Lee Sun-kyun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lee Sun-kyun
이선균
Lee in October 2018
Born	(1975-03-02)March 2, 1975 Seoul, South Korea
Died	December 27, 2023(2023-12-27) (aged 48) Seoul, South Korea
Education	Korea National University of Arts (BFA)
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2000–2023
Agent	Hodu&U Entertainment [ko]
Spouse(s)	Jeon Hye-jin ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	2
Korean name
Hangul	이선균
Hanja	李善均
Revised Romanization	I Seon(-)gyun
McCune–Reischauer	Yi Sŏn'gyun
Signature

Lee Sun-kyun (Hangul: 이선균; March 2, 1975 – December 27, 2023) was a famous South Korean actor. He was known around the world for his role in director Bong Joon-ho's movie Parasite (2019). This film won an Academy Award, which is a very big honor in movies. Lee Sun-kyun and his fellow actors in Parasite also won a Screen Actors Guild Award. He received many other awards and was even nominated for an International Emmy Award.

Lee started acting in 2000. He performed in TV shows and on stage in musicals. He became very popular in 2007 with the TV dramas Coffee Prince and Behind the White Tower. After that, he starred in other popular dramas like Pasta (2010), Golden Time (2012), and My Mister (2018).

He also had a successful film career. He won a Best Actor award at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival for his role in Paju (2009). He was praised for his acting in the mystery thriller Helpless (2012), the romantic comedy All About My Wife (2012), and the crime comedy A Hard Day (2014). Lee also worked often with director Hong Sang-soo on special films called arthouse films, including Night and Day (2008) and Oki's Movie (2010).

Lee Sun-kyun passed away on December 27, 2023, when he was 48 years old.

Early Life and Education

Lee Sun-kyun was born in Seoul, South Korea, on March 2, 1975. He went to the Korea National University of Arts in 1994. He was part of the first group of students to graduate from its School of Drama with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Acting Career Highlights

Early Acting Days (2000–2012)

Lee's first main acting role was in a short film called Psycho Drama in 2000. In 2001, he started acting on stage in the musical The Rocky Horror Show. He also made his TV debut in a sitcom called Lovers.

He became widely known in 2007 with two popular TV shows. One was the medical drama White Tower, and the other was the romantic series Coffee Prince. He was nominated for Best New Actor in Television for his work. He worked with the director of Coffee Prince, Lee Yoon-jung, two other times.

Even as he became famous, Lee chose to act in smaller, independent films. These films helped him improve his acting skills. He appeared in movies directed by Hong Sang-soo, who was known for showing everyday life in his films. Lee also starred in Paju, and he won the Best Actor award at a film festival in Spain for this role.

Lee changed his "gentle" TV image in the drama Pasta. In this show, he played a very talented but tough chef. The show was so popular that it made him a top actor for romantic lead roles. He also starred in the romantic comedy Petty Romance and the action comedy Officer of the Year.

Growing Success (2012–2017)

In 2012, Lee starred in two successful movies: the mystery thriller Helpless and the romantic comedy All About My Wife. He also worked with the director of Pasta again on the medical drama Golden Time, where he played a doctor. Their third project together was Miss Korea, a drama set during a financial crisis in the 1990s.

In 2013, Lee returned to the theater, acting alongside his wife, Jeon Hye-jin, in the play Love, Love, Love. The next year, he starred in the film A Hard Day. This movie was shown at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and became a surprise hit at the box office.

In 2015, he acted in the courtroom drama film The Advocate: A Missing Body.

Lee in October 2016

Television Return and Global Fame (2018–2023)

In 2018, Lee starred in the highly praised TV series My Mister. That same year, he appeared in the action thriller film Take Point. In 2019, Lee was in the legal TV series Prosecutor Civil War.

Lee (fifth from left) in April 2019 with Parasite cast

In 2019, Lee played a main role in the very famous film Parasite. He played Park Dong-ik, the father of the wealthy Park family. Parasite was directed by Bong Joon-ho. It made history by becoming the first South Korean film to win the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Picture. The entire cast of Parasite, including Lee, also won a SAG Award for their amazing performance.

In 2021, Lee played a scientist who tries to solve a mystery by looking into the brains of people who have passed away. This show, Dr. Brain, was the first Korean-language show made for Apple TV+. It was a science fiction thriller based on a Korean webtoon. For his role, he was nominated for a Best Actor award at the 50th International Emmy Awards. In the same year, Lee also appeared in the political drama film Kingmaker.

In 2023, Lee starred in the comedy film Killing Romance and the horror film Sleep.

Personal Life

Marriage and Family

Lee Sun-kyun married actress Jeon Hye-jin on May 23, 2009. They had been together for seven years before getting married. Their first son was born on November 25, 2009. The couple welcomed their second son on August 9, 2011.

Filmography

Film

Television series

Web series

Television shows

Music video appearances

Stage Performances

Theater

Musical

Discography

Awards and Nominations

State Honors

Listicles