Lee Jong-suk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lee Jong-suk
Lee in July 2024
Born	(1989-09-14) 14 September 1989 (age 35) Yongin, South Korea
Education	Yangjae High School Konkuk University
Occupation	Actor model
Years active	2005–present
Agent	Ace Factory
Works	Full list
Height	186 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Korean name
Hangul	이종석
Hanja	李鐘奭
RR	I Jongseok
MR	I Chongsŏk
Signature

Lee Jong-suk (Hangul: 이종석) is a famous South Korean actor and model. He was born on September 14, 1989. He started his career as a model in 2005. Later, he became well-known as an actor. Some of his popular TV shows include School 2013 (2012) and I Can Hear Your Voice (2013). He also starred in dramas like Doctor Stranger (2014), Pinocchio (2014), W (2016), While You Were Sleeping (2017), and Big Mouth (2022).

Lee Jong-suk's Education

Lee Jong-suk studied Professional Motion Pictures and Art. He went to Konkuk University. He finished his studies and graduated from the university in 2016.

Lee Jong-suk's Career Journey

Starting Out: 2005–2010

Lee Jong-suk began modeling when he was just 15 years old. He walked the runway at the Seoul Collection in 2005. This made him the youngest male model to debut at Seoul Fashion Week. He appeared in many fashion shows after that.

He also trained to be part of an idol music group. However, he left the agency because they did not keep their promise to let him debut as an actor. In 2010, Lee officially started acting. He appeared in the TV series Prosecutor Princess. He also made his first movie appearance in the horror film Ghost.

Becoming Popular: 2011–2013

Lee Jong-suk started getting more attention. This happened after his supporting role in the popular drama Secret Garden. In this show, he played a talented young composer.

In 2011, he was in the sitcom High Kick Season 3. This role helped him become even more popular. Lee also acted in the film R2B: Return to Base in 2012. This movie was similar to the famous 1986 film Top Gun.

Lee at Vogue Fashion's Night Out in 2013

Lee's big breakthrough role was in the teen drama School 2013. He played a high school student. For this role, he won his first acting award. It was the Best New Actor award at the 2012 KBS Drama Awards. He was also ranked among the top actors of 2013 by Gallup Korea.

After School 2013 was a success, Lee starred in the drama I Can Hear Your Voice. He acted alongside Lee Bo-young. He played Park Soo-ha, a smart young man who could read minds. The show was so popular that it was extended by two episodes. Lee won an Excellence Award for his acting in this drama. He then appeared in the sports film No Breathing. He also had a supporting role in the hit movie The Face Reader.

Widespread Fame: 2014–2018

In 2014, Lee starred in the romantic comedy Hot Young Bloods. He played a character who was very popular with girls. Next, he starred in the medical drama Doctor Stranger. In this show, he played a doctor from North Korea working in South Korea. This drama was very popular in China. It received 400 million views there.

Lee then starred in Pinocchio with actress Park Shin-hye. He played Choi Dal-po, a new reporter. His character struggled with ideas of justice and truth. Pinocchio was also a big hit. It earned a lot of money from broadcasting rights.

Lee's acting in Doctor Stranger and Pinocchio earned him many awards. He won 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. This award is chosen by television camera operators.

Lee went on an Asia fan-meeting tour. He also released a photobook about his meetings with fans. Because of his success in China, a wax figure of him was displayed at Madame Tussauds in Hong Kong. Lee himself helped to unveil it. In 2016, Lee signed a contract with YG Entertainment.

Lee at the W press conference in August 2016

In July 2016, Lee returned to Korean TV with the fantasy thriller W. He starred alongside Han Hyo-joo. This drama was very popular in Korea. Lee won the Grand Prize at the MBC Drama Awards for his role. In the same year, he was in the web drama 7 First Kisses.

In 2017, Lee starred in the crime film VIP. This was his first main role as a villain. After that, he starred in the drama While You Were Sleeping with Bae Suzy. In July 2017, Lee became a Goodwill Ambassador for Korean tourism. He appeared in promotional videos called "8 Episodes of Korea." These videos showed tourist spots in different regions of Korea.

In 2018, Lee was cast in the three-episode drama The Hymn of Death. This was a remake of the 1991 film Death Song. Lee later started his own agency called "A-man Project." In 2019, he starred in his first romantic comedy drama Romance Is a Bonus Book. He acted alongside Lee Na-young.

Military Service and Comeback: 2019–Present

Lee Jong-suk began his mandatory military service on March 8, 2019. He was not able to serve as an active duty soldier. This was because he had a car accident when he was 16. He had torn a ligament in his knee. So, he worked as a public service officer instead. He finished his service on January 2, 2021.

After his military duty, he made a comeback in 2021. He had a small role in The Witch : Part 2. The Other One. Lee then confirmed his role in the film Decibel. He acted with Kim Rae-won, Lee Sang-hee, and Cha Eun-woo. This was his second time playing a villain in a movie. Later in September 2021, Lee confirmed he would star in the MBC drama Big Mouth with Im Yoon-ah. This drama aired in 2022.

Lee Jong-suk's Personal Life

Lee Jong-suk is very good friends with fellow actor Kim Woo-bin. They have known each other since their modeling days. They also starred together in School 2013. Lee used to own a dining cafe called 89Mansion. The cafe closed permanently in September 2020. This was due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2022, it was confirmed that Lee was in a relationship with singer and actress IU.

Helping Others

On March 7, 2022, Lee Jong-suk donated 100 million won. This money went to the Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association. It helped victims of a large wildfire. The fire started in Uljin and spread to Samcheok.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

Lee Jong-suk has won many awards for his acting and modeling. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Lee Jong-suk para niños