Lee Jong-suk bio, girlfriend, age, height, doramas, family, dating timeline 2025

Biography of Lee Jong-suk

Lee Jong-suk is a highly sought-after actor and model who made history as the youngest-ever participant at Seoul Fashion Week in 2005. He's won over twenty film awards, including South Korean Drama Awards, and gained fame for his roles in hit series like "School 2013," "Pinocchio," "I Can Hear Your Voice," "While You Were Sleeping," and "W."

He is also known for his involvement in creating music videos, particularly for tracks like "Love Is" by the duo Davichi, "My Valentine" by singer Jeong Yeop, and "Don't Play Around" by the girl group "CHI-CHI."

Childhood

The actor, rightfully called "talented, charming, brave, and charismatic," was born on September 14, 1989, in Yongin. He grew up as a shy, quiet child who avoided social interactions. He was the eldest of three children in the family: in 1991, his parents welcomed a son, and two years later a daughter. His younger brother and sister were more lively, not as introverted as he was.

The eldest child was always afraid of his father, who treated him with particular strictness and high expectations. Even as he grew older, he usually felt uncomfortable around his father and never dared to talk back.

Presumably, to develop his son's strength and self-confidence, his father sent him first to the Boy Scouts, then to a taekwondo class. Although the boy preferred drawing, playing the piano, or the board game "Go", he diligently attended training and eventually earned a black belt. His family wouldn't let him quit martial arts even after he injured his knee and tore his ligaments in an accident.

Star Path

While still in middle school, he launched his modeling career showcasing men's clothing for the well-known Seoul Collection brand during Seoul's 2005 Fashion Week. The event drew leading designers and fashion enthusiasts from around the globe. This made him the youngest model in Korea to walk shows of this caliber.

Around the same time, he began training with an idol group, signing a contract that included provisions for his acting debut. However, he terminated the contract after three months when the company failed to deliver on their acting promises.

He then successfully auditioned for Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) and made his screen debut at 16 in the short film "Sympathy". That same year, he won among rookie models and took home the South Korean Superstar Selection Competition award. In 2006, he also topped the list of contenders for the SMART Model Contest in the "Most Photogenic" category.

Lee Jong Suk on the runway Compilation

For the next three years, he kept hitting the audition circuit, but success remained elusive. The constant rejection and his parents' disappointment sent Lee into a depression, leaving him housebound and isolated from friends. But 2010 brought his breakthrough: a supporting role in the romantic drama "Prosecutor Princess", following Ma Hye-Ri (Kim So-Yeon) as she transforms into an exceptional lawyer. He also made his big-screen debut in the horror movie "Ghost".

By late 2010, he was filming the drama "Secret Garden", playing talented gay musician Han Tae-Sun, who harbors romantic feelings for pop singer Oska (Yoon Sang-Hyun). The rising actor began getting recognized on the street, and even his demanding father praised his work.

He gained even more popularity with the 2011 romantic comedy "High Kick: Revenge of the Short Legged". He landed the role of hockey star Ahn Soo-Jung, brother to the heroine played by actress-singer Krystal Jung. His standout performance earned him a Baeksang Arts Awards nomination.

Lee Jong-suk in 'High Kick: Revenge of the Short Legged'

Riding his success wave, Lee tackled four projects in 2012. He played rookie pilot Ji Seok-Hyun in the Korean War film "R2B: Return to Base", plus a minor role as North Korean Choi Kyung-Sub in sports drama "As One", chronicling the 1991 table tennis championships in Chiba, Japan, where the unified Korean team claimed gold.

Interview with Lee Jong Suk | ELLE Korea

In the same year, he performed the central role of student Go Nam-Soon in the drama "School 2013", dedicated to incidents from the life of students of a problematic educational institution in Seoul. He delivered a convincing and realistic portrayal of his character's emotional journey and earned his first KBS Drama Awards in the category "Best New Actor".

Lee showcased his acting range in the melodrama "My Prettiest Moments". He took on the role of Yoon Jong-Hak, a charming student. While visiting a friend in the hospital, his character met a very cute girl. She stirred such intense feelings that he faced an impossible choice - what to do and who to choose?

A scene from 'When I Was The Most Beautiful'

During the same period, the actor was a guest on the entertainment TV shows "Strong Heart" and "Happy Together", and also became the host of the show "The Music Trend" on the SBS channel.

Lee Jong-suk New Face Dance

The next significant project in Lee's career was the series "I Can Hear Your Voice", released in 2013, which earned him multiple awards for Best Actor. In this compelling romantic comedy-drama, he played Park Soo-Ha, a young man who can read minds. His character falls for a brilliant lawyer (Lee Bo-Young) investigating complex cases, and he does everything he can to help her.

A scene from the series 'I Can Hear Your Voice'

Fans also caught him in one of 2013's biggest box office hits - the historical drama "The Face Reader", where he played Jin-Hyeong, the son of the main character Nae-Kyung (actor Song Kang-Ho). In addition, he appeared in a key role as a swimmer in the sports melodrama "No Breathing".

Lee Jongsuk, Seo Inguk in No Breathing

2014 saw Lee starring in three major productions, including the melodramatic comedy-thriller "Dr. Stranger", which racked up over 600 million views and earned him the SBS Special Award, and the detective sitcom "Pinocchio". His performance earned him Drama Awards in two categories (Best Actor and Best Couple with actress Park Shin-Hye).

In 2016, Lee graduated from Konkuk University with a degree in "Professional Cinematography and Art" while starring in three projects. He played the key role of Kang Chul in the fantastic series "W". In the storyline, his comic book character develops a romance with real-world girl Oh Yeon-Joo (actress Han Hyo-Joo).

The following year, fans eagerly embraced his two new projects - in the feature film "VIP", where he played the son of a powerful official who gets away with crimes, and in the series "While You Were Sleeping", which follows his character, Prosecutor Jung, as he teams up with Nam (Bae Suzy), a girl who has prophetic dreams.

A scene from the movie `Praise of Death` featuring Lee Jong-Suk

In 2018, the historical drama "The Hymn of Death" premiered, chronicling the tragic romance between renowned theater playwright Kim Woo-Jin (played by Lee Jong-Suk) and Korea's first soprano Yoon Sim-Deok (Shin Hye-Sun).

In 2019, the romantic comedy series "Romance is a Bonus Book" aired, following the evolving relationship between young publishing company chief editor and brilliant writer Cha Eun-Ho, played by Lee, and the stunning Kang Dan-I (Lee Na-Young). In the story, she's a former talented copywriter and his old friend who's struggling to find work. Fans went wild for the intimate moments, like when she fell asleep on his shoulder and he secretly brushed her lips with his finger.

In March of the same year, the actor was drafted for compulsory military service. However, due to a car accident injury he suffered at 16 (ruptured cruciate ligament), he was deemed unfit for active military duty. He served his military duty until January 2021 as a public service worker.

Lee Jong Suk's Interview After Being Discharged from Military Service

Jong-Suk was discharged on January 2, 2021, and just two weeks later graced the cover of Esquire Korea. In the magazine interview, he confessed to feeling nervous about returning to the spotlight, as if he'd forgotten how to pose for cameras during his two years of service. He also revealed he'd gained about ten kilograms during those two years and needed to lose it fast – with gyms closed due to the pandemic, he had to work out at home while maintaining a strict diet.

Lee Jong-Suk on the cover of Esquire Korea

Personal Life of Lee Jong-suk

The actor tries to keep his private life out of the public eye. He's mentioned wanting to meet someone intellectually stimulating who would push him to grow.

He's been romantically linked to model-actress Han Hyo-joo, "Miss A" member Bae Suzy, and co-stars Park Shin Hye from "Pinocchio" and Lee Bo Young from "I Hear Your Voice."

His most recent rumored romance was with "Hello Venus" singer Nara. However, his agency "A Man Project" shut down these rumors in August 2019.

What was confirmed, however, was his relationship with singer-actress Lee Ji-eun, better known as IU. Their relationship started in the summer of 2022.

Lee speaks about his girlfriend with undisguised adoration:

It may sound cliché, but her existence gives me strength and the will to live. She not only helps me but also many other people who find comfort through her music

Lee Jong-suk Now

In 2022, fans were thrilled to see Jong-suk return to the screen after his military service, appearing in the horror sequel "The Witch: Part 2" as the head of a secret government agency hunting down the main character.

Lee Jong-suk in the movie 'The Witch: Part 2'

That same year, he took on the lead role in the crime drama "Big Mouth." His character, Park Chang-ho, is a mediocre but chatty lawyer who finds himself in serious trouble. He's mistaken for a con artist nicknamed Big Mouse, and once he lands in prison, Chang-ho desperately tries to figure out who framed him.

Big Mouth - scenes» compilation

2022 also saw the premiere of the military thriller "Decibel," where Jong-suk played one of the key characters.

Photos: Lee Jong-suk

Biography of Lee Jong-suk

Childhood

Star Path

Personal Life of Lee Jong-suk

Lee Jong-suk Now