He started out studying biotechnology at university but, when he developed a passion for acting, he switched to the school of drama at the Korea National University of Arts. He appeared in many student and indie works at this time, several of which helped to put him on the map.
Why we love him
What was attractive about Lee in his early acting days was his fearless approach to acting – in just a few short years, he had 18 roles in features and shorts.
Lee cemented his status when he returned to Busan the following year as one of the stars of Bleak Night, a feature project from the Korean Academy of Film Arts which won the New Currents award – Busan’s top competitive prize – and earned rave reviews.
These days, Lee is most well known for playing characters who tackle social iniquities – roles that he says he gravitates towards.
As he explained in an interview with The Korea Times earlier this year, “As an actor, I take an interest in observing humans, much like one observes their surrounding environment.
“Naturally, I began to focus on incidents and events in society, nurturing hope for narratives where justice triumphs over evil, a desire shared by many.”
Lee has also found time to get behind the camera, having directed the “Blue Happiness” short in the omnibus film Unframed, which also premiered in Busan.
The star-making roles
In Bleak Night, Lee captivated viewers by playing a teenager whose death leads to a lot of soul-searching for those he leaves behind. In flashbacks, we see how this charismatic youth manipulated and bullied his classmates.
The role earned Lee no less than five best new actor accolades, including at the Blue Dragon and Grand Bell Film Awards.
Eighteen months later, Lee starred in modern melodrama classic Architecture 101, playing a naive architecture student who falls in love with his classmate, played by Bae Suzy. The film was a box office hit and propelled Lee to greater heights.
The much-loved parts
Lee embarked on his obligatory South Korean military service a few months after the release of Architecture 101. Upon his return, he became a fully fledged K-drama star, first appearing alongside Han Suk-kyu in the period drama Secret Door.
In 2016, he co-starred with Kim Hye-soo in what would become one of the most acclaimed K-dramas of all time, the fantasy serial killer procedural Signal. He plays a criminal profiler who comes into possession of a walkie-talkie which can connect him to a detective in the past.
The unheralded performances
Before Signal and Chief Detective 1958, Lee played an enigmatic sleuth on the big screen in the stylish action thriller Phantom Detective, an anachronistic noir that blends elements of past and present.
Another impressive film role for Lee was in Anarchist from Colony, where he vividly portrayed the real-life figure Pak Yol, a revolutionary fighter during Korea’s Japanese colonial era (1910-1945).
Tomorrow’s turns
Lee will soon be seen in the action thriller Escape, playing a North Korean soldier trying to escape to South Korea while being pursued by a North Korean officer played by Koo Kyo-hwan.
Also destined for cinemas is Moral Hazard, a financial thriller in which he will appear alongside Yoo Hae-jin.