Lee Hee-jun (; born June 29, 1979) is a South Korean actor. He first gained recognition portraying a minor character in the television series My Husband Got a Family (2012). Lee is best known for the films 1987: When the Day Comes (2017), Miss Baek (2018), The Man Standing Next (2020), and Handsome Guys (2024), as well as the television series The Queen of Office (2013), Steal Heart (2014), Mouse (2021), and A Killer Paradox (2024).
Early life and education Lee was born on June 29, 1979 in Songhyeon-dong, Dalseo District, Daegu, South Korea. After completing high school without knowing what he wanted to do, he entered the Department of Chemical Engineering at Yeungnam University.
The turning point in his life came a week before his military enlistment, when he had a farewell party and got into a car accident that required major surgery. As a result, he was exempted from military service. Despite being exempt, he lost interest in his studies and wandered for a while, spending his days playing guitar, singing, and drinking. During this time, he happened to see a poster for a children's theatre company in Daegu and out of curiosity, he visited the theatre company. Lee worked as the youngest member of the Daegu theatre company "Onnuri" for approximately 2 years and 6 months. Instead of being an actor, his role within the troupe involved tasks such as cleaning, cooking, and putting up posters. Lee independently studied and followed Stanislavsky's book Actor's Class.
Lee debuted on in 1999 with the play Tourist Zone. He discovered a passion for acting while performing in children's plays such as The Jungle Book and Cinderella. Later on, he developed a strong desire to receive formal acting training, which led him to drop out of the chemical engineering department at Yeungnam University.
Career In 2002, Lee, who dropped out of Yeungnam University, met Lee Yun-taek and joined the Yeonheedan street troupe and lived at Miryang Theater Village for a year. He also appeared as King Oedipus in the opening production of the 2nd Miryang Theater Festival, Oedipus.
Afterwards, Lee moved to Chaimu Theater Company and played the lead role, making a name for himself in Daehakro.
Afterwards, he wanted to take acting lessons in a more systematic way, so he applied to Korea National University of Arts, but was rejected. In the end, he took the exam again and proudly entered school at the age of 24 (Class of 2003). The university is famous for its rigorous, practical-oriented curriculum. When he was an engineering student, he was tired of theory classes, so life at a practical-oriented Korean art school was like heaven. To paraphrase his own words, "I loved school." So good was he that he attended on scholarship for all eight semesters, three of which he even received full scholarships.
In 2005, he further showcased his talent by appearing in the musical Lee. He continued to hone his acting skills through various projects, including notable works like The King and the Clown and the 2007 play Byun. In 2009, he further enriched his repertoire with performances in Melodrama and There in Chuncheon.
Lee showcased the acting experience he accumulated through his involvement in musicals and theater productions, transitioning to the screen and television. He made a notable appearance in the 2007 film Secret Sunshine, portraying a minor character that garnered attention due to his captivating presence. Subsequently, he actively pursued supporting roles, featuring in films such as The Predators (2009), Unfair Trade (2010), The Yellow Sea (2010), Heartbeat (2011), Special Edition (2012), and Detective Cha (2012).
Lee also appeared on TV as a member of the Chaimu Troupe. When he appeared in the play B Unso in 2010, he was noticed by KBS drama special producer and began to make a name for himself by appearing in several one-act plays. Lee gained recognition through the KBS2 drama special Texas Hits in 2010, where he portrayed a gangster running a gambling site and impressed viewers with his acting. At the time, he was called a "star of one-act plays".
After that, he appeared in drama serial series Perfect Spy. At the press conference, actor Son Hyun-joo praised Lee, saying, "He will become a star like Song Sae-byeok."
After Perfect Spy, Lee Hee-jun appeared in Cupid Factory where he portrayed the character of So-jun, a composer who struggled to write a song due to a lack of dating experience. Despite the absurd premise of purchasing a machine at Cupid Factory to make oneself fall in love, Lee portrayed the character effortlessly, creating an engaging story that was well received by viewers. He emerged as a promising actor discovered by the KBS drama department.
In 2012, Lee then appeared in the KBS hit drama My Husband Got a Family, where he portrayed Cheon Jae-yong, a charming and innocent man. His presence in the drama played a significant role in shaping his career, contributing to his success, and gaining public awareness and popularity. He won the Best New Actor Award in the TV category at the Baeksang Arts Awards in 2013.
Lee joined the theater company "Ganda Performance Delivery Service" as an early member. The company was formed by friends who collaborated on creative projects while attending Korea National University of Arts, with CEO Min Jun-ho at the forefront. Jin Seon-kyu, was also part of the company in its early stages.
Lee later appeared in several works including Jeon Woo-chi, God of the Workplace, Yuna's Street, Mistress, and the movies Sea Fog, 1987, Miss Baek, and Namsan Managers. In each of these works, he showcased a high level of character immersion, transcending both the small and big screens. As a result, he was reborn as a 'trustworthy actor'.
In 2025, Lee starred in Netflix's crime thriller television series Karma directed by Lee Il-hyung. It is based on the Kakao webtoon of the same name by Choi Hee-seon, about people who are unexpectedly entangled and destroy each other while pursuing their own desires.
Personal life Lee Hee-jun and model Lee Hye-jung confirmed their relationship in August 2015. They registered their marriage prior to the ceremony and had their private wedding ceremony in a wedding hall in Yongsan, Seoul on April 23, 2016.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes 2003A State of Distrust Short film2004Who is Coming For Me 2005Roadless The Happy Ending, with Fear 2006Save Me The Theory & Practice of Graduation Red Butterfly Waiting for Passion 2007Secret Sunshine Resurrection of the Butterfly Room of Goldfish Short film Bolex Lorelei Ko Pil-deok 2008Zero-Sum 2009 The Pit and the Pendulum Seong-ik A Worse Crime Short filmI'm in Trouble! Si-hyeongBeing a Traveler Short film2010The Unjust Detective NamThe Yellow Sea Bo-eun policeman2011Heartbeat PharmacistMoby Dick Hyeon-deok Quick Head of Dae-mang department S.I.U. Geun-soo Communique Short film2012Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time College student 1Helpless No Seung-jooRunway Cop Kyeong-seok 2013 Dear Dolphin Kim Hyeok-geun The Flu Byeong-gi Marriage Blue Dae-bok2014 HaemooChang-wook 2015 SORI: Voice from the Heart Jin-ho2016 A Melody to RememberHook Worst Woman Woon-cheolSpecial appearanceMisbehavior Pyo Sang-woo2017A Special Lady Choi Dae-sik1987: When the Day Comes Yoon Sang-sam2018 Miss Baek Jang-sub The Drug King Choi Jin-pil 2019Another Child Park Seo-bang2020The Man Standing Next Cha Ji-chulOh! My granDo-won 2021 Somewhat High Humidity 2022 Bystanders Kim Nak-su Short film 2024 Badland Hunters Yang Gi-su Netflix film Handsome Guys Park Sang-goo Bogota: City of the Lost Soo-young 2026 The Table: Day and Night Dong-man Opening film of BIFF
Television series Year Title Role Notes 2007Que Sera Sera Bit part; Ep. 42008Crime 2 2010KBS Drama Special - "An Awful Lot of Coincidences" Number 1 KBS Drama Special - "Texas Hit" Min-seok2011 Drama Special Series - "Perfect Spy"Lee Sang-joon KBS Drama Special - "Cupid Factory" Yoo So-joon KBS Drama Special - "Identical Criminals" Jeong Jong-doo The Princess' Man Gong Chil-goo2012KBS Drama Special - "Swamp Ecology Report" Wild RomanceGo Jae-hyo My Husband Got a Family Cheon Jae-yongJeon Woo-chi Kang Rim 2013The Queen of Office Moo Jeong-han2014Steal Heart Kim Chang-man 2016The Legend of the Blue SeaJo Nam-doo 2017The Last Blossom In-cheol 2018Drama Stage - Not Played Jo Seong-wookMistressHan Sung-joon 2021 VincenzoUnnamed robber #2 CameoMouse Go Moo-chiChimeraLee Joong-yeob 2022 Behind Every Star Himself Cameo (Episode 2) 2024 A Killer Paradox Song Chon Blood Free Seonu Jae 2025Love ScoutPeter KwonCameo (Episode 1) Karma Park Jae-yeong Nine Puzzles Kang Chi-mok Cameo 2026 The Scarecrow Cha Si-young scope="row" When the Day Breaks
Web series Year Title Role Notes 2026 Dead-End Job Mr. S Netflix
Stage
Dance + Dance performancesYearTitleRole English Korean 2004 Knife 2005 Gangbyeonbuk-ro
Musical +Musical performancesYearTitleRole English Korean 2001 Animal Farm 2006 Yi (爾) 2007 Jargon 2008; 2012 The Mirror Princes Pyeonggang Story Soldier 1 2009 Bachelor's Vegetable Store 2009 Puberty
Theatre +List of Stage Play(s)YearTitleRole English Korean 1999–2000 Tourist station 2002Oedipus Oedipus 2005 Come and See Me How are you all 2006 Silence 2007Byeonsangdo Team Hongdongji nori MelodramaKim Chan-il 2008 Let's go! Third, "Annapurna in My Heart" Son-in-law Naeon Theater Opening Commemoration Parade: End Room Father Let's go to karaoke... Shall we talk? Father2009 Karaoke owner Chuncheon Jihwan 2010 B Word (蜚言所) 2011–2012 The Tale of an Old Thief Younger thief 2012 Wedding Scandal 2014–2019 Me and Grandpa Jun-hee 2014 The Cosmonaut's Last Message to the Woman He Once Loved in the Former Soviet Union Erick/Hyland Bar owner2022Even Then Today Man 1 2024 Flower, Stars Passing By Hee-min
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 Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards 2024 Best Supporting Actor A Killer Paradox Baeksang Arts Awards 2013 Best New Actor – Television My Husband Got a Family 2020 Best Supporting Actor – Film The Man Standing Next 2021 Best Supporting Actor – Television Mouse 2024 Best Supporting Actor – Television A Killer Paradox 2025 Best Actor – Film Handsome Guys Blue Dragon Film Awards 2021 Best Supporting Actor The Man Standing Next Blue Dragon Series Awards 2024 Best Supporting Actor A Killer Paradox Buil Film Awards 2020 Best Supporting Actor The Man Standing Next Chunsa Film Art Awards 2020 Best Supporting Actor The Man Standing Next Director's Cut Awards 2022 Best New Actor in Film The Man Standing Next 2025 Best Actor in Series A Killer Paradox Gwangju International Film Festival 2013 New Star Award Lee Hee-joon KBS Drama Awards 2011 Best Actor in a One-Act Drama/Special Perfect Spy, Cupid Factory, Identical Criminals 2012 Best Couple Award Lee Hee-joon My Husband Got a Family Best New Actor My Husband Got a Family 2013 Best Supporting Actor Queen of the Office Korea Drama Awards 2012 Excellence Award, Actor My Husband Got a Family Special Jury Prize SBS Drama Awards 2016 Excellence Award, Actor in a Fantasy Drama The Legend of the Blue Sea Wildflower Film Awards 2017 Best Supporting Actor/ActressWorst Woman
References
External links
Lee Hee-jun at BH Entertainment