Lee Byung-hun, a South Korean actor, singer, and model, is well-known throughout the world thanks to his roles in Korean and Hollywood movies. His plays have earned both critical acclaim and commercial success, making him a master thespian. He came from a wealthy household and made his acting debut in the KBC drama “Asphalt My Hometown” at the age of 21. Four years later, in the romantic comedy “Who Drives Me Crazy,” he made his big-screen debut. He became famous, nonetheless, thanks to the mystery thriller “Joint Security Area.” The movie broke the previous record for the highest-grossing Korean movie ever. He went on to play roles in movies like the gangster action drama “A Bittersweet Life,” the action western “The Good, the Bad, and the Weird,” the psychological thriller “I Saw the Devil,” the historical drama “Masquerade,” and the political crime drama “Inside Man,” showcasing his versatility and range. Hollywood contacted him when his career in Korea was at its height. He has acted in a number of American blockbusters, such as “Terminator Genisys,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” and its sequel, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation.” With the 1999 publication of his sole album, “Lee Byung-hun – To Me,” Lee is also a skilled singer.
Early Childhood & Life
Lee Jong-kun and Park Jae-soon welcomed their son Lee Byung-hun into the world on July 12, 1970, in the city of Gwangju, South Korea’s Gyeonggi province. He grew up in a loving environment and relative comfort as the son of a wealthy businessman. He acknowledged that he was an impish youngster. His lone sister, Eun-hee Lee, took home the Miss Korea title in 1996.
At a young age, his passion for movies began to blossom. He attended Hanyang University and majored in French Literature, but he knew he wanted to change his career. Later, he pursued theater and cinematography studies at Chung-Ang University’s graduate school.
Career of Lee Byung-hun
After completing his education, Lee Byung-hun signed up for the Korean Broadcast System’s 14th annual public audition in 1991. After being approved, he made his acting debut in the television drama “Asphalt My Hometown,” playing the role of Jinwoo.
He would gradually carve out a position for himself over the following ten years, despite the fierce competition in Korean television, with productions including “Family,” “Tomorrow Love,” “Police,” “Asphalt Man,” “White Nights 3.98,” and “Beautiful Days.”
The movies he made at the beginning of his career, despite his popularity on television, were forgettable. Since making his film debut in 1995 with “Who Drives Me Crazy,” he has worked on a string of unremarkable films, none of which have found commercial success, including “Runaway,” “Kill the Love,” “Elegy of the South,” and “The Harmonium in My Memory.”
All of that was altered by the movie “Joint Security Area,” directed by Park Chan-wook. The movie, which was released in 2000, propelled Lee to fame. His portrayal of South Korean Army Sergeant Lee Soo-hyuk earned him his first Grand Bell Award as the best new actor. Since 1992, the director Quentin Tarantino has ranked the movie among his top 20 favorites.
He then released the eccentric movie “Bungee Jumping of Their Own” in 2001. He lent his voice to his first animated movie, “My Beautiful Girl, Mari,” the following year. Additionally, he appeared in the thriller “Addicted,” which was eventually turned into the 2009 American movie “Possession.”
He was chosen to appear in the suspense drama “All In” on the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), which also stars Song Hye-Kyo and Ji Sung and is based on the life of professional poker player Jimmy Cha. Lee had a six-year break from television when it was over.
Never one to rest on his laurels, Lee picked the sexual comedy “Everybody Has Secrets” (2004) as his next endeavor. He participated in the 2004 East Asian horror movie collaboration “Three… Extremes.” In his “Cut” section, he collaborated with director Park Chan-wook and portrayed a director who was plagued by an extra from one of his earlier movies.
He made another career change in 2005 when he took on the role of a mob enforcer in the crime drama “A Bittersweet Life.”
Lee has long been on US producers’ radars, but ‘G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra’ (2009) was supposed to be his big-screen debut. Even if it wasn’t thought to be the best choice to present a well-known actor like him to a global audience, the movie about toys for kids did provide him considerable exposure and open up additional opportunities.
He appeared onscreen alongside actors such as Denzel Washington (‘The Magnificent Seven’), Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, and Bruce Willis (‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ and ‘Red 2’), as well as John Malkovich, Anthony Hopkins, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
His next projects include the historical drama “The Fortress,” about the second Manchu invasion of Korea in 1636, which is scheduled for a late 2017 release, and the drama “My World Only,” currently in post-production.
Bigger Works of Lee Byung-hun
Alongside Kim Tae-hee and Jung Joon-ho, Lee Byung-hun starred in the 2009 spy television drama series “Iris.” He won five KBS Drama Awards that year, including the Grand Prize (Daesang), while portraying Kim Hyun-jun, a soldier in the South Korean Special Forces.
His portrayal of Gwanghae, the 15th Joseon monarch of Korea, in Choo Chang-min’s film ‘Masquerade’ earned him multiple best actor nominations, including his first Grand Bell in that category. The movie is regarded as one of the greatest Korean costume dramas of all time.
His best effort to date is likely “Inside Man,” which was released in 2015. The movie, which was written and directed by Woo Min-ho, has become the most successful R-rated picture in Korean cinema history.
Recognition & Achievements
Lee Byung-hun was appointed the ambassador for promoting California tourism to Korea in September 2010.
For his performance in the universally praised movie “Inside Men,” Lee Byung-hun won the Best Actor honor at three award ceremonies in 2015: the 52nd Baeksang Art Awards, the 37th Blue Dragon Awards, and the 53rd Grand Bell Awards.
He and veteran actor Ahn Sung-ki were the first two South Korean performers to leave hand and footprints on the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre forecourt in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
Individual Life of Lee Byung-hun
In 2006, Lee Byung-hun and Lee Min-jung, an actress, had a brief romance. Lee Min-jung would later become his wife. In 2012, they rekindled their relationship. On August 10, 2013, they got hitched at the Grand Hyatt Seoul. Lee Joon-hoo, their firstborn son, was born on March 31, 2015.
He became embroiled in a blackmail incident in the middle of 2014 when singer Dahee from the K-pop girl group GLAM and model Lee Ji-yeon demanded money from him and threatened to release a compromising video of him making sexual jokes if he did not comply. On September 2, he contacted the police and filed a report regarding the extortion at the Gangnam Police Station. Following their admission to the charges, the women were given a year in prison during a hearing on January 15, 2015, at the Seoul District Court.
There were many rumors of infidelity that followed, which Lee strongly denied. He apologized to the public for the incident in July 2015.