# Lee Dong-gun

Lee Dong-gun (Korean: 이동건, Korean pronunciation:; born 26 July 1980) is a South Korean actor and singer.

## Career

Lee Dong-gun made his debut in the entertainment industry in 1998 as a singer, but he would later gain fame as an actor, starring in television dramas such as Sweet 18, Lovers in Paris, and Stained Glass.
Lee took a break from acting in 2005, claiming he felt overwhelmed with his workload in both television and film. He resumed his work in 2006, with Smile Again.
During a fan meeting event in Japan held on 5 December 2005, Lee announced the release of his first photobook which also included a making-of DVD, poster and postcard. The success of Lovers in Paris along with promotions for his new film My Boyfriend Is Type B helped to increase his popularity in Japan.
Lee participated in the Hallyu Expo in Asia on Jeju island which commenced on 28 November 2006 and spanned a total of 100 days. This large-scale event was intended to promote Korean culture across Asia and expected to bring in 150,000 tourists to stimulate the local economy. He also attended the sequel to the Hallyu Expo which was held in Japan titled FACE in Japan Premium Event. This two-day event from 14 to 15 August 2007, featured Korean celebrities with large fanbases and was intended as a cultural exchange program between Korea and Japan.
Lee released a 14-track album titled My Biography in 2008, his first full-length album in a decade. It included 6 Korean songs, 6 Japanese songs and 2 instrumentals. It was first released in Japan before becoming available in Korea. The same year, he starred in the television series Night After Night alongside Kim Sun-ah, and starred alongside an ensemble cast in the romance film Love Now.
In December 2011, three months prior to the completion of his mandatory military service, Lee signed with talent agency Mask Entertainment. After the termination of his contract with Mask Entertainment, Lee signed with FNC Entertainment in November 2012.
In 2013, Lee was cast in the lead role for the time-travel romance Marry Him If You Dare. This was followed in 2015 by the titular role in cable series Super Daddy Yeol, which was based on the webtoon of the same name. In 2016, Lee starred in the family drama The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop. He also starred in his first Chinese drama, Hello Mr. Right alongside actress Guan Xiaotong.
In the historical drama Queen for Seven Days, Lee impressed viewers with his a wide range of emotions and acting performance with his role as the tyrannical Joseon ruler Yeonsangun. He then starred in action drama Sketch, playing a member of a special operations command who seeks revenge for the death of his wife; and slice-of-life drama Where Stars Land.
In 2019, Lee was cast in the fantasy romance drama Angel's Last Mission: Love.

## Personal life

On 20 March 2008, Lee's 19-year-old brother Lee Joon-yub, a student at the University of Sydney, was fatally stabbed during a brawl with two Chinese teenage gang members at Hungry Jack's in World Square, Sydney. The victim's friend, 22-year-old Song Jung-ho, was critically injured but survived. Lee flew to Sydney to identify his brother's body and attend a requiem mass at the Chapel of St. John's College; after cremation, his family brought back Lee Joon-yub's ashes to Seoul.

### Military service

Lee enlisted for his mandatory military service on 15 June 2010 at the 102 Reserves in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province for four weeks of basic training followed by 21 months of active duty. He served at the Defense Media Agency of the Ministry of National Defense and was appointed Honorary Ambassador of Military. He was discharged on 28 March 2012, and on the same day, he was appointed promotional ambassador for the 2012 Korean Formula One Grand Prix held at the Korea International Circuit in October.

### Relationship and marriage

On 28 February 2017, Lee Dong-gun was confirmed to be dating Jo Yoon-hee, his co-star in The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop. On 2 May, Lee announced that they have registered their marriage and are expecting their first child. The couple held a private wedding ceremony on 29 September and welcomed a baby girl on 14 December 2017. On May 29, 2020, they divorced due to irreconcilable differences.

## Discography
### Albums

| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Peak chart positions | Sales |
| Title | Album details | KOR | JPN | Sales |
| Korean |||||
| Time to Fly | Released: 8 November 1998 Label: NULE Entertainment Format: CD, cassette | — | — | — |
| Much More | Released: 1 June 2000 Label: NULE Entertainment Format: CD, cassette | 42 | — | KOR: 10,853+ |
| Japanese |||||
| Beautiful Beginning (美しいはじまり) | Released: 29 April 2005 Label: VAP Format: CD | — | — | — |
| My Biography (マイ・バイオグラフィ) | Released: 25 June 2008 Label: Sony Music Japan Format: CD | — | 108 | — |
| The Key to Myself (ザ・キー・トゥ・マイセルフ) | Released: 4 March 2009 Label: Sony Music Japan Format: CD | — | 262 | — |
| "—" denotes album did not chart or was not released in that region. |||||

### Singles
#### As featured artist

List of singles, with year, and album :
| Title | Year | Album |
| "Salad Song" (Yoon Eun-hye featuring Lee Dong-gun) | 2008 | Salad Anniversary |

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2002 | Family | Ha Yong-cheol |
| 2005 | My Boyfriend Is Type B | Young-bin |
| 2007 | Love Now | Park Yong-jun |

### Television series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1999 | Ad Madness | | |
| 2002 | Friends | Park Kyung-joo | |
| 2002 | Ruler of Your Own World | Han Dong-jin | |
| 2003 | Sang Doo! Let's Go to School | Kang Min-suk | |
| 2003 | A Problem at My Younger Brother's House | Park Sang-gu | |
| 2004 | Sweet 18 | Kwon Hyuk-joon | |
| 2004 | Lovers in Paris | Yoon Soo-hyuk | |
| 2004 | Stained Glass | Han Dong-joo/Yuichi Yamamoto | |
| 2006 | Smile Again | Ban Ha-jin | |
| 2006 | If in Love... Like Them | Jeong-tae | |
| 2008 | Night After Night | Kim Bum-sang | |
| 2008 | Star's Lover | Hyun-joon | Cameo |
| 2013 | Marry Him If You Dare | Kim Shin | |
| 2015 | Super Daddy Yeol | Han Yul | |
| 2016 | The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop | Lee Dong-jin | |
| 2017 | Queen for Seven Days | Yeonsangun | |
| 2018 | Sketch | Kim Do-jin | |
| 2018 | Where Stars Land | Seo In-woo | |
| 2019 | Angel's Last Mission: Love | Ji Kang-woo | |
| 2019 | Leverage | Lee Tae-joon | |

### Web series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2016 | Hello Mr. Right | Zhou Yuteng | Chinese drama |
| 2022 | Kiss Sixth Sense | Hong Sung-joon | Cameo (Ep. 1, 10–12) |
| 2023 | Celebrity | Jin Tae-jeon | |

### Television shows

| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
| 2023–present | My Little Old Boy | Cast member | | |

### Music video appearances

| Year | Title | Artist |
| 2004 | "Tardy Love" | Eun Hyul |
| 2007 | "A Day" | Position |
| 2007 | "Last Farewell" | Big Bang |
| 2007 | "Don't Love Her" | Lee Hyori |
| 2008 | "Salad Song" | Yoon Eun-hye (feat. Lee Dong-gun) |
| 2009 | "Tomorrow" | 4Tomorrow |

## Musical theatre

* 1998: Wandering Stars (방황하는 별들)

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2004 | 2nd Andre Kim Best Star Awards | Best Star Award | — | Won |
| 2004 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor | Sweet 18 | Nominated |
| 2004 | SBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Lovers in Paris, Stained Glass | Nominated |
| 2004 | SBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Special Planning Drama | Lovers in Paris | Won |
| 2004 | SBS Drama Awards | Top 10 Stars | Lovers in Paris, Stained Glass | Won |
| 2004 | Dong-a TV Fashion Beauty Awards | Best Dressed | — | Won |
| 2005 | 41st Baeksang Arts Awards | Most Popular Actor (Film) | My Boyfriend Is Type B | Won |
| 2005 | 42nd Grand Bell Awards | Best New Actor | My Boyfriend Is Type B | Nominated |
| 2008 | 45th Baeksang Arts Awards | Most Popular Actor (TV) | Night After Night | Nominated |
| 2008 | Seoul Hallyu Festival | Plaque of Appreciation | — | Won |
| 2008 | 25th Korea Best Dresser Swan Awards | Best Dressed Actor | — | Won |
| 2008 | 45th Grand Bell Awards | Best New Actor | Love Now | Nominated |
| 2008 | MBC Drama Awards | Excellence Award, actor | Night After Night | Won |
| 2013 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Couple Award with Yoon Eun-hye | Marry Him If You Dare | Nominated |
| 2013 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in Miniseries | Marry Him If You Dare | Nominated |
| 2015 | 4th APAN Star Awards | Hallyu Star Award | — | Won |
| 2016 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop | Won |
| 2017 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | Queen for Seven Days | Won |
| 2018 | SBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Monday-Tuesday Drama | Where Stars Land | Nominated |
| 2023 | SBS Entertainment Awards | Hot Issue Award | My Little Old Boy | Won |