broadcasters". [[Ten Asia]].
15. link. Star News. (17 December 2013)
16. (5 July 2013). "Drama gives 'Voice' to unique storylines". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
17. Lee, Eun-ah. (17 July 2013). "Lee Jong-suk's ''I Can Hear Your Voice'' Extended by 2 Episodes". [[Ten Asia]].
18. (2 October 2013). "Lee Jong-suk, Kim Dong-wan and Seo Hyeon-jin receive awards". TV Daily.
19. Sunwoo, Carla. (25 October 2013). "Actors take plunge into swimming roles". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
20. Tae, Sang-joon. (14 August 2013). "Director and Stars Gather for THE FACE READER Press Conference". [[Korean Film Council]].
21. (8 August 2013). "Lee, Park to star in 'Boiling Youth'". [[The Korea Times]].
22. (24 August 2014). "Lee Jong-suk Sets Hearts Racing as Country Bumpkin in New Comedy". [[The Chosun Ilbo]].
23. (5 February 2014). "Lee Jong-suk to Play Doctor in New Drama". [[Ten Asia]].
24. (7 July 2014). "'Doctor Stranger' gets nearly 400 million views in China". [[Yonhap News Agency]].
25. (8 November 2014). "Actors picked for 'Pinocchio'".
26. (21 February 2015). "Lee Jong-suk Finds Acting Harder as He Gets More Famous".
27. (26 December 2014). "Cultural Exports to Surpass 1 Trillion Won This Year". Business Korea.
28. (24 November 2014). "'Pinocchio' sells distribution rights to China for record price". [[The Korea Herald.
29. (9 October 2015). "Lee Jong-suk and Kim Tae-hee win Best Actor, Best Actress awards respectively: Korea Drama Awards 2015". Star News.
30. (8 December 2014). "Lee Jong-suk, the youngest to the Grimae Awards". [[Sports Donga]].
31. (29 July 2015). "Actor Lee Jong-suk's photo book to go on sale overseas". [[Yonhap News Agency]].
32. (23 December 2015). "Actor Lee Jong-suk cast for S. Korean-Chinese drama". [[Yonhap News Agency]].
33. (21 January 2016). "Actor Lee Jong-suk's wax figure to be unveiled in Hong Kong". [[Yonhap News Agency]].
34. (11 May 2016). "Actor Lee Jong-suk signs with YG". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
35. Kim, Soo-hyang. (29 March 2016). "Lee Jong-suk and Han Hyo-joo in new drama 'W'".
36. (18 July 2016). "Cartoon hero meets doctor in new sci-fi drama".
37. (2 August 2016). "Sci-fi drama 'W' takes top spot on CPI chart". [[Yonhap News Agency]].
38. link. [[JoongAng Ilbo]]. (31 December 2016)
39. link
40. Jin, Min-ji. (20 August 2016). "Actor Lee Jong-suk confirmed for 'VIP'". [[Korea JoongAng Daily]].
41. (2 September 2017). "Lee Jong-suk Shows His Dark Side in Latest Crime Thriller". [[The Chosun Ilbo]].
42. "Lee Jong-suk to play prosecutor in next drama". [[Kpop Herald]].
43. (5 August 2017). "Lee Jong-suk, Su-zy to Star in New TV Series This Fall". [[The Chosun Ilbo]].
44. Kim, So-yeon. "Lee Jong-suk named honorary ambassador for Korea Tourism".
45. (2 November 2018). "Lee Jong-suk, Shin Hye-sun to appear in 'Hymn of Death'".
46. (13 March 2018). "Lee Jong-suk to star in new two-part SBS series".
47. (3 April 2018). "Lee Jong Suk to Set Up His Own Agency Partnering with YNK Entertainment".
48. (16 October 2018). "Lee Jong-suk walks away from YNK".
49. (28 September 2018). "Lee Jong-suk cast for new tvN series set to air early next year".
50. (21 January 2019). "Lee Na-young and Lee Jong-suk to show romance in publishing industry in new rom-com".
51. link. news.naver. (24 November 2020)
52. link. Kim. Ye-eun. (28 April 2021)
53. link. Ham Nayan. (1 September 2021)
54. link. MyDaily. Kim. Bo-young. (29 September 2022)
55. Choi, EunHwa. (22 October 2013). "Lee Jong Suk says Kim Woo Bin is the Only Friend He Can Lean On".
56. Kim, Soo-hyang. (23 June 2016). "Strong friendships among male celebrities".
57. (6 March 2018). "LOOK: Korean actor Lee Jong-suk has a cafe in Seoul".
58. (30 August 2020). "Hello. This is 89Mansion.".
59. link. Daily Sports. Kim. Da-eun. (31 December 2022)
60. (27 February 2019). "Lee Jong-suk is reporting for duty".
61. (8 March 2018). "Actor Lee Jong-suk leaves for alternative military service".
62. link. Kim. Jin-suk. (26 February 2019)
63. link. Kyeong. Ji-Min. (2 January 2021)
64. link. [[Seoul Broadcasting System]]. Kang. Seon-ae. (6 March 2022)
65. link. [[Ten Asia]]. Shin. Ji-won. (25 November 2022)
66. link. (16 November 2013)
67. link. Osen. Pyo. Jae-pyo. (26 September 2016)
68. link. (27 September 2018)
69. "2014 Asia Model Awards 'Model Star Award (Korea) Han Go Eun & Lee Jong Suk'".
70. Yoon, Sarah. (27 May 2015). "Lee Min-ho, Park Shin-hye, Lee Jong-suk win Most Popular awards".
71. (8 December 2014). "'You Who Came from the Stars,' Lee Jong Suk and Song Yoon Ah Win Big at Grimme Awards". enewsWorld.
72. link. MyDaily. (7 October 2015)
73. link. (30 November 2013{{Dead link). (August 2023)
74. (3 October 2013). "Winners at the 2013 Korea Drama Awards". The Manila Bulletin.
75. "MBC Drama Awards 2014 to Decide Grand Prize Winner through Real Time Text Voting".
76. link. [[Hankook Ilbo]]. Jeong. Han-byul. (30 December 2022)
77. link. Star News. Reporter. Yoon Sang-geun. (19 December 2022)
78. Cory Lee. (2 January 2014). "Lee Bo-young Grabs 1st Top Prize at the 2013 SBS Drama Awards". [[Ten Asia]].
79. (31 December 2014). "SBS Drama Awards 2014 Winners".
80. link. [[Segye Ilbo]]. (26 December 2017)
81. (2 January 2018). "Lee Jong-suk Wins Top Excellence Actor Award at '2017 SBS Drama Awards'". [[Seoul Broadcasting System]].
82. (31 December 2017). "SBS Drama Awards 2017: Defendant star Ji Sung bags grand prize; complete winners list". International Business Times.
83. (4 November 2011). "Who Took Home a Prize at the Style Icon Awards?". enewsWorld.
84. (24 October 2013). "Lee Jong Suk Accepts Award at 2013 Style Icon Awards". enewsWorld.
85. Hicap, Jonathan. (18 October 2018). "BTS, Red Velvet win at Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards". [[Manila Bulletin]].
86. Yeo, Yer-im. (25 October 2018). "BTS gets award upon their return home". [[Yonhap News Agency]].
87. Lee, Sang-won. (25 October 2016). "Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards announces winners". [[The Korea Herald]].
88. (30 October 2015). "Park Shin-hye, Lee Jong-suk awarded at 2015 KPCAA". [[The Korea Herald.
89. link. [[JoongAng Ilbo]]. (23 February 2015)
90. link. (23 April 2023)