Lee Byung-hun biography, photos, personal life, wife and children, height and weight 2025

Lee Byung-hun Biography

Lee Byung-hun is a Korean actor who's spent over three decades proving that talent knows no borders. Born in Seoul in 1970, he's gone from a hesitant student who never planned on acting to an international star equally convincing in Korean dramas and Hollywood blockbusters.

Lee Byung-hun

Source: imdb.com

Childhood and Family

Lee Byung-hun was born on July 12, 1970, into a well-off Seoul family. His father, Lee Jong-gun, was a successful businessman, while his mother, Park Jae-soon, was a homemaker. He grew up with his younger sister Eun-hee, who became Miss Korea in 1996.

The actor has admitted he was quite a restless kid—a trait that's helped him create such vivid and memorable characters.

Lee Byung-hun as a child wearing a bow tie and graduation cap — Lee Byung-hun as a child

As a kid, Byung-hun often watched Hollywood movies with his father, a huge film buff. Those shared movie nights probably planted the first seeds of his love for cinema, though no one could've guessed back then that he'd become part of that world himself.

Education

Initially, Byung-hun took the academic route—studying French literature at Hanyang University, where he earned his bachelor's degree. He then continued at Chung-Ang University's graduate school, getting his master's in theater and film.

An acting career wasn't his dream at all—he was pushed toward the idea by his mother's friend, who suggested he give acting a shot. Sometimes the most unexpected advice changes everything.

Young Lee Byung-hun carrying his younger sister on his shoulders — Young Lee Byung-hun (pictured with his sister)

Acting Career

First Steps (1990s – Early 2000s)

In 1991, 21-year-old Byung-hun passed an open casting call at KBS television. His debut came in the series "Asphalt My Hometown."

He gained recognition with his next KBS project – the 1992 drama "Tomorrow's Love," where his character successfully blended masculinity with tenderness, winning over female audiences.

Public attention also came from the 1995 dramatic series "Dreamers," in which Byung-hun played a young car designer, and the romantic film "My Heart's Organ," where his character, a young school teacher, becomes the object of a student's affection.

The breakthrough came in 2000 with Park Chan-wook's historical drama Joint Security Area. The film shattered all box office records and became the highest-grossing Korean film of the year. His role as a South Korean border guard serving in the demilitarized zone earned Lee the Best Actor award at the Busan Film Critics Awards.

Lee Byung-hun has his arms around the shoulders of two men in military uniforms, all three are smiling — Lee Byung-hun in Joint Security Area

That same year, his father died. The loss itself knocked Byung-hun off balance, and soon it became clear that his father had left behind substantial debts that his son had to deal with. He began experiencing panic attacks that made it difficult for him to appear in public.

In 2001, Lee's popularity continued to grow thanks to the melodramas "Beautiful Days" and "Bungee Jumping of Their Own." In 2003, he received the Grand Prize at the SBS Drama Awards and Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards for his role in the poker drama "All In." By that point, Lee had won popularity not just in South Korea but across Asia, especially in Japan.

Professional Recognition (2005 – 2012)

Starting in 2005, Lee focused on feature films, earning critical acclaim for his role in Kim Jee-woon's crime drama A Bittersweet Life, which screened out of competition at Cannes. Lee played Sun-woo, the right-hand man to a powerful mobster. Critics described the film as "the perfect marriage of noir style and Korean ultra-violence."

Lee Byung-hun in a white shirt and jacket holds a gun in his outstretched hand — Lee Byung-hun in A Bittersweet Life

Lee then made a cameo appearance in the 2007 Japanese hit Hero, before playing his first villain role in Kim Jee-woon's comedy western The Good, the Bad, the Weird.

In late 2009, Lee returned to television in the spy action series IRIS, playing a secret agent caught in an international conspiracy. He reportedly earned over 100 million won per episode – at the time, the third-highest fee in Korean drama history.

In 2010, Lee starred in the thriller I Saw the Devil opposite Choi Min-sik – his third collaboration with Kim Jee-woon. The film premiered at Sundance. His role as an intelligence agent earned him the Grand Prize at the Baeksang Arts Awards.

Lee Byung-hun in a black jacket peeks around the corner of a building — Lee Byung-hun in I Saw the Devil

Lee earned particular praise for his dual role in the lavish historical drama Masquerade. The film became a box office phenomenon, becoming the seventh Korean film to cross 10 million admissions and the highest-grossing period film in Korean history.

Hollywood Roles (2009 – 2016)

In 2009, Byung-hun made his Hollywood debut playing Storm Shadow in the action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Despite being relatively unknown to American audiences, his co-stars praised working with him on set.

2009 marked a turning point – Lee landed a role in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra alongside Channing Tatum and Dennis Quaid. In 2013, he reprised the role in G.I. Joe: Retaliation and starred in the action film RED 2 with Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich, and Anthony Hopkins.

In 2015, Lee had two Korean films – Inside Men and Memories of the Sword – plus the Hollywood blockbuster Terminator Genisys, where he played the T-1000 android and got to work with one of his action heroes, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

On February 28, 2016, Lee participated in the 88th Academy Awards ceremony, presenting the Best Foreign Language Film award alongside actress Sofia Vergara. He became the first Korean actor to ever present an Oscar.

That same year, Lee played sharpshooter Billy Rocks in the western The Magnificent Seven with Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke.

Lee Byung-hun in cowboy outfit and hat shoots a pistol — Lee Byung-hun in The Magnificent Seven

Return to Korean Cinema (2015 – Present)

Released in 2015, director Woo Min-ho's "Inside Men" became the highest-grossing R-rated film in Korean box office history. Lee, the film's lead star, earned Best Actor awards at multiple ceremonies – 14 awards total.

In 2018, Lee returned to television in "Mr. Sunshine," a historical war drama by screenwriter Kim Eun-sook. The series was both a critical and commercial hit, with Lee winning the Grand Prize at the 6th APAN Star Awards.

In 2019, Lee starred in the action thriller "Ashfall," followed by the 2020 political drama "The Man Standing Next." Both films performed strongly at the box office, proving Lee Byung-hun remains one of Korea's leading actors.

In September 2021, he appeared in Netflix's "Squid Game" Season 1 as the Front Man (also known as the Masked Man, the series' main antagonist). He reprised the role in Season 2, which dropped in December 2024, and will return for the final season (June 2025).

Lee Byung-hun in a gray blazer sits in a leather armchair with his legs crossed — Lee Byung-hun in "Squid Game"

Lee Byung-hun's Personal Life

Since August 2013, Lee Byung-hun has been married to actress Lee Min-jung. They started dating in 2006, broke up, but gave their relationship another shot in 2012.

Min-jung admitted she kept postponing the wedding: "I wanted to act a little longer. But he said – decide, I'll wait."

Lee Byung-hun and Lee Min-jung in wedding attire — Lee Byung-hun and his wife

The couple has two children: son Lee Joon-hoo (born March 31, 2015) and a daughter (born December 21, 2023). Their son attends an international school in Seoul and, judging by his mother's social media posts, is heavily into sports.

At home, Min-jung describes her husband as someone with a killer sense of humor, completely different from his reserved public persona:

He's definitely shy, but around close friends he's the funniest person. In group chats, he barely posts anything – unless it's something funny.

The actor's hobbies include taekwondo, which he practices in his free time, and coffee. In 2010, he earned his barista certification, taking a brief break from acting to do so.

Lee Byung-hun Now

2025 has been a packed year for Lee Byung-hun. On September 24, "The Method of Elimination" hit Korean theaters, with the actor taking the lead role in director Park Chan-wook's latest. The film earned rave reviews from critics – it's sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and scored 87 out of 100 on Metacritic. Time Out gave it a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, calling it "a masterful piece of cinema that may well be Chan-wook's masterpiece."

The film made its world premiere in August at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. It then opened the 30th Busan International Film Festival. "The Method of Elimination" has also been submitted for Oscar consideration in the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards.

Lee Byung-hun in a blue blazer sits in the grass among trees, despair written across his face — Lee Byung-hun in "The Method of Elimination"

Also in 2025, Lee starred in "The Match," director Kim Hyun-joo's biographical sports drama based on the real-life rivalry between Go masters Cho Hun-hyun and Lee Chang-ho.

Fun Facts

Five films starring Lee Byung-hun – "Joint Security Area," "The Good, the Bad, the Weird," "Masquerade," "Inside Men," and "Master" – made South Korea's all-time highest-grossing films list.
In 2012, Lee became one of the first Korean actors to leave his hand and footprints in the forecourt of the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Besides his native Korean, Lee speaks fluent English, French, and Chinese.
When his films come out, Lee secretly slips into theaters and sits in the back rows to stay under the radar while soaking up the audience's reaction.