Lee Joon-gi Wiki, Age, Biography, Height, Girlfriend, Family, Images, And More
Lee Joon-gi is a South Korean actor, singer, dancer, and model who was born on April 17, 1982. He rose to prominence in his first leading role as a clown in the critically acclaimed film The King and the Clown (2005), and later in the romantic comedy My Girl (2005-06). He has since expanded into other genres such as historical dramas (sageuk) and action thrillers. He has also appeared in Iljimae (2008), Arang and the Magistrate (2012), Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016), Lawless Lawyer (2018), and Flower of Evil (2017). (2020).
His work's popularity overseas, particularly in Asia, has established him as a top Hallyu star.
Lee Joon-gi was born in Busan and spent his school years in nearby Changwon. As a high school student, he became interested in the performing arts after seeing a performance of Hamlet. After graduating from high school, he defied his parents' wishes and moved to Seoul to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Lee worked at various part-time jobs such as waiting tables while auditioning for roles for the next several years before making her debut as a print and commercial model in 2001. He received a scholarship to Seoul Arts College and graduated in 2007.
2005: King and the Clown and rising star
Lee had his first major acting role in the 2005 film The King and the Clown, in which he played the historical figure Gong-gil, an effeminate clown in the Joseon Dynasty, after appearing in several dramas and films in bit parts. The film's critical and commercial success catapulted the then-unknown actor into Asia-wide stardom. Lee won Best Actor at the Max Movie Awards in addition to numerous Best Newcomer awards at the Korean Film Awards, Grand Bell Awards, and Baeksang Art Awards.
Producer Lee Joon-ik revealed how, despite being an unknown and relatively new actor, he chose Lee for The King and the Clown by simply seeing him do handstands, saying, "Just because of handstands, Lee Joon-gi became the person he is today." Following the release of the film, Lee became "an icon" of the South Korean "pretty boy" trend. Lee has since attempted to downplay this kkonminam image, claiming that his character Gong-gil in the film felt like he was in foot-irons and wanted to get away from it: "Whether or not it was my intention, I found myself at the forefront of the 'pretty boy' trend after my performance in The King and the Clown. People were suddenly interested in me, and I was receiving both praise and criticism. Everything was just too much. I felt as if I were floating on air."
Lee was opposed to halving South Korean screen quotas, which allow foreign films to be shown in theatres on certain days while domestic films are given another number of days. He believed that without screen quotas, The King and the Clown would not have competed as well against foreign films.
2006-2007: International recognition
Lee was then cast alongside Lee Da-hae and Lee Dong-wook in SBS's My Girl. During its run, the romance comedy series was a hit both domestically and in Asia, propelling Lee further into Korean Wave stardom.
He was reportedly paid $100 million for his follow-up film Fly, Daddy, Fly, directed by Choi Jong-tae and produced by Dyne Film-Guardtec, which was relatively low given his rising popularity following King and the Clown. This is due to the fact that the contract was signed in early December, prior to the film's release, when Lee was a relatively unknown actor. The film received a lot of attention and media coverage in China.
Lee co-starred in the 2007 Korean-Japanese film Virgin Snow with Japanese actress Aoi Miyazaki as a Korean exchange student. Virgin Snow was a box office success, finishing ninth and setting a new ticket admissions record for a Korean film released in Japan. Lee was later named the 27th Hawaii International Film Festival's Rising Star. The following year, he appeared in the film May 18, which is based on the events surrounding the 1980 Gwangju Massacre. 18 May performed well at the box office and was later named the Gold Orchid Best Feature Film of 2007. However, both of these films, along with Fly, Daddy, Fly, were criticised for "either falling short of box office expectations or casting Lee in minor roles."
Lee also had his first leading role in an MBC action drama, Time Between Dog and Wolf, as a vengeful NIS agent with a violent streak. For his performance, he received the Excellence Award at the 2007 MBC Drama Awards. Director Kim Jin-min later stated that the role was a watershed moment for Lee because it allowed him to shed his "pretty boy" image while also highlighting his martial arts background.
Tourism ambassadorship and contractual dispute in 2008-2009
Lee starred in SBS's Iljimae, a period-action drama based on Chinese folklore from the Ming dynasty about a masked Robin Hood-like character during the Joseon era, from April to July 2008. The final episode received a 31.4% viewership rating, and Lee was later awarded the Top Excellence Award at the 2008 SBS Drama Awards. The drama was also broadcast on TV Tokyo in Japan.
Lee was named the Ambassador for the 2008 Seoul Hallyu Festival on July 29, 2008. In addition, to commemorate the Government Legislation Agency's 60th anniversary, he was named the first Honorary Legal System Officer since its inception.
Lee had a contractual dispute with his agency Mentor Entertainment in September 2008, where he had been under an exclusive five-year contract since March 2004. Lee was being sued for $500 million for breach of contract and for allegedly attempting to "establish his own agency in association with his manager." Lee countered that he "suffered significant financial harm because the company was inept in dealing with tax affairs and profit distribution," and that he notified them of contract cancellation in February.
Lee was named the Korea Tourism Organization's promotional ambassador on August 5, 2009. The same year, he played a reporter in the comedy-action drama Hero.
Military service, 2010-2012
Lee signed with JG Company, a newly established independent agency, after his contract with Mentor Entertainment expired in February 2010.
Lee enlisted in the Republic of Korea Army on May 3, 2010, to fulfil his mandatory military service. He first went through five weeks of basic training at the Nonsan military training camp, where he excelled in marksmanship, before being drafted into active duty. He was assigned to the Ministry of National Defense's public relations department. He had initially requested a postponement because he was in the middle of filming Grand Prix with actress Kim Tae-hee and had been cast in the television drama Faith. He was also chosen as a goodwill ambassador for Korea at the 2010 Shanghai Expo. However, the Military Manpower Administration declined and sent a final enlistment notice, forcing him to withdraw from both projects.
Lee co-starred with fellow actor Ju Ji-hoon in the military musical Voyage of Life, which was released in August to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. The musical was also co-produced by the Ministry of National Defense and the Korea Musical Theatre Association, and it was performed at the National Theater of Korea from August 21 to August 29. Lee was discharged from the Defense Media Agency in Yongsan-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul on February 16, 2012, after serving 21 months of active duty. Lee held a fan meeting called "Reunion JG" at the Sangmyung Art Center in Seoul on the day he was discharged. This was followed by a fan event tour of Japan titled Coming Back, which took place from March 16 to 19 in Nagoya, Yokohama, and Osaka.
2012-2013: Revival
Lee co-starred with Shin Min-a in MBC's period horror-romance Arang and the Magistrate in May 2012, his first project after being released. The series was a success, and it became MBC's most expensive drama sold to Japan. Lee was later honoured at the Seoul International Drama Awards, where he was named Outstanding Korean Drama Actor.
Lee Joon Gi's JG Style premiered on Mnet Japan on September 27, 2012, documenting Lee's return to the entertainment industry. Later, at the Skapa Award 2012 in Japan, the series was awarded the Grand Prize in the Korean wave category.
Lee starred in the 2013 action thriller Two Weeks as a father fighting a murder charge while trying to save his daughter from leukaemia. At the 2nd APAN Star Awards, he received the Top Excellence Award in the male category.
2014–present: Action roles and historical dramas
Namoo Actors is Lee's new management company. He then starred in the period drama Gunman in Joseon (2014), for which he received critical acclaim for his acting and action scenes, and he was named Outstanding Korean Drama Actor for the second time at the Seoul International Drama Awards. The drama dominated its time slot and gained international attention, particularly in China, where it surpassed 200 million views in a month on Tencent QQ's video-viewing platform. The vampire romance series Scholar Who Walks the Night followed in 2015, earning Lee a "Top Ten Stars" award at the MBC Drama Awards. He was cast in his first Chinese film, Never Said Goodbye, the same year.
Lee was cast as Wang So in Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, a Korean remake of the Chinese television series Scarlet Heart, in January 2016. The 20-episode drama, with a budget of US$13 million, premiered on August 29, 2016. The production was not well received in the United States, but it received 100 million cumulative views per episode during its simulcast on the Chinese video hosting site Youku, propelling Lee's popularity in China. Lee held a free fan meeting titled "My Love Lee Joon-gi" on November 1st, where fans were able to watch the final episode of Moon Lovers with him in attendance.
Lee signed on as a new model for Lotte Duty Free Shop in October 2016. He also appeared in the company's promotional web drama 7 First Kisses. Lee then made his Hollywood debut in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, the sixth and final installment of the Resident Evil series, which was released worldwide in January 2017.
Lee starred in the tvN crime procedural drama Criminal Minds, based on the American series of the same name, in 2017. His convincing performance as a criminal profiler earned him praise from critics and viewers alike.
Lee returned to tvN in 2018 and was cast in Lawless Lawyer, his first legal drama and first time playing a lawyer. He reunited with director Kim Jin-min, with whom he previously collaborated on Time Between Dog and Wolf.
Lee reteamed with Criminal Minds co-star Moon Chae-won in the tvN thriller melodrama The Flower of Evil in 2020. He was praised for his on-screen chemistry with Moon as a married couple. According to Good Data Corporation, Lee's name was the most searched keyword on domestic search engines for three weeks in a row. Lee was nominated for Best Actor - Television at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards for his performance.
Lee returned to television in 2022 with the SBS drama Again My Life, his first return to terrestrial television in six years.
In his spare time, Lee enjoys learning and practising various types of martial arts. As a child, his father enrolled him in martial arts lessons to keep him out of trouble, and he continued practising into adulthood, mostly to prepare for specific roles. He rarely uses a stunt double for fight scenes due to his proficiency in taekwondo and several other forms of martial arts, and is regarded as one of the country's top action stars.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|
| 2004 | The Hotel Venus | Boy | Japanese production |
|---|
| Flying Boys | Dong-wan |
| 2005 | The King and the Clown | Gong-gil |
|
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| 2006 | Fly, Daddy, Fly | Go Seung-suk |
|
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| 2007 | May 18 | Kang Jin-woo |
|
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| Virgin Snow | Kim Min | Korean and Japanese co-production |
| 2016 | Never Said Goodbye | Jun-ho | Chinese production |
|---|
| Resident Evil: The Final Chapter | Commander Chu | International co-production |
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|
| 2003 | Nonstop 4 | Himself | Cameo |
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| 2004 | Drama City – What Should I Do? | Seong-ho | Cameo, (episode 234) |
|---|
| Star's Echo | Chan-gyu |
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| 2005 | My Girl | Seo Jung-woo |
|
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| 2006 | The 101st Proposal | Himself | Cameo (episode 1) |
|---|
| 2007 | Time Between Dog and Wolf | Lee Soo-hyun / Kay |
|
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| 2008 | Iljimae | Yong / Lee Geom |
|
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| 2009 | Hero | Jin Do-hyuk |
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| 2012 | Arang and the Magistrate | Kim Eun-oh |
|
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| 2013 | Two Weeks | Jang Tae-san |
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| 2014 | Gunman in Joseon | Park Yoon-kang / Hasegawa Hanjo |
|
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| 2015 | The Scholar Who Walks the Night | Kim Sung-yeol |
|
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| She Was Pretty | Himself | Cameo (episode 9) |
| 2016 | Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo | 4th Prince Wang So |
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| 2017 | Criminal Minds | Kim Hyun-joon |
|
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| 2018 | Lawless Lawyer | Bong Sang-pil |
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| 2019 | Hotel Del Luna | Exorcist | Cameo (episode 3) |
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| 2020 | Flower of Evil | Baek Hee Sung / Do Hyun Soo |
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| 2022 | Again My Life | Kim Hee-woo |
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| 2023 | Arthdal Chronicles | Adult Eun-seom / Saya | Season 2 |
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Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|
| 2016 | 7 First Kisses | Himself | Episode 1–2 |
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| 2018 | Secret Queen Makers | Episode 6 |
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Reality show
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|
| 2009 | World Special "LOVE" – Indonesia with Lee Joon-gi and Kim Ha-neul | March 21 and 28 |
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| 2012 | Lee Joon-Gi's JG Style |
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| 2013 | Lee Joon-Gi's JG World |
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| 2018 | Lee Joon-Gi's JG Island |
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Musical
| Year | Title |
|---|
| 2010 | Voyage of Life |
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Discography
Albums
| Year | Name | Track listing |
|---|
| 2006 | My Jun, My Style | - "One Word"
- "Don't Know Love"
- "Foolish Love" (Babo Sarang)
|
|---|
| Nam Hyun-joon - One & Only | - "Fly High" feat. Seo In-young
|
| 2009 | J Style | - "J Style"
- "Soliloquy"
- "I'm Ready"
- "Selfless Dedicated Tree"
- "Fiery Eyes" (Japanese album)
|
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| 2012 | Deucer[122] Released: 16 March (limited edition)
25 April (regular edition) | - "Together"
- "The Rain"
- "Born Again"
- "Sweet Memory"
|
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| 2013 | CBC / Case by Case[123] Released: 29 January | - "The Answer (Intro)"
- "Tonight"
- "Case By Case"
- "Closer"
- "Lost Frame"
|
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My Dear[124] Released: 10 December | - "Fever"
- "My Dear"
- "Fiery Eyes (New ver.)"
- "Foolish Love (New ver.)"
- "Selfless Dedicated Tree (New ver.)"
|
| 2014 | Exhale[125] Released: 21 November | - "Ma Lady"
- "U"
- "For A While"
- "Bring Da Beat" (Feat. Yoo Seung-chan)
- "Ma Lady (Inst.)"
- "For A While (Inst.)"
|
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| 2016 | Thank You[126] Released: 3 December | - "Thank You"
- "Now"
- "We Wish You a Merry Christmas"
|
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| 2018 | Delight[127] Released: 10 December | - "Accepted"
- "For Us"
- "Can't Be Slow"
|
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Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|
| "One Day" | 2012 | Arang and the Magistrate OST part 6 |
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Bibliography
| Year | Title | Notes | ISBN |
|---|
| 2009 | "Lee Joon-gi Sawasdee Khrab" | Photobook | ISBN 978-8996333319 |
| 2010 | "Hello Korean 1 with Lee Joon-gi" (Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese edition) | Korean Textbooks + Audio CD | ISBN 978-8994011141 Korean Edition |
| 2011 | "O'boy - for Splendid 2wenties of Lee Joon-gi" (Published in Japan) | Photobook | ISBN 978-4903323527 |
| 2012 | "Time Between Dog and Wolf with Lee Joon-gi" | Drama making book | ISBN 928-9201878 |
| 2013 | "Hello Korean 2 with Lee Joon-gi" (Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese edition) | Korean Textbooks + Audio CD | ISBN 978-8994011332 Korean Edition |
| 2014 | "Hello Korean 3 with Lee Joon-gi" (Korean, English, Chinese, Japanese edition) | Korean Textbooks + Audio CD | ISBN 978-8994011417 Korean Edition |
Ambassadorship
| Year | Activities |
|---|
| 2006 | Honorary Ambassador for the 10th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival |
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| 2007 | Honorary PR Ambassador for the exhibition of 'Immortal painter'-Van Gogh |
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| Honorary Ambassador for anti-piracy film |
| 2008 | Goodwill Ambassador for cultural exchange between Korea and China |
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| Honorary Ambassador for Seoul Hallyu Festival |
| 2008–2009 | Honorary Legal System Officer (名譽法制官) |
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| 2009–2010 | Honorary Tourism Ambassador for the Korea Tourism Organization |
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| 2010 | Honorary PR Ambassador for the 2010 Shanghai Expo: Korea Pavilion in Shanghai, China |
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| 2015–2016 | Promotional ambassador of Ritz-Carlton Seoul |
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Awards and nominations
Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result |
|---|
| Andre Kim Best Star Awards | 2007 | New and Superior Star Award | Lee Joon-gi | Won |
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| APAN Star Awards | 2013 | Top Excellence Award | Two Weeks | Won |
|---|
| 2021 | Popular Star Award, Actor | Flower of Evil | Nominated |
| KT Seezn Star Award | Nominated |
| Asia Artist Awards | 2017 | Fabulous Award | Criminal Minds | Won |
|---|
| 2020 | Asia Celebrity | Flower of Evil | Won |
| Best Artist Award | Won |
| Asia Model Awards | 2007 | K-Wave Special Award | Lee Joon-gi | Won |
|---|
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2006 | Best New Actor – Film | King and the Clown | Won |
|---|
| InStyle Fashionista Award | Lee Joon-gi | Won |
| 2007 | Most Popular Actor | Fly, Daddy, Fly | Won |
| 2009 | Best Actor – Television | Iljimae | Nominated |
| 2014 | Most Popular Actor (TV) | Two Weeks | Nominated |
| 2017 | Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo | Nominated |
| 2021 | Best Actor – Television | Flower of Evil | Nominated |
| Most Popular Actor (TV) | Nominated |
| Blue Dragon Film Awards | 2006 | Best New Actor | King and the Clown | Nominated |
|---|
| Popular Star Award | Won |
| Best On-Screen Couple Award (with Kam Woo-sung) | Won |
| Busan International Film Festival | 2006 | Male Rising Star Award | Lee Joon-gi | Nominated |
|---|
| 2007 | Nominated |
| China Fashion Awards | South Korean Artist of the Year | Won |
|---|
| Chunsa Film Art Awards | 2006 | Best New Actor | King and the Clown | Nominated |
|---|
| Golden Cinema Film festival | Won |
|---|
| Grand Bell Awards | 2006 | Won |
|---|
| Popularity Award | Won |
| Korean Wave Popularity Award | Won |
| Hawaii International Film Festival | 2007 | Rising Star Award | Lee Joon-gi | Won |
|---|
| KBS Drama Awards | 2014 | Top Excellence Award | Gunman in Joseon | Nominated |
|---|
| Excellence Award | Won |
| Best Couple Award (with Nam Sang-mi) | Won |
| Korean Film Awards | 2006 | Best New Actor | King and the Clown | Won |
|---|
| Korean Martial Arts Federation | 2009 | Martial Arts Actor Award | Time Between Dog and Wolf, Iljimae | Won |
|---|
| Korea Youth Film Festival | 2006 | Best New Actor | Lee Joon-gi | Won |
|---|
| Max Movie Awards | Best Actor | King and the Clown | Won |
|---|
| MBC Drama Awards | 2007 | Excellence Award | Time Between Dog and Wolf | Won |
|---|
| 2009 | Top Excellence Award | Hero | Nominated |
| Popularity Award | Won |
| 2012 | Top Excellence Award | Arang and the Magistrate | Nominated |
| Best Couple Award (with Shin Min-a) | Won |
| 2013 | Excellence Award | Two Weeks | Nominated |
| 2015 | Top Excellence Award | Scholar Who Walks the Night | Nominated |
| Top 10 Stars Award | Won |
| Mnet 20's Choice Awards | 2007 | Best Pretty Boy | Lee Joon-gi | Nominated |
|---|
| 2008 | Hot Global Star | Nominated |
| Hot Drama Star, Male | Iljimae | Nominated |
| Mnet KM Music Festival | 2006 | Best Actor in a Music Video | Grace (by Lee Soo-young) | Won |
|---|
| SBS Drama Awards | 2008 | Top Excellence Award | Iljimae | Won |
|---|
| Netizen Popularity Award | Won |
| Top 10 Stars | Won |
| 2016 | Grand Prize (Daesang) | Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo | Nominated |
| Top Excellence Award | Nominated |
| Hallyu Star Award | Won |
| Top 10 Stars Award | Won |
| Best Couple Award (with Lee Ji-eun) | Won |
| 2022 | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Genre/Fantasy Drama | Again My Life | Won |
| Grand Prize (Daesang) | Nominated |
| Seoul International Drama Awards | 2008 | Most Popular Actor | Time Between Dog and Wolf | Won |
|---|
| 2013 | Outstanding Korean Actor | Arang and the Magistrate | Won |
| 2015 | Gunman in Joseon | Won |
| Shanghai International Film Festival | 2007 | Overseas Star Award | Lee Joon-gi | Won |
|---|
| Skapa Awards | 2012 | Grand Prize, Korean wave category | Lee Joon-gi's JG Style | Won |
|---|
| Soompi Annual Awards | 2018 | Actor Of The Year | Criminal Minds | Won |
|---|
| StarHub's Night of Stars Awards | Best Male Asian Star | Lawless Lawyer | Won |
|---|
| Taiwan's KKTV Awards | 2016 | Actor of The Year | Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo | Won |
|---|
| Tourism Authority of Thailand | 2009 | Special plaque of Appreciation | Lee Joon-gi | Won |
|---|
Lee Joon-gi Biography
| Name | Lee Joon-gi |
| Nickname | None |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of Birth | 17-Apr-1982 |
| Age in 2023 | 41 |
| Birth Place | Busan, South Korea |
| Country | South Korea |
| Nationality | South Korean |
| Height | 1.78 (m) |
| Weight | Unknown (KGs) |
| Profession | South Korean Actor |
| Height | In Centimeters: 178 cm.
In Meters: 1.78 m.
In Feet Inches: 5'10" |
| Weight | In KG: Not known
In Pound: Not known |
| Eye Color | - |
| Hair Color | - |
| Marital Status | Yet to update |
Some FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) about Lee Joon-gi.
- What is the Net Worth of Lee Joon-gi?
The Net Worth of Lee Joon-gi is $100,000 -.
- What is the Height of Lee Joon-gi?
The height of Lee Joon-gi is 1.78.
- Where is the birthplace of Lee Joon-gi?
The birthplace of Lee Joon-gi is Busan, South Korea
- What is the Date of Birth of Lee Joon-gi?
The birthday of Lee Joon-gi is on 17-Apr-1982.
- Is Lee Joon-gi Married?
The marital status of Lee Joon-gi is: Yet to update.
