# Lee Min-ki

Lee Min-ki (born January 16, 1985) is a South Korean actor, singer, and model. Lee's first leading role in television was in the 2005 sports drama Taereung National Village. He has gone on to star in many television series, including Love Truly (2006), Dal-ja's Spring (2007), Because This Is My First Life (2017), The Beauty Inside (2018), My Liberation Notes (2022) and Behind Your Touch (2023). Lee has also starred in feature films, most notably in the box office hits Tidal Wave (2009), Quick (2011), Spellbound (2011) and Very Ordinary Couple (2013).

## Career
### Acting

After honing his acting in one-act dramas, Lee Min-ki first gained popularity on television in romantic comedies Love Truly (2006) and Dal-ja's Spring (2007). He then starred in the quirky low-rated cult series Evasive Inquiry Agency (2007) and alternated mainstream films with indies such as Oishii Man (2009). He gained favorable notices for his supporting roles in the thriller A Million as a hot-tempered Marine-turned-janitor who finds himself involved in a survival reality show, and the disaster film Tidal Wave, in which he plays a lifeguard who makes a heartbreaking sacrifice when a tsunami hits the Korean beach town of Haeundae. Lee then solidified his bona fide movie star status with his leading roles in the action film Quick and romantic comedy Spellbound.
Lee starred alongside Kim Min-hee in the relationship drama Very Ordinary Couple (2013), a critically-acclaimed a box-office hit. He followed with leading roles in thriller Monster (2014), action noir For the Emperor (2014), and drama film Shoot Me in the Heart (2015), based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Jeong Yu-jeong.
In 2017, Lee starred in the romantic-comedy drama Because This Is My First Life opposite Jung So-min, which had been his first television leading role in 10 years. This was followed with the fantasy melodrama The Beauty Inside (2018), based on the 2015 romantic comedy film of the same name. He played a man who suffers from prosopagnosia.
In 2019, Lee returned to the small screen opposite Lee Yoo-young in the crime detective drama The Lies Within as detective Jo Tae-sik. On January 13, 2020, it was announced that Lee would star in the occult thriller film Three Days alongside Park Shin-yang and Lee Re.
In 2021, Lee starred alongside Nana in the MBC romantic comedy Oh My Ladylord. After the contract with his former agency expired in September 2021, Lee signed a contract with Yeongsang ENT. The same year, he joined the JTBC television series My Liberation Notes which premiered in April 2022. He played the role of Yeom Chang-hee, the second of three siblings with no proper goal in life.

### Singing

After performing a stylized version of "My Way" at the 2008 Mnet KM Music Festival, Lee lent his vocals to a track with Korean electronica/pop singer Sheean in a collaboration with Japanese electronica/Shibuya-kei artist FreeTEMPO. The song, titled "Power of Love," was released as a digital single, and Lee also appeared in the music video. On August 11, 2009, he unveiled his musical debut No Kidding, a six track EP with a very indie-electro rock sound. The album's title song "Eternal Summer" was the first and only single released. In 2013, he released two singles titled "Those Days I Had with You" and "Everything" in collaboration with Gold Coast.

## Personal life
### Military service

Lee enlisted for his mandatory military service on August 7, 2014, and was assigned as a public service worker. He was discharged in August 2016.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2006 | Riverbank Legends | High school student #7 | Special appearance |
| 2007 | A Good Day to Have an Affair | College student | |
| 2008 | Humming | Oh Chun-jae | Special appearance |
| 2008 | Romantic Island | Lee Jung-hwan | |
| 2009 | Oishii Man | Kim Hyun-seok | |
| 2009 | Tidal Wave | Choi Hyeong-sik | |
| 2009 | A Million | Park Cheol-hee | |
| 2011 | Quick | Han Ki-su | |
| 2011 | Spellbound | Ma Jo-goo | |
| 2013 | Very Ordinary Couple | Lee Dong-hee | |
| 2014 | Monster | Tae-soo | |
| 2014 | For the Emperor | Lee Hwan | |
| 2015 | Shoot Me in the Heart | Ryu Seung-min | |
| 2018 | Detective K: Secret of the Living Dead | Jeon In-kyul | Special appearance |
| 2022 | Decibel | Captain Hwang | Special appearance |
| TBA | Three Days | Priest Van | |

### Television series

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2004 | My Older Brother | Kang Min-ki | Drama City |
| 2005 | Oh! Sarah | Kim Dong-kang | Drama City |
| 2005 | Be Strong, Geum-soon! | Noh Tae-hwan | |
| 2005 | Booyong of Mt. Kyeryong | Hyeong-soo | Drama City |
| 2005 | Taereung National Village | Hong Min-ki | Drama City |
| 2005 | Rainbow Romance | Lee Min-ki | |
| 2006 | Love Truly | Nam Bong-ki | |
| 2007 | Dal-ja's Spring | Kang Tae-bong | |
| 2007 | Evasive Inquiry Agency | Park Mu-yeol | |
| 2012 | Flower Band | Joo Byung-hee | Guest, Episodes 1-2 |
| 2017 | Because This Is My First Life | Nam Se-hee | |
| 2018 | What's Wrong with Secretary Kim | young Mi-so's father | Cameo, Episode 10 |
| 2018 | The Beauty Inside | Seo Do-jae | |
| 2019 | The Lies Within | Jo Tae-sik | |
| 2021 | Oh My Ladylord | Han Bi-soo | |
| 2022 | My Liberation Notes | Yeom Chang-hee | |
| 2023 | Behind Your Touch | Moon Jang-yeol | |
| 2024 | Crash | Cha Yeon-ho | |
| 2024 | Face Me | Cha Jung-woo | |

### Music video appearances

| Year | Song title | Artist |
| 2004 | "Hit'm" | Nina |
| 2005 | "Only One for Me" | Soul Star |
| 2007 | "After... The Break-up" | The Name feat. Choi Jin-yi |
| 2008 | "My Girl" | The One |
| 2012 | "The Day Before" | Nell |
| 2013 | "I'm Sorry" | Han So-hyeon |

## Discography
### Albums

| Album information | Track listing |
| Power of Love Single Artist: FreeTEMPO feat. Sheean and Lee Min-ki Released: September 26, 2008 Label: | Track listing Power of Love |
| Power of Love Part 2 Single Artist: FreeTEMPO feat. Lee Min-ki Released: November 14, 2008 Label: | Track listing Power of Love (3rd Coast Remix) |
| We Can't Forget the Reason Single Artist: Lee Min-ki feat. Weekenders Released: December 10, 2008 Label: | Track listing We Can't Forget the Reason We Can't Forget the Reason (Inst.) |
| No Kidding EP Artist: Lee Min-ki Released: August 11, 2009 Label: Locksmith by Shyoshyo Type/CJ E&M | Track listing 영원한 여름 (Eternal Summer) Dreaming Joujou (Let me see the love) Play My Way Tonite, Tonite Joujou (♥Minki Remix) |
| Those Days I Had with You Single Artist: Lee Min-ki feat. 3rd Coast Released: March 14, 2013 Label: Go_od/CJ E&M | Track listing 지난날 (Those Days I Had with You) 지난날 (Those Days I Had with You) (Inst.) |
| Everything Single Artist: Lee Min-ki feat. 3rd Coast Released: April 11, 2013 Label: Go_od/CJ E&M | Track listing Everything Everything (Inst.) |

### Soundtrack

| Year | Song title | Notes |
| 2006 | "Like Candy 2" | Track from Love Truly OST |
| 2006 | "Before Sadness Comes" | Track from Rainbow Romance OST |
| 2009 | "Frozen Mountain" "Neanderthal Man II" "Disappears Like That" "A Match for You" | Tracks from Oishii Man OST |
| 2012 | "Not in Love" "jaywalking" | Track from Flower Band OST |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 2004 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Actor in a Special/One-Act Drama | My Older Brother | Nominated |
| 2005 | KBS Drama Awards | Best Actor in a Special/One-Act Drama | Oh! Sarah, Booyong of Mt. Kyeryong | Nominated |
| 2005 | MBC Drama Awards | Best New Actor | Be Strong, Geum-soon! | Won |
| 2007 | 43rd Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actor (TV) | Love Truly | Nominated |
| 2007 | 28th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best New Actor | A Good Day to Have an Affair | Nominated |
| 2007 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | Dal-ja's Spring, Evasive Inquiry Agency | Nominated |
| 2007 | KBS Drama Awards | Popularity Award, Actor | Dal-ja's Spring, Evasive Inquiry Agency | Nominated |
| 2009 | 2nd Style Icon Awards | New Movie Icon | — | Won |
| 2009 | 30th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Haeundae | Nominated |
| 2010 | 46th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best New Actor (Film) | Haeundae | Won |
| 2014 | 50th Baeksang Arts Awards | Most Popular Actor (Film) | Monster | Nominated |
| 2018 | 13th Soompi Awards | Actor of the Year | Because This Is My First Life | Nominated |
| 2018 | 13th Soompi Awards | Best Couple Award with Jung So-min | Because This Is My First Life | Nominated |
| 2019 | 14th Soompi Awards | Best Couple Award with Seo Hyun-jin | The Beauty Inside | Nominated |
| 2021 | MBC Drama Awards | Best Couple Award with Nana | Oh My Ladylord | Nominated |
| 2023 | Global Film & Television Huading Awards | Best Global Teleplay Leading Actor | My Liberation Notes | Nominated |